equipment recommendation - How can I make my new DSLR more portable and convenient?

I've been enjoying taking digital pics for about the last seven years with my trusty Olympus C50 compact, and decided I wanted to take my efforts up a gear and get a 'proper' camera, so recently bought a Nikon D5000 and stock 18-55mm lens kit.

I'm very taken with it but over the last few months have realised that the fact that it feels so bulky (to me as a former compact camera user, anyway) means I've taken fewer and fewer pics. Even when I do take it out with me, the size of the camera, lens and the bag I have to keep it in means I can rarely be bothered to take it out and take pictures. It also makes me feel somewhat self-conscious, whereas my C50 used to give me confidence in taking street shots or pictures of crowds. Attempting to take photos of unpredictable and hyperactive toddlers is also fraught.

Has anyone got any suggestions for what I can do to resolve this — it's a fine camera, but I'm getting to the point where I think I need to swap it for a high-end compact so that I'll have pics of my kid growing up. Is there some kit I can get (bags, straps, holsters?) that will help my camera become more portable/usable?

Answer

Don't get tied down to thinking you only need one camera. Each camera has its own unique benefits and drawbacks. I highly recommend:

• A small point and shoot camera for those always ready snapshots you want to take


• An SLR camera for when you need more quality and control. You can capture motion very well with these things, and the control you have over exposure really can make or break a picture.

I also have a large format camera that shoots 4x5 film. I'm not recommending this for everyone, but it has a completely different style of taking photographs than either of the smaller cameras. The quality and control I have with the large format camera is its major benefit, but the fact that it weighs 12.5 lbs without the lens is one of its major drawbacks.

At some point you will need to get over being self conscious with a camera. I still deal with that myself. The fact that you can't hide the SLR and it's always visible makes you more conspicuous. However, in the right setting, I'm right at home to whip out the SLR take my pictures.