So we are finally going on a nice little vacation. Boughanwife would like to capture our trip on camera. Our last one is terribly outdated (1.5 megapixels), so we are going to get a new one. Question is what to get. What we are looking for: Ease of use and handling. Ease of transfering pics onto computer (Mac) Decent pic quality Ability to shoot short vids (2 - 3 min tops) Priced at around $300. Any and all help is welcome. Thanks, Boughan XB12X
When looking for a new camera I usually check out the reviews on these sites http://www.dpreview.com/ http://www.steves-digicams.com/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/ than choose the one that seems best in the budget I have in mind.
what is wrong with the current camera? if 95% of your images end up on the PC or web, 1.5 MP is more than enough. If it takes good pix, keep it, if not look for one with a Zeis lense or better.
I am partial to the Panasonic Lumix cameras, they seem intuitive and I've like the results from them. The Panasonic Lumix ZS7 is a nice blend of compactness and range. 3" LCD, 25-300 zoom, HD video, gps tags photos, for $250. I've used its predecessor and it is quite nice. You might find that the ZR3 or FX75 does everything you need for a bit less money. Make sure you have a couple of memory cards with you if you plan to shoot alot of video. As for ease of transferring pics, does your mac have an SD card slot? If not you'll need to use the supplied USB cable or a card reader, whichever you prefer. The process is pretty much the same for every camera. edit: here's a group test of the 'travel zoom' category from dpreview. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210grouptravelzoom/
The pentax W90 is a very rugged camera that will fit all of your needs. It is waterproof down to 20 feet, shoots in the cold , built in anti shake, shockproof to 4 feet, and does video. If there was ever a camera built for adventure riding it has to be this camera.
I've been through way too many point and shoots over the last few years because I subject them to the elements (water, dirt, ect). I had one that only lasted 1 day. I like a camera that I can store under my sleeve and have it ready to go while riding as most of my pics are on the go. I ended up buying a Canon D10 and it has lived through 2 trips without any issues. Great choice for me and the pics seem to turn out fine. Amazon for around $250.
I've become a big fan of the Panasonic Lumix ZS7 as well. I hardly use my SLR since I bought it. Beautiful pics and the x 12 optical zoom comes in really handy. Bought mine from B&H.
I bought an Olympus Stylus 770SW a few years ago that's shock & waterproof like the Pentax W90 above & would have destroyed a half dozen less rugged cameras with what I've put it through. Do yourself a favor & buy one that won't crap out on Ya when dropped in the mud,ran over with the bike or my favorite....... Dropped in the toilet from RTWDougs"Yer a Peein & Taliban tour" http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=13783960&highlight=camera+toilet#post13783960
Thank you all for your imput! I have narrowed the field of possible camers down quite a bit. That go pro set up looks wicked, I am afraid Boughanwife will nix it though. I think she knows her hubby just too well . Boughan XB12X
I just went through the camera selection process. I almost bought the Canon S95 which looks like a great camera but decided to go the water/dirt/shockproof route because I didn't want to have to worry about a $300 camera getting wet or being dropped. I compromised and bought a Sony DSC-TX5 (and an extended life battery.) Only a 4X zoom but it's got some cool features and seems like a durable unit. Best price I found was from 42nd Street Photo. I could've gotten it a little cheaper on Fleabay but wanted to buy from a store on the off chance that there are warranty issues and I think it'll be easier that way.
Bought my daughter a ZS7 a couple of months ago. She was off to Japan for 3 weeks with just a 46-liter (2800 ci) carryon backpack (equivalent of 2 small saddlebags), so the camera had to be small. I ran off about 100 shots before I gave it to her just to be sure it worked OK (he he). Image quality was quite good for the price. Video quality was even better - hi-def videocam quality. Daughter is a photo-noob, but the shots she brought back were first rate - good enough that I just bought a second ZS7 for Mrs. Flash for Christmas. (Yes, I get to use it too. She just doesn't know that yet.) Yes, the battery life is short - only about 200 shots with the GPS on. But how often are you really going to take more than 200 shots in one day? The charger is really small. Pack it along and recharge overnight.
I bought the cheaper DMC-ZS1 a year ago. It has a very wide angle 24mm lens, great for panorama shots and the 12X zoom allows good closeups - from the same position. It makes framing a good picture very easy; maybe that is why Panasonics are popular with ADVRiders. Canon picture quality might be slightly better, but the combination of a decent Leica lens, wide angle, and high optical zoom make me glad I bought this camera.
The Olympus Stylus is what I've had for the last four years, I've put it through a lot of rough use, in all kinds of conditions and it has performed beautifully. It takes nice photos and I always had it in my pocket or around my neck when I wanted it. My ride report links below have lots of examples of the shots it takes. I am going to upgrade to a Canon G12 soon, for a higher performance camera, but will miss the durability and compactness of the Stylus. It's still going to go riding with me as a backup and for use when conditions would'nt allow the G12, like under the water! Saludos
I both agree and disagree. Don't be pulled into the megapixel war. He's right, 1.5 mp is more than enough for most applications, and even the cheapest modern camera will have many times that. As an example, my first digital camera seven years ago (Canon G3) had about 3 mp. I had several 8x10s printed, and they were not pixelated at all. How many people even print their digital shots, let alone in large size. That said, there have been big improvements in other areas of camera technology. My G3 didn't handle dark or bright photos very well and it uses outdated compact flash cards. Most of the cheapest modern digital cameras will do what you want. There's no need to go overboard. You could find a good used camera on eBay for $100, and it'd probably do the job. I replaced my G3 with a much newer and (in my view) better camera for less than $100 shipped in an eBay auction. It's a lot like computer technology. Even the most basic computer today will outperform the top-of-the-line system from a few years ago, even if that older system still works fine. Jamie
Thanks Jamie for the good points. One one of the biggest issues for us is that we need to take some decent video as well as just pics. Our old camera just could not do that (hence we need a new one). Aa strange as it sounds, I do miss Memphis a little bit (after all I lived there for almost 8 years). Have some good ribs at the Rendezvous (wet please) and a pint at the flyin saucer for me Boughan XB12X
Lumix? WHY? When my current 5.1mp camera dies, I'm going to buy the cheapest camera they sell at Walmart. From what I can tell, new cameras are better and way cheaper than mine. I spent $300 for my camera 5 years ago and I can get a way better camera for under $150 these days, with twice the megapixels. BTW, I totally believe that the megapixel escalation is just marketing. Who REALLY needs 12mp? I seldom use more than 3mp, and photos come out fine.
