Last week I learned that … big is not always beautiful!

I have been using my Nikon SLR for  year or so and taken some photography courses and become become quite proficient.  Using many of the non-automatic gizmos, I have collected a fine gallery.  I even took ‘it’ to Brazil and took some memorable shots and plan to take a camera again this year.
However, I have learned that a camera like the Nikon is more of a hindrance than pleasure in more ways than one.  First its ‘camera’ like appearance gives the owner at a glance the look of a ‘rich’ tourist and a easy target for the opportunist thief.  Suffice to say I am not a rich tourist, but I do not wish to encourage a thief or risk injury.

Number two,  I am not able to point and shoot, each shot is carefully considered and staged. Spectacular scenes in a busy city, beside a turbulent sea or in a cable car are feats best left to the experts and those with nerves of steel,.
Three, the said camera alone without its required paraphernalia that looks so attractive in the adverts or slung in the back of a 4×4, on the the back of a 5’2’’ granny it  is not such a pretty sight or practical.
Finally having taken the photos I still needed to down load to the laptop; sadly camera, laptop and internet access were not always available at the same time and in the same place!.
So it is with some regret that I will loose my trusty friend; although it was difficult learning  experience with my Nikon, it seems we have come to a place of ease with each other.
I have bought a rather nice compact camera which seems more like a computer but with the option to use as a SLR if required.
At first the with its added digital devices and applications I saw a monster and was more than a little anxious.  However after a few days and ‘playing’ I appear to have an angel.  I can send pictures here there and everywhere.  I can use it to write my blog, post pictures and publish, send to Twitter and Facebook  anywhere in the world.  It is 50% smaller than my old camera with nothing more than a tripod when the light is poor when I use it as an SLR.  This means that I can now take my camera anywhere and take advantages of the visual delights or not of my environment