[at-l] camera

[Ken Bennett]

On Thu, Jun 17, 2010 at 8:25 AM, giniajim <jplynch at crosslink.net> wrote:

>  A related question is (and assuming that we're one of those who like to
> carry a cell-phone): what's the best camera/cell phone combo for the trail?
>
>

The big issue with a camera phone is battery life -- if the phone is on, and
searching for service, it sucks the battery dry pretty quickly. If the phone
is off, and you want to take a picture, you have to wait for it to boot up
first. The same issue happens when using a phone/GPS combo, or any
phone/whatever combo. It's great to have everything in one unit, but...

That said, most recent phones will take moderately decent photos in good
light conditions. As good as a point and shoot digital camera, for the most
part. There is a whole subculture of photographers shooting art with
iPhones<http://www.flickr.com/groups/takenwithiphone/>,
for example.

I like having a cell phone on longer hiking trips, but I carry the smallest,
lightest phone I can find, and it stays turned off in a ziploc bag in the
bottom of my pack. I'll turn it on once in a while to check for messages, or
to call for a hostel reservation. In this way a single battery can still
have a full charge after 2 or 3 weeks on the trail.

A camera is something I'll use many times per day, so it lives in a little
waist pack for quick access. On trips under a week I carry a spare battery.
On trips over a week I carry the spare battery, a spare memory card, and the
battery charger.

--Ken
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