Camera Question

[UCONNMike]

I will be hiking the CT, MA, and VT sections of the Appalachian trail, and i dont own a camera, and i am looking to purchase one to capture the memories of the hike (aw, so cute) but i dont know what kind to get...digital? film? any suggestions on cameras that have performed well on thru-hikes?

[Pooja Blue]

I've been using a Casio EXILIM4 megapixel digital camera w/ optical zoom for my thruhike. It only weighs <5 ounces and has performed beautifully.

[The Eleven]

Throw aways. Light, good pix's. Can pick up more in town crossings. CT/MASS/VT have several towns that the AT goes right thru and past stores. (ei: North Adams, Cheshire, Kent, etc) Have Fun. Little Bear 2 CT

[Goon]

Mike I am going through the same process myself. My current digital camera is way too big and heavy to take hiking.

I've been thinking about the Olympus Stylus 410.

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_product_lobbypage.asp?l=1&p=16&bc=27&product=957&DCMP=OTC-homepssty410

5.6oz minus battery. 4 Megapixels. And it is an "all weather" camera, according to their marketing info.

Maybe someone on here has some experience with the 410?

[Kerosene]

Throw aways. Light, good pix's. Can pick up more in town crossings. CT/MASS/VT have several towns that the AT goes right thru and past stores. (ei: North Adams, Cheshire, Kent, etc) Have Fun. Little Bear 2 CTI second the disposables, either the Kodak Max or the FujiFilm 39 exposure models. Get the 800 ASA film, which makes a real difference in lower light. Disposables range in weight from 3-5 ounces.

[wags8578]

I own the Stylus 300 which seems to have almost all the same features as the 410 and its a great camera! It's been on one through Hike on the Superior Hiking Trail with me and will be on the AT with me next Year! Also, Olympus says "all weather" what they mean is "a little weather".

[Tripod]

All depends on your expectations. Generally the disposables have lower quality images than either non-disposable or digital cameras. If "ok" images are acceptable, and low initial cost is important then the disposable route is the way to go. Also enlargements are not very practical with these inexpensive cameras.

But if you want better quality images, or more features then I would recommend spending a little more up front. By doing this you get a much better quality lens and focus system. Very good quality 35mm point-and-shoot film cameras can be purchased for less than $100. You get good quality lens and focus system and sometime can find one that allows for zoom. Other advantages include a better flash and more features like a self timer so you can get in the shot also!

Digital cameras are more expensive but have some nice advantages. If you get a digital, be sure to get one with a LCD for reviewing the shots you just took. Even though you save film cost by using a digital, you do have other expenses like memory cards and don't forget the computer equipment and software to make the most of those digital images. You'll also need a couple of extra recharagable batterys.

I believe that the ability to post-process digital images is one of the best reasons to go that route. You can take an average shot and correct brightness, contrast, color balance and even sharpen the image very easily making it a great shot. You can also crop, saturate the colors and resize for the best effect.

You can scan a printed image and do some of the same things, but in my opinion much of the original information is lost in the print/scan process. It's much better to start with digital when editing.

Which digital to buy? I would stay with a name brand like Canon, Nikon, Olympus or Fuji. I don't care much for Kodak but that's my personal preference. Get at least a 3 megapixel model. You can make excellent 8x10s with a 2 MPx camera but the small difference in cost makes the 3 Mpx cams a better deal. Anything over 5 Mpx is probably a waste of money in a point and shoot digital camera. Also consider whether you need a weather resistant camera. It would be nice to take shots in a light shower and not have to worry about damaging the camera with a single misplaced drop of water!

The high end in digital is similar to the high end in film. Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras take the best shots and allow for changing lenses. I use Canon D60 cameras with an assortment of lenses but for most people this would be way too heavy for trail use. I also carry a tripod (hence the name) a lot of the time.

The bottom line is that, in my opinion, if your into computers, go digital. If you're not, get a good 35mm film camera at Wally World and save some money. If you are concerned about losing or damaging a high dollar camera while on the trail, use the disposable cams but be ready for lower quality images.

Just my .02 worth.

[Peaks]

I will be hiking the CT, MA, and VT sections of the Appalachian trail, and i dont own a camera, and i am looking to purchase one to capture the memories of the hike (aw, so cute) but i dont know what kind to get...digital? film? any suggestions on cameras that have performed well on thru-hikes?

I think you should first decide on what you want to do with your photographs. If you just want snapshots to remember your trip by, then a disposable will be fine. If you want to share your photos with others on the web, then you will want a digital. If you want a better quality than a disposable, then look towards a 35 mm camera. Slides? then you need a 35 mm. Also, how heavy a camera do you want?

Like all gear, you see a variety of different types of cameras being used. It's a question of finding out what works best for you. And that starts by making some decisions on what you plan to do with the photographs later on.

[rocket04]

I used a Canon Powershot A70 digital camera for my thru-hike, by no means the lightest. The advantage of the digital is that you can avoid paying for developing film and can quickly make them available to others all over the world. And if you get a good memory card (I had a 256MB one), you can take LOTS of pictures at high resolutions without having to worry about running out. This comes in handy when you hit the Franconia Range in the Whites on a perfect day!

[Mr. Clean]

I would seriously make sure you get a camera with a timer. Quite often you want that shot of yourself next to a sign or something and there is no one anywhere around. Also, I enjoy having zoom capability for things that I can't get close to. I have a Nikon 4300 cool pix which is expensive and heavy, so I won't recommend it to you, but I do love the camera and what it can do.
I feel like a traitor by giving up my Minolta SLR, a 25 yr old camera, but it is simply to heavy and bulky for most trips, esp. with the larger lense that I usually use for zoom shots. I never thought I'd go digital, but it's happened, and I don't see going back. I sure do miss my Minolta though, banging against my arm, or swinging back and forth across my chest. Really, though, it took great shots, was always ready to go - no waiting for the camera to come on, and pic quality rocked! Maybe I'll have to take it tommorrow into the Whites...

[Footslogger]

Depends a lot on what you want to do with your pics after the trail. If all you want are paper pics to mount in an album then the disposables might be the way to go.

I agonized over the same issues before my thru last year and finally went with a small digital. I've never regretted that decision. Bought 5 or 6 of the 32 Mbyte media cards and recycled them back and forth home, where my wife would download the pics, erase the cards and then send them back to me. Never had a problem. Went with the smaller capacity so that if there was a problem I wouldn't lose my entire set of pics. I now have my entire set of AT shots on my hard drive and on a CD. I've taken the CD to WalMart and made prints of some shots to send out. Ultimately I plan to create a DVD of my thru-hike with voice and music so that it is more than just a series of pictures.

Nowadays, with the price of digitals coming down, it's hard to go wrong with the digital approach. As far as resolution goes ...I wouldn't chase the "megapixals" too much unless you plan to enlarge your shots a great deal. All my pics were shot at 2 mpixels and the 4 x 6 prints I have made are all very good quality. In terms of sending pics out as e-mail attachments, anything over 2 mpixels is pretty much being lost in the resolution of the display monitors.

Anyhew ...that's my experience.

'Slogger
AT 2003

[Goon]

I did wind up buying the Olympus Stylus 410 and recently took it on a 3 day, 45 mile hike.

It met my expectations... fit in my pocket for easy access, took good pictures and weighed a heck of a lot less than my regular camera. It did rain my first day out so I can also attest that the "all weather" body seemed to do it's job.

Only thing I didn't like is that it uses the xD memory card which isn't common and therefore isn't cheap if you want to buy extra space.