My Commonplace Book

It's always an ordeal for me to make a major purchase.

( Musing )

So I always feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment when I finally manage to buy something! And I have now bought my camera equipment, thanks to a lot of help and hand holding from good friends (particularly platypus and kayre) for which I immensely grateful!

Here's what I got:

• Canon Powershot A710 camera from Beach Camera. (It came with free 3-day shipping and the company is in NJ, so it should be here by Wednesday or Thursday.)
  
• 2.2x telephoto and .45 wide-angle conversion lenses (which come with an adapter for the A710, a tabletop tripod and a lens-cleaning kit) from 47th Street Photo
  
• Fellowes Digital Camera Screen Protectors from Best Buy (they were on sale and shipping was free)
  
• 2 SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II Secure Digital Memory Cards from Amazon

( Memory card adventures )

Anyway, it's done! Now I have to go sign up for my shore excursions because I'm right at the deadline!

Somebody please look at these and tell me what you think! I've been price shopping all morning¹, and these are the best deals I could find. Anybody know anything about any of these merchants? Do you think they look safe?

What about the choices????

Canon A710:

• Wisetronics (lowpricedigital.com calls them a Certified Merchant and says the price is for a brand new USA model) --  $224.94
  
  
• Amazon: $255
  
• Beach Camera (someone said they were good and they rate very high at resellerratings.com): $247.00

SanDisk 2 GB Extreme III SD card:

• Amazon: $52.35
  
• Beach Camera: $55.00

SanDisk 2 GB Ultra II SD card:

• Amazon: $32.00
• Beach Camera: $49.00 (huh?)

Lens Kit

• eBay from 47th St. Photo -- includes Opteka .45 wide angle, Opteka 2.2x tele, adapter for A710, tabletop tripod, lens cleaning kit: $68.90

All prices include shipping.

ADDED (NEW TOTAL)
The total cost would be $347.90 for the camera from Beach, an Ultra II card from Amazon, and the lens kit.
HOW DOES THAT LOOK??

Since I already have NiMH AA's and a good quality charger, I don't need any new batteries. Based on the ball-park figures I gathered yesterday, the Canon with the extra lenses² is about the same price as the Nikon with the extra battery. I'd get a much more versatile camera, with a 12x capability, for the same price (more or less, with the new number). As long as I get the telephoto lens, the only thing I'd be giving up is the swivel -- and I wouldn't have to worry about those special batteries.

I can't believe this process is so horribly torturous! If I can get some feedback by this afternoon, I'm going to order this stuff today!! If I live that long.

Immense thanks to all of you who helped me figure this out!!! Your advice and feedback helped enormously!


¹Yes, it's 1 pm and I'm still sitting here in my pajamas! I fed the cats, but other than that I just walked in here and sat down. I haven't had a thing to eat. I don't think I even remembered to take my morning meds.

²I know those are off-brand lenses, but the Canon conversion lenses are so expensive that just a 1.7x plus an adapter tube would push the whole thing well over $400, which is beyond my budget. This way I get a wide-angle lens too, and also the little rubber tabletop tripod I've been wanting for a long time that only seems to be available in kits. There were other sets that included three filters for about the same price, but they came with generic lenses, and I figured an off-brand is better than no brand.

A big thank you to those who posted comments in response to my first post about figuring out what camera to buy! I didn't respond at the time because major decisions like this are agonizing for me, and I was just overloaded with that one at the time and had to drop it for awhile.

But I really need to get on this NOW, so I'm trying again. I followed all your advice about eliminating certain choices, reading other reviews, what to consider, and your own experiences.

I spent ALL DAY yesterday on this. I'm down to four, but now I'm totally stuck again. =heavy sigh=

( My thinking so far )

Okay, I now have it down to three:

• Canon PowerShot S3 IS
      PRO: 12X zoom, AA batteries, rotating LCD
      CON: 1 lb. 2 oz.


• Nikon Coolpix S10
      PRO: 10X zoom, 9.9 oz., swivel lens
      CON: proprietary battery (approx. $30 each)


• Canon PowerShot A710 IS
      PRO: 7.1 mp, 9.45 oz., 2 AA batteries
      CON: 6X zoom, no swivel

(S3 and Nikon have 6 mp, but that's not a pro or a con, it's baseline for the original batch)

AAAAUUUGGGGHHHHHHH

I've now spent TWO whole days on this, and I'm just stuck. Each of the three has one major flaw that's a dealbreaker for me.  (Is there another camera that has everything I really, really want, even if it's more expensive? At this point, I'm really getting desperate!)

I've had success making decisions by preliminarily choosing one option, and saying, "Okay, I'll do ____ " -- and then seeing how I feel about that. I've tried that with each of these.

I looked at all the pros and cons and thought, boy, the S3 has what I want -- 12X zoom, rotating LCD, AA batteries -- but it weighs a ton. Am I really going to be happy dragging it around? It's not just a matter of convenience for me -- if I'm so uncomfortable physically that I end up taking it only for special occasions, and carrying my old 3x Nikon for every day use, I've defeated the purpose. I'm not paying this kind of money for a camera to sit in the closet most of the time.

The Nikon is perfect -- it's half the weight of the S3, has almost as much zoom, has the swivel lens -- except for those damn batteries. It's going to cost a fortune to keep up with batteries at 30 bucks a clip, and I can't take emergency lithiums along when the batteries start to get old. 

When I added back the A710 I thought, this is the perfect compromise. It's light, uses AA batteries, and has an extra million pixels -- even though it's only 6X zoom, that's twice as much as I have now. But I'd be giving up the rotating lens as well as an awful lot of zoom, and that's means an awful lot of shots I'll never get.

HEELLLPPP!!!

ADDED: platypus has pretty much convinced me that I don't want the S3. "Taking it along on an outing always had to be a conscious decision, so sometimes I wouldn't have it, and any picture is better than none at all" really resonates with me. That was my big concern, and she validated it. So now it's between the Nikon and the 6X Canon. I'm working on gathering prices to compare in regard to the batteries.

ADDED: Something else I thought of: The Canon takes conversion lenses, which means I can put on up to a 3X teleconverter and have an effective 18X at full zoom (!) ... or even a Close-Up lens for macro. But it doesn't have a swivel. AGH! What do I want?!

Representative prices for NIKON S10:

• Beach Camera: $259 + $80 (bundle - 1 GB Dane (?) SD card, Sakar (?) battery, screen protectors I was sorry I didn't have these with my current camera) + stuff I don't need) + $0 S&H = $339
  
• Beach Camera through Amazon $259 + $20 (battery) + $22 (Lexar 1 GB 60x speed SD card) + $15 (screen protector gadget (?) ) $16 S&H = $332
  
• Abe's of Maine: $350 (incl. camera, Sakar battery, Transcend 1 GB SD card + stuff I don't need) + $19 (screen protectors) + $0 S&H = $369

Representative prices for CANON POWERSHOT A710:

• Amazon: $255 + $27 (1 GB Sandisk Ultra II SD card) + ~$14 (screen protectors, since I've already been pricing with them) + $0 S&H = $296
• Buydig.com: $255 + $35 (1 GB Sandisk Extreme III SD card) + $14 (screen protectors) + $0 S&H = $304
  
• Buy.com: $284 (incl. camera, 1 GB Sandisk SD card) + ~$14 (screen protectors) + $0 S&H = $298

It looks like there's a significant price difference -- enough that I could get the Canon plus an adapter and 2X or 3X teleconverter lens for about $400 if I want to, not that much more than the Nikon with the batteries -- and I could always save money now and get the teleconverter later.

So ... do I want the ability to add a teleconverter and have fantastic telephoto ability ... or that cool and extremely useful swivel feature....

=runs off sobbing=

I'm stuck again. I'm the worst decision maker in the world. I'm the UNdecider. =sigh=

Yesterday I worked on Ketchikan and Skagway. Today I was working on Juneau. I've also been updating my original thoughts and information on the shore excursions.

The more I think about it, the more I want to do the Helicopter Glacier Walkabout. The more I look at the pictures, and read the description, the more I can just taste how much I want to do that. BUT ... it's $344 and it's NON-refundable. So if it's pouring down rain that day, all that money is wasted. I won't see anything from the helicopter, and it won't be much fun clambering around on the ice in the rain. And I won't get to see anything else either.

What I'm going to do is pick something else, and then wait to see how the weather is shaping up. And then, a day or two ahead of time, if there's still space available in the Walkabout I can cancel my other trips (if I want to) and switch. That way I'll make sure I can at least get my second or third choice, since I'll already have a reservation.

Here's the problem: There are three things I want to see that are specific to Juneau:

• Mendenhall Glacier (at least from the visitor's center if nothing else)
• Whales
• Mt. Roberts

Plus I want to see as much exotic nature as I can, especially birds.

So the question is, how do I fit all that in between 2:30 pm and 9:00 pm?

Of the official NCL excursions in Juneau, the one that sounds most interesting to me is the Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest. The tour operator's description says you get 1 hour at the glacier visitor's center, and a 3-hour cruise (don't you dare! ) in a "jet-powered catamaran" from Auke Bay and out into Stephen's Passage to look for "humpback and killer whales, Steller sea lions, Dall’s porpoise, harbor seals, bald eagles, bears and Sitka blacktail deer." Which sounds pretty cool.

But that lasts from 3:00 pm to 8:15 pm, which means I wouldn't get to do anything else, because the ship casts off at 10:00 pm -- which means the gangplanks and everything have been long since stowed by then. If you don't get back in time they leave without you, and you have to find a way to get to the next stop -- Skagway, in this case -- on your own. So you're supposed to be back on board an hour or two before sailing time.

So if I do the Mendenhall Glacier & Wildlife Quest, I wouldn't have enough time to go up the Mount Roberts Tramway. The view is spectacular (assuming it's not raining or foggy), and they have an interpretive loop trail at 1,800 feet that looks fantastic! I could probably spend half the day there! There are sure to be birds that I won't see anywhere else, and I'd have possibility of seeing "eagles, ravens, hoary marmots, mountain goats, bears, wolves and Sitka Black-tail deer, [which] have all been sighted and  photographed near [the] Mountain Complex." There's also a half-hour movie about the Tlingit culture which I'd really like to see.

So I called the Mt. Roberts Tramway today and asked how long it takes to get to the top. The guy I talked to was really friendly and nice! I started by asking him how long it takes to get to the top (4½ minutes) and explained that I was trying to figure out whether I could squeeze in a visit, and we ended up talking for about 10 minutes while I asked all sorts of questions about the tram, the schedule, the mountain, the glacier, the weather, and anything else I could think of. He was very helpful. (He was also probably bored to death because the tourist season hasn't started yet!)

The last tram up leaves at 9:00 pm, and the last tram down is at 9:30, which he said is really cutting it too close for being back aboard the ship. The thing is, I could get up to the top, spend a couple of minutes looking at the view and come right back down again and make it to the ship in time, but I would have paid $22 for very little. I really want to walk that trail! And late afternoon is not a great time to do that because (I think) you're looking west, right into the setting sun. On the other hand, sunset is at 9:18 pm, so if the clouds are right I could maybe get some incredibly spectacular sunset photos.

Another alternative is to skip the glacier and take the Evening Whale Quest. That runs from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm (if you're on an official NCL tour, it's their responsibility to make sure you get back on the ship, as opposed to when you're out wandering around on your own). That's the same trip as the 3-hour wildlife cruise above, without the glacier. Then I'd have a couple of hours to hang around on Mt. Roberts just when the light would be best, which would also give me two of the three things I want.

The Glacier Walkabout doesn't go till 5:30, so if I did that I'd miss the whales but I'd have the glacier and Mt. Roberts.

So it looks like I can have any two out of the three, but there's no way I can get all three in.

I'm not making much progress. =sigh=

I went to visit woofiegrrl and A on Sunday, and had a very good time! They were originally going to come here, but when I heard Meredith was sick I changed the plans and told them I'd go there instead. I said we'd order in, and Meredith could just stay in her pajamas.

It had been a horrible morning, with lots of things going wrong. Then the trip down there was awful -- it was pouring down rain, traffic on the Beltway was heavy, there was a lot of water on the road, and all the spray made visibility really poor. Of course people were driving like idiots, despite the rain, and few cars had their lights on -- even though Maryland law says that if you're using your windshield wipers you must turn the headlights on.

When I got there, Meredith was curled up on the couch in her robe under a blanket, but even though she was feeling lousy she was cordial and nice the whole time, which made me feel really good. A was sweet and thoughtful, as always, even though she's still getting over being sick herself. We ordered Thai food, which was delicious. (I only ate half of mine and was going to offer it to A or take it home, but A's sister -- who shares the house -- ate it! I was shocked ... she finds food in a restaurant container in the refrigerator and just eats it without even asking? A even told her that was mine, but she just shrugged and continued eating.)

Meredith had printed out all the shore excursions for the Alaska trip, and put all the times on them,  which has been tremendously helpful! NCL doesn't make it easy to find the times -- you have to actually sign up for the trip to find out what time it leaves! (You just don't confirm the signup until you're ready -- it's a stupid, clumsy and nonsensical system.) Meredith went through and signed up for every single excursion at all three ports to get the time -- it took hours! (Fortunately she has time at work to do that kind of thing, so at least she got paid for it!)

But with the printouts and the times it became much easier to figure out what shore excursions I wanted to do. I'm not finished yet, but I've made some progress, at least!

I've updated my original post about the shore excursions, putting the ones for Skagway and Ketchikan in priority order. And I've actually decided on what I'm going to do in Skagway!

White Pass Scenic Railway -- 8:10 am, 3½ hours, $109

"No trip to Alaska is complete without a ride on the White Pass and Yukon Route narrow-gauge railroad that served the mad rush to the Klondike in 1898. You’ll board an old-fashioned parlor car for a 40-mile round trip. A panorama of wilderness unfolds ... pass through two tunnels, sky-high trestles and remote valleys ... view Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch. ... [At] White Pass Summit, the international boundary between Canada and the U.S., you will begin your return journey."

Everyone says not to miss this. Meredith and A are going on the 8:10 trip, and I'm going to go with them. It's the only shore excursion we'll be doing together, since their interests and mine are so different. 

Nature & Wildlife Expedition -- 1:30 pm, 6 hours, $148

"Travel with engaging naturalists through the "Valley of the Eagles" to view Alaska's magnificent wildlife and enjoy breathtaking photo opportunities. Nestled between rugged glaciers and snow-capped mountains, the fertile Chilkoot Valley is home to generations of brown bears, bald eagles, mountain goats, river otters, spawning salmon and numerous birds. Powerful spotting scopes afford close-up views of mountain goats in alpine meadows, bears along the river, and bald eagles in active nests. You can actually take photos through the scopes. Colorful harlequin ducks, marbled murrelets, loons, surf scoters, seals, sea lions, porpoise and whales are seasonal highlights. ... On the shore of a picturesque lake, experience the lush under-story of the world's largest temperate rainforest during a refreshing walk through an ancient muskeg, beneath magnificent hemlock and spruce trees. "

It will be a looooong day -- I'll have to get up at around 6:00 am to get dressed, eat a big breakfast, and get to the dock in time to go to wherever we're supposed to meet for the railroad.  I'll get back about 12:40 pm and have to race to get something to eat so I can get to the meeting place by 1:30 for the wildlife trip. Hopefully we'll be at the dock and I can run onboard and get a quick meal for free -- if we're tendering that will be out of the question, and I'll just have to buy lunch in town. But this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip for me, and I'm going to make the most of it! We're cruising all the next day (Glacier Bay!), so I'll have time to recuperate.

I'm not 100% sure yet of what I want to do in Ketchikan, but I'm most likely going to do this one:

Wilderness Adventure Cruise & Rainforest Discovery -- 7:30 am, 4 hours, $99 (more details here)
          "Hike through the natural, unspoiled beauty in the coastal forest. After a 30-minute boat ride, you will arrive at a secluded beach, where you begin a one-mile nature walk through a beautiful old-growth forest along a gently sloped boardwalk on a remote island in the Tongass National Forest. Learn about botanic species native to this region, like Western red cedar and yellow cedar that early Natives were so dependent upon for spiritual enrichment, shelter and transportation .... Enjoy an Alaskan snack of smoked salmon, cheese and crackers, hot chocolate, coffee and juice. Then take some time to explore the natural beauty around you." Then "A motorized inflatable boat provides a short but exciting cruise along the coast and along Clover Passage back to Knudson Cove. Wildlife such as whales, Stellar sea lions, harbor seals, porpoise, bald eagles and migrating seabirds may be spotted on this route. Bring your camera and binoculars!"

All the excursions I'm considering are long, so there will only be time for one.

I haven't even started on Juneau yet, but I'm making progress!

(But why do I always start this kind of thing late at night so that I end up being up till all hours?!)

I need to get a new camera, and in my price range I can't get a lot of megapixels and a good zoom. But you need to get close to photograph wildlife, and I would like to be able to possibly exhibit some of my photos which means they'd have to be printed out at fairly large sizes.

So here's my question: Is it better to get a 12X zoom with 6 megapixels, and zoom in optically and then not crop the photo -- or get 7 megapixels with a 10X zoom and then having some spare resolution to zoom in electronically by enlarging and cropping? Weight is also an issue, plus there are lots of other factors, and I'm having trouble resolving  finding it impossible to resolve all the factors!

Here are the ones I'm thinking about, in no particular order (links are to reviews):

• Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 - 6 mp, 12X zoom, 14.2 oz., AA batteries
  
• Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom - 7.1 mp, 10X zoom, 11.6 oz., AA batteries (turns out it doesn't have image stabilization after all)
  
• Kodak EasyShare Z612 - 6.1 mp, 12X zoom, 10.6 oz. (company dropping digicam business)
  
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 - 6 mp, 12X zoom, 10.88 oz., proprietary battery
  
• Canon PowerShot A710IS - 7.1 mp, 6X zoom, 7.41 oz. (too little zoom)
  
• Canon PowerShot S3 IS - 6 mp, 12X zoom, 14.5 oz., AA batteries
  
• Nikon Coolpix S10 - 6 mp, 10X zoom, 7.8 oz., proprietary battery

The only thing I'm sure of is that I know not to get a long zoom without image stabilization, and all of these have IS of some kind (most seem to be proprietary).

I really like the Nikon S10 because of the light weight and the swivel -- since I can't bend easily, it would let me take photos from angles I can't reach now. But it has only 6 mp and only 10X, and if I'm going to spend a lot of money to move up I might as well do it right. I'm terribly envious of some of the great photos kayre is able to get -- she is an extremely talented photographer, but even she couldn't get the closeups she does without a big zoom lens. Look at the difference between her shot of a chipmunk on the porch and my shot of a chipmunk on the porch (and that's after considerably enlarging and cropping mine in PSP)!

I've never been good at decisions and I simply haven't been able to narrow it down any further than this! If you know anything about cameras -- or even if you don't and are willing to look over some of the reviews -- or even if you just have some useful ideas about tradeoffs among weight, zoom, resolution, and all the other stuff ... please help! I have to order it soon so I have some time to get used to it before my trip!

Freeform list of things I need to do before my trip:

• Check NCL and travel websites for packing lists for Alaska and Seattle (first three sites from Meredith)
  
  • http://www.cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=76
    
  • http://www.cruisedirectonline.com/packing.html
    
  • http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17229388/
    
  • http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/content/gear.cfm
    
  
  
  
• Write a packing checklist
  
  • Formal gown, shoes, stockings, accessories for formal night
    
  • Jeans ( ? pairs)
    
  • Sweatshirts ( ? )
    
  • T-shirts ( ? )
    
  • Things to layer
    
  • Warm jacket (how heavy?)
    
  • Hiking boots
    
  • Walking shoes
    
  • Travel guides/info for Alaska and Seattle
    
  • Passport
    
  • Inflatable neck rest (in glove compartment)
    
  
  
  
• Laundry -- lots of laundry
  
  
• Check with HMO on coverage  (a) aboard ship and (b) in Seattle.
  
  
  • Are there reciprocal HMOs in Seattle that would be considered in-network?
    
    
  • I know I'm covered for emergencies only outside this area, not regular treatment -- but what constitutes an emergency?
    • E.g., if I have a pain up my left arm, weakness and a cold sweat, and it turns out to be just fatigue, will they deny coverage because it wasn't a heart attack after all? What if I'm snorkeling and get a sudden severe pain and blood in my ear -- which is what happened to Meredith on her Caribbean cruise. Would that constitute an emergency that would be covered, or not?
  
  
• Make sure I have enough meds -- find out if I can order them early if need be
  
  
• Make sure bills are paid ahead
  
  
• Write out instructions for cat-sitter
  
  
• Check climate info for May
  
  
• Things to buy
  • camera (can't take this one with broken battery compartment cover, I'll miss too many pictures scraping off the tape and retaping)
    
  • binoculars (if possible)
    
  • good walking shoes
  
  
• Have cat sitter over for orientation and key
  
  
• Get letter from doctor re liquids
  
  
• Useful travel information
  • http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/theft.htm
  
  
  

(Many more items to be added as I think of them. Suggestions gratefully accepted -- I used to go away for 10 days every summer, but I haven't traveled in many years and I'm not used to the drill any more.)

I've mentioned that I'm going on a cruise to Alaska with my kids, and I need help! I've narrowed the enormous choice of shore excursions down to just two or three in each port (Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan) -- but I'm stuck!

I'd love recommendations, suggestions, ideas and advice based on what you know about me and/or what you may know or find out about that area, including the reason for your recommendation. Hey, it helped when I did the poll on what color Honda I should get -- the reasons that were mentioned helped me figure out what I wanted, and I'm very happy with my choice. I think getting other slants on these trips will help me make up my mind here too. I'll put all the information and links behind a cut so anyone who couldn't care less won't have to scroll through it.

If you know anyone who has knowledge or experience to share, feel free to link.

( These are the ones I'm considering )

HEEEEELLLLPP!  I don't know what to do!!

I've never been good at decision making, and when it's now-or-never and there won't be a next time to try a different choice, I get practically paralyzed. That's how I'm feeling right now!

All our final decisions are made in a state of mind that is not going to last.
                  —Marcel Proust quotes (1871-1922), French novelist, essayist and critic

I went to a performance of Olympia's Daughters tonight. It's an a capella women's choir, and it was a wonderful show! The singing was marvelous, and whenever there was a slight delay they gently kidded each other and got us laughing. They were very real and genuine, not slickly polished professionals, and I liked that.

There were eleven women there, and they sang some songs I love, including Old Time Religion (the good version!) and Another Train, and many I hadn't heard before. There were a couple of arrangements I didn't care for, and the performance was just a touch heavy on Black spiritual type songs, but all in all I had a wonderful time. They closed with Big Ovaries Baby, and although you can read the lyrics on the web, you really have to hear it to appreciate it! I don't know what the original sounded like, but Olympia's Daughters' version -- with a big-voiced Black woman as the soloist -- brought down the house!

After the show ended I stood at their table for 15 minutes reading the song lists on the back of their albums over and over and over, trying to decide what to buy! I wanted all four, but I couldn't afford all of them, and it was so hard to make up my mind! The winter solstice one was the easiest to put aside, but I really wanted all three of the others because they each had a few really good songs! I finally decided on "Big Ovaries" and "How Can I Keep from Singing?" I listened to the first few songs of "Big Ovaries" on the way home -- I'd like to listen to the rest, but this kind of music energizes me and I'll never get to sleep if I do, so I guess I'll have to listen to it tomorrow!