Originally Posted by
dannwilliams
During the summer, I go out for most of the day, JRA, no particular destination or plan. I see a lot of cool, to me, scenes. I stop and take it all in, snap a few pics with the phone. I have pondered for several years the possibility of bringing the "good" camera. I just worry about the jostling about on the bike. I really don't want to strap on a back pack, but a waist pack might be an option. The kit has a nice padded carrying case, maybe a trunk rack or pannier to place that into. I understand the lenses that came with the setup are not high end, but it is what it is, and probably still better than the phone camera. Been many many years since I used manual mode, like 30+ years on my first SLR. So it will be a lot of relearning.
Oy ... don't get me started on cellphone cameras. They can take decent pictures under ideal circumstances, but the moment the circumstances deviate from the ideal, most are little better than the old Instamatics. There is a HUGE leap in quality and versatility from a cellphone camera to even a decent pocket camera.
Honestly, my advice would be to leave the DSLR at home and get yourself a decent pocket camera. There are models out there that have amazing zoom ranges, good sensors, and offer full control if you want it. As I said, I got mine for $100, because it took AA batteries (one of the reasons I liked it). If you shop around, you should be able to find something similar.