I agree you always need your dslr. My worst photos are the ones I never got to shoot because I did not have one of my cameras with me. - Jon Erickson from twhirl

I can't wait to get a DSLR - but how do you manage to carry around something so big? What are the better compact ones? - Shey

I carry around a Canon SD100 with me all the time--I can't carry my DSLR around with me, but I can carry my little camera. It takes fabulous photos for such a tiny camera. - Kris Millering

I carry a Canon XTi almost everywhere. Once you're used to it, it's not a big deal. If you want something smaller to carry everywhere, check out the Canon G9. It's not an SLR, but it can shoot RAW and has manual controls. - Jeremy Brooks

I'm using a Powershot S80 right now, and while I have a lot of manual controls, I'm still missing out on a lot of great DSLR capabilities. I just shudder at the thought of having to lug around a big camera everywhere I go. - Shey

I carry a Canon S5 IS, but I might need a smaller one for my belt clip. My small one broke a screen on "Year 2 Day 2", just out of warranty. - Mitchell Tsai

I carry my Canon G9 everywhere now. I love my 5D and those L lenses but I just can't carry them around all the time. - Michael Hocter

Hey Thomas, you mentioned that you had your first 5D stolen. How did that happen, and what do you do differently now? - Dave Roth

Dave, I had my 5D stolen in the Bahamas. I had it in my backpack and wrapped the backpack in a towel under a chair that I was sitting in at what I thought was a fairly safe resort with security. I was watching my kids at the pool and went in just for a second thinking I was keeping a pretty good eye on it. Later that night when I opened my backpack I realized it was gone. :( I'm even more careful now watching it. - Thomas Hawk

Thanks for the follow-up. I definitely don't want to become a victim. - Dave Roth

Shey: In a nice bag. I use a Crumpler messenger bag for day outings, and a Crumpler backpack for traveling. - Tom Harrison

Thomas: I had a compact camera pick-pocketed from me in Belgium. A Mediterranean guy pretended to do a martial arts move on me while shaking my right hand. His left hand pulled my camera out of my velcro case (I now use clip/zipper cases), and I didn't know for a few blocks. I checked my wallet & pockets for lost money immediately, but was new to carrying a camera. He was SMOOTH, very impressive... Our US thieves aren't so classy - just a knife or gun. ;-( - Mitchell Tsai

Unfortunately, if I forget my camera, I'll have to settle for my cameraphone. It's not too bad, actually, with the right lighting and some fixups in Photoshop. - Morton Fox

I carry a PowerShot S3 IS with me whenever I go out, and make sure it's always on a zipper bag slung around my shoulders. I'm pretty good at this - am yet to lose it once, though I once dropped it out of a moving bus (later jumped out of said moving bus and recovered it). - Yuvi