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kuan
Sport climber
CA
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Topic Author's Original Post - May 14, 2007 - 01:09pm PT
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Any recommendations on a compact digital camera?
I have a digital SLR, but find that more often than not, I leave it behind on climbing trips. Not only is it quite big and heavy, I'm such a klutz that I'm terrified I'll drop and break it!
I'm looking for something that is fairly compact with really good picture quality. Rugged would be nice too, but it doesn't have to be one of those waterproof, droppable cameras. (I hear the image quality isn't so great on those)
Thanks!!!!
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 14, 2007 - 01:19pm PT
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Canon SD 800.
Light, small, wide angle lens, image stabilized
Peace
karl
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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May 14, 2007 - 01:20pm PT
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Canon SD800 is pretty hard to beat at the moment.
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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May 14, 2007 - 01:27pm PT
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Further concurrence - I got a Canon SD800 IS...it works quite well. Very tough too.
Still drooling over the D-LUX3 however...
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kuan
Sport climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2007 - 01:37pm PT
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The D-Lux 3 looks nice, but at it's price, all I could afford to do is fondle it!
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nutjob
Trad climber
San Jose, CA
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May 14, 2007 - 01:44pm PT
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Perfect timing! I need to pick up a camera to add some eye candy to the epic adventure TRs I'll churn out this season.
LOOK OUT BURT I'M COMING FOR *YOU*.
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Knob Central
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May 14, 2007 - 01:57pm PT
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Kuan, the Panasonic LX2 is the same camera as the Leica. The two advantages the LX2 has over the Canon SD800 is that it will shoot RAW with aperture or shutter priority, and that it is a widescreen (16:9) device. The advantage of the SD800 is that it is smaller without a protruding lens. The LX2 is much closer to the image quality of your SLR than the SD800, but the RAW files are 20Meg each so you need 2Gig cards to hold very many photos. I own and shoot an LX2 so let me know if you need any more info.
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Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
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May 14, 2007 - 02:07pm PT
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As Karl says make sure you have an optical viewfinder
Just bought a Canon Powershot SD900
10 mp,3x optical zoom,Viewfinder and stability control
$349 at Bestbuy
2gb card $30
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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May 14, 2007 - 02:07pm PT
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I've got one of these and am generaly happy with it. I was unable to destroy the previous Fuji also. It uses their prosumer high dynamic range sensor. The follow on version (E990?)has higher pixel count, image stabilization and more positive stops on the switch positions.
It has an optical vewfinder, uses two AA bateries, will shoot RAW and has all the controls of a much more complex camera. You should be able to find one under $300
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Fujifilm/fuji_finepixe550z.asp
This one shows what the HDR sensor is capable of on a scene with a huge exposure range. Some shake blurr though
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Carolyn C
Trad climber
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May 14, 2007 - 02:21pm PT
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Has anyone who owns a Canon had the "e18" error with the lens extension/retraction? If so, were you able to fix it? Sounds like it is a big problem if you get the error, but I'm not sure.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 14, 2007 - 02:24pm PT
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"The LX2 is much closer to the image quality of your SLR than the SD800,"
DIsagree, the sensor is noisy and you can't remove the noise without losing sharpness, Raw won't help you much with that.
Another plus of the sd800 is face recognition technology so your person gets in focus even with complicated backgrounds
Peace
karl
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bachar
Trad climber
Mammoth Lakes, CA
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May 14, 2007 - 02:39pm PT
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Karl and Indianclimber are right - Must have an optical viewfinder (not LCD only). When it's bright out on the rocks, you'll need it!
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rmuir
Social climber
the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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May 14, 2007 - 02:50pm PT
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I, too, am very pleased with the Canon SD800. With its use of the newer DIGIC III image processor, performance is very good and loaded with features. It's very compact and has a view finder. ...very quick to turn on.
There are many positive reviews. There's one at www.dcresource.com.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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May 14, 2007 - 02:51pm PT
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Also another reason for an optical viewfinder. When you get old your arms aren't long enough to get your eyes focused on that then too little screen.
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cjain
Mountain climber
Lake Forest, CA
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May 14, 2007 - 02:57pm PT
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One big downside of the Canon SD-800 is that it uses a proprietary rechargeable battery. For traveling and for longer trips, it is nice to have a camera that takes AA batteries. If you carry a few spare AA batteries and not ever worry about the batteries running down.
Because of that, I just got a Canon A710. It is not as small as the SD-800, but still small enough to carry in a pocket or clip to my pack strap or a harness. It has image stabilization with a 6x zoom. Like the SD-800, it also has an optical viewfinder. I find an optical viewfinder very helpful for taking pictures outside. The biggest downside is that it isn't as wide angle as the SD-800.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a710-review/index.shtml
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Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
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May 14, 2007 - 02:57pm PT
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The other thing to consider is batteries, if your traveling
overseas or dirtbagging you wont have 110v to charge the
camera so you could consider a camera with AA batteries,however
they do tend to eat through those batteries really quickly
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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May 14, 2007 - 03:06pm PT
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I use a LowePro Rezo 10 camera pouch and a retractable key fob deal from a locksmith shop. I climb with a Metolius Big Wall sling and the LowePro goes on the left shoulder strap and the key fob dealy clips right below it. With this rig the camera is always available, not in the way, and I can throw or drop the camera anytime I need to and not lose it.
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Staples10
climber
Jeffrey City, WY
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May 14, 2007 - 03:25pm PT
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The SD800IS worked well on several recent climbing trips, incl. one to AK. I took two batteries and never ran out of juice. The picture quality was great.
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darshahlu
Trad climber
Irvine, CA
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May 14, 2007 - 04:48pm PT
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DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM!
The Panasonic DMC-FZ8.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 14, 2007 - 05:04pm PT
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"One big downside of the Canon SD-800 is that it uses a proprietary rechargeable battery."
not really an issue. I bought two generic batteries for it that came with a cable for less than $15 on ebay and the batteries last a long time on a charge. I had the Canon a610 before and the battery weight and bulk really add up
Peace
karl
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G_Gnome
Trad climber
Knob Central
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May 14, 2007 - 05:34pm PT
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I agree with Karl on batteries. The new lithium batteries last a long time and weigh nothing. They are cheap if you buy generics from someplace like batteries.com. The only reason to own a camera with AA or AAA batteries is if you are going to spend a LOT of time overseas.
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Brian in SLC
Social climber
Salt Lake City, UT
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May 14, 2007 - 06:03pm PT
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Has anyone who owns a Canon had the "e18" error with the lens extension/retraction? If so, were you able to fix it?
I get the error quite often. But, my Canon is beat to heck. Half the screws fell out, the case is hammered, and the camera is showing a ton of wear and tear. Mostly my abuse.
Apparently its an error message that has to do with the lens deployment. My lens hangs up from time to time, and, I sorta just force the darn thing back into the camera by sometimes not so gently pushing on it and try to close the cover over it, and it seems to reset. Maybe after I bang it in my hand a few times too.
Yeah, I need a new camera...
There's even a wiki on the e18 error...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E18_error
My battery life has been terrible with my Canon S50. And in cold weather, forget it. I'm hoping the newer models will be better. Bummer though, I have a number of those compact flash cards that will be useless when I upgrade cameras...
Agree a view finder seems mandatory for climbing outside.
Thanks for the info, folks.
-Brian in SLC
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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May 14, 2007 - 06:20pm PT
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The batteries I bought were rechargable generics. Do a nextag or ebay search.
The Charger that comes with the camera should work overseas just fine with an adapter. Two batteries lasted 800 pictures on my Kalalau hike.
Wide Angle is nice
Peace
Karl
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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May 14, 2007 - 07:13pm PT
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I agree with many that the Canon SD 800 is a great choice.
I usually have it tied on to me when climbing, plus I keep it in a Lowe case when it is not being used.
Right now I am about to buy it's waterproof case for scuba diving...
It really is being used as my adventure camera.
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kuan
Sport climber
CA
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Topic Author's Reply - May 14, 2007 - 07:29pm PT
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So many climbers can't be wrong - I think I'm going with the SD800. Thanks guys! Can't wait to share TR's and pictures!
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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May 14, 2007 - 10:15pm PT
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right now I'm using this Dry Pak for my little
Canon SD200 -
works great overall - maybe a minor mod on the carry set up
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Indianclimber
climber
Las Vegas
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May 14, 2007 - 10:18pm PT
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Edit
Just got home and the camera I have is the Canon SD800is
We have been very happy with it
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Raydog
Trad climber
Boulder Colorado
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May 14, 2007 - 10:19pm PT
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Dry Pak in action
I think it needs something to be able to attach/detach it at the left side - also wicked flash on the little Canon as well -Fourth of July Road, about 4:30 am
edit: FYI went Canon w/ my printers (2) scanner and camera - all flawless all seem to produce great quality - had an old HP printer and scanner: never again.
also, here's the DryPak site:
http://www.drypakcase.com/index.php
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rwedgee
Ice climber
canyon country,CA
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May 15, 2007 - 01:25am PT
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Remember to try the camera with gloves on.....if you plan to ice climb. Some compacts are too compact to operate w/o taking off the gloves.
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dirtbagger
Ice climber
Australia
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May 15, 2007 - 05:39am PT
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has anybody used/tried the Olympus Stylus 720 SW?
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1225
seems pretty cool, apart from the lense & no viewfinder :-(
Currently have the Ricoh 400G Calipo! Has a 28mm wide angle lense, but otherwise is pretty crap! Apart from that it is waterproof! Also way too heavy and bulky! But have climbed both rock & ice with it.
I guess the Canon SD 800 seems pretty popular? Whats it like with moisture build up? eg steaming up etc? I guess the waterproof bag would solve some of it.
cheers
dirtbagger
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Gary Carpenter
climber
SF Bay Area
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May 19, 2007 - 07:13pm PT
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I've been looking at the SD800is since January but was reluctant to part with the $$ until Isaw this thread. Ya'll convinced me. Now I need some advice on the best way to carry it on a climb. Suggestions? I want to be sure I get some good pics of Hartouni in a nasty OW.
Gary
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Anastasia
Trad climber
California
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May 19, 2007 - 08:03pm PT
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I keep the camera directly tied into me through the lanyard when I climb.
Plus I have a Lowe case which is the best camera case ever built for hard use.
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BadInfluence
Mountain climber
Dak side
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May 19, 2007 - 09:30pm PT
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ricoh gx
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scooter
climber
B loop site 15
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May 20, 2007 - 08:40pm PT
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Bachar is right on Lieca Dlux, 10.2 mega pixels all with the little red dot. I have been shooting only Lieca for the last 5 years. It is almost like cheating.
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Joe
Social climber
Santa Cruz
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Mar 13, 2012 - 01:26pm PT
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alright, need to bump this...
any new recommendations since mine is probably swimming at the base of Parkline slab right now?
point and shoot for the techno challenged
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Mar 13, 2012 - 01:33pm PT
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Can't go wrong with either the SD 800 or SD 900. I have replaced the little wrist lanyard with one that long enough to go around my neck. I carry the camera inside my shirt when I climb so it's always available.
Two batteries were more than enough for my 7 days in the Alaskan bush last summer. And that included about 20 minutes of video.
Mal
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 13, 2012 - 01:39pm PT
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The new Sony and Nikon models with interchangeable lenses are awesome if a
tad pricey. There's a new Fuji with a large sensor and very good glass too
but it is around a G note. You pretty much get what you pay for.
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MH2
climber
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Mar 13, 2012 - 03:06pm PT
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mine is probably swimming at the base of Parkline slab right now?
My camera experience in the direction you describe is painful and conceivably helpful.
My first digital was an Olympus C-700. I dropped it down the Bugaboo-Snowpatch col. About a 200 foot ride into a snow backstop. The lens popped out but the glass and plastic pieces were retrieved and everything still worked.
Then I got a digital SLR, the Canon Rebel, and a x10 zoom lens for it. I find the weight okay to climb with, but wouldn't want anything bigger. I use a Lowe Pro case and tie the camera to it but one day the shoulder strap clasp opened somehow and everything plummeted about 50 feet. Camera came out of the unzipped case and camera and lens parted, but the only casualty was a polarizing filter.
I also had 2 of the Canon elph series for stereo, for climbs where weight was more important, and for close-up shots, and, rarely, video. Those cameras worked hard for years until I loaned one to my daughter and lost the other.
I got another Canon elph. This one has HD video but no other improvement. I dropped this camera about 8 feet into a stream where it got about 1/3 submerged. I got it out fast but found water in the battery/memory card bay. After some drying and recharging the battery the camera showed signs of life, or near-death. The coma patient was revived by spending time over a hot-air vent and works ok, now.
Just before the elph was dropped
Camera took this picture by itself from the stream or on the way down
Water inside the lens? Evidence of an afterlife for cameras? On Jupiter?
First image after revival
Back on the job
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seth kovar
climber
Reno, NV
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Mar 13, 2012 - 03:14pm PT
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iPhone 4s
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Mar 13, 2012 - 04:44pm PT
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I got a Canon Sx230is for christmas. Pretty happy with it so far. Fairly decent pics, good zoom, Hi-def video, and very compact. Batteries are proprietary Li-ion, but they are not too expensive and last quite a while.
This is the third Canon point and shoot I've had in 20 years, and I've been happy with all of them.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jul 23, 2014 - 07:18am PT
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I don't see anything wrong with that camera, HDDJ.
Canon makes good stuff.
Heavy zoom at 30x. Manual controls.
It'll have a lens cap. so it may be a little slower into action than one without one.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jul 23, 2014 - 07:37am PT
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I have the Canon SX260 that I picked up on amazon used for $120. Love it. 20x zoom and very decent wide angle with lots of manual control. That 510 seemed pretty good too. But a bit bulkier. (don't get the newer sx280 it has battery issues.)
Rugged or zoom? Tough call. Probably depends how much zoom you tend to use. For me it is critical in a POS since my phone takes fairly decent pics.
One thing I find annoying on POS is very limited upper apertures. f8 is about max. Since most of my photos are outdoors I would prefer the depth of field and higher apertures. Oh well they are not SLRs I guess.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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Jul 23, 2014 - 07:42am PT
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That Panasonic is the type I use for KAP ( kite aerial photography ). Except mine are Pentax's. Tough cameras. You don't really have to be too careful with one of those.
The lens doesn't extend from the camera, so there's no way it'll get knocked off its track, which is what kills digital cameras in my experience.
You'll want to invest a few bucks in a case or pouch, because that lens doesn't have any built-in cover and it'll get scratched in a hurry riding in your pocket.
A few minutes after I got this shot, the kite crash-landed in the water between the bridge and the dredge on the other side, taking my Pentax Optio W80 with it. I dragged the camera through 100 yards of sea water, and it was still taking pictures! I wiped it dry with my shirt, and I'm still using it today.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
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Jul 23, 2014 - 09:57am PT
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Thanks guys. Any other input is recommended. I have a birthday coming up and I'm hoping to cash in.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 23, 2014 - 10:05am PT
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It's a cornfusing world out there and it changes almost weekly. Without
knowing yer budget I will just say that:
a. you generally get what you pay for
b. don't get fooled by high zoom ratios - an optical zoom beyond 8:1 is
gonna deteriorate rapidly. The digital zoom feature is generally not
worth using unless yer spying on some dude's wife and her boyfriend.
c. SENSOR SIZE IS EVERYTHING! But it costs, a lot.
d. don't buy a pink camera
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jul 23, 2014 - 11:50am PT
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I'm not so sure about that anymore on the zoom quality Reilly. This SX260 does surprisingly well at 20x. It is not SLR with high end glass.. but it really is quite good.
Used it's by far the best deal out there easily equalling many $350 higher end POS.. which it was just a year or so ago.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:01pm PT
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Samsung Galaxy S5 cell phone...
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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:04pm PT
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Yeah, I've got an SX230 that I'm very happy with.
The other alternative would be to go with one of the small mirrorless options like a Sony A6000, which give you high-quality, lens options, and a small package than a DSLR.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:05pm PT
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I have to say no on the cellphones. The best cell cameras are still no match for higher end Point and shoots. They are as good as lower end to maybe mid level ones.
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TGT
Social climber
So Cal
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Jul 23, 2014 - 12:44pm PT
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It's a cornfusing world out there and it changes almost weekly
On the 4th camera since this thread started.
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