1. It's more than a point-n-shoot: A SLR camera body allows me to make particular choices as I rattle off some film. For instance, I enjoy being able to have control over shutter speed, and a pesky little thing called aperture. Another point, even though it might seen trivial, is the size. It feels much nicer to operate with something that requires two hands when not tripodded.

On the page about Puerto Lobos, Mexico you can find photos made with a silly point-n-shoot. It was on it's last leg any way, but the lens on that thing was substandard when I realized my pictures sucked. I couldn't get decent focus - or predictable focus anyway - from that camera and after taking a few exciting trips, I wanted a better way to make nice photos and be happy with them. So I needed something more than a point-n-shoot.

2. It's inexpensive for a single lens reflex (SLR): While I did spend about $300 on the camera, it's on the lower end of the cost scale for a SLR camera that has a brand name and a wide assortment of lenses and accessories - OEM and third party alike.

3. It allows me to snap on some fancy pieces of glass so I can pretend to be an artist: Of course I'm being silly. I learned, though, from other photographers to put the money into lenses and not the camera body. The body is really just a box. The lens is where the magic happens when making a photograph. Frankly, I only have three lenses: 50mm normal lens, 28mm-200mm zoom, and 19mm-35mm wide angle.

I wish like crazy that I hadn't wasted my money on the 19mm-35mm wide angle - a prime 19mm would have done just fine. I never move it beyond 19mm and most of my photos are likely taken with that lens. I should have purchased a prime lens (fixed focal length) because those, arguably, have better optical quality over a similar lens with zoom capability. But more importantly, when shooting with a wide angle I have never wanted to just zoom in a hair so the scene wasn't so wide. Most of the time, I wish I could get wider than the 19mm.

The 28mm-200mm is, funnily enough, a somewhat pathetic third party: Quantaray. I was in a pinch one day before a trip and limited myself to a slim budget. However, it turns out that this lens has made some fine photographs for me and therefore was a fantastic bang-for-the-buck buy at $200. It's not exceptionally "fast" at f/3.8-5.6, but I'm a having a fun time with this lens. See this photo to the right, made at Beaver Falls in Havasupai Canyon with this 28mm-200mm lens (click on it for a larger version).

An important item to mention is that I've found having a bunch of lenses is a pain and often limiting. If I slap on the 50mm and leave the others at home I can concentrate on lighting, composition, and perspective. Equipment likes to get in the way of artistry. It's kind of fun to see what you can do when you limit your equipment and simply rely on skill, intuition, or good ol' fashioned dumb luck.

More Photos:
Click on any for the larger version and caption

28mm-200mm, Fuji Sensia 100 Tacos with Snorkels	28mm-200mm, Fuji Sensia 100 La Mision de San Miguel; Patagonia, AZ
28mm-200mm, Fuji Sensia 100 Desemboque, Sonora, Mexico	19mm, Fuji Provia 100 Tubutama, Sonora, Mexico
19mm, Fuji Provia 100 Jeep Rubicon Sonoran Desert OHV driving	28mm-200mm, Fuji Provia 100 Mexico: Brooke enjoys sitting in a cafe in Guanajuato
28mm-200mm, Fuji Provia 100 Expedition buddies	28mm-200mm, Fuji Provia 100 Dave gently brings his Jeep down the rocky ledges, making his way to Devil's Canyon
28-200mm, Fujicolor Superia X-TRA 800 Canyoneering in Arizona	28-200mm, Fuji Provia 100 Sunset on the New River Mountains
19mm, Fuji Provia 100 Coke Ovens near Florence, Arizona	28mm-200mm, Fuji Sensia 100 Checking the trail Greasy Spoon Trail, Sedona Arizona