Wednesday 19 September 2012

Compact or DSLR



Seems I am forever caught in a quandary when I go travelling nowadays. If I want the cheap travel it`s hand luggage only and the big issue of which camera to take rears it`s head. Sure I`ve been to places where I have taken the gear and just a small amount of cloths - went to Prague a while back with 11kg in my hand luggage (Ssh! Don`t tell the airline !) and I worked out 9.4 kg of it was camera gear. I was travelling solo so usual rules on amount of clothing didn`t apply but still had to struggle about with a huge camera big and big coat that was way too hot which I had taken to decant lenses into if I had been busted for the excess baggage weight!
Over time I have got less and less satisfied with my compact - an outdated Panasonic Lumix TZ5 - but it is small and works OK in good light and I don`t want to spend an arm and a leg on a compact that will not rival output on my D700 or even the D7000! Yes I`d love a Fuji X100 but at that price!!!

Anyway sometimes I just have to bite the bullet and take the TZ5 and then moan at the images I get when I get back. I end up over processing them in Lightroom to get something different out of them and just deleting half of what I get for lack of sharpness, lack of depth of colour - lack of pretty much everything. How come everyone else seems happy with what they get out of compacts I wonder?

Anyway just been away to the Lakes for a couple of days with great friends Anne and Art having a lovely time, despite the rain and despite Anne stating "It`s too f****** green for me" - she likes the scorched earth of a faraway shore. That said we walked rain or shone, enjoyed our great value stay at the Borrowdale and much preferred the 2 free bottles of wine we got in lieu of the cancelled wine tasting that was part of the deal. I mean , we didn`t have to spit the wine out that came free with our dinner - no contest!

Might have known what weather we would get when I saw Anne`s reading material for the trip...

Of course this needed some jiggery pokery as you just don`t get that depth of field with a compact!









First thing we saw from the room was a rainbow












After that it was pretty much sunshine and showers- with some torrential stuff thrown in but we had a great time!
A walk on our doorstep on the banks of Derwentwater






We can get around this one!

Come on Anne - over the stepping stones!

Nice to be away with 2 special people!







Puddles

Rain , rain go away!



These boots are made for walking!


The Borrowdale garden



This cafe used the same language as Anne!

The Keswick Giraffe



On top of the Bowder Stone





OTT HDR

Jump Anne!



By the Lodore Falls

Lodore Falls gardens - lovely hotel where we could use the spa and pool.



Took in the Hawes Wensleydale Cheese factory and samples area on the way back!





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