by Kevin L'dux

Created on: October 05, 2008   Last Updated: October 06, 2008

I have a Canon PowerShot S50 digital camera. Before that I had an HP model that is nameless to me at this time. I also have a Canon AE-1 35mm SLR camera body and several lenses. I used to spend countless hours with my AE-1 shooting roll after roll for that elusive shot that was of magazine cover quality or for post cards. I've come to understand the relationship of a photographer chasing the wanted image of a subject and can compare it to that of an angler trying to land a particular fish by hook.

I succeeded in my quest many times in many different locales around the country. I learned to use a $125 autofocus Nikon load and shoot camera when on vacation in Mexico. Remember everything you learn about lighting and it's magic.
The ongoing debate of Kodachrome versus Ecktachrome still rages but I've always favored Kodachrome. Fuji was acceptable at times when it was 5 times cheaper to purchase but Kodac film was still the standard for my uses. I liked Ecktachrome around inland water such as creeks and ponds - the blues were somewhat bluer. I dabbled in B&W a bit on road trips.

I have friends that had Nikons in the $$$ range and a few with Hasselblads but in the end it depends on what and where you are photographing as well as lighting and camera settings. A three thousand dollar camera is useless until one learns it potentials. I had the opportunity to use a 1960s Leica pont and shoot camera owned by an older gentleman that had film in it from the last time his wife used it in the 1970s. He wouldn't let me remove the film, thus prevented me from using the camera. It had a full compliment of Carl Zeiss lenses all packed away in it's original case.

I now use my Digital camera as the images are instantly available on my PC. I have several editing programs that I use to manipulate the images I shoot. I have gotten some good results but the S50 has more settings than I will ever need or master. I like the stitching mode as I have put together some cool shots I couldn't have done using film. I like the ability to shoot forever with a big memory card and photographed my dog at 1 second stop-speed intervals in portrait mode for a video I produced. I appreciate the video format the most as that is the purpose of the CCD sensor inside the camera. My earlier HP was low resolution - 2M? - whereas the Kodac is 5M, a huge difference that makes or breaks the image. A grainy macro photo is not as attractive as one that allows the eyes to focus correctly.

Photoshop and Paintshop

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