light camera for hiking?

[IRA]

Im going on a 6 month hike and am working hard to get all my gear as light as possible. Unfortunatly my canon digital reble is way too big and heavy for this hike. I was wondering what dc you guys would recomend for being really light, and taking great pics. also the camera would have to use batteries that you can buy from any store like AA or AAA ect?

[Riley]

surely your first requirement is for a weatherproof camera ?
if so, check out the Ricoh Caplio 400G

Riley

[coldrain]

Either a canon A610/620 (4x zoom lens) or a canon S3 IS or Sony H2/H5 (ultrazoom cameras) would do fine, depeding on how small you want it to be.
All have very good image quality, all use AA size.

[David Metsky]

I've been hiking/backpacking/skiing/biking with my Canon SD300 for almost two years now. Battery life is pretty good, certainly enough that with one spare I can go for 4 days in the woods. Granted, I turn off the LCD but you can get reasonable battery life with the SD series if you try.

AA (I don't know of any cameras that use AAA) is a fine idea, but you'll still need rechargables. Buying alkalines will only get you a dozen+ shots, not a solution that really makes sense on the trail.

I'd look at an ultra-compact like the SD700 or SD800, or one of the Casio or Panasonics (I'm less familiar with their models). Or, if you don't mind a slightly larger body, the A620 would be an excellent choice. But you'll still need two sets of rechargable NiMH batteries. Buying alkalines while travelling is a lousy solution.

-dave-

[Rhys]

I used my Nikon 3100 when I went hiking around Eastern Europe one year. If I were to do the same again, I'd take my Canon S1 IS instead. In fact, if I were to go with a brand new compact then I'd probably choose the Canon S3 IS because it takes AA batteries. The Sony R1 is another option although perhaps a backup battery might be needed for that as it doesn't support AAs.

[David Metsky]

Are you going to be away from any place to recharge for long periods of time? If so, alkalines aren't going to help you much. They will last for so few shots that you'll have to buy dozens, eliminating the lightness of your camera setup. Lithiums will be better, but depending on where you are going you may not find them in local shops.

How often can you expect to use a recharger? I'd plan around that, using alkalines as a last resort.

-dave-

[IRA]

the thing with the batteries is that im going to be on the trail for up to 10 days at a time, then going into towns to buy food ect. charging batteries would be a hasle, however if i need a dozen AAs to last as long as two lithium then the lithiums would be the way to go. how many shots do you think you would get with two AA ruffly? also i think the size of the canon SD series is about the size im after. so for quality what modle would you recomend, and any other brands whose cameras are about the same size?

[David Metsky]

The smallest cameras don't usually don't use AAs, they use LiIon rechargables. You'll probably have to move up a size slightly. Something like the Canon A520 or other compact models. I have no idea how many shots you'll get on a set of alkalines, it could be anywhere from 10 to 50 shots, or possibly more. You'll definately need many sets for 10 days at a time.

You'll have to shoot with the LCD turned off, and limit previewing to an absolute minimum. Are you doing something like an AT thru-hike? Either way, you might want to check on the thru-hiker websites and see what they recommend.

-dave-

[JMBZ71]

The Canon A710 IS also looks like a sweet little camera, if IS is important to you at all. It runs on 2 AA batteries and the 2500 mah NiMH rechargeables (not included with the camera) are rated at 360 shots in this camera (I assume using the viewfinder w/LCD turned off).

Otherwise, as coldrain suggested, the Canon S3 IS is always a good option. The S3 uses 4 AA batteries, but it's rated at 550 shots with the same batteries (again, I assume this is w/LCD turned off). The S3's an ultrazoom (12x) vs. the 6x optical zoom of the A710, so it's bulkier than the A710.

Both cameras are in the $350 price range (give or take $10-$20). I know from my own backpacking experience that every ounce counts, so the A710 is probably the better option of the two for backpacking. Since you'd have to carry at least 4 NiMH AA batteries for the S3 anyway, carrying 4 of these for the A710 would potentially give you up to 720 shots. Just food for thought...

JMBZ71 :)

[FLiPMaRC]

I went on a two week vacation in Malta with my Canon S3. I was averaging 350-400 shots a day the first week, and I didn't have to replace the batteries even when I was using the LCD and previewing my shots. I did replaced and recharged my AA batteries every night as a precaution. I had 3 sets of 2600mAh batteries.

FYI ... the Canon S3 is rated 550 shots on 2500mAh batteries with the LCD on ;)

[ARP]

I think all the previous posts have given good advice for which camera to buy. I would like to suggest getting a solar charger (the flexible models). They're relatively light and you'll only need 2-3 sets of batteries. Use 1-2 sets while charging one.

Here is one company but I'm sure there are others:

http://www.siliconsolar.com/flexible-solar-panels.php

I used something like this and simply put it on the top of my pack.

[JTL]

I went on a two week vacation in Malta with my Canon S3. I was averaging 350-400 shots a day the first week, and I didn't have to replace the batteries even when I was using the LCD and previewing my shots. I did replaced and recharged my AA batteries every night as a precaution. I had 3 sets of 2600mAh batteries.

FYI ... the Canon S3 is rated 550 shots on 2500mAh batteries with the LCD on ;)That's similar to my experience with my NiMH batteries. Also...getting between 500-600 with Lithium/ion AAs...