"Get Motivated" - anyone going?

[chris00nj]

You may have heard the radio ads for the "get motivated" seminar at Toyota Center on Monday. I had no intention of going, but my company sent out an email saying they had another ticket. I would have said no, but there are a lot of famous people speaking, including Sarah Palin, Rudy Guiliani, and Colin Powell. Love 'em or hate 'em, it's interesting to see famous people in person.

Cameras are encouraged. Now the big question, which camera? I likely be wearing a coat & tie, so i can't exactly bring a SLR with a 300mm lens. I figure I need something to fit in my pocket.

The choices:
digital P&S -

• an older Nikon 3200 from 2003 or 2004.
• an Olympus XA, -sharp 35/2.8. small but shorter focal length.
• Leica IIIf with a collapsible Elmar 50/3.5. longer focal length, may attract some weird stares

[janikphoto]

Hhhhmmmm... Sarah Palin? No thanks. Rudy? He's got some clever ideas, but he is more of an attention hound that a problem solver. Colin Powell? Now, there's a man that I'd listen to. I think he is very smart and could teach us all a thing or two.

[srwatters]

You do realize the famous folks are speaking via projection and most likely aren't even live, right?

It's a scam...

[CaptainTom]

Here is what seems to be a good overview of some peoples impressions.

Review: Get Motivated Seminar, Colin Powell, Michael Phelps, others live @ Arco arena Xenophilia (True Strange Stuff)

[chris00nj]

According to the website, the people are supposed to be live and in person. It's a change of pace from the normal work week, no matter who is speaking.

The real question, and why I posted it on the TPF, is what camera to bring!?

[Coogie]

The only motivation these people have is to make you part with your money. I don't want to get political but even if I put my dislike for the Foxnews cast that they're bringing in aside, what can these people possibly tell me that will change my view on the world when many of these same people can't even run their own personal lives and have screwed us in their public life? Is Palin going to teach me to a better parent with that Jerry Springer stuff going on in her own family? Is Guiliani going to motivate me to have a better marriage?

I'll spend my $5 on the ticket, $10 for parking, and a day's loss of work on something more productive. Wow they ARE motivational!

By the way the Toyota Center rules for DSLR's is your lens can't be longer than 4 inches when extended. I'm not sure if they would even allow it for this event.

[jcopes]

Coogie:

He did not ask for polictial views. Though I firmly and respectfully disagree with you.

I will simply say the question that was posed was which camera he should use. Not what is your polictial views about the function.

Let's help him out with his orginal question and keep the politics for another site/section.

[laanba]

Originally Posted by Coogie

By the way the Toyota Center rules for DSLR's is your lens can't be longer than 4 inches when extended. I'm not sure if they would even allow it for this event.

I definitely ran into this rule at the Star Wars Concert held at Toyota Center so that will probably affect which camera you want to take. I'm not sure if certain events override the Toyota Center's rules.

[jcopes]

Now back to the question at hand:

Which ca
Which should you bring?

My thoughts are the one with the longest focal length and best clarity. If you are not looking to take a DSLR, then that would me my suggestion.

However, I would seriously consider taking you camera with a 70-200 2.8 if you have one. You can hand hold in low light and get some great shots.

A lot of the answers will depend on how far away you are from the subjects too. Do you know where you seat is located in regence to the speakers?

Post your pics after the event. Would love to see them.

[Coogie]

Jennifer, if I were going to make it political, it would take a lot longer than the 3 little paragraphs I wrote. The OP mentions a motivational speaker event and listed the names of the people coming. Is there a rule against commenting on those speakers? This is a forum so discussions don't always just answer the OP's question and usually stray a little off topic. I'm curious whether you police all the threads that stop answering the OP's question or did this one somehow hit a nerve?

And really you didn't help the original poster either. At least I mentioned the Toyota Center's camera rules.

[jcopes]

I did answer in a second response. Please refresh your screen. I did not want my answer to be lost in my response.

As far as your comments, we can have an intellectual debate offline. I respect you have oposing views. That was not the issue. He had stated it was not a political discussion. He just wanted an answer about which camera. He even stated it again. I was just merely making a point that he was looking for help.

I do not police just saw what he was asking for and was not getting.

Again, I respect your views, nor am I offended. That is what makes this country great. We can agree to disagree. We can respect each other while debating the facts.

Thank you for your response. Have a great day!

[Coogie]

Meh, we're all amigos here.

[chris00nj]

Originally Posted by jcopes

Now back to the question at hand:

Which ca
Which should you bring?

My thoughts are the one with the longest focal length and best clarity. If you are not looking to take a DSLR, then that would me my suggestion.

However, I would seriously consider taking you camera with a 70-200 2.8 if you have one. You can hand hold in low light and get some great shots.

A lot of the answers will depend on how far away you are from the subjects too. Do you know where you seat is located in regence to the speakers?

Post your pics after the event. Would love to see them.

I have a 70-300 for an SLR, but its too bulky. I can't show up with a camera bag, so I would have to bring something pocketable. Cameras are supposedly welcome by the rules of the seminar.

I don't know where we are sitting, just that we have a "VIP" ticket. (VIP ticket could be the nosebleeds for all I know).

I went to a Green Day concert back in August and brought the Leica iiif with 50mm Elmar.



Attached picture show some options. The big SLR is what is too big, but what would be ideal, a 70-300. The Olympus XA is actually smaller than the disposable (place for size comparison). The Leica iiif has the collaspible lens on it and can fit in a coat pocket. The lens next to the SLR, is a Canon 100/3.5 which fits the Leica.

Black & White or Color film?

[jcopes]

That helps a lot.

I am not familiar with these particular cameras. So I apologize if my answers are general.

If I was attending the event, I would take the camera that was going to give me the most zoom capabilty, since you do not know where you will be. If they are all compatible in that department, them I would take the one that I am most comfortable shooting or the one that o think will produce better quility of pics.

The Zoom seems to be the most important option due to the fact you are not sure where you will be.

I hope this helps even if a little.

[Coogie]

So how did it go? I heard a lot of people couldn't get in or find seats.