Ditto to Ha Ha Tonka state park. Consider travelling deeper into the Ozarks and beyond the touristy Lake. Rivers, bluffs, impressive springs and more.

I completely agree. I, too, was looking for a tablet for similar reasons and though the Surface set me back more than many other options, it has turned out to be a really versatile bit of equipment, and has taken the place of a picture viewer and laptop in the 'bargain.' You might, as I did, find a gently used one (in my case at a local computer store, but check Craig's list). Do go for the PRO, as stated before.

This is, I expect, the very same phenomenon that allows occasional views of Wisconsin from the Michigan side of Lake Michigan - essentially, as I understand it, a reflection off that temp differential.

Back in the day I carried cameras on serious whitewater in an army surplus ammo box. Knock-offs of these are available, but probably more size than you want or need. Now I use a 'roll-up' dry bag much like those shown in the 'dry bags' links shown earlier. If the camera is smaller yet, there is a 'double' zip lock from locksak https://loksak.com/ that is more secure than simple ziplocks.

Does that include a head?

I have not found any of the slide show programs I have tried to be satisfactory...too many bells an whistles even in the most basic modes. I did find a free app that has quite a bit of control and a really simple interface for building shows either from folders or files. Try Basic Photo Viewer from whatever app store you use.

I am in the don't try it camp, having tried once as, what I considered an accomplished hobbyist, to take graduation pictures of a friend (yes, just the one). I quickly found that I didn't have any experience in setting up more or less formal, posed pictures and didn't really know where to start. If you do go ahead, though, consider that issue if you have done little posing and setting up people pictures. The video training now available is almost certainly helpful, and some practice with family or friends before the big day will pay big dividends.

I have scanned some negatives on an older Epson Photo scanner, with admittedly mixed results. But the newer Epsons, I have read in this forum, have far better ability to 'capture' and process slides, so I assume also negatives. Look for a thread on copying slides for more.

I have not noticed that issue with portrait and landscape oriented metal prints from Whitewall (https://us.whitewall.com/). They have a really big selection of options within their line of metal prints, including my current favorite, metal print under acrylic. I have used Bumblejax (http://www.bumblejax.com/) only once but with great results, and though a bit pricier they offered an interesting service where you can upload an image and chat in more or less real time with an apparently knowledgeable rep who will answer questions, evaluate your image and offer advice.

Just the other day I was at our local camera shop and overheard a customer wondering about an error message he was getting from his memory card, which no longer functioned in his Nikon. The salesperson, whom I trust as knowledgeable, suggested that one never erase images in a computer (which I have done a lot of without a problem) and that for best longevity and reliability use the card in the same camera and reformat instead of erase. I have a long and uneventful history of no following that advice, but it is easy enough to do and if it keeps a card functional longer I will do just that (a card failure is almost certain to happen at the most inopportune moment, yes?).

For my very small, carry anywhere anytime camera I picked up a Sony DSC-WX350. Smaller than a flip phone, 20x optical zoom and just enough features to be ok. Small sensor, of course and not rich in features but oh so portable!

I tend to agree with the sentiment that you should find a way out. Unless you have a lot of experience with taking formally posed and informal 'people pictures' you will, I fear, quickly find yourself out of your depth. My simple experience earlier in my amateur days trying to get just the right shot for a graduation picture (ya, just the one) showed up my lack of experience in this type of shoot. But if you do go for it, go out and practice on shots as similar as you can, and follow the advice on extra equipment, batteries and so on. You don't get a second chance...

I have used WhileWall and Bumblejax with great results from both. One thing to consider is that there is a tendency for onscreen to be be brighter than any print, I suppose a function of screen lighting compared to reflected lighting. I suspect all of the reputable printers (and apparently even Wallmart) will give good results and service.

[quote=tallguy56]I am looking to buy a new "Bridge" camera to eliminate carrying all my lenses with me. (Go ahead and flame me if you want).

In looking at current offerings, it seems that there are ultrazoom cameras with small sensors and then moderate zoom with large sensors. My question is would an ultrazoom camera give a comparable image to a cropped image from a camera with a larger sensor? I hope I made that clear!


I opted for a Sony HX300 (latest is HX400) for similar reasons. I would have liked a larger sensor but just couldn't get by the feature rich bridge camera. I have enlarged images from a much older digital camera (Minolta Z1) to about 16" square with good results, though I doubt one could go much larger yet. So the larger sensor would give you more options for printing. Be sure to mess around with a couple models. I opted for Sony over Nikon with similar features and price because the Sony "felt" right and the features and especially menus were, for me, much more accessible. These consideration are very personal, not necessarily 'better' or 'worse.' Look for how you get to your most used settings, for example.

This I can completely agree with.