Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Camera recommendation?

I am looking at getting a new point & shoot camera for my hiking trips. Any recommendations?

Thanks,

Calsurfer

My office staff gave me an Olympus Stylus 850 SW as a retirement gift a couple years ago, & I love it. It's shatterproof, waterproof, freeze-proof. Does nice video as well as still photos, & you can even use it underwater. Picture quality is great, it's tiny enough to easily fit in a shirt pocket, & is very user-friendly. There are newer models out, but they haven't had as good reviews as the older 850.

Here is where I buy camera gear: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

They have a huge selection of digital cameras. Small is better, unless you don't mind carrying a large SLR. There are also chest harnesses for carrying camera - enables quick shots without having to stop and dig around in the pack.

I carry a small Nikon during long trips, and use a Nikon SLR (on a chest harness) with a couple of zoom lenses during day hikes.

Happy shopping!

Last summer my daughter used a " Cannor power shot SD750" It was fast booting up and we used more than my camara because it was fast and easy, also small she carried it in a pouch that was easy to reach for fast shots. No need to stop to get a pic with this one. We did 3 one week trips and never ran out of battery power.

Absolutely LOVE my Panasonic Lumix TZ5.

I'm actually considering upgrading to the SLR.

The GoatPack (5 or 6 of us) strongly recommends this camera; It is logical and the picture quality is excellent!



(we also like the Osprey Talon pack, Marmot Precip Jacket, & Feathered Friends Down booties!!!!)

+1 on the Canon Powershot SD750. I loved that camera until it got stolen abroad. Now I'm using a Panasonic Lumix w/ a Leica lens that was a gift. Its okay but I much preferred the Canon for all the above reasons.

Just a note on carrying a camera...if you want to carry it somewhere where you can quickly get to it make sure you put the carrying strap all the way in where ever it is you keep it. I recently found a camera hanging in a bush, also saw one time where someone in front of me hiking had their camera removed from a cargo pocket by a bush and someone told me of going back to find a lost camera and found it hanging in a tree. Seems that limbs from trees and bushes have figured out a way of lifting cameras out of pockts by the straps.

Thanks for all the input. I will research those and then pick one. I am leaning towards the Lumix, one of there newer ones, but we will see.

Calsurfer

Take time to take a look at cameras that take "standard" AA batteries- do some research, some of those "odd" batteries do not handle cold very well - when hiking light I carry a Canon A480 - small, light and with a set if Lithium AA batteries and a 2- gig card, I'm good for over 400 Ten Mega Pixel shots... when weight is not a concern, I carry a Canon SX-1... to each his/her own...

I've been using the canon G11 and I'm really happy with the results. It does have a specialized battery so I bought a backup but haven't used it yet and have trips up to 3 days in snow. I stopped carrying a full sized slr in the snow because of the difficulty of self arresting with that beast around your chest.(if you put it in your pack you'll never use it)

Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 - water resistant, drop tested (armored), freeze resistant to -10C. Metal case and has good reviews from hikers.

It will be my first tip to Mt Whitney this June and I'm planning on bring my Canon 7D. It will only be a day hike for my group.

I was looking at getting the harness with a pouch and was wondering how well it had worked for others?

My camera is a full size SLR with the Grip.

J

Can't help you on the camera carrier, but I love the screen name. Classic Tolkien.

Last year I bought a Sony W370 for hiking and backpacking. It's a 14 megapixel, 7X optical zoom ultra-lightweight that fits in any pocket, even a shirt. Never again will I have to drop my pack to take a picture! Inexpensive at about $240, but the photo quality - even zoomed shots - has impressed me. The HD widescreen video it captures is way beyond what I expected. Versatile, small and feather-light. Camera pursists wouldn't be impressed, but for me it's all about the right tool for the job, and this camera has met my needs nicely.

Thanks, Bulldog

I have been thinking about bringing my compact SLR, but I also want to capture some images that I can develop into large prints. I may only pass this way once, so I want to go the extra mile.

In truth I will probably bring both.

I have been using the Panasonic Lumix TZ5 for about 2 years and have been very happy with it (just passed 16,000 pictures). IMO, it is one of the best all-around cameras on the market.

Check out dpreview for reviews and information.

As far as recommendation goes, I guess it depends what features you are most interested in.

For me, I wanted a basic, simple point and shoot but with a decent optical zoom. 4x or less would not do it. Also, I didn't care for something too sophisticated since I am not a photography buff. Weight, too, mattered as I didn't want a camera that weighed more than 10 oz (with battery and memory card included).

I bought and highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix ZS3 (aka TZ7) which is 10MP with 12x optical zoom. At Costco I got a decent deal on it ($80 off the retail) which helped seal the deal for me. BTW, with battery and memory card, it weighs 8.0 oz.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09012706panasonictz7.asp

--Amin

I just got a Sony TX5. Awesome Camera. Waterproof 10ft, Shockproof 5ft. What sets it apart from the other waterproof adventure cameras is it takes decent low light/indoor pics and has a wicked cool 180° panoramic feature.