Asahi (Pentax in the US) Spotmatic. Solid, wonderful meter, easy to use, reliable and PREDICTABLE. I used if for years and put plenty of mileage on it, then loaned it to my brother for a few years while he studied photography (and made a pro of himself), then it went to my son and his mom, and then it died, sadly, never to be resuscitated. I LOVED that camera... I LIKE my Canon 6D.

Colorado is filled with wonderful places to visit and, very fortunately, I have been to most of them. Interestingly, many folks with whom I share my travels are surprised when it comes time for me to praise Great Sand Dunes NP! Either they have never heard of it or they ask why piles of sand might be so interesting. But... it doesn't take long for them to "get it" after I share a few pics. The clouds and the dunes and the sight lines and textures are amazing. Stunning, actually. Very well worth the visit. And on the way into the park is the "Oasis," which is handy if you need a bite to eat!

Great Sand Dunes is not far from Alamosa, where plenty of lodging and restaurants may be found. Note that south of there is Antonito. The Colorado end of the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway (narrow gauge steam-engine) can be easily found there. Several different kinds of rides can be purchased, some including both the train and some buses. Near the middle of the route, the train stops to allow passengers to enjoy a meal. Usually another train shows up, that one coming from Chama, NM, the other end of the track. Look at the web site to get an understanding of the different routes. I did one, for example, that started in Chama and went to Osier (where the large restaurant is located and where all the trains stop). When done, I got on a train that had started in Antonito and went to Chama. Pretty cool. The company seems to be well-run.

Note that in Alamosa is another scenic railway, the San Luis & Rio Grande Railroad. Several routes are offered, including one that reaches up to La Veta Pass. The company uses a diesel engine, not steam. I do not have first hand experience with that train, but I may get a chance in about a month to try it!

I've used several of their products; however, I am most fond of their wrist straps, which I use extensively. All have seemed to be of very high quality; their pricing is quite good, as well.

Sooooo many places to visit! FYI, the 4 corners monument is a Navaho Indian tribal park where you can place your feet and/or hands in 4 states at one time. Monument Valley is also a Navaho tribal park and is well worth the visit. Just up the road (north on 163) from there is is a dirt road on the left side of the road that will take you through the Valley of the Gods; it is pretty easy to get around and the scenery is wonderful. The road ends on 261; turn LEFT to return to 163. Want another adventure? Turn RIGHT on 261 and drive up the Moki Dugway! Turn around at the top and return or proceed over to the Natural Bridges National Monument. In the same area is Goosenecks State Park; it's under development, but the bends in the river are awesome.

Over in Page, it seems like most folks prefer the LOWER Antelope Canyon. There is a ladder that must be descended to enter the UPPER canyon. Note that there are photographer tours available! They are a bit expensive, but the tours are much smaller than the hoards usually going through the LOWER canyon and they allow more time to set up and shoot. They are also less dusty than the regular tours... and they are optimized time-wise to ensure that the "best" time of day for picture-taking is scheduled. Those tours fill up quickly, so try to make reservation in advance, if available. PS: Don't forget to visit Horeshoe Bend; be sure to bring along a WIDE-angle lens!

Agree on Corkscrew Swamp and Shark Valley (where you can bring your own bicycle and ride the paved bus route). Plenty of birds and crocs in both!

What an interesting quandary, but don't we all go through phases like that? For me it has been long distance bicycle riding, fixing up my house, and - yes - photography. Fortunately I seem to always get back to those things one way or another. Regarding my love of photography, I have some very fine Nikon and Canon DSLRs and lenses; and like more and more folks on this website who are choosing to "downsize" I have not been using it except for those occasional trips to some outstanding target-rich destinations. What I have been doing instead is using a nice small and highly functional camera (for a while a Canon G9 and now a Canon G7XII) to tell stories. There are lots of things I like to do and especially I like to remember them as visual images. I just grab my little Canon, head out the door, and look for some "adventure" and then document it in ways that please me. There are constraints, of course, one being that the G7XII does not have a long tele, but that's OK because it requires that I get creative about how I tell my stories. The constraints are my friends because I am challenged by them and I am learning to do new things constantly. Sonofagun! It's fun again!

Thank you, ceh1024. I appreciate your input. An older Canon G-series I've used for years has at times given me fits, especially with the mode and exposure compensation dials which get caught on my pocket fabric and spin themselves to settings I did not intentionally choose! For some reason, the display button on back is also problematic. Given its size, I fully well expect the G7X II, if I buy one, to challenge me with the same sorts of problems. I'll simply have to be more careful when using it. Nice to hear the pics you took were so good.

I am considering a purchase of a Canon G7X Mark II so I can leave my wonderful 6D at home when I want to travel light. If you have any experience with this camera, I would greatly appreciate your sharing your thoughts about it, positive or especially negative. Of course, I would also greatly value recommendations of any alternatives that, in your opinion, would be a better choice than the little Canon.

Thank you!

Rick...

I'm with SharpShooter on this one. I've had a sling bag for years and it never makes it out of the closet anymore. I tried and tried and tried to use that darn thing efficiently and effectively on many trail walks and got nothing but frustration in return for my efforts. Too bad; it's a neat and appealing idea.

What's the difference between a chicken? One leg is both the same!

Yet another triumph of technology over common sense!

I have a Black Rapid "cross" sling-type product and am quite pleased with its build quality and usefulness. I used it for a recent extended tour of NPs, NMs and state parks in CO, MT, WY, and UT and even got two compliments on it! I found the hardware to be very, very sturdy. The only thing to dislike about the product (and others from BR) is the extraordinarily high cost.

While I like the Lenspen products, I seldom use them any longer. When cleaning lenses I use a soft brush to remove debris and then use a small, dry microfiber bar mop to clean up the oils and such. Microfiber cloths designed specifically for this kind of use can be bought at most camera stores, but they tend to be expensive. I just go to a discount/clearance store and spend only a couple bucks to get the small-sized mops that fit nicely into my camera bad. I don't bother to wash and reuse them because there is a steady supply and they are super cheap!

A small but dedicated team of professional hackers I know of is contracted to the USAF specifically to attempt to hack into weapon system avionics. It's sort of like "for real" testing of products already "completely" tested and certified by their manufacturers. Sadly, the team sometimes succeeds. Thank goodness they are the good guys...

I've been using Lightroom for quite a few years, and as much as I like that product I have never thought its slide show feature to be particularly good. In fact, the newest version seems to be a step backwards!

Good discussion thread! Thank you for the new ideas!