The Online Photographer

Part I is here.

Using cameras is fun for me. I've told the story before that when a younger cousin got a Disc [sic] camera for Christmas, years ago, I borrowed it and shocked her by using up all the film she got with it (three Discs, which might normally have been expected to last her until about June) by the end of the day. When my younger brother showed up on summer vacation with an early digital camera, I frequently requisitioned it. I thoroughly enjoy mucking about with cameras.

Both the Panasonic GF1 and the Olympus E-P1 with their respective "pancake" primes are a delight to use. They're fast, portable, unobtrusive, and easy to handle. I frequently carried one or the other around in the pocket of a chuck roast jacket and slipped it in and out to make a quick pic whenever the spirit moved me. Most of the time no one around me was the wiser, and if they noticed, they didn't care. The cameras aren't big enough or serious-looking enough to be threatening.

It's a particular style of play...er, shooting, of course, and it might not be to every photographer's taste...