The Other Camera

I graduated from a point and shoot 35mm (a wonderful Pentax IQ zoom WR) to a Cannon Rebel 2000. I was so intimidated by the options offered to me by this new camera. The training wheels were off! I read the owners manual again and again. I invested in rolls and rolls of film to ensure the capture of THE PERFECT SHOT. My new partner was always within an arms reach.

The Rebel was a bit awkward to carry and the added bulk of extra rolls of film, back-up batteries and additional lenses made a large camera case a must. Digital cameras were gaining in popularity, but it was still the consensus of the photography community that digital prints paled in comparison to prints made from film negatives. This belief would become my mantra, my shield. Everywhere we went, digital cameras abounded. The cost and quality of such cameras gave me justification to hold onto my old ways, my 'ol Rebel.

I looked forward to an impending family vacation, an opportunity for us to strut our stuff. True the bag and camera bulk would be a bit inconvenient, but what is a little inconvenience when preserving the memories of a lifetime?

And then IT arrived.

A Kodak EasyShare digital camera. Smaller than my Rebel. No film or lenses to tote. Convenient.

Photography and I had reached another defining moment in our relationship. What did this mean for my Rebel? Surely I wouldn't abandon it for a point and shoot DIGITAL camera?