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Camino Camera Confusion

I like photography; it is one of my greatest hobbies. My cousin Beth introduced me to single-lens reflex cameras in the late 1970's and it was love at first sight. I got my first job when I was 14, and saved up all summer to get a Pentax K-1000. I have always had and used an SLR since then.

A few years ago when I took Sammie to Hawaii, I re-evaluated my needs for the trip. I wanted a camera I could toss on the beach without fear of it being stolen (or at least small enough to hide), so I bought a simple point-and-shoot digital.  It wasn't anything spectacular, but it got the job done.

When I was packing for my Alaska trek, I put the point-and-shoot away and took my DSLR. It was a pain carrying one lens in my pocket and another on the camera, then swapping them out while hiking up to a glacier. On the other hand, the pictures I brought back were simply amazing.

In the guidebook, “Jack from Ireland” says that bringing a camera will inhibit a deep experience. Maybe that’s the vice of experience, seeing that he took all the pictures in the book, but that’s simply not an option for me. So, ignoring his advice, now it's time for me to wonder what camera I should bring with me on the Camino.

Last year I bought a used 18-250mm travel lens, so I don't have to worry about lens swapping. But the camera is still pretty bulky and heavy, especially once the lenses is mounted. Do I really want to carry around that much weight?

So, like I did for Hawaii, let me evaluate my needs.  The ideal camera would:

• Be light weight.
• Be at least 16 megapixels (I like to crop).
• Take standard batteries that I can buy along the way, instead of carrying a charger and a plug converter, and taking up valuable "outlet space" at the albergue.
• Have an integrated GPS receiver. If I'm travelling for a month, it would be nice for the photo itself to know where it was taken.
• Have zoom capability of at least 375mm (full frame equivalence).
• Be able to handle the elements.
• Involve as little cash outlay as possible.

So I did a search for cameras. I viewed the zoom and GPS as non-negotiables, so I eliminated anything without both. I also eliminated anything that would cost me over $300 (things that I already own or have access to cost me $0, so your mileage may vary). My search yielded these five options:

Camera	Weight	Batteries?	Pocket?	Zoom	Cost	Notes
Pentax K-30	1171g	YES	NO	375mm	Free	Weight includes Sigma 18-250mm lens and Pentax O-GPS1 receiver. Camera is weather-resistant, but lens isn't. I already own this, so nothing to buy.
Pentax K-01	1081g	NO	NO	375mm	Free	Weight includes Sigma 18-250mm lens and Pentax O-GPS1 receiver. No view finder, which is irritating, given the camera's weight and bulk. I already own this, so nothing to buy.
Nikon CoolPix P520	550g	NO	NO	1000mm	Free	Can borrow this, but walking around with something borrowed is more stressful to me than walking around with my own stuff. Even though it's lighter than the previous options, would still need to be worn around my neck full-time.
Nikon CoolPix S9700	232g	NO	YES	750mm	$275	Would have buy this. The fact that it can fit in the pocket is a very nice benefit. Has some bad reviews on Amazon for breaking.
Sony CyberShot HX50V	246g	NO	YES	720mm	$285	Would have buy this. Another "pocket camera". Pretty good reviews.

The K-01 is out—90 grams is not enough to justify its limitations over the K-30.  Between the CoolPix S9700 and the Cybershot HX50V, the Sony seems the superior camera, so that rules out the Nikon.

Of the remaining contenders, the Pentax is the most powerful and the Sony is the most convenient, with the Nikon being the happy medium. I’ll have to give it more thought, but it’s nice to know what the options are.

About Me

I've added an "About Me" page. While it seems to me to the the height of egocentrism, a friend suggested that I add it.

That's it for the "meta" blog posts. Next time I will talk about my internal struggle about bringing my camera.

The Gear Page

I hinted at it earlier, but I have a page where I'm keeping track of my packing list. The page includes not only the items, but their weight, cost, and where I got them. Things I don't have yet are listed, but blank.

A Guide

I bought a gift for my brother and myself. I got us each a copy of John Brierley's A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino Portugués. Now that some money has been actually poured out on Portugal, I guess that's solidifying the decision to take that route even more.

I've not actually read the full book yet, but have rather flipped through the pages. It looks like a good resource but the author puts notes of his personal spiritual journey at each town listing. This bothers me, because I want this to be my camino, not John Brierley's camino. Even worse, i feels to me that he actually dares to try to tell me what I should be reflecting on.

As I read it, I'm reminded by the movie I mentioned a while back, The Way. In that movie, the character are joined by a writer named "Jack, from Ireland".  Jack just happens to write guidebooks for the Camino, and has strong viewpoints what it takes to be a "true pilgrim." At one point Martin Sheen's character goes off on "Jack-ass from Ireland", calling him an arrogant boor.

It so happens the John Brierley lives in Dublin, and I can't help wondering if he's "Jack, from Ireland."

I'll know more after I finish reading the guide.

Speaking with Forked Tongue

In choosing to walk the Camino Portugués, my brother Don and I have committed to two spending a month or so walking across two countries where we don't speak the local language. I told Don that he was in charge of Portuguese and that I would take care of Spanish.

To help me with my Spanish, I've started the free lessons provided by Duolingo. It's a pretty neat site. It provides a number of exercises to help you learn a language. Each exercise is one of the following activities:

• Given a written phrase in English, type the Spanish phrase.
• Given a written phrase in English, select all the correct Spanish translations of those listed.
• Given a written phrase in Spanish, type the English phrase.
• Given a written phrase in English, speak the Spanish phrase. It uses speech-to-text technology to determine if you're right.
• Given an spoken phrase in Spanish, type it out in Spanish.

It's a pretty neat system, and I like it a lot. I definitely can't complain with free! They offer other languages (including Portuguese). While I don't expect this will make me anything close to fluent, it will at least give me enough Spanish to survive.

That reminds me; I need to add a Spanish phrase-book/dictionary to my gear list!

Fit for a Pilgrim

I previously mentioned how I wasn't completely satisfied with the (lack of) fitting help I got when buying my backpack. I went back to Eastern Mountain Sports today, and explained the situation to an assistant manager.

She said that she could help me, and lived up to that promise. She loaded my pack with weights, and explained what each of the adjustments did. She also had me try on another size, and took the time to show me in the mirror exactly what we were looking for in a fit. By the time I left, I felt confident that my pack was the right pack for the trip.

What's a Camino?

Whenever I've gone shopping for Camino supplies, regardless of the store, the salesperson always asks me what I'm going to be doing with it. I'll usually ask back, "Have you ever heard of the Camino de Santiago?" The answer has always been "no". I've given up asking the question.

Today when the assistant manager asked the usual question, and I just muttered back something about hiking across Portugal and Spain. "Doing the Camino?" she asked. Apparently she's helped outfit a lot of people for the Camino.

Conclusion

So, in the end my experience with Eastern Mountain Sports was positive, and I will probably go back there for future supplies.

The Way

Like most Americans, my brother had never heard of the Camino before. After he agreed to go with me in principle, I wanted him to have a fuller idea of the Camino experience. I wanted that experience to come from someone other than me, because what do I know? I've never walked the Camino. So I asked him to watch an indie (if you can call Emilio Estevez "indie") film called The Way. Fortunately it is/was available for streaming on Netflix, so he agreed.
I think it's a great movie. It's definately a drama with some comedic moments. If you want all your movies to have lots of action, this isn't the film for you. One reviewer called it a "thinking man's movie". Having said all that, I recommend it:

After seeing the film, my brother is more psyched than ever to walk the Camino with me.