Excellent photos and examples of technique. I'm jealous that I didn't get to go!

A friend of mine, Peter Balunek, started leading photo safaris a few years ago to various locations in Africa, as well as other locales around the world. His photography is exquisite, and friends and clients of mine (I'm a CPA) who have gone on his trips have spoken highly of the experience. One of my clients has gone on at least two of his trips.

I personally have not gone on the trip (on the bucket list for after I retire) and I have no financial interest, whatsoever, in his enterprise. Peter started doing this out of a passion for conservation of the African wildlife. His website is http://www.peterswildlifesafaris.com/.

My wife has one and it produces very good images. She enjoys using it, but, when she tries to exert some level of manual control over it, such as exposure comp, she had difficulty making it happen.

When she asks me to shoot something with it, I, too, get frustrated trying to do things manually. Maybe it's just us, but, if you want to really take control of the camera, you'll have a learning curve ahead of you.

For a point and shoot photographer, it is a great camera. For someone who wants to take control, it can be frustrating.

Several good options in Ohio -

Dodd Camera in Cleveland. While they have several stores throughout the suburbs, the downtown store is large, well stocked, and well staffed with knowledgeable people.

Pixel Connection in Avon - west of Cleveland.

Campus Camera in Kent, as a couple of others mentioned. That was my go-to store when I was a student at Kent State University.

Midwest Photo Exchange in Columbus. I always make it a point to stop there when I'm in Columbus.

Fascinating comparison - thanks for sharing!

Fabulous shot!

I've done that photo walk - one of the highlights of my trip. You get a lot of insight from the photographer leading the walk in terms of vision, technical info and much more. Definitely worth doing if you are going there.

Wear a baseball cap and use the brim to shade the sun.

Looking at the film SLRs from the late 60's and early 70's, the most pervasive camera, for professionals, was the Nikon F. There were other cameras more technologically advanced and more elegant to use, but from the standpoint of ruggedness, reliability, and used as the default standard of the day, The Nikon F was it. Personally, I was a Minolta guy (SRT-101), but always pined for a Nikon.

My favorite band.

Saw them twice - once in the 70's when I was in college. Drove up from Kent, OH to Cleveland to see them. Snuck a tape recorder in and have Thomas' voice uttering the S word after his flute filled with saliva!

Second time was just a few years ago at what was called the Nautica Stage in Cleveland. They sounded almost as good as they did the first time.

Too many of these rockers dropping over the last few years.

Very cool!

Nice set - how cold was it and how did you keep warm?

I particularly like the shot of downtown framed in the trees.

Learning and using the live-composite feature of my Olympus E-M10 Mk II and getting the first fireworks images that I am happy with.

Amazon has also entered into agreements with a number of states that assess sales tax based on what is called "click-through nexus". It's a form of physical presence based on the location of computer servers through which web traffic is routed.

http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/e-m10-mark-ii.html