How the Photos were Taken

The digital photos on this site were taken with two different cameras, both Minolta-based systems.  The first, used in 2005, was the Minolta Dimage 7  5.2 megapixel digital camera.  However, on this camera I did not use the maximum settings available, but settled on a basic setup that I used consistently, with but few exceptions.  The second camera used in 2007, was the Sony (actually a Minolta model) SLR-A100 10.2 megapixel camera.  This is a truly professional camera with detachable lenses.  I used a 18x-70x basic lens, and a 75x-300x telephoto.  A 18x-200x lens would have been very useful, but I did not have one for this trip.  Thus, I found myself at times swapping out lenses at inconvenient times simply to get a half-zoom shot.  I did not use the lens shield on the Dimage (not shown), as it occasionally obstructed imagery, but I did use the shields on the A100.

I almost exclusively used but one filter, that being a Tiffen Haze-1 49mm blue light filter.  I did on a few shots use a Tiffen Circular 49mm polarizer on the Dimage, and I never used the polarizer on the A100, using a Quantaray 55mm blue light filter for that system.  On a few occasions I used both at the same time on the Dimage, but encountered "tunnel vision" where one can see dark edges of a circle at each corner of the shot.  Therefore, I rarely used both simulaneously. 

My standard settings for the Dimage were Quality level 2, and Size level 4.  This provided the best picture quality (good enough for excellent 8x10s) while keeping image size down.  However, the better quality of the Sony A100 allowed me to take images at 10 megapixels and the fine settings.  This produced truly AWESOME photos that allowed me to zoom on details to create separate prints or images.  Nevertheless, the Dimage, even at the lower settings, produced excellent shots at lower focal lengths.  For example, I was able to take one of the photos from the 2005 trip and enlarge it to 16x20 with NO pixeling evident in the print.

For the Dimage I used 256 MB compact flash cards (various brands).  These have a few advantages, the main one being low price.  If you lose one, it's not the end of the world.  With my settings, I could get around 220 shots per card, and I was carrying three.  At the end of each day I transfered the photos to a 40 GB external hard drive attached to my laptop.  When leaving Europe, I double stored the images, with one set on my laptop and the other on the hard drive.  This assured redundancy in case something happened to one of the storage means.  However, when I used the Sony A100, I used two 2GB cards, and had to upgrade to a new laptop to handle the transfer from the card to the hard drive.  I used an additional Western Digital Passport 120 GB portable drive to back all the images up.

To operate the Dimage I used three sets (four in each set) of brand new Energizer NiMH rechargeable AA batteries.  Having new batteries is critical on such a trip as this!  I recharged them as needed by using a small transformer for the cigarette lighter in which I plugged in the charger.  I typically charged a set while driving from point to point.  With the A100 I had two Li-Ion Battery Packs, generics that replaced the more expensive Sony NP-FM55H.  They worked just fine for the second trip, and I recharged them the same way.

Regarding other accessories, I carried with me a small portable tripod with collapsable legs.  I also had a remote trigger to take night time photos.  All of this was packed in a small camera bag, about the size of a lunch box, with a larger camera bag as a backup.

Now the pluses and minuses of the two cameras: 

The Dimage 7 has some key advantages.  The first is cost.  It is a second generation digital camera, cutting edge when it was a new product.  By now it has been surpassed by third generation systems, thus driving down the unit's price.  While unavailable new, I did find a reconditioned item for $550.  The second advantage was the overall features.  There are enough features to the unit to allow significant flexibility in use.  The 7x optical zoom is superior to any digital zoom.  Also, the 49mm lens setup allows for excellent standoff when taking pictures, ensuring a wide field captured in each image.

Dimage 7 (above) by Minolta.  The Sony A100 Single Reflex Camera (below), essentially a Minolta system as Sony bought them out. text.

These two photos (above left and above) were taken with the Sony A100 SLR camera, an absolutely awesome camera package!

Now to the problems.  Although minor, such issues must be considered when planning to use any camera.  When I first purchased my Dimage 7, I did so primarily to take photos of historical documents.  However, I was so pleased with its performance that I used it exclusively of any other film camera I had.  I encountered THREE key problems with this camera.  First, although having a 7x optical zoom, the lens does not detach to allow the use of other lenses.  This limits its utility.  Second, it is sensitive to any motion in low-light operations.  Even with a tripod, a slight wind caused some night photos to blur slightly.  Moreover, when using a higher zoom, the images tend to blur a little, and this can be irritating.  Third, is the camera's size.  While about the size of a standard 35mm, it simply is not user friendly when trying to keep weight to a minimum.  I would not want to carry this camera on any extended field operation requiring significant rucking.

Regarding the Sony A100, this camera is truly a superior piece of equipment.  It is very similar to the Dimage, and so my learning curve was minimal.  I was taking excellent shots within just days of having received it.  I even used a set of feral cats in my backyard as subjects for practice.  The pictures were truly awesome (see the one included here).  One item that makes this camera superior over others is the feature called Super Steady Shot.  This steadies the image when using zoom lenses, producing a totally superior clarity in a digital camera.  This was an absolute must, as I use the zoom to capture various types of action (for example, see my shot above from a recent Patton Museum re-enactment included here -- you can see a shell casing fly from the M-1 Garand taken from 100 yards away!).  The only serious drawback to the A100 is its size, which is even more cumbersome than the Dimage.  One last drawback endemic to ALL digital cameras is that they are sensitive to shocks and bumps.  Therefore, you cannot bang these cameras around much!

Despite any drawbacks mentioned here, I would recommend these cameras to anyone looking for good durability, usefulness and reasonable cost.