By Graham K. Rogers

As a long-time user of cameras, I enjoy using my Nikon DSLR but am also a fan of iPhone capabilities. As my niece was staying with me this week, we went on the railway to Mahachai taking photographs with the devices I had with me: Nikon D7000, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

This is a continuation of the first part of the journey, "My Niece Takes a Train Ride: Using iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Nikon D7000 Cameras (Part 1 - Mahachai)"

We had lunch on the Mahachai side, then crossed the ferry to Banlaem. Before taking one of the pedalos as I usually do nowadays, we walked towards the railway, which I knew was being completely renewed.

Not far from the station, we passed a school where we could see a teacher with a class of tiny kids. He called us over and asked where we were going. I told him that I knew the station was closed and he smiled, he was about to warn me and save us the trip. As we walked up to the fence, the children came over and we spent 10 minutes or so chatting to them and taking photographs. Like all kids, these were delightful.

Schoolkids - Nikon D7000

Schoolkids - Nikon D7000

The teacher offered to take a shot me us in it, so I handed him the iPhone 6 Plus and he was able to use this without any instruction from me. I guess he had one of his own.

Schoolkids, Lisa and I - iPhone 6 Plus

Schoolkids - Nikon D7000

After dragging ourselves away from the school we walked another couple of hundred metres to Banlaem station. This had a timetable of 4 trains a day each way, but when I came here a few months ago, I was told this was reduced to 3, to give time during the day for maintenance. In some sections the speed of trains was reduced to a walking pace and all the carriages rocked side to side with the subsidence that had occurred.

Banlaem Station - Nikon D7000

The line has suffered from lack of investment for years and apart from the famous market at the other end, which needs the stallholders to clear the tracks whenever a train passes, the line passes through some interesting flatlands - salt marshes - with a great variety of bird life.

Banlaem Station - Nikon D7000

Now the line is having that overdue care with the lines being stripped and new track laid

Banlaem Station - Nikon D7000

After a few minutes at the station just to take photographs we wandered back. Between the station and the school, however, is a wooden temple that I was told was made from the timbers of a boat. The doors were locked but the outside was accessible.

Banlaem Temple - iPhone 6 Plus

Near the ferry were the guys with the pedalos. I like taking pictures of these and it only seems fair to hire them too. A hundred baht for a basic trip is nothing for a tourist, and they are keen to extend the trip (for more of course) although are also happy to stop every once in a while.

Happy passenger (left) - Nikon D7000; and Taking a Break - iPhone 6 Plus

We did manage to reach the estuary and had a view of the sea and ocean going ships waiting for the high tide.

The Sea, the Sea - Nikon D7000

On the way back, we visited another temple where outside an old lady sat begging; then heading back we rode past a hawker.

Old lady at temple; and Hawker - Nikon D7000

On the ferry back, a young mother with her daughter caught my eye, as well as the boat-boy who handled the ropes securing the boat at the jetties either side of the river. Some of the older, floating ones are assembled from bamboo.

Canal at Mahachai - Nikon D7000

Mother; and Boat-boy - Nikon D7000

Old floating jetty - Nikon D7000

As we came off the ferry, along the front of the river, there were two Chinese operas taking place: one with two performers; and the other with a stage full of actors.

Chinese Opera - Nikon D7000

As we had almost an hour to wait for the train, we walked through the streets of Mahachai for a while, visiting a temple a short way from the station, before heading back.

Temple at Mahachai - iPhone 6 Plus

Front of Mahachai Station - iPhone 6 Plus

As the train departed, there was one more shot I wanted to try using burst mode on the iPhone 6 Plus. Just outside the station is a level crossing and this is always busy. With the lurching of the train, it has always been difficult to take such a shot using the Nikon, so I wanted to try with burst mode.

Level Crossing, Mahachai - iPhone 6 Plus, Burst mode

I was already fairly pleased with the ability of the iPhone 6 to take photographs, but the iPhone 6 Plus with almost identical specifications under the hood, was able to match the smaller phone. Its larger size was not as much of a hindrance as I had initially thought, and over the last few days, even with its cover (adding to the bulk) it sits nicely in the hand.

Graham K. Rogers teaches at the Faculty of Engineering, Mahidol University in Thailand where he is also Assistant Dean. He wrote in the Bangkok Post, Database supplement on IT subjects. For the last seven years of Database he wrote a column on Apple and Macs. He is now continuing that in the Bangkok Post supplement, Life.