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Captain...or Skully
Social climber
Where are YOU from?
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Nov 28, 2008 - 01:53pm PT
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I'm running a Canon A620. It's 7.1 megapixels..I like it a lot.
Knott the top o' the line or anything, but it takes good pix.
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 28, 2008 - 02:50pm PT
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Okay I am looking at a Nikon D80 DSLR 18-135 lens for €800 ($1,037 at €1:$1.29 rate) or D90 18-105 €854 ($1,107).
Or the Canon EOS 1000D for €650 ($838) or the EOS 450d for 900 ($1,161)
However these may be more than I need, but I just like SLR cameras.
There is also the Fujifilm Finepix SLRs, the S1000fd for €220 ($285), or the S9600 €400 ($516), or the S8100 for €300 ($390). But these have ‘fixed’ lenses and not bayonettes ones like the Nikons or Canons, but they are small and seem like they could be operated with one hand no problem while belaying.
For ‘point and shoot’ compacts I was thinking the Canon IXUS 860 IS for €270 ($350) of the IXUS 980 for €459 ($595), but it appears tht the G9/G10 are popular with posters to this thread, likewise the SD 550 and SD 880 (but it has no optical viewfinder).
I am sure that all of these cameras and the others mentioned on the thread are very good, but I am looking at ability, cost, and durability.
I include dollar prices along with euro because I will be back home in California from December 15-31 and perhaps I can get better prices over there. What is a good camera shop in the Bay Area (SF or East Bay preferably)?
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 29, 2008 - 10:21am PT
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bump for possible advice
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Nov 29, 2008 - 01:12pm PT
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bump for possible advice
What will you be using them for?
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Nov 29, 2008 - 03:00pm PT
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I have a Canon SD-900 that I like a lot. It is compact enough to carry on the lead, I clip it on the rack and leash it to the case. It has a metal (titanium!) shell, optical viewfinder and 10 megapixel resolution. I like the metal shell, I figured it would make it a lot more durable, but in reality it still has a big piece of glass on the back. But metal is groovey, what can I say! 3X zoom, roughly 35mm at the wide. It has the electronic zoom to go 10X or something, but I never use it. I figure the quality of those shots are no good, especially handheld.
The screen is 2.5 inches across and is so bright that I hardly ever have to use the optical finder. It's certainly not an SLR but I carry it all the time, which is not something I could say about my SLR's. It also can accept memory cards of greater than 2 gig capacity. I only have a 2 gig card, but even at top resolution thats still 500 pictures or so.
It was pricey, I think with the card I spent close to $500, but I have been quite pleased. Mine is 1 1/2 years old, no problems so far. The picture quality is very good!
(handheld, last spring, size and quality reduced for posting)
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Nov 29, 2008 - 05:46pm PT
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poop tube, the more I shoot a telephoto, the more I like wide angle. Especially for climbing. I just find the shots way more interesting and personal. Given, my camera choice would be the Canon Powershot SD 870. Canon does a beautiful job with their P&S cameras and there's little reason to shop other brands unless you need waterproof. Then Olympus is your ticket.
Chiloe, I think that the general consensus on DSLRs is that the Nikons have a much better user interface. Key items are located in buttons, some customizable, and you can keep frequently used menu items in a custom menu at the top level. Canon's have great color and sharpness but have crappy LCDs and a maze-like menu hierarchy. Of course, pro-photographers use both and great photos come out of either brand.
As my daddy used to tell me, "It ain't the arrow, it's the injun".
Patrick, don't get the D80. The camera was a dud, lost in the no-man's land between the D70 and the D200. Save a few bucks or whatever and get the new D90. The reviews rave about it. Or save even more and get the D700. That's going to be my next DSLR.
Everyone post up when you get pics.
Mal
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nick d
Trad climber
nm
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Nov 29, 2008 - 06:13pm PT
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Mal, concur on the wide-angle thing. The lenses I use most on my SLR are the 24 and 17, in that order.
The 35 on my pocket camera is like shooting telephoto compared to those.
I shoot it on full wide almost all the time. Shooting with the zoom requires more stability than you can usually provide hand held.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Nov 29, 2008 - 06:19pm PT
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Everyone post up when you get pics.
I took a few snapshots with the new SD 880 on Thanksgiving (others posted on the seacliff thread).
Still looking for an SLR, but a pocket PAS is must-have.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Nov 29, 2008 - 06:20pm PT
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I have a Sony cyber-shot DSC-W50. 6.0 megapixel. Pretty basic by the standards of real photographers, but does the job fine for me.
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MH2
climber
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Nov 29, 2008 - 09:33pm PT
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It's great when any knowledgable photographer is chiming in. I operate strictly on a brute force basis, into the 3rd set of 10,000 images on the Canon Rebel bought just last year. I thought the file numbers would just keep incrementing but they go to 9999 and then start over. There is at least one other choice for numbering but I forget what it is.
Anyway, I agree that the most interesting pictures are of people taken close up, of course with some background for context if possible. The best choice of climbing camera for almost all situations is a cigarette pack sized point and shoot. However, the lens which is Jack of many focal lengths and master of none still has a place in my heart. I don't plan ahead for pictures and just take what comes. I like to get a set of about 3 shots that tell a story which just one wouldn't be able to.
Since there was an invitation to post some images, here are three that illustrate what a low-end zoom lens can do. No cropping, just resizes of the original jpeg.
18mm
135mm
200mm
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Patrick Sawyer
climber
Originally California now Ireland
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Nov 30, 2008 - 12:31am PT
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Ghost, general use but hopefully, as (if) I get back more into climbing, it will be outdoors/climbing.
I like the idea of the Fujifilms, they are SLR but quite small compared to other SLRs, and much less expensive. As for durability? I reckon one of them and a P&S (Canon?) would set me back for what one of the more 'sophisticated' SLRs would cost. I am not a professional photographer, but I would like a camera that is capable of print quality reproduction, seeing as I am a journalist.
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Chiloe
Trad climber
Lee, NH
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Nov 30, 2008 - 10:45am PT
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Isn't "What camera for climbing?" kind of like "What shoes for climbing?"
I think we all need a collection of 'em.
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kevsteele
climber
Santa Barbara, CA
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Nov 30, 2008 - 04:32pm PT
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Just out: Panasonic LX-3. Excellent Leica lens at f/2 at 24mm and f/2.8 at 60mm (35mm equivalent). You don't often see that bright a lens in these kind of cameras.
Big advantage over the G9 I carry in my (bulging) pocket is the wider aperture for better low light shots (still want to stay under ISO 800) and the much wider angle. Although it does not get into the tele range as 60mm can be considered "normal". But for climbing it's all about wide.
But now for just about the same price ($450) you can pick up a Nikon D40. Depends whether you need the purpose-built lightweight wide point-and-shoot or the swiss-army-knife DSLR.
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