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A new camera thread
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Cameras change often, so a new thread nearly identical to old ones should get new information. I hope anyway. I'm in the market for a camera, point and shoot with options. I went to the local Best Buy and Target today (nothing else in this town) and only saw a few models. I think with phones becoming ubiquitous, that the market for cameras has dramatically declined, leading to online shopping only. I'd like something about the size of a deck of cards. Not too heavy. It should be dust resistant. Mostly it'll be used for climbing, dog, and baby shots but will also get used on the occasional landscape and macro stuff of flowers and bugs and shit. If the battery lasts an extended weekend between charges, that's enough. I want it to have a lens that closes when off. I want it to focus and shoot quickly, I guess that means I want a fast sensor? Things I don't care for and would prefer to do without. GPS and Wifi. My old and now lost Olympus Tough pretty much qualified except it weighed a ton. The newest Tough seems to still be heavy and is only 12mp, which is crazy since mine was 10.1mp in 2009. Doesn't seem like much camera for the money anymore, only a lot of durability. I doubt I need drop proof or waterproof or freezeproof. I could spend as much as $450 but I'd prefer to be between $180 and $250. What should I look at? |
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I got a first-generation Sony RX100 on eBay for $200. It has 1" 20.2 MP sensor, which is cool. Also has a pretty fast autofocus, but I guess I won't really know how fast it is until ski season. It does pretty well with small depth-of-field/large aperture macros, but not at the tight end of its zoom range, and it doesn't have a viewfinder so if it's sunny out it can be harder to figure out what you're focused on. My biggest complaint is it sometimes takes awhile to turn off. I can usually pull it out of the case on my harness and take a photo in about 2 seconds, but it doesn't want to put the lens away for a few seconds after taking a photo. A few times this weekend I hit the on/off button right after taking a photo and the camera turned off without stowing the lens, so I had to power cycle it again.  edit: a few sample photos here: https://www.mountainproject.com/v/113656894 |
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Another vote for the Sony RX100. I also got a 1st gen for relatively cheap on Ebay. It has a metal case which seems to make it far more durable that my Canon S90 that it replaced but does make it a little heavy. Anytime I'm out climbing and it's cold enough to be wearing a jacket all day I simply wear it around my neck and stow it in the jacket making it really easy to pull out at the belay for some photos. Mine has survived a 7 day trip to Katahdin in March with some wild temperature swings, cold, and humidity. |
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Go with the updated Olympus Tough TG-5 - I have the TG-4 and being able to shoot RAW makes a ton of difference over the older models, and the new sensor shouldn't be judged by the megapixels which is more than enough either way "Where the TG-4 used a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, the TG-5 has dropped to 12MP, in order to improve image quality. It uses the same TruePic VIII processor found in the E-M1 Mark II. " Mine is tethered to me while climbing and sees a lot of thumping into walls, abuse and rain showers. The Sony is so nice you'll want to baby it and end up not climbing with it. |
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A few sources I rely on for camera reviews - https://www.ephotozine.com/article/top-10-best-waterproof-tough-cameras-2017-17302 http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-capture/cameras/best-waterproof-compact-camera-1260610 http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-waterproof-camera/ https://www.dpreview.com/search/?query=TG5&product=olympus_tg5 Don;t equate num of pixels with better image quality. IQ is the result of a combination of many factors. In reality, megapixels per say is way down the list in terms of importance. Much more important are lens quality, imager quality, shutter response, metering and AF accuracy, image stabilization (should you need it), etc. Good luck. |
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Bigger than what your looking for, but you should consider the Fujifulm X30. It’s a phenomenal small mirrorless SLR. It takes amazing photos, is easy to use, has great battery life (including in winter conditions) and I have no issues wearing it over my shoulder when climbing or hiking. I’d be happy to go into more detail if your interested. |
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I've been shopping around a lot and using this thread. I do appreciate it. I'm starting to lean (actually run) away from a tough style camera. Rather than pay for toughness, I think I'd like to pay for image quality and features. This will mostly be for my wife who likes to take mountain landscapes, close up of dew on flowers on the hike down, and our baby and dog. Given our current life situation, we probably won't be dragging it up a multipitch climb before it's obsolete. We have a functional Canon cheapo, it's been dragged up lots of multipitch routes and blown up pics to 11x13. It's fine for that. So yeah, considering I've got a crap point and shoot that's fine (super slow though), I'm changing my wants to something more akin to those giant lens point and shoots like the Sony mentioned upthread or the mini SLR idea. Any opinions on the Canon Sx 720 powershot? |
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I am a professional photographer in Charlotte NC. I shoot mostly real estate photography which i know doesn't directly relate but I shoot a Sony A6000. It can take an amazing 11 FPS, and is super clear at ISO 2000+. It has worked amazing when I do bring it climbing. |
highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote: Only if you need the zoom. Otherwise, it won't hold a candle to the Sony RX100 in IQ. I have Canon S100 you can have (consider it a baby gift?) that should take equal or better photos within the same zoom range as the sx720. |
highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion wrote: Consider cameras with 1-inch, micro 43, and APS-C sized sensors then. You can go with either non-changeable short zoom camera or a body that takes interchangeable lenses. Given the subject matters you have described, I do not think you will need a zoom with more than 135 mm (35mm eqv) reach. For baby and pets, you will want a camera with fast shutter response and good IQ when the lens is wide open (biggest aperture). Personally I have chosen to go with multiple cameras. Older Sony S p&s for casuals and rough and tumble trips. Because I value portability and weight, I chose a low-range and easy to use micro 43 with compact zooms for everyday use and higher range micro 43 with fast prime lenses for more serious photos. Now considering whether to sell some of the micro 43 gear and go up to full frame dig cameras and lenses (which is what I started with 40 years ago with 35mm film!!). |
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I prefer having two cameras - my DSLR for general photography, macro, etc., and a far cheaper (and older) point and shoot for climbing and other activities that may destroy the camera. You really can't go wrong with any decently rated point and shoot for this. I personally use a a cheap PowerShot Elph not because they are awesome cameras (they are pretty average), but because they don't change the design and I can keep buying a new one without having to buy a new underwater housing for SCUBA that costs more than the camera. Yet, this is the only camera I use for climbing and never thought about getting a different one because it is more than good enough and cheap enough I can just buy a new one if/when I break it ($100 on sale). If you aren't going to be lugging your camera up a multi-pitch route, why not just get a smaller DSLR? You can get them used very, very cheaply. Also, if you spend $500 on a Point and Shoot, you are going to baby it and not risk beating it up. |
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Great topic so far. Are there any cameras that work especially well in very cold conditions, or do most cameras have similar cold-weather performance? I'm looking for a nice point-and-shoot in the $300-$400 range. |
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They're a little hit and miss. My Canon s100 would die whenever I tried to use the zoom when it was below 20F (basically the battery was quite sensitive to cold). My Sony RX100 worked flawlessly throughout a week-long winter trip to Katahdin where temperatures were steadily below zero. The camera got wet due to condensation numerous times but works great to this day. |
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Key to battery life in winter is keeping your camera and extra battery as close to your body as possible, not in your pack. |
Morgan Patterson wrote: Agreed, I keep mine on a lanyard around my neck and tucked into my jacket. It keeps it warm and you can quickly access it by unzipping the jacket, plus you can't drop it! |
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Have you looked at mirrorless cameras ? That's what I decided on because I didn't want a full size DSLR on multi-pitch climbs. I take mine hiking, skiing, climbing, etc. and the smaller size is really great. You won't get the same quality pics as a DSLR but being an amateur, I've been very happy with picture quality so far. I just dragged mine up the North Chimney on Castelton and it's no worse for the wear. Here's were my top two pics : |
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I've owned, borrowed and rented a ton of camera gear. Here's a couple thoughts: You can pick from basically three tiers depending on what sensor size you want/what size body you want/how much money you want to spend. The sensor size makes quite a difference but really only in "demanding" applications, like when you need details in both the very brightest and very darkest regions of an image or when it's dark out and you are using long exposure or high ISO. My best tip is that you should use borrowlenses.com or borrow stuff from a friend before you buy it. Point and shoot (1 inch sensor): These are small enough to take on almost any climb. Weigh about 10 ounces (which is the same as a #4 Camalot) The Sony RX 100 series is great and you will only find it limiting if you are hell bent on shooting at night or really want wide angle or telephoto perspectives. Smaller mirrorless (APSC or M4/3 sensor): These are just small enough that you can toss them in a backpack on a multi pitch without hating your life. I think the A6500 is the best camera in this group. Metal weather-sealed body, great video codecs, weighs about 26 ounces with a zoom lens, and the APSC sensor is large enough to allow night time and low light shooting with ok results. The Olympus OM-D E-M5 and E-M1 lines are great and very robust but the M4/3 sensor is a lot smaller than APSC and the noise gets bad quickly as the ISO rises. Full size (35mm sensor): A7 Series, Nikon or Canon offerings. These are a bit over 3 lbs with a standard zoom like a 24-70 F2.8. Really expensive and way too heavy to bring on an outing unless you are going exclusively just to take photos. I own a 6D (full frame) and a 7d mark II (APSC) and the performance difference is huge for things like astrophotography but for photos taken in the daylight it's basically not noticeable. Neither one gets used for climbing photos cause the weight and bulk is pretty significant. |
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Has anyone tried the Canon Powershot G9X? I like the 1" sensor and very compact size and low weight. The lens is certainly not on par with the Sony RX100, but it's also a lot cheaper. I currently have a Canon S100 and I like it, but will need replacement soon. So far, I have stayed away from cameras with touch-screen control for climbing though... seems like it would be really hard to handle with one hand and likely to get random setting changes when the camera hangs from my neck bounding around...any opinions? |
Nick Sweeney wrote: I find reviews here generally accurate and informative - https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/2017-roundup-compact-enthusiast-zoom-cameras I prefer faster lenses over zoom so I would lean towards Panasonic LX10, LX100, and Canon G7X Mk II. The extra reach of the zoom on the Canon might prove useful for climbing. A good used unit of any of them should fall within the price range you have given. Note that none of them are weather sealed which may be an issue in cold and damp conditions. |
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A timer/remote is a nice feature, IMO. Then the photographer can be in the shot. I've got only an older, nice, full size DSLR, or my phone, at this point. Eventually, I'll be after a tiny, pocket sized camera also. I don't know about now, but I have to say back in film days when my son was young, disposable cameras were surprisingly good for snapshots. We took those places I'd never risk a "real" camera, including sand dunes and underwater! Definitely great for youngsters to get started and be creative. If the photos are secondary to the trip, then I think there is some value to a camera anyone can operate. If the photography is the thing, that of course changes the parameters. That said, my hubby was a photojournalist BITD, and took amazing photos by being willing to put cameras anyplace he could work out rigging for, including airplane struts to allow stunt pilots to take "selfies" in action! Best, Helen |
I can vouch for the Sony A7. I pair mine with their fixed 20mm pancake lens. Its a really tiny package with full-frame image quality. The pancake was designed for a smaller sensor, so there's a little vignetting to crop, but i don't mind. It's weight tips the scales at 1lb 3oz. I drag it up all kinds of trad multi-pitch routes bandolier'd right over my shoulder. |
