Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> John is a true photo novice. He still has a Mamiya-Sekor SLR
> with 50mm that he bought in Saigon not long before he shipped
> back to the states but he never really learned to use it. He
> also has an SLR with several lenses inherited from his brother.
> It may actually be an OM but he doesn't remember and has never
> used it in the 15 years he's had it. I'll probably find out later
> today what it is. Could even be an OM-1n if my memory serves me
> well.
>
> He also has a Canon A70 which I bought for him used for about
> $100 from KEH or B&H about a year ago. I bought it since both he
> and his sister live where we now live in upstate NY and they were
> scouting houses for us before we moved from Boston. The A70
> proved to be a good choice for him since he adapted to it fairly
> quickly.
There's your answer. IMHO anyone who hasn't used good cameras in
15-20 years isn't interested in using them -- and the fact that he
has taken to the automagic A70 much quicker only emphasizes the point.
I think you've spec'd enough memory and battery power. You might
want to consider outfitting John with a card reader that he can plug
into computers in Internet cafes so he can at least make backups of
his pictures on-line. There also are solar battery chargers
available or, if John cannot recharge NiMH batteries from wall
outlets, plain ol' AAs should be available in many places, as well.
There also is a waterproof housing from Canon for the A70, though at
this point it costs multiple times what a used A70 goes for. I did
see a housing on eBay for $35; I have no idea if it's any better
than a fancy zipper-lock bag.
It sounds like John is not like us in viewing the world as
consecutive photo ops. For however many times he wants to take
pictures, the camera he knows -- compact, automatic, offering
immediate feedback -- is the one he'll use.
Steve
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