Weeks before my trip to Birmingham, I started buying cameras. A lot of cameras. If I wanted to make some grand statement about consumerism, I’d say wealth brings both the opportunity and the burden of trying and buying new things. And I do judge myself for it, sometimes. I know I can only acquire things like this because of how much I work, but that knowledge doesn’t stop the vague guilt from creeping in. It’s something to process. Something to ponder.

Two of these cameras arrived the day before my trip. Obviously, I had to take them with me. But I also knew that if I didn’t at least test them beforehand, I’d be setting myself up for disaster. It had already been a long day, and I had a late-night meeting ahead of me. Traffic was going to be dreadful, so I drove to a park near my client’s place an hour early and started taking pictures.

The upside of a new camera on a trip is that you’re forced to actually learn how to use it.

This time, my travel companions were the DxO One and the Pentax Q7. Ken Rockwell has a solid review of the DxO One, if you want the details. As for the Pentax Q7, it belongs to that wonderful category of old, quirky cameras you can sometimes find for an almost laughably low price. Here’s a great piece on why it’s still relevant today.

Both cameras defy convention.

The DxO One is a fascinating “B-shooter.” It could never be your main camera—unless you’re a true weirdo, totally committed to the bit. The Pentax Q7, on the other hand, is a strange little pinch hitter. It’s tiny enough to go anywhere, and its lenses actually deliver. The problem? Its LCD screen. Completely useless in bright sunlight.

Still, they turned out to be great strangers to travel with. Every photo in my Birmingham series was shot with the DxO One or the Pentax Q7.

Next up: Trains Before Planes.