View Full Version : re: help for compact digital camera for AT thru hike
hello,
I am considering getting a compact digital camera for my upcoming AT thru hike this coming Spring.
I have only a very reudimentary knowledge of digital cameras..probably less than most of my fellow whiteblazers!
I have currently a NiKon SLR which at 2 lbs before lense is WAY to heavy
also have now a camera stylus 170. film camera. does ok but telephoto lense very dissapointing when zoomed all the way out.
What I am seeking is:
price tag under 400 dollars
Able to take good quality pictures suitable for 4X6 or 8 x 10 prints
able to do slide show either by making slides if possible or with use of a digital slide projector
weather resisteant or even water proof IE I want to be able to use camera in the rain or at least in a drizzle.
camera able to withstand normal abuse that a thru hiker entails
Camera should at least be able to have a lense of slr equivelant normal lense..so picture looks like what the eye saw!
I have been considering the Pentax WPi which is advertized as waterproof to five feet under water and weighs all of 4 oz. 5 mega pixels It uses lithium batteries I believe
How much memory should one have? 256mb? 1 gig?
while I like good quality pictures..ease of use is also very important.
I hesitate to get one of those disposable type cameras. To me disposable = cheapo.
Thoughts and suggestions welcome.
DavidNH
pentax makes a nice waterproof model, not sure of the price
gdwelker
01-21-2006, 17:13
My wife has the optio Wp, 5 megapixel, and I know several sea kayaker friends who had the same camera in 5 and 6 megapixel version. The 5mp produces very good photos, and can do panoramas, has some optical and digital zoom, and has held up well regarding waterproofness and rugedness. She has a 1 gig card, which is about 200 highest quality photos. Medium quality gets you about 500 photos. For digital photos, you can do a slide show using a laptop and digital projector combined with the software provided with the camera. We found hers online at $280 for the camera, and bought the card for $50 locally. The limiting factor with the camera will be the battery - you may want to consider carrying at least one spare.
Good questions. I'm fairly new to the digital camera world. Sounds like you have done your homework pretty well so far. The only thing I would suggest that your criteria include is double AA or triple A batteries rather than a propriety battery. The reason is that AA and AAA's are more readily available along the trail.
The downside of digital cameras has been battery life. Maximize the battery life by keeping the view screen off, and don't preview pictures. Just snap another if in doubt. (Also get a camera with a view finder so you don't need to rely on the preview screen). Ask about battery life when you compare cameras.
I think that you should look for a camera with at least 4 mp.
I think that you will want several 256 or 512 mb cards rather than a 1 gig card. The reason is that if the card craps out, you loose only some of your pictures, not all. Send the cards home periodically so they can be downloaded and cards recycled.
Brands to consider include Pentax, Cannon, Olympus. Because the camera market is changing, I hesitate to recommend a specific brand and model.
Kerosene
01-21-2006, 17:46
I third the Pentax Optio 5Si WP (4.7 oz with battery and memory card; 5 megapixel, 3X optical zoom, lens flattens into body when off, 2" LCD screen, optical viewfinder, built-in flash). I went with a 1 GB card, but for a thru-hike you might want to consider two or more 512 MB cards that you can have shipped to you and return home for downloading when full. The same approach could be used with a second battery.
I was pleasantly surprised with the battery life (I bought the non-waterproof version before they redesigned it, but I think the internals should be the same). My only gripe is the LCD screen, which easily gets washed out in direct light.
Pay attention to the battery life. I have a Olympus that uses 2 AA cells--regular batteries last about a day. Now I'm trying the NiMH rechargable, and this is better. Next step is about $60 for Li Ion rechargable.
I also have a canon SD 300 with the Canon battery. This sapre cost about $50. Last hike, one battery lasted a week, maybe 100 photos. The charger is light enough to carry, about 2 oz.
Don't get fooled by the "I can get AA on the trail". IMO, that is a bad idea.
Nearly Normal
01-21-2006, 18:31
The stylus line from olympus is water resistant. Get an olympus card if you want the panorama option.
Pete
betic4lyf
01-21-2006, 19:26
if you don't want your nikon slr and lenses, i'll take them. :D. must be manual though.:D
if you don't want your nikon slr and lenses, i'll take them. :D. must be manual though.:D
I want them. Just dont want to carry them in my pack!
would you really carry five pounds of camera gear in your pack on the AT??
David
i love my fuji a303:cool: neo
http://www.dealtime.com/xGS-fuji_a303
betic4lyf
01-21-2006, 22:02
i would probably take along a tlr with me. i don't have my own yet, as i am low on funds, but i have used one that my school has. medium format is ten times better than 35mm. i like using slr's because you can see what is going through the lens for still lifes and close ups. since i can't afford a blad, 35mm is it. to answer your question, i would happily carry a two-three pound camera, if it was a rolleiflex. zeiss lenses are worth it.
i doubt an slr and a normal prime shouldn't weigh five pounds, but at the same time take incredible pictures.
another option is a holga. just look on google. :)
on another note, does anyone know a good tripod that is relatively lightweight, but able to hold a 2-3lb camera steady? oh yeah and cheap:)
hammock engineer
01-22-2006, 01:01
My Cannon SD500 is a 5 MP camera. They sell a waterproof case that fits it and is made for taking underwater photos. About a $120 though. It also takes a special rechargeable battery.
Really Nice camera though.
I have seen some hiking poles that have a camera mount on them.
I think www.theunderwearguys.com (http://www.theunderwearguys.com) have one.
I noticed that these SOBO hikers, Super T and Don King, used an Olympus Stylus 300 3.2mpx camera:
http://www.maine2georgia.com/trailpics.html
Looks like they made slides of the pics after getting home.
Some of these, esp. in VA and TN, are pretty awesome, for example:
http://www.maine2georgia.com/TENNNC/slides/PA210439.html
The lesson I took from this is that 3 megapixels is enough. I have a 4mpx camera, but it's 35mm with a big lens, and I am definitely interested in getting something that is:
Light
Sleek
Has a hard case or sliding case that won't get wet or dirty easilyThe camera Neo linked to above seems like a good solution.
hammock engineer
01-22-2006, 01:58
Careful with Fuji Cameras. The take an xD memory card that will only work with Fuiji Cameras.
SD cards are more universal and cheaper.
MisterSweetie
01-22-2006, 03:35
How much memory should one have? 256mb? 1 gig?This is the only question I'll address, since everything else is such a personal choice. (I use a Nikon Coolpix 5400, but it's neither water resistant, nor specifically designed to be abuse resistant).
Get as much memory as you can afford! I'd say at least one GB, but maybe split on 2 cards (512x2). Second to getting as much as you can afford, make sure it's fast, not the cheap slow kind. People talk about battery life of the camera... well I'm convinced that if my camera didn't spend so much time writing to my very slow compact flash card, the battery would last much longer. So get lots of fast memory for your camera.
Keep in mind that if projection photos are a goal, a cheap digital projector still costs around $1,000, and replacement bulbs cost several hundred dollars the last time I checked.
Of course Kodak no longer makes the Carousel slide projector at any price. Mine is at least 30 years old and has gone through a fire that burned my house down, which is why I'm also thinking digital these days.
Unfortunately, I have yet to find a digital camera that does everything I want. Hmmm I had that problem when buying slide cameras also.
Weary
Tree-girl
01-22-2006, 11:17
I bought the Pentax Wpi, and it's a very nice little camera, although I haven't used it a whole lot yet, and I'm happy with it. I got it for about $217 + shipping at Prestige Camera. I'm going to use 2 512 mb cards (b/c of cost), which are 120+ pictures each for a 6 mb camera. I would caution you about on thing: Battery life!!!! The Wpi comes with a pentax DL18 li-ion, which is a half-hour battery, at best. I was unhappy with the shortness of the battery life, but there are really no others available for it, I assume this is b/c it is still fairly new. I'm going to recharge along the trail if possible, but in retrospect something with AA batts probably would have been better.
Isn't the Olympus Stylus line water resistant?
I can tell you from experience that one of the biggest factors for increasing battery life is completely non-technical.
Don't use the review feature on your camera. It's tempting, I know...I've done it many times before and regretted it later. Avoid the temptation to browse the photos you've already taken on the camera before you've uploaded them.
Instead of wasting battery power editing or deleting photos on the camera, wait 'til you get home or at the hostel while it's attached to the PC.
Get a bigger memory stick (many others above recommend this and it's good advice). You can usually get batteries right off the trail in town, and they're abundant enough that I would advise against carrying something like a battery charger...the ratio of usefulness to weight is not high enough IMO.
Lumberjack
01-22-2006, 16:10
on another note, does anyone know a good tripod that is relatively lightweight, but able to hold a 2-3lb camera steady? oh yeah and cheap:)
I picked up a nice one under 2 pounds at ritz but it is a bit short since it is 5 foot max height. Collapses nicely too. Poke around, they are out there but you have to really do some digging to find them.
irritable_badger
01-22-2006, 17:40
Camera selection is a fairly personal thing so I will not get into that but I would like to address the battery life issue as it seems to be discussed here quite a bit. All battery life expectations/calculations are made at near room temperature (68 F -77 F). Any temperature to which the batteries are exposed that varies more than 10 degrees on either side of this range will begin to drastically shorten battery life with colder temperatures effecting the batteries faster. As a non-scientific example: at temperatures around 40-50 F you can expect to take ~50-75 pictures, as temperatures near freezing battery life can be as short as 10-20 pictures (assuming a full featured 35mm or normal point & shoot digital) I know this sounds pretty extreme but I shoot about 7000 pictures a year and I have had the time to work this out. The issue is the temperature of the batteries at the time of operation. If the batteries are cold (or extremely hot) while you are taking pictures they will discharge much faster. If they are warm while taking pics they last much longer. In cold weather keeping your batteries warm will ensure much longer life. To guarantee maximum availability of your camera and maximize the number of pictures taken I have used several solutions which I will list below in order of effectiveness. All of these involve carrying at least one (1) extra set of batteries (oh no for the lightweights!) and a little effort but it does mean you can take a LOT more pictures (up to 10x increase with the last two solutions and near freezing temps, less if colder). You must rotate the batteries and try your best to keep the warm set in your camera. Keeping the camera (if small) in a jacket pocket wrapped in a warm sock helps a lot too. Experiment and see what works best for your camera and picture taking style.
Keep extra batteries in your pants pocket (highly uncomfortable and the least effective can also short against any metal in your pocket, i.e. change, knife, nail clippers, etc... and get really hot)
Duct tape extra batteries to your pack between your back and the pack (some packs do not allow for this while being comfortable and it is really difficult to get to your spares but it does work fairly well but if you want to carry a ton of extras it is great if your pack allows for it)
Wrap your batteries in an electric sock (the 9v kind, yes this means carrying more batteries but you can keep in in your pocket for easy access)
Finally the best solution I have found are tire warmers for radio controlled cars. (They are sort of expensive and also require you to carry batteries for them but they work the best, some of them have variable temperature control as well and they fit in your pocket. The warmers attach to the power source with a cord so you can keep the power supply batteries in your pack and the warmer(s) and camera batteries in your pocket. Plus it makes for some interesting converstations)
While I am aware that all of this is a pain for any hiker, the temporary inconvenience goes away but the picture of the bear and coyote facing off on the river bank hangs on your wall forever. "I didn't get a picture because my camera batteries were dead from the cold" sounds so lame when telling stories years later.
timhines
01-22-2006, 18:31
Do you have an OfficeMax nearby?
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?threadid=188158
hopefulhiker
01-22-2006, 18:59
I used a $99 four meg pixels 6 oz digital caled DXG from Radio Shack with a 1 gig SD card. It used something called "Capture technology". It took two AAA batteries. Very compact, light weight, durable and cheap, it took decent pictures. It may not be available anymore.
HikeLite
01-23-2006, 14:52
At that price you may not have gotten the manufacturers parts. Check on your battery, warranty and charger part numbers especially.
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=397834
Kit Inclusions:
Optio WPi Camera
Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery D-LI8
Battery Charger D-BC8 (A)
AC Plug Cord D-CO2U
AV Cable I-AVC7 (B)
USB Cable I-USB7
Software S-SW30 (CD ROM)
Strap O-ST20
Operating manual
Serial number card
Service network directory
I bought the Pentax Wpi, and it's a very nice little camera, although I haven't used it a whole lot yet, and I'm happy with it. I got it for about $217 + shipping at Prestige Camera. I'm going to use 2 512 mb cards (b/c of cost), which are 120+ pictures each for a 6 mb camera. I would caution you about on thing: Battery life!!!! The Wpi comes with a pentax DL18 li-ion, which is a half-hour battery, at best. I was unhappy with the shortness of the battery life, but there are really no others available for it, I assume this is b/c it is still fairly new. I'm going to recharge along the trail if possible, but in retrospect something with AA batts probably would have been better.
Isn't the Olympus Stylus line water resistant?
HikeLite
01-23-2006, 16:47
Replying to my own post. A D-LI8 battery as tested by dpreview gets 2 hours 30 min battery life. It is known that some pentax cameras that have less than manufacturer specs are being sold for reduced prices. Check out the battery life table on this site.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona70/page9.asp
Make sure you get a wide lens with the camera. Many times I have been unable to frame the picture and have had to take multiple shots. This is true for both vistas and "on the trail" type pictures. Somewhere around 28mm seems to work pretty well. Most one piece cameras come with a zoom lens, check the specs for it's shortest focal length.
Cosmo
HikeLite
01-24-2006, 00:06
Prestige sold you the cheaper import model with 90 day warranty..disguised as a 1 year by their wording. They also didn't mention part numbers because you may not have gotten the correct ones that last longer.
http://www.prestigecamera.com/product~id~pnoptiowpi.htm
Import Model. Comes with Prestige Camera Warranty - 90 Days Labor, 1 Year Parts
Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery
Battery Charger w/ AC Power Cord
USB Cable
A/V Cable
Carry Strap
Software CD ROM (ACDSee for PENTAX Standard image viewer software)
Operating Manual
1 Year Limited Warranty
I for a thru-hike you might want to consider two or more 512 MB cards that you can have shipped to you and return home for downloading when full.
I too want to go digital, my concern is unloading pics at home as mentioned in the quote by Kerosene.
Can you download without the camera? How? Does that option come with most digital cameras or is it a add on?
Great post BTW. Has answered most of my questions already, Thanks!
Doctari.
I will definitely recommend the Pentax Optio WP - the perfect little camera for a backpacker. There are some excellent suggestions for conserving battery power listed above, some of which I hadn't considered. Nevertheless, the proprietary battery is the weak point of this camera in my opinion, although you can take a hell of a lot of pictures in a half hour. I have purchased a back up battery for my more extended hikes.
Cheers,
PKH
Can you download without the camera? How? Does that option come with most digital cameras or is it a add on?
You can download from any removeable card. Just get a "card reader", a small device you stick the card in and connect to the computer with a USB cable. Get them now for little as $10 they appear on the computer as another drive. Also folks at home can put some of their pics on them to send back to you.
Should have put this in the last post as well. Anyone that doesn't already have their camera should check out the small Canon models. Most of them also have a proprietary battery but some also have an amazing battery life, especially when compared to other small cameras.
DavidNH / ALL,
I'll throw in my 2 cents now..
When recently looking for a new digital camera, I was in the same dilemma as you are now. What kind of camera can I purchase that will correctly capture this trip, as well as everything before and after? I'll need something for cold weather and something for those hot, muggy, hard-to-breath days in Virginia (boy, oh boy, looking forward to it already!) as well as any other temperaments that mother nature likes to throw at us. Am I about right?
After much research, I, a dedicated Nikon man, to the bone, purchased a Canon Powershot A620. Here's why.
1.) First and foremost, takes AA batteries. Shipping batteries and/or carrying chargers suck. I'd rather know that I have an extra set in the event that my indicator starts to blink than know that it could be days before I can take another shot.
2.) Self contained lens system. This really isn't so much a problem it seems nowadays, but still relevant on a few models out there. I can quickly pull it out, hit the 'on' button, snap pic, hit 'off' and away I go. No need to fumble with lens caps or something similar.
3.) Speaking of snap and go, the startup on the camera is really good. When its a bit cold out, it can be maybe 1/2 a second slower, but barely noticeable.
4.) Swivel lens. This really should be at number two, but I am just trying to quickly type this up. The idea that I can operate a camera below the average shooting range that most people never leave (chest low, head high) is a HUGE benefit. It allows you to take shots quickly at various heights and angles. Also, it swivels around to protect itself from additional harm... bonus.
5.) 7.1 megapixel. Granted, it's not much more than a 5meg, but the technology is much better and the form factor is smaller than the older one.
6.) Manual operation / various shooting modes. I don't really use the various shooting modes that these newer cameras have come out with because I will not purchase a camera that I cannot control shutter speed and aperture. Period. This camera, you can... your choice. It's really becoming a chore to find a small camera that still allows you to go manual. read: to be able to appropriately capture sunsets, low light situations, etc.
7.) Video mode. It has a superb video mode and you can shoot it for however long you have space on your media card.
8.) SD media cards. Small, light, and I recommend at least a GIG (that’s 1Gig) at a minimum. You are going to want to shoot in Superfine mode (the highest) at all times, this will give you approx. 360+ odd pictures per card. Also, SD readers are a lot easier to find (say, in a smaller town) than Sony Memory stik. Bleech.
9.) Durable... so far. Just in case, I did get an extra 2 year replacement warranty for a whole 30 something odd bucks. In two years technology will have leaped over all these cameras of today.
As you can see, it's definitely a nice camera. No, it's not 12 meg (and BTW, the difference between 7,1 and 12 is barely noticeable [unless, maybe your shooting RAW]) and no it doesn't shoot RAW. It's also a bit bigger than some of the smaller units out there, but the weight itself isn't far off. The Powershot series is a proven model for Canon. Last week I was on holiday in Vail, Colorado, at 11,000 feet... freezing cold, wind gust, you name it.. I took many pictures without a hitch. My digits were numb, camera was fine. I'm a snowboarder, so I jump where ever I can, and I did. To head off any potential naysayers, I didn't even try to protect it (nor I really ever fall) with cloth or anything. I just put it in the front pocket of my coat. It bounced around as much as I did.
I must also talk up two other features of the camera. The AUTO feature is really effn' good. I played and demo'd a couple different ones (including my beloved Nikon) and the color cast seems better with this unit. As a bonus, the flash is tremendous on this camera. And yes, you can control how much flash you want your subject to receive. UBER handy!
I know I mentioned it before, but if you’re going to take this on your hike, I would highly recommend the extra warranty. I usually don’t get suckered into these, but I’d rather spend the extra bucks now and know that the longest I may go without a camera is a week while Best Buy is replaces it. That’s a beautiful, stress free hike if you ask me.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any additional questions or would like to see some sample pics.
-- SEE all you PowerShots out there!!
... no, I do not work for Canon, nor have I or any other family member ever worked for Canon.. I also do not, have not, nor recently owned any Canon or affiliate company stock or any other medium that would allow me to earn or profit from this review. It's just a really good camera! :P
ok MattBob.. verynice informative piece you posted there about this Canon powershot camera.
Some questions I and presumably others, would love to have answered:
1) how much does this camera weigh
2) all the features are nice..but often times..I like to just click the shutter and presto. especially if I am backpacking. so how does this camera do if one sets it on automatic (and it DOES have an automatic mode right?). And by automatic mode i mean... point camera and click shutter and camera does the rest and the picture looks good.
3) I love to take pictures but as of yet I am not into the technical side of things really and I can see just by reading your post that you have built up quite a bit of photographic knowledge. Me i am a camera novice. I own a Nikon N80 camera which has all sorts of features yet 99 percent of the time I have it set to program..point click nice picture! oh and btw..no way i would bring the N80 on a long distance hike..way to heavy and would never stand up to the riggers!
DavidNH
MisterSweetie
01-28-2006, 00:36
I'll throw in a 'second' on MattBob's comments about the Canon. I'm also a diehard Nikon (coopix 950 and 5400) user, but for a long hike, I'd probably spend the dough for a Canon Powershot. I've hiked with people who take them, and I can tell you, like MattBob said, they definately boot faster and can take pictures quicker from start than my Nikon. I agree with every single point made above.
how does this camera (the cannon power shot A620 hold up against moisture and rain?
I did a little net research and this is indeed a very impressive camera. at 500 $ it seems rather pricy and I suspect with the 4 AA batteries fairly heavy? though I dont see a weight..only in grams when empty.
David
MisterSweetie
01-28-2006, 17:59
I did a little net research and this is indeed a very impressive camera. at 500 $ it seems rather pricy and I suspect with the 4 AA batteries fairly heavy? though I dont see a weight..only in grams when empty.
DavidFor whatever it's worth, these cameras go for much less than 5 bills on ebay. Maybe 300 or so. I can vouch for one seller, as I bought my coolpix 5400 from them, cameta (I'll have to check their ebay name if you want it). They sell the a620 with a pretty comprehensive package for a good price. http://makeashorterlink.com/?Y2CF25B8C I don't work for them or anything, only bought my camera from them. There are plenty of others there too. I do wish I'd gotten a Powershot (I'm looking at the s2 IS) before I got the 5400. I much prefer the AA battery instead of the proprietary/hard to find one.
mweinstone
01-28-2006, 18:45
im gonna buy throw away ones and mail them home as the mood strikes me.the only pics im after are trailys and so im not even startin with one cause i wont know anyone at first. after a few weeks ill buy one,carryit for a week and mail it. i may only do this once or twice on my trip.its like bug stuff,i only carry it when needed.
1.) First and foremost, takes AA batteries. Shipping batteries and/or carrying chargers suck. I'd rather know that I have an extra set in the event that my indicator starts to blink than know that it could be days before I can take another shotI felt this way also, but fell in love with the Olympus 300. It is 3.2 mp, less than my Pentax, but I have blown up pictures from both cameras and honestly cannot see the difference. Maybe for portraits or something, but not landscapes. It turns out that a spare chargable battery and the charger for my Olympus 300 weighs about the same as the 4 AA I'd be carrying as a spare to my heavier Pentax, so I don't mind the swap.
For the guy who likes 35 mm SLR because you can frame exactly what you want in the viewfinder, digital photography will amaze you. Simply enlarge the shot and crop it when you get home. I've found that creative cropping can really make a difference is pictures.
DavidNH / ALL,
Using my main resource (DPReview) to get you the weight info, with batteries, the Canon Powershot A620 weighs in at 10.1 ozs. Add the SD card and that may go up to 10.3oz. You can find all the particulars about this camera on the aforementioned website here; http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona620/ (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona620/)
Regarding moisture and whatnot. I beat the hell out of my cameras (and with Nikons, it seems they encourage this behavior). I don’t care how shiny and sleek they look. The more scratches, the better I say. Unfortunately, I cannot give you an honest assessment about the Powershot and how it handles various weather elements. I have taken shots (without much protection) in mist and sprinkles, but not a downpour (like I said, one, I have that extra warranty and two, I want to see if this thing can actually handle the rigors of the trail.)
I plan to carry the camera in a simple (but thickest) Ziploc bag on days that are really wet. I don’t see the need for anything additional… waste of money and more weight. I’ll probably cycle out the bags every couple mail drops, just to ensure the integrity of the bag is maintained throughout the trip.
Regarding the Automatic mode. During normal lighting conditions (meaning average light, 10:30-11:00 until 4 or 5) using the Auto feature is perfect, no worries. Anytime you are going to use flash, auto mode is the best (until you master the fill flash technique [and if you hike with it, this should take no time at all]). As mentioned before, the startup is incredibly quick at just over a second (not like my D70 [which is practically instantaneous]) for a portable unit. I don’t recall the Nikons being quite as swift getting their systems going as this Powershot does.
A quick pointer about a picture looking good (you mentioned it in your post), RARELY is a picture bad/poor/not what you wanted because of the camera….it’s usually due to composition. Yes, some photos out and out suck *%$^ but, if composed with a little thought, even those in poor light or the exact opposite, washed out, can be worth showing to friends and family.
Hats off to you and your Nikon N80. That’s a fine piece of equipment that will last long after we’re gone from this world. The beautiful thing about the Powershot A620 is that if you are in a jam, or you still don’t know/like/understand/use the preset features like, snow, sunset, beach, fireworks, underwater (which I hope you don’t get to use [unless for creative effects) you still can use the Manual Settings. I believe that this should be the rudimentary function of all cameras but today people just don’t see it that way. SIGH!
Another kinda cool feature that you can use with this camera is the built in ‘stitching’ software to take those nice panoramic shots. I personally use the ‘coverage’ method (handful of pictures, stitch with Photoshop) so I don’t know personally how well it works, although a friend of mine who has an older version swears by his. You can find one example of this at this website; http://www.skidoug.com (http://www.skidoug.com/) That’s a picture of both Snowbird and Alta. He did have to photoshop some lines out, but that really wasn’t a stitching error so much as he didn’t want it in the picture to begin with.
Wyclif made an interesting observation. Don’t use the review feature on your camera. I agree with this wholeheartedly. Couple reasons. One, yes, you will definitely wear down the battery, ‘nuf said. The other reason is that the more you look at them, the more you will want to try to ‘correct’ them. Hey, I’m all down with wanting to learn and understand your equipment, but that’s not what I am referring to. When you take pictures with a film based camera, you don’t have the luxury of the instant gratification of seeing what you just took. Yes, it’s cool to see the image, especially if it was a funny one or one with a bear moments before he ran off with your bag (which, why were you not shooting in Video to begin with??). But, what is happening with this digital revolution is that photos that people would normally have developed and sitting around the house, don’t anymore. If they don’t like it or just don’t get a positive feeling from the shot, just delete it. I profess, don’t delete ANY image you shoot. I guarantee that most shots you’d likely delete in the field, regardless of how they turned out, would not meet the same fate on your computer at home, 3, 4, 5 months later. Give it time, what else have you got? I can’t imagine ANYONE on this board or elsewhere that has ran across some old photos at your parents/grandparents/relatives where you looked at them wondering.. ‘why did you keep these?’ If you’re anything like me, it’s more along the lines of ‘holy $#&*, I forgot all about that picture (in the background) and oh yeah, look, there’s that old, ugly, poop brown 70’s couch with the corduroy texture.’ BTW, I bet that couch would go for a pretty penny right about now! So, purchase more SD, CF, or whatever media your camera uses (Powershot; SD), and mail the cards off to your caretaker. You’ll thank yourself later.
Price. I found this camera for $315.00 at Beach Camera (reputable company), including shipping, via mysimon.com (http://www.mysimon.com)– just put in Canon Powershot A620 and then compare prices. Simple. (Best Buy.com is $379.99 as of this writing.) You can also find very inexpensive SD media from pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com) (along with many other electronic/computer goodies.)
-- Let me know if you have any other questions.
Cheers!
MattBob
GA>ME '06!
dje97001
01-30-2006, 19:19
Time to chime in again.
Our Camera Choice:
We got a 4.6 oz. Casio Exilim s500 (5 megapixels). You need to carry the charging cradle and the power cord, but the whole thing weighs less than 8 oz. (including the stuff sack and the usb cable). It does a really good job of taking outdoor shots. Indoor shots can sometimes give you trouble if lighting is poor. The flash is also REALLY powerful so overexposure on subjects that are close is common when using the flash. But honestly it does a remarkable job for that size/weight. I believe it uses a pentax lens. Only 3x optical zoom (+4x digital; but that unfortunately is a standard for point and shoot). Oh--the best part it can record video at 30fps and a resolution of 640x480. The sound quality is amazing for, again, such a small camera. Oh, we also have a mini-tripod that stands about 6inches tall and a nice sturdy and snug case for the credit card sized camera.
Storage:
We have currently purchased two 1Gig SD cards and plan on mailing one home when it fills up--getting it shipped back after the pics are uploaded to the website. I can fit somewhere near 340 of the highest quality images (@5 megapixels each) on one card. And the video? At that highest quality I can fit over a half an hour on the card. At lowest quality (which is still good enough for the web--at 15fps, 240x180) I can fit an hour and a half of video. The battery is supposedly good enough for 200 pictures. We're considering carrying along an extra battery (they really don't weigh that much--less than an oz?).
If you want some reduced detail images of the woods and mountains to preview (for the web) you can find them at our site. http://www.geocities.com/ellishiking
Good luck!
Just in case anyone might be interested..
I decided to go with the Canon Powershot A620. The camera takes AA batteries which is a definite plus. Also at 7.1 mp and a bunch of shooting modes I should get some decent pictures out of it. Also..the reviews alll seem pretty good. As well.. I was impressed with mattbobs comments on the camera.
One word of advice if anyone else is looking for a camera for their hike.. Don't go to Ritz photo, staples, or other retail stores. Better deals on line.
Through www.bhphotovideo.com (http://www.bhphotovideo.com) the camera costs just 340.00 where as in retail stores it appears to be about 400 $! So even with shipping AND batteries I still saved money. Course they do get you on accessories. I decided to spring also for 1 gig memory chip. 472$ when all done... that includes batteries, charger, memory, and shipping costs!
Main problem now is..I have never ever used a digital camera before so this will be a learning experience! Looks like I should keep camera in a zip lock..I know it is not waterproof. I hope it has at least some resistance!
David
Be very carefull with the Canon. Canon has had quality control issues with their zoom lenses. Do a google search for "E18 failures" and you'll see what I mean. What is worse, Canon's customer service is horrible. I hope your experience is better than mine. Had I seen this thread earlier I would have warned you about Cannon. Canon certainly puts the most features together at the right price point, but you won't be very happy when your camera dies and Canon's warranty will only sell you another camera for $200.
Gulp. I wish someone had said something sooner. Well, all's I can do now is hope for best and that this problem doesn't happen!
David
dje97001
02-26-2006, 20:36
Not that it will help David at this point, but I just uploaded some video clips that we took with our Casio EX-S500. We'll be uploading little clips all along the way (reduced in size/quality for easier viewing online). Most of you won't really be interested in them... I imagine that primarily family will get a kick out of them. But every once in a while there may be a gem. But, if you are shopping around for a digital camera and are curious about the video (or image as I said previously) quality these can give you a preview (despite their smaller size).
David,
Just go out and have fun with your new toy. Like that photo class you probly took in high school to learn how to use an slr, sit down with the book that came with it and try all the bells and whistles. I am kind of envious. I still shoot with my Nikon F and F2. Let us know how you make out with it.
Peace.
JJB
astrogirl
02-26-2006, 23:36
I have a Canon SD 200 Elph. I took it out last spring and the batter lasted for a week (and the weather was cold, bad for batteries), no problem, so you could bounce a charger.
It also takes movies with adequate sound and a 1Gig card is enough for a couple little movies (I use them for panoramas mostly) and plenty of photos.
Ditto on that don't review. DON'T use the play feature and the battery will go a lot longer. Seriously, I take pics all the time with it, carry it everywhere in my purse. I charge it *maybe* every two weeks. Maybe.
once the memory card is full.. can I somehow down load the pictures to a CD ROM? I swear I read somewhere on white blaze that one can but don't know where I saw it. Is the only option to just mail memory card home?
If one can download to a cd rom.. where does one do this? only pro camera stores? any pharmacy?
thanks,
David
once the memory card is full.. can I somehow down load the pictures to a CD ROM? I swear I read somewhere on white blaze that one can but don't know where I saw it. Is the only option to just mail memory card home?
If one can download to a cd rom.. where does one do this? only pro camera stores? any pharmacy?
thanks,
David
You can find one of those Kodak-type kiosk's at most drug stores or Wal-mart-type stores. They are equipped to read all types of media cards. You insert your card, select the option to make a cd and sit and wait!
Now your problem is what to do with the cd? Are you going to mail that home? You should get a hard board mailer... (I have also used old dvd cases, tape them up good at the PO and stick a label right on the cover!)
I have a Canon SD 200 Elph. I took it out last spring and the batter lasted for a week (and the weather was cold, bad for batteries)
Cold is excellent for the batteries! I store mine in the fridge and get more life our of them than when they are stored at room temp in a drawer.
Cold is not so great for the camera... if it warms too quickly condensation will occur on the internal parts (think eyeglasses fogging)
Ok.. some practice with my camera leads to a question..how do I know..or can I tell? how many pictures are left on the memory card before it is filled up? With film it is easy...there is 24 0r 26 exposure capacity and a counter lets you know how many pictures are taken. Seems with digital camera how many pictures one can take is greater but relies on various factors and I at this point can't figure out how many pictures have been taken. Like with a gig card..you can have 250 + pictures. so.. how do I know if I have taken 100, 200, or 249?
David
sorry...but this is the very first digital camera I have ever had. So much I don't know!
Ok.. some practice with my camera leads to a question..how do I know..or can I tell? how many pictures are left on the memory card before it is filled up? With film it is easy...there is 24 0r 26 exposure capacity and a counter lets you know how many pictures are taken. Seems with digital camera how many pictures one can take is greater but relies on various factors and I at this point can't figure out how many pictures have been taken. Like with a gig card..you can have 250 + pictures. so.. how do I know if I have taken 100, 200, or 249?
David
sorry...but this is the very first digital camera I have ever had. So much I don't know!
I think that is going to depend on the camera... My Canon tells me exactly how many pics left (depending on card size) on its LCD screen (not the same as the pic preview screen) but my Polaroid does not...
Both are 8MP, my 512 card gets approx 245 pics and the 1G card will get about 480. The type of pic you take will eat more or less memory. ie: if you take long exposure pics of waterfalls (the ones that make the falls look like they are running, and not freeze-frame pics) they eat up a bit more space, but nothing significant. Also, super-macros take up a tad more space too.
irritable_badger
03-10-2006, 09:36
once the memory card is full.. can I somehow down load the pictures to a CD ROM? I swear I read somewhere on white blaze that one can but don't know where I saw it. Is the only option to just mail memory card home?
If one can download to a cd rom.. where does one do this? only pro camera stores? any pharmacy?
thanks,
David
You shouuld be able to hook your camera up to your PC via USB cable. Once you plug it in the camera will be recognized as a drive or storage device in 'My Computer', you can access and move the pictures to CD or the PC hard drive just like normal.
Wal-Mart will transfer the images to CD as will and brand name camera store (Wolf, Rich, ect...) and so will most Walgreens and CVS pharmacies.
David, the number of pictures on a card depends on the size of the card, and the resolution of your camera. Simple math: divide the card capacity by the camera resolution. For example, a 512 mb card will hold about 100 pictures for a 5 mb resolution camera.
Survivor Dave
03-21-2006, 16:25
I haven't owned a camera since my Minolta SRT-101 25 years ago. Will someone tell me about a digital 4 and above megapixel for under $150. And I would appreciate info on how many very good quality pics I can take. Memory cards etc. Can I stop off in town and transfer them to a disc at a photo shop or drug store. Can I e-mail them to folks back home?
I need the basic lowdown on everything. If you have the time please e-mail me with the info.
Help! Help! Help!
email me at
[email protected] please.
Thanks,
Big Maguro
I haven't owned a camera since my Minolta SRT-101 25 years ago. Will someone tell me about a digital 4 and above megapixel for under $150. And I would appreciate info on how many very good quality pics I can take. Memory cards etc. Can I stop off in town and transfer them to a disc at a photo shop or drug store. Can I e-mail them to folks back home?
I need the basic lowdown on everything. If you have the time please e-mail me with the info.
Help! Help! Help!
email me at
[email protected] please.
Thanks,
Big Maguro
All good questions. If you are just getting involved with digital, my advice is to seek out a knowledgeable person at a camera store or office supply store (Staples, Office Max), or electonics store (Best Buy, etc.) and ask your questions there. A good salesperson can help you make decisions. Take your time and ask around.
Hana_Hanger
03-22-2006, 06:30
My husband is also strictly a Nikon man...but got me a wonderful Pentex.
What I love about this one is it can take 2 different kinds of batteries...depending on what you have available to you at the moment.
AA Batteries...(I use on the trail) Lithium battery CR_V3 compatible.
It has so many options and gadjets I rarely use them all.
Its the Pentax Optio S60
2.5-inch LCD...alumium body and sliding lens
6.0 megapixels and 3x optical zoom
Now I was NOT a digital person at all...fought with him for years over this...and the camera clubs we are in...(photo contests)
but.....LOVE this new camera and now I love digital as well.
Costco had this camera on sale under $199