Isle Royale Forums

Hey Ed. I don't have any experience with their proprietary viewfinder as it's $140. However, I did purchase a Yashica Electro-35 GSN wide viewfinder for $10 on ebay (it also came with the wide and tele lens adapters for the Electro 35). I used it a couple of times, but decided it was a waste of time. It helped compose to an extent, but I still had to look at the screen to view and change my exposure and focus. Now, I just use the screen. Most of my shots are composed before I even reach for the camera. If the viewfinder was $30 - a no-brainer, but $140 ... that's round-trip to the island via the Ranger III plus pizza and a beer at the Greenstone Grille.

I know the newer version (LX5) has a digital viewfinder that plugs into the hotshoe and hdmi port, which gives you exactly what the camera sees, although milliseconds later. So, action shots are going to take a bit more skill.

Not having a viewfinder was a bit frustrating at first, especially in very bright conditions. But you adjust and get over it. The focal length is just about perfect for landscapes - 24mm to 52mm (35mm equivalent) - but not the best coverage for shooting moose or wolves.

On "normal" vacations - ie. cruises, beaches, etc. - I take my trusty Nikon F2,a bag full of Ilford FP4 and Velvia and three lenses: 24mm, 50mm and 105mm.

I wanted to let my blisters heal before I hit the keyboard.

Those blisters healed yet? It has been almost two weeks since you've gotten back and I'm getting a little loopy over here waiting to get some words to go with those pictures

I'm working on it. I've had to write a couple business columns, some Q&A's, and a restaurant feature on top of all my photo assignments for work since I've been back. I go to work, go to the gym and then just sleep...lots of sleep. The paper I work for also publishes a couple of magazines. One of them is called HE Magazine - geared towards men in Southeastern Wisconsin. I've been asked to write a story and provide the art (photos and video) on alternative ways to stay in shape. I've started to pitch my trip as a possible angle. If they bite, I'll have to write it magazine-style and then convince my editors it's okay to publish it on the forums - they're a bit harsh when it comes to copyright.

Hi Sean, May I say you have a gift for the photos. You take ones everyone wishes they could snap. The gloves..... I always ring them!!!
Glad you had a great time. thank you for sharing!

1 month later...still no report

...ok, maybe not so soon. Sorry for the 9-month wait; things didn't happen the way I wanted them to upon returning from the island. Maybe it'll spark some excitement for the new season.

~sean

Wow. That sets a new high-standard for Trip Reports! I love reading TRs this time of year, while staring out the window at the snow on the ground, knowing a trip will be in my future soon enough!
Thanks for posting.
That reminds me, I probably have a TR or two I've never gotten around to finalizing...

Great report Sean! I assume it was published, or will be?

It's still a draft ... hence all the errors.

The men's magazine I was hoping it would go into didn't have enough advertising, so half a dozen stories got dropped ... including mine. That was okay - it wouldn't have been written like a trip report. It would have been about 80 column inches and have only focused on the couple of rough days I had. Plus, I wouldn't have gotten paid anything - I'm already contracted with the publisher so there's no way of them paying me more than my hourly wage. The tax write-off would have been nice though.

I do plan to self-publish. I found a print house that charges about 20 cents per page for high quality magazine print. I'm still working on a couple smaller articles: gear list, favorite gear, and a hindsight 20/20 article which changes up my gear choices for an area like Isle Royale.

Hopefully everything will be printed in the next month or so. I plan to give Paul Anderson a copy, one for my coffee table and another for my gym (I've talked the owner of my gym into doing the River to River Trail in Southern Illinois with me this summer).

...and I am going back to ISRO this June. Another 9-day trip around the island. But this time I plan ot hike the entire Minong Ridge Trail (from Windigo to McCargoe Cove) in one day.

Hey Sean...

...this *SHOULD* be in a magazine. Wow, incredible quality and amazing detail. Like Tom said, it was great to read your report this time of year...it let me break away to a different place for a while.

I like some of the humor in it, as well...especially the Cake thing. But the Hammock Down incident was no fun.

Here's what I would have done differently (also attached to my trip report post).

My gear list is now attached to the trip report post above.

What a fantastic trip report. I remember anxiously awaiting for it forever and can see why it too you so long to deliver it. The layout had such a professional touch to it. They should throw your trip report in the Greenstone. It would totally get hikers stoked for their trip as they read about it on the way to the island.

Great trip report and awesome pics, thanks for sharing. I have the LX5 and I like it, definitely will take it along when I go. After looking at the pics my trip can't come soon enough.

thanks again