In middle school, my dad bought me one of the first digital cameras ever. But it quickly died out of fashion as newer models came out. Then, randomly, for my 17th birthday, my dad bought me a DSLR (Canon Rebel T1i). It was my only camera until just recently. For my year in Paris, I researched very seriously to find the perfect point-and-shoot. So why, if I already had an advanced camera, did I go searching for a less high-end camera? Because I already knew how tiring it is to carry a DSLR, especially when I don’t know if I’ll be taking any photos that day.

Cali did hard research to find a good DSLR and was super excited to own one for her year abroad, but she quickly grew to realize that man is it exhausting having to lug it around. I used to suffer from shoulder and neck pains wearing the camera with me. And not every situation, in my opinion, requires high quality photos. Sometimes, I just want to capture the moment and move on with my life. Using a DSLR requires more time and effort. And a bigger bag.

I ended up getting the Canon SX260 and I have had no regrets at all. It’s not the greatest in low light, but the zoom feature is terrific and the photo quality is still good. I’m not too concerned with technical aspects. I just wanted a camera that would produce high quality photos on the go. I love being able to carry my camera everywhere I go because it can fit into all of my bags, big or small. I don’t even notice the weight. It has enabled me to take pictures of random, unexpected things on the streets or to take fun videos here and there.

Aside from the weight though, the biggest difference between my point-and-shoot and my DSLR is that when I carry around my DSLR, I am usually more concerned with getting the right shot. I spend so much time composing the photo and getting the technical aspects correct. This is especially troublesome on trips and in daily life because I feel as if, with my DSLR, I worry more about taking good photos than actually enjoying the moment. With my point-and-shoot, I can just take my photo for memory’s (and blogging) sake and enjoy the rest of the moment. I still use my DSLR from time to time, but I feel so liberated now realizing that there’s more to (my) life than capturing moments. With my point-and-shoot, I don’t feel the need to pull it out all the time. And I am actually a lot happier with just experiencing things and then writing it down in my journal afterwards rather than taking hundreds of photos.