As travel agents with YTB Travel and Cruises, we have an opportunity to travel to some of the most beautiful destinations in the world. You may have heard a picture says a thousand words, and back around Christmas we made the choice to invest in a new digital camera for the increasing number of trips we are taking due to our business. Some of you had some great comments and we got a lot of positive feedback from the picture in last weeks entry “Weekend Getaway @ Sandestin Resort”.

Because my intent was to use the camera for our travel business, money really wasn’t an option since it was a tax write-off; however, I still wanted to find a good value for my dollar. I also had some key features I was looking for that I enjoyed from other cameras I’ve used in the past.

1. I wanted an SLR or “SLR Like” camera. I wanted to have manual control when I wanted, but also wanted good auto features when I wanted. Having a big camera like this type can be cumbersome at times, but it puts me in a more professional mindset and I find that I take better pictures.
   
2. I wanted Compaq Flash memory. Simply because I have several cards already and wanted to continue to use these cards. I also have the belief that this format is the most stable and durable, although I have no factual evidence to back that up. It just feels and looks more durable.
   
3. I wanted AA battery power. While I purchased rechargeable AA batteries, I always carry a few AA’s in my camera bag, just in case the rechargeable batteries die on me in the middle of some shore excursion we are on. AA’s are also easy to find in just about any convenience store so I am never out of power for long.

I began my search as most of us do when we are looking for a purchase of this nature. I started to surf and found various different digital camera reviews on the internet. After I found one that I liked, I made a trek to my local store to take a closer look at the camera. I found several from Cannon, and Nikon which I was intending on buying, but none had all the features I wanted.

I then ran into the Fuji FinePix S9000, which finally had all the features I wanted. Oddly enough, it was not a camera that I found easily at any local store so I could actually get a real life feel of what I thought I wanted. When I did find it finally at my local Micro Center, I found the camera very easy to hold, with a substantial right hand grip and plenty of room around the lens for my left hand for manual functionality. While it’s not a Digital SLR, because of the fixed lens, it still has an impressive 10.7X optical twist zoom lens. Most ultra zooms start at 36 or even 38 mm, the S9000′s lens starts at 28 mm, so I get wide-angle capability without the need for conversion lenses. The exact focal range of the lens is 6.2 – 66.7 mm, which is equivalent to 28 – 300 mm. The lens is threaded for 58 mm filters, which I ended up purchasing UV filter, more for protecting the lens than anything else.

One of the best features of this camera for me was the 1.8″ LCD that can be pulled away from the body and then tilted up to 90 degrees or down 45 degrees. My video camera’s LCD flips to the side, which I use to shoot over people in front of me, or take “ground level” shots of my kids and now I have the same versatility with my still camera. This was a big factor in my choice which I honestly wasn’t looking for at first.

What I am most impressed with is the image quality and color of some of the shots I’ve been able to capture. The pictures seem to pop out with incredible detail when first downloaded into the computer, thrown up on a television display or printed out on photo paper. Pictures compressed and then posted on the web really don’t do these shots justice. I’ve managed to get some real keepers even in the short two months of using the camera. I’ve created a hyper link of the picture to the right so you can get a better look at the detail.

It has taken some trial and error in capturing these shots with all the features this camera has. I’m a big manual buff, and its taken time to get use to using these controls again after years of using auto-everything. With two small children, the auto mode does come in handy. Start up time is very quick, 1.8 seconds, and comes in handy when I need to capture something cute quickly. But when I have the time to set things up properly in manual mode, I have yet to be disappointed in any of the shots taken.

I also really like the natural light feature of the camera, but have found that this feature is best used on a tripod. No matter how still you think you are, or the subject is, the slightest movement can blur whatever action happens during the shot. When needed a pop up flash will accommodate nicely and to my pleasant surprise there is far less red eye when using the flash than what I’ve seen on any other camera.

Battery life is also far better than I ever imagined. I enjoy using the optical viewfinder when I can, so that helps, but even when using the digital LCD and flash there is plenty of life still left for a full day of picture taking. I also like to review shots throughout the day and delete any shots that I don’t want to keep.

When it comes to the memory card, this camera has dual media slots for handling of xD-Picture Cards and Compact Flash/Microdrives, the S9000 lets you concentrate on shooting without worrying about storage space. You can even insert different types of media in each slot and then select which one you want to use to store each image as you shoot.

I recommend not only the biggest card you can get, but also a high speed card. This camera is a 9 mega pixel and can eat up a lot of space. A 512 card will capture about 104 pictures in “fine mode” which I have found to be the resolution of choice. I have the option of reducing the resolution and getting more pictures, but I never know when that next “keeper” will be taken. With this much information being written, the standard memory cards take a few seconds to be written or downloaded to the card. With a high speed card, I can not only use the video mode or take up to 4 frames per second continuous still frame. Keep in mind; this is a still camera, and not a video camera. While the video is adequate for streaming video over the internet, it is not something that will produce my next DVD family movie.

I found a great price from Butterfly Photo out of New York, and was very impressed with how they called to confirm my order and made sure I had everything I needed after my purchase. I did upgrade to the high speed card, and also bought a UV filter because of the call. I was forwarded an e-mail the next day complete with tracking information so I knew when the camera would arrive. I would highly recommend them as a vendor and will certainly consider them when it comes time to upgrade my digital video camera.

We are thrilled with the Fuji FinePix S9000 and am very impressed with both the manual, and auto features. I’ve already captured some incredible shots that I’ve already shared and am sure there will be more in the next few months as we travel down to Disneyland, Williamsburg, and our Royal Caribbean cruise on Freedom of The Seas later this year.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With

What was originally going to be a romantic getaway for two back on Thanksgiving ended up being postponed due to a death in the family that week. We thought we would have to cancel and forgo the entire weekend, but found the staff at the Resort very accommodating, and allowed us a 30 day extension, not once but twice.

We ended up bringing the kids with us due to the timing of the weekend, and while it was not the romantic getaway we had hoped for, we were glad we did. (The kids were really glad we did anyway. I’ve posted pictures of our trip on the web and you can view a slide show of the great sights and our experiance here. (Just remember to hit play!)

We left for our road trip Friday afternoon from Atlanta for our 5 ½ hour road trip. Our reservations were a bayside suite at the 8 story Bayside Inn, adjacent to the Conference Center, Spa, and the Linkside Golf course. We found the suite very large with a small balcony overlooking the Chotawatchee Bay, small kitchen and separate bedroom for the adults. A tour of the hotel gave very spacious rooms with either two double beds or one king size bed. One nice feature of these rooms was the stove top, small refrigerator, coffee maker and toaster complete with plates and silverware. Something you don’t find in most hotel rooms.

The hotel is being upgraded and updated. One half of the hotel is blocked off for this upgrade and should be complete by the summer season. While to hotel did not look worn, the rooms were certainly dated from the wallpaper and cabinetry.

Much like cruise ships, our room key was our charge card for the weekend. Any extras could be charged to the room for any amenities, which were plenty, on the resort. The resort offers many extras including several golf courses, bicycle rentals, Salon and Day Spa, canoes and kayaking, parasailing, scuba diving and plenty of shopping.

With such a large property, the resort offers a tram service which we found very enjoyable. A call to guest relations from your room phone would call a small bus to the front door to wisk you off to one of 25 stops around the resort. When you’re done and want to go back, or to another location, courtesy phones are located at each location to call for a pickup.

We made several stops via the tram service. Our first stop was Jolee Island. A small island located in the Chotawatchee Bay. A bridge connects you to the island and has a 1/3 mile nature trail that circles the island. Picnic tables are located at several locations along with park benches to sit and enjoy the beautiful scenery. A play Pirate ship complete with swings and slides is also located for the children to play. While we were there in off season, we had the entire island to ourselves.

Our next stop via the tram was The Village of Baytown Wharf. A classic southern style “town square” filled with restaurants and shops for the most discriminating taste. In order to give Mom or Dad some time to shop, there is a HUGE 9000 square foot Adventure Landing for the kids to play. Donated and built entirely by volunteers, Adventure Landing provides hours of play for the kids, which can translate to hours of shopping for Mom. Dad can sit back and relax while the kids enjoy their exploration. (Adult supervision is required while your kids are enjoying Adventure Landing.)

It was hard to decide where to have dinner with so many choices later that night, and wish we could have had more time to experience other restaurants in the Village. We would have liked to experience Poppy’s Seafood Factory, Hammerhead’s Bar & Grille or even Acme Oyster House which gave a distinct feeling of the French Quarter in New Orleans. We did experience Rum Runners that night which gave a distinct Island feel and wonderful selection of both land and seafood.

Some of the shops along the Wharf included Exquisite Interiors, Destin Jewelers, Jazzee Bath & Body, and Toys & Treasures. All very unique shops with wonderful selections to provide memorable gifts or souvenirs of you experience at Sandestin. We found the Village one of our favorite places during the weekend and would like to go back to experience some of the “night life” without the kids at some point.

Later that afternoon we finally hit Sandestin Beach. One of our favorite places on earth is a beach and Sandestin Beach did not disappoint. One of the most striking points about the beach was how white and soft the sand was, and oddly enough, not a seashell in sight. Having so much soft white sand however, can cause a bit of a problem for our son, who ended up getting sand all over him, thus he decided to take it upon himself to make it a “nude beach” which I don’t think the Resort would approve of, but was one of the classic moments of the weekend.

Being there during off season, gave us plenty of room to spread out and let the kids run around. I can only imagine how busy this beach can be during season and would also agree with The Travel Channel as one of the Top 10 Florida Beaches. Rental of beach chairs, umbrellas and cabanas are available. Guests may also enjoy one hour free rental of boogie boards and kayaks by presenting a Resort Card. And for your convenience, sunscreen and beach-related products are sold in the beach huts. The beach service does not accept cash, so bring your Resort Card with you to charge items to your room or your credit card.

Our next stay at Sandestin would most certainly be in Beachside Hotel One or Two with a view of the emerald waters of the Gulf Coast. The two hotels reside right on the beach and with the tram service, gives us easy access all 2400 acres of the resort. Plenty of other hotel options are available all around the resort and Condo’s are also available for an entire family.

An option I wish I would have been able to enjoy was the golf. I didn’t play a single hole of the 72 holes they have available at the resort. Four courses weave throughout the resort, and each has a character of its own. My wife would have also liked to have spent some pampering in the full service spa. Something she has not done since our last cruise. Both these options would have been enjoyed if we had been there on our own without the kids.

In closing, we found Sandestin a wonderful family resort with something to offer the entire family. We also see incredible potential as a romantic getaway for couples who want to rejuvenate a relationship. Most importantly it rejuvenates the individual soul of anyone who stays at this Oceanside paradise.

The entire family highly recommends Sandestin Resort and hopefully we’ll be back soon. With so much to do, my wife if looking forward to going back with the kids and bringing some other mom’s with kids with her this summer for a full week at the beach. We are also looking forward to going back without the children for another quick getaway weekend. You can find rates off our booking engine from $110 per night to $300 per night depending on season and hotel or condo you would like. Check out the current rates we have for the resort, or feel free to give us a call to see what we can do for your group.

PS - If you're involved with YTB, sign up for our FREE Newsletter. As a Website Owner or Website Seller, we'll keep you up to date with all the latest news, acquisitions, and developments with YTB.

PPS - Subscribe to the Just Picture It Now RSS feed, (including e-mail) for all the latest posts and updates found right here!

Book Your Travel & Vacations With