What brand/size digital camera? other tips for trips?

[mtrot]

I have a Minoltal digital camera, but it is big and eats batteries pretty quick. It has a 7x zoom, which I do like. But it requires a good sized bag to carry it and the charger, etc.

What cameras are you guys carrying with you on trips? How much accessory equipment do you take with you?

Any other tips?

Thanks much.

[dond]

A85 Canon. Fits in a 3 X 5" bag w/room for batts. have a Kodak charger that's 3 X 5 X 1". The Canon is very easy on batts. It takes 4 X AA's. I also have a full size Vanguard tripod that fits into a 3 X16" bag.

Here's a low res pic from this morning on the way to work.

[BentAero]

If your camera uses AA batteries, get yourself a Nimh battery kit from Target, Walmart etc. Nimh (Nickel Metal Hydride) batteries have an amazing amount of stamina before needing recharging. I can get 200-250 photos from my digital before a recharge is needed. With common Alkalines I was getting about 40 shots! A four pack with charger is about $20.

[pmatulew]

Fuji A330 3.2Mp 128MB memory card (170 PICS? )

Quality of the pics is fine for general use. Small size. Can be used one handed by the passenger while underway. Has a sliding lens cover. Uses 2 AA batteries. We keep it in a small point and shoot case and carry a couple spare sets of NiCads in the zipper pocket.

Plenty of cam for a weekend trip. We could get additional memory cards if we thought we were going to need it. Last long trip we just stopped along the way in the photo department of the local X-mart and dowloaded the card to a CD.

If we know we're going to be doing some serious picture taking I have a full size 35mm SLR with all the trappings. Some day when the prices comes down I'll have to get a digital SLR body that will fit my lenses.

[georgeorge]

Yeah I agree.....This is what I've heard about batteries for a digital camera.

A digital camera uses a good chunk of power with each picture and so Nickel Metal Hydride batteries are the way to go. They tend to "bounce back" from low levels, enough to keep the camera going. Alkaline batteries don't "bounce back" as much and therefore once the power level in them gets moderately low, they won't "bounce back" enough to make the camera operable. You get many more pictures from a set of charged Nickel Metal Hydride than a set of new alkalines. DON'T make a mistake and buy rechargable Nickel Cadmium. You'ld be wasting your money. Buy Nickel Metal Hydride. And the higher the number the better. Mine are 2200mah but have use even 1800mah and gotten good life.

Brian

[STArnie13]

There are a lot of small digital cameras out there that will fit in a pocket. I just got a Fuji A340 4Mp for $150 at Best Buy. They are closing them out so they may be hard to find. I have only had it a couple of days so I can't say how long the batteries last. It uses the AA batteries so I already have the rechargeables batteries that seem to last a good long time in my larger digital camera. It should be a good point and shoot-at least for me. The 128 Mb memory card should be plenty for most trips unless you really take a lot of pictures. Try to find a camera that has an optical viewfinder and that you can turn off the LCD viewer and batteries should be able to last a good long time. :03biker:

[crazykz]

I believe I have the Canon A85 also. Easy to grip and easy to store.

Curt

[mtrot]

Thanks for the replies.

I already have some Nickel Metal Hydride batteries and charger; my Minolta Dimage won't operate on alkalines AT ALL. Even with the NMH batteries it eats them up.

How important do you find the amount of optical zoom on the lens? I always have liked to have as much zoom as possible, but that is what tends to make a camera bigger. A lot of the above units have 3x or 4x optical zooms.

[Killtimer]

I'm using this Canon (http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/canon-powershot-s30-reviews.html). It will just fit in a pocket. A site such as this is a good place to start shopping.

A couple of points. Make sure the camera you're looking at has a glass lens. A lot of the smaller/cheaper units use plastic and it's not near as good. There are two types of zoom. Optical, which is an actual manipulation of the lens internals is good. Digital, which just enlarges and then crops the existing image is mediocre. This is the way manufactures are able to get a 10x zoom factor in such a small package, they combine the two. I only use the digital zoom feature if I just can't get any closer. You can see the difference in quality. For travelogue/web/visual scrapbook sort of work, 4 mega-pix is plenty. HTH

Steve (still waiting for view camera quality in a digital :eek: )

[mtrot]

Thanks, Steve.

Yes, I am not much of a fan of digital zoom. That is why I am wondering if 3x or 4x optical is gong to be fine, or am I going to be sorry I didn't get longer lens.

[Jeff F]

Kodak Easyshare CX7530, 5.0mega pix. I didn't choose it - it picked me! I kept seeing them on sale and they seemed to get cheaper every week. I think this is still happening around here. Last week I got another $30 credited to my account due to the latest sale price.

I like it so far. Lotsa options and fairly small.

[Jeff F]

Oh ya, that shot above was taken the other day on a road trip.

QUIZ: What skyline is that?

HINT: I tried to get some palm trees in the pic but my zoom wasn't that powerful. ;)

[Louie Louie]

Kodak 7530!

[georgeorge]

I just did my homework for the quiz....

ANSWER: Detroit

Brian

[SteveST1300]

I use a Nikon coolpix 990 I use 4 AA batteries that will last for a couple of days. I also use the NIMH rechargables. Mine is a 3.2 Mega Pixel getting old now its 3 years old. But it takes very good pictures and is not very big or heavy.

[EdsST]

I have a Sony F828 - you definately something big to carry it in - one reason I needed a top box

[Jeff F]

Detroit is the correct answer!

The shot was taken from Canada, in Windsor Ontario, Wednesday afternoon (3/30). If you look closely there's even a little bit of ice still visible floating down the Detroit River.

GeorgeGeorge, as the esteemed winner of this impromptu quiz you win a Cdn beverage of your choice. Now we just need to be in the same place at the same time so you can collect :) It'll happen - sooner than later I hope

Cheers!

[georgeorge]

What gave it away was the GM at the top of that tall building. I just did a search for "GM Building" and viola......a picture of the same building. In Detroit.

Brian :03biker:

[Gug]

I use a Canon A95 with a 6" pelican case. It holds the camera, manual, charger, extra batteries and flash cards. The post above notes rechargeables, it is right, get at least 2200 mah. I get better than 300 pictures on one charge.

I also have the underwater housing for it that serves well in inclement weather and diving. Here is a good DC resource link as well.

http://dcresource.com/

[Jeff F]

Good job Brian. My Hint about the palm trees was pretty lame, considering I was actually facing north at the time, I realize now. :rolleyes: (Detroit is north of Windsor, Canada). My location, and noting that it was a daytrip were better clues.

[John Anthony]

I pack a Canon EOS 10D. Here's a link: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=8772

Be sure to get the link in one piece. These aren't cheap cameras ($1,250 or so), but the batteries are good for a lot of shots, recharge quickly, having an SLR is awesome and if you've got other Canon lenses, you get an extra bonus.

Note: there's some periods in the link that you have to delete. Can't edit them due to smaller size of the text box.

[The Highwayman]

I would recommend the Canon A85 as well. Great features and pictures, reasonable price, and good ergos.

[GordyC]

There's something to be said about having a camera that's small and accessable\wearable.

I usually pack my Pentax OptioS (or my new OptioSV - 5x zoom!) on a neck strap. That way I can take pix on the fly:

http://ImageEvent.com/gordyc/tolakecharlesla

With memory prices going down I added a 1gig memory card giving me enough room to take higher resolution pictures. The idea being that you can always crop and reduce the size of a picture...

- Gordon

[ST13-JHW]

Canon S2 IS -- 12x optical zoom! Lots of nice features.

It's a little bigger than the pocket size cameras, but much smaller than an SLR.

Jim

[Mark]

+1 on the S2IS. Love the internal stabilization, let's me shoot from the bike and still have good pix....:D

Go with the Canon S3 IS if you can, it came out about 7 weeks ago...
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11112004&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1

Mark

[mshihrer]

Go with the Canon S3 IS if you can, it came out about 7 weeks ago...
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11112004&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1

Mark

even better
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11105238&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1
8mp, true SLR
nice price
I have the Olympus C-8080 8mp, wish I waited a bit longer for this one.

[Mark]

I heard there are dust problems with full slr digitals... I'll wait a bit longer...

Mark

[Bones]

Olympus Stylus 720SW
small, thin
submersible to 10 feet
7.1 megapixel
3x optical zoom plus digital zoom
takes video with sound

Love this camera.

[Mark]

Olympus Stylus 720SW
small, thin
submersible to 10 feet
7.1 megapixel
3x optical zoom plus digital zoom
takes video with sound

Love this camera.

That was one of my choices... but, I was replacing 10x optical zoom so I went with the 12x optical...

Glad I was looking at the right small one...

Mark

[Killtimer]

Go with the Canon S3 IS if you can, it came out about 7 weeks ago...
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11112004&whse=&topnav=&browse=&s=1
Mark

Yup. That's the one I got. I still carry my old Cannon S30 on the bike most days though.

[trickSTer]

Just picked up my sony DSC-H5 last week...in silver(even though blue is faster). Best super zoom/prosumer camera on the market as of right now. Just edged out the canon s3 IS in most online reviews. Absolutely remarkable results. 7.1 mega pix, 12x optical, awesome image stabilizer, full manual control with a host of other features. Have done some amazing macro shots already that the local photo pro (small town) asked if he could have a pic to blow up and hang in his store. Night exposures have been awesome as well. Panasonic fz-30 is a good one as well, but useless above 200 iso (400 for sure) due to huge noise levels. I have used mine as high as 1000 iso and got some decent pics, but of course noise is present. Got a 2 gig card (sony high speed), and 6 ni-MH. My cam uses just 2 batteries at a time and gets 300-350 shots per set. I also LOVE the 230,000 pixel 3" LCD. It is a real good bang for your buck.

[Flymhi]

I carry the Canon EOS Rebel w/ a 4Gb CF card for longer trips and a Sony DSC-N1 that fits in my pocket for quick trips/pics. They both take excellent pics @ 8M pixels. The Sony has a huge touch screen with no optical viewfinder. My parents love it due to the big display. :D

[Trekker]

I just upgraded from a Nikon Coolpix 3100 pocket sized to a Kodak PC880. It's large like a SLR but the lens is fixed. 8 Megapixel with a 1Gb SD card and rechargable battery. Takes fantastic pics and the battery lasts for at least 300 shots. It's larger than most would care to carry on a bike, but it's worth it to me to have quality optics and a camera that can get the job done. Like a good audio system needs good speakers... a good camera needs good optics. Ya get what ya pay for.

[STill Fiddlin]

I like the slightly larger Canon A series that takes 4 AA cells. I've got an old A40 (only 2MP) , but the A85 mentioned is good. Easier to handle than some of the tiny ones, and still fits in the side pocket or tank bag easily. Not a shirt-pocket model, though. I've noticed that the latest Canon A series only take 2 AA batteries. I don't know if that's going to hurt battery life, or if they've just got them to work more efficiently. Sure will help weight.

Optical (motorized) zoom is what eats batteries, along with the LCD display. Minimize usage of both to extend battery life. Skip use of digital zoom, and buy more megapixels so you can crop on the computer later - it will give you better results.

Rechargeable NiMH batteries (AA) are very cost effective *if* you keep them charged and don't have kids (or a wife) around who just can't seem to grasp the concept, and keep tossing them out. The other argument for that type is that in a pinch you can always just buy some alkalines and put in if you run out of charged cells and don't have the charger or time.

A co-worker says the camera specific Lithium-ion batteries actually have the best life, but you can usually only charge them in the camera, and extra/2nd batteries are expensive. (All the cameras in our house have AAs, and I *try* to keep them stocked with rechargeables, but it seems like a losing battle.)

[Mark]

The other argument for that type is that in a pinch you can always just buy some alkalines and put in if you run out of charged cells and don't have the charger or time.



Only one small point of disagreement...
Using alkalines is not an option on cameras with lots of lens. I put in a set (4) and was able to focus twice on my last camera (9 glass lenses; 10x image stablized) and the batteries were trash.

So go with NIMHs and buy extras.

As to how to keep the home crew from throwing them out... I gave the kids their own set and charger and stocked the frig with alkalines for them.

I have my own charger and 2 sets of NIMHs which are only used for my camera (2300mah Yeah!!!)... I only had to teach Chris to change the NIMHs just before she wants to use the camera and she would never have the camera go dead while she was trying to use it...
(Good luck with that, she never threw them out on me!!!)


Mark

[Putt]

Been using a Canon G6 for a couple of years... Love it..


Putt...

[Finewest]

Oylmpus C-8080. 8 mp, ED lens... lots of zoom and wide. Takes standard filters. Small and packable. One fine digital camera, let me tell you!

[SteveST1300]

I now have a Panasonic Lumix 12X zoom. Its very light It has a battery pack and if you just use it for pictures and dont use the monitor too much you can go for 2 days on a charge. It wont fit in your pocket though.

[tccox]

Olympus Stylus 720SW
small, thin
submersible to 10 feet
7.1 megapixel
3x optical zoom plus digital zoom
takes video with sound

Love this camera.

I own the Stylus 710, also 7.1 megapixel amd pretty much same features as 720 but water resistant, not waterproof. But avaliable for as low as $269.00 vs $350+ for the 720. Both are great cameras though.

Uses Lithum Ion batteries, rechargeable outside the camera in its on seperate charger. I bought one spare battery for $29 so between the two can take 400+ pictures without having to charge

[100MPG]

I have a Sony F828 - you definately something big to carry it in - one reason I needed a top box
I have the same camera and the same bike. Are you my twin? :D

But, it is too big. I took one ride with it and although I was able to snap some pics, it is a monster of a camera and I need something smaller for the ride.

I am looking at this. Lithion batts and they have up to 2 gig cards. I could ride for a week and not need more space or an extra battery.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_DisplayProductInformation-Start?ProductSKU=DSCW70

Gonna get it at BB today, along with a 2 gig card and a little case. It is only a little bigger then the LENS CAP on my 828!

[billxp]

When I was looking awhile back I decided on the Canon SD550 (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/sd550.html)

Nice large screen, battery lasts a long long time. Plus it fits in your pocket.

I might have purchased the camera Bones has Olympus Stylus 720SW (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/stylus720.html) put it was not around at the time. It sounds perfect for taking on a bike, being water proof and shock proof.

[RichKirk]

i use a cannon D20 digital SLR when i have room and i have a small canon digtal elf canons are a little more expensive but worth every penny

[Fore Stroke]

I bought a Fuji S9000 before taking golf trip in April. Love camera; uses double A batteries, 9 mp and great 10x manual zoom (so the zoom doesn't eat batteries). Got some spectacular outdoor photos in Lake Tahoe in July.
Its lens face is 59 mm so it will take any number of filters, extenders, etc., and also has digital zoom to 20x (but like everybody else says, digizoom is basically junk.).

Paid about $600 for it and prices are now down into the $450 range. It mimics an SLR but the lens is fixed, but it is a great, great (all glass) lens. Has a boatload of manual features like an SLR, but allows you to do point, shoot and auto-everything if you wish. I also only use NiMH batteries in it.

BUT........it is not a shirt pocket type (Fuji makes an excellent 9 MP camera that fits that role); it's a bit heavy and "bulky" when the batts are loaded (has a little bit of heft to it, which is fine - I used to have a Canon FtB, so a big SLR-style camera is what feels right to me); it requires a decent size camera case (mine is about 6 x 8 x 6, with an expandable, zipped bottom - case holds camera - spare batts, spare memory card, cleaner, and USB cable for file transfer). It also has one very nice feature in terms of its tiltable LCD backscreen (can be flipped up, rotated, etc - very handy).

So while I love this camera dearly and have taken a lot of good "motion" shots with it (my wife was driving; I was Ansel Adams out the passenger window), it's a pretty 'high maintenance' piece for taking casual photos.

Good luck on your search - post your photos when you get the new cam! :)