Does or has anyone ever....

[wkrider]

Just leave the camera in the room for the day and enjoy the parks? Maybe take the Point and shoot but not the whole bag. Sometimes I find myself focusing more (pun intended) on getting good pictures then I do focusing on having a good time. Not that getting the pics is not a good time but I was wondering if anyone has just "relaxed" for the day. I have not done this yet but think that on my next trip I might give it a try. But then as soon as I do I am sure I will see something that I would want my DSLR for and kick myself for not having it.

See, I am already talking myself out of doing it...

 

[Michele]

Yea, I did it once. We were there with friends, just a couples trip. We were spending the day in Epcot starting with the Segway tour. I didn't want to carry around the big camera for the Segway, so I only took my p&s thinking we would head back to the room midday to change for the evening, we were having dinner in France and I thought we might dress up a bit more. Well of course, time got away from us, we never made it back to the room and all I had was my p&s for Illuminations. Next time, I'll carry the DSLR every day, you just never know.

 

[Martinbez]

I have to agree, it is very easy to get caught up in taking the photo's rather than enjoying what's happening, last time I took a day off and didn't take the camera to the parks at all, this time i'll do the same but take a p&s just in case I need it.

However, having said that I get a lot of enjoyment out of taking pictures and the memories it brings back when we get home, so it's a fair trade.

 

[YesDear]

It is the rare exception that I do not have my DSLR with me. We go to Disney probably 3-4 times a year. My son did the college program there and we know a number of castmembers. There is not much at Disney I have not been exposed to. That being said that is probably the reason, I always carry my camera. I am always looking for something new and different.

On our trip just week before last, I did not go with the group to see Wishes. I love Wishes, but did not have my tripod, it was our last night and I was tired. I did not have to see Wishes. My point being is that I love WDW but if I do not get to do something, so be it. I would rather be taking pictures.

 

[MICKEY88]

But then as soon as I do I am sure I will see something that I would want my DSLR for and kick myself for not having it.

that is exactly why I always take my DSLRs

when I first went digital, I decided I was tired of carrying multiple cameras and lenses, so I bought a bridge camera ,the minolta A2, which at the time of it's release received rave reviews, as the closest thing to a dslr without being a dslr, I got great photos at WDW, but it did limit me ,

shortly after that trip I bought my first DSLR and will never again visit the world without at least one DSLR around my neck..

 

[imaginut]

I've lugged a camera bag with a 300mm lens in it all over Animal Kingdom for a full day while my camera was unintentionally left sitting in the room with the 50mm lens attached.

I noticed it missing when I went through bag check and didn't have time to get back to the resort and still make it to our scheduled safari.

Does that count?

 

[jann1033]

i take pity on my Sherpa aka hub and just take it certain days. I'm more a stationary object fanatic but i would make sure to see something i want to take, ie fireworks, that day i have my camera. we really both like to travel light so i probably wouldn't take a camera if i didn't have my dslr. our last trip we kind of went in and out of parks for the 9 days we were there and i think i took my camera to each park at least one day, i might take it to AK more since that is my fav. park but maybe just take my 2 fav lenses

 

[jann1033]

I've lugged a camera bag with a 300mm lens in it all over Animal Kingdom for a full day while my camera was unintentionally left sitting in the room with the 50mm lens attached.

I noticed it missing when I went through bag check and didn't have time to get back to the resort and still make it to our scheduled safari.

Does that count?

now that would be a perfect "locker day" for my bag

 

[annnewjerz]

I don't think this counts since I haven't been to The World with my dSLR yet, but I do plan on taking it with me everyday, in addition to my waterproof P&S just in case the weather takes a turn.

That being said, I think that on the occasions I have taken my dSLR out for day trips (i.e. Newport, the zoo, etc.) I have actually enjoyed myself more. Having the camera and trying to slow down, pay attention to things I would usually rush by...it all makes for a much more relaxed and enjoyable time. I'm so used to running around, trying to make sure I see and do X number of things in X amount of time, my D60 has made me change (even if it's just a little) and I think it's for the better.

I KNOW that for our trip to WDW in December, DH is going to be THRILLED I have the D60 with me. We can mozy around through the parks, enjoy a snack while standing still instead of running around and just take all of the "magic" in rather than worrying about whether Splash Mountain will be a 15 or 30 minute wait when we get there.

 

[Quicklabs]

I tried that once and I got to shaking and crying so bad that I had to go back to the room to get it. LOL!

 

[wkrider]

I tried that once and I got to shaking and crying so bad that I had to go back to the room to get it. LOL!

DSLR withdrawls.......do we need to conduct an intervention?

 

[Golf4food]

Leave the camera!? That's crazy talk, right there!

 

[pixie dust 112]

I also get caught up in taking pictures rather than enjoying the parks. I do try to leave the camera behind a couple days of our vacation, simply because the rest of the family begs me to stop taking pictures! The first time I told them I was leaving the camera behind they actually cheered! I figure some day when the kids are grown, I'll go all by myself and snap away!

 

[boBQuincy]

I would rather carry the SLR all day just to get one good photograph than leave it in the room and get none.
I walked on the path around a lake a few days ago, purely for exercise and not photography. I was not going to take a SLR but decided to after all since I rarely leave the house without one. Here is what I got:

If I am not in my room at WDW you can bet a SLR is with me!

 

[lsayd]

I guess I'm the odd one out here - last trip I purposely left the dslr back in the room and took the p&s only one day. To me it's was "liberating" as I wasn't spending the whole day concentrating on the next picture and actually had fun just being at WDW! I'll now have picture days and non-picture days (still keep the p&s with me, you never know what's going to come along and we do like to take silly pictures). We go quite often, though, since my son also did the college program and is now a CM. I don't know if I'd have the same attitude if I didn't know if I missed a shot I could probably get it on the next trip.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I never leave mine behind. I enjoy using it. When I don't feel like using it, it doesn't bother me to carry it. That's especially true now that I've switched to a tiny camera.

 

[Brad M]

I guess I'm the odd one out here - last trip I purposely left the dslr back in the room and took the p&s only one day. To me it's was "liberating" as I wasn't spending the whole day concentrating on the next picture and actually had fun just being at WDW! I'll now have picture days and non-picture days (still keep the p&s with me, you never know what's going to come along and we do like to take silly pictures). We go quite often, though, since my son also did the college program and is now a CM. I don't know if I'd have the same attitude if I didn't know if I missed a shot I could probably get it on the next trip.

You're not the only odd one. On our first 4 trips to Disney I carried a SLR/DSLR AND a video camera every day at the parks. Last trip I decided to leave the bag a couple of days and just put my wife's point and shoot in my pocket. I did suffer a little withdrawal but I felt much less pressure and really enjoyed the day. If you've not done this, you should try it at least one day. It's like losing your scorecard on the 2nd hole when playing golf...you think it's horrible but it turns out to be more fun.

Funny thing is, even though I have a lot of fun playing golf when I lose the scorecard, I never do it on purpose. Guess I like the torture. I still may have trouble leaving the camera behind in March.

 

[jann1033]

some may shout heresy but, imo and only imo, disney is really not my favorite place to shoot. i rarely take family "vacation" type photos. husband and i don't change as much as toddlers do and pretty much never for the better and i know what we look like and if i really want one someone else probably has a camera i can use . we travel really light, if it doesn't fit in a pocket it doesn't go( no strollers to cram full of stuff) i go to disney to go on attractions and be awed by disney magic and act like a 5 yr old without the temper tantrums, well I only have maybe 1 or 2 temper tantrums per trip....and not to take vacation photos...now a trip to the mountains or nature preserve, someplace else is totally different, then taking photos is probably the main reason i am there. but i really never even look at disney "snapshot" type photos so i leave my dslr/slr in the room relaxing part of the trip and just use it to take something like flowers etc( and now i would take some stuff so occasionally i could enter a contest)

but taking a point and shoot instead, that would drive me crazy and i'd wish i had my dslr so i go camera-less

 

[photobob]

I always carry my dslr with me. Usually with an all purpose zoom. Sometimes I take a longer lens in a shoulder bag. I don't concentrate on photography at the parks though, I shoot some photos for a family album. Having my everyday job as a photographer, i really don't want to concentrate on photos on my vacation. Since i just bought my daughter a used Canon G7 P&S I may start taking it instead.

 

[Groucho]

It sounds like for some of you, it's purely a mental thing. You think that if you have a DSLR, you have to be concentrating on photography. You can not take a picture with a DSLR just as easy as you can not take a picture with a PnS, and if you're concerned about being distracted by taking photos, just slap on a half-way decent zoom and the DSLR will be much faster and less distracting than taking the same photo with a PnS. When I was getting over my virus on the last trip and feeling very weak and lousy, I just slapped on my 16-50mm zoom and left the camera bag behind. I didn't even wear my belt pouch where I keep a second lens! (Probably partly because that lens probably won't even fit, it's a wide one!)

I do agree with putting the camera down at times; I skipped taking countless photos on my most recent trip. But to actually leave the DSLR behind - forget it!