Trail Camera Needed

[Nak]

A lot of opinions out there, I know. My main criteria is battery life. On the AT my camera was my phone and I had to get off every 4 days just to recharge. For this trip I want something that will last longer, say a week. Anyone have a camera that uses AA? Does it last longer? Be nice if the camera captured video too, but not necessary. I thought a Hero GoPro would be nice until I called the company and they actually told me bad idea since the batt only lasts a couple of hrs. Thanks.

[colorado_rob]

My canon s90 lasted 4 weeks on original battery, plus I had two backups, so I didn't even need to bother with a charger for 2+ full months. terrific little camera, decent sized sensor, very light, amazing pic quality. A much newer model is the S110, $249 on amazon, bigger zoom, wifi (but this will eat more battery life). There is also a brand new S120 for even more $$$. Or the S100 without Wifi if you can find one. In any case, great little line of cameras, can't say enough good things about them. Ken Rockwell has a good writeup on them here:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/s100.htm

He calls the S100 the worlds best pocket camera; read his reasoning.

[bigcranky]

AA batteries just don't have that much juice.

The vast majority of small point and shoot cameras make terrific images under good lighting conditions (outdoors, daylight.) Also, most of them get around 300 shots per charge on their proprietary lithum batteries, maybe more if you don't use the flash and don't spend hours per day looking at your photos on the LCD screen.

I would carry a p+s camera that had two main features -- a decent wide angle lens, and optical image stabilization. I don't need a really big zoom range. There are some decent waterproof/shockproof choices that I'd look at for a long hike. I would definitely carry a second battery -- they are tiny and light for the most part -- and the charger. Make sure the charger has a built-in 2-prong household plug, rather than a long and heavy cord (some still do.)

The Panasonic range has given me good results. Any of the ZS-series cameras have all the features I want, as well as a very long zoom range considering how small they are.

Have a great hike!

[Slo-go'en]

I had to replace my last AA powered camara because it became unreliable - kept locking up and I had to remove and reseat the batteries and/or memory card to make it work again. I also found it gave me low battery shut down after it drained them just a little bit. So, I end up with a lot of batteries which still have life in them but not enough to power the camara.

I replace the camara with one with a rechargable li-ion and was pleasently suprised how long the battery lasts. During the 6 week hiking trip I took last spring, I only had to recharge it once and that was more preventative then needed. You might be suprised how long the battery lasts in a recent model. It also depends on how often you take pictures and if you turn it off right after a shot or not.

My camara has a removable battery pack which implies that a spare or replacement could be had. Might be worth it for the PCT where oppertunities to recharge aren't as often as the AT. The battery in my camara weighs a fraction of an oz, which is trivial compared to having spare AA batteries.

[imscotty]

I have a Panasonic Lumix Underwater camera (DMC-TS4) that I take on the trail. I have not pushed it on the battery life but I think with the GPS disabled it would go for some time. I turn it off when I am not shooting, it is easy enough to recharge weekly.

The Pros:
Very Rugged and Waterproof
Fits in my pocket
Price is great
You can shoot video, I have only done short clips.

The Cons:
Images are not as sharp as I like (I feel the same about any of the pocket cameras I've used, I really prefer my Nikon DLSR lenses)
Not a 'lightweight' pocket camera (but it is rugged)

For day trips or if I am going someplace special I prefer to lug my Nikon DSLR along for the quality. Sometime in the next year or two I hope to invest in the Nikon 1 or Micro Four Thirds systems and see if they provide a better balance between weight and image quality.

[gollwoods]

my camera takes AA so I use the rechargable sanyo batteries which are not affected by cold, you can get solar chargers for them. I use a goal zero which has a battery pack and will charge a cell phone through a usb port

[MuddyWaters]

What kills batteries, is flash, and the big LCD screen.
To have best battery life you want to be able to turn the LCD off and just use a viewfinder.
I usually find my little Point and shoot lasts about 2 week, 150 pics on one battery if theres no flash pictures, and I dont spend a lot of time looking at them . I take a spare little battery too.

[q-tip]

Olympus Tough 320, extra battery .25 oz. Up to 300 + pics, eliminated the proplem for me.

[Shutter]

I would stay away from the GoPro series. They're good cameras for certain sports but just aren't really made for backpacking. They don't have any sort of viewfinder to frame your shot or even review it if you end up taking a bad shot.

I don't know about your budget but the Sony RX100 is the best point and shoot you can buy, but it's a bit pricey at $400-$500. I would recommend buying an extra battery or two as well as an extra memory card no matter what camera you buy. Memory is dirt cheap.

On the A.T. I carried a Sony NEX-3, took about 4000 photos and 8.5 hours of high def video. My needs are a bit diff than others. On the PCT I'll be taking the Sony NEX-6 with some other gear.

Battery on any point and shoot will get you 250+ photos and better battery than your phone. In my experience the "rugged" cameras have a very washed out image so I'd stay way from them.

Look into any Canon Powershot Sxxx camera, they're small, light, and have great build quality.
For an upgrade look into the Sony RX100. It's slightly bigger but the low light quality is vastly superior and overall image quality will be noticeable.
Avoid anything GoPro unless you're skydiving, skiing, mountain biking etc... GoPros have a "fish eye" fixed lens. You'll regret having all your photos distorted.

[slbirdnerd]

I love my Nikon Coolpix AW100 (AW110), been using it on and off trail for a year. Waterproof/shockproof, HD, etc. I use an s-biner, clip it right to my pack strap for easy access. You can buy extra lithium batteries for it, or I think you can recharge it with a USB from a charger if you're carrying one. Battery life depends on how you use it, like stated above.

[DeerPath]

[QUOTE=slbirdnerd;1845137]I love my Nikon Coolpix AW100 (AW110), been using it on and off trail for a year. Waterproof/shockproof, HD, etc. I use an s-biner, clip it right to my pack strap for easy access. You can buy extra lithium batteries for it, or I think you can recharge it with a USB from a charger if you're carrying one. Battery life depends on how you use it, like stated above.[/QUOT

DITTO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-COOLPIX-.../dp/B005IGVY6K