Outdoor Enthusiast seeks camera

[jn wilson]

Hello!

I am currently on the hunt for a great hiking camera. I regularly go for extended backcountry trips (6-10 days) and want to find a camera that will be able to stand up to changeable weather conditions, no recharging option & decent size & weight expectations (I am a little flexible here).

I am at a total loss for what to start looking at. I would like a 5 megapixel camera with manual functions and a fabulous zoom (although I understand with some cameras this can be an added purchase).

I've checked a lot of reviews but haven't been able to really narrow the field. Yesterday I went to a camera shop & the Pentax Optio SV, Pentax Optio 43WR & the Nikon Coolpix 5200 were recommended. None seem to have received stellar reviews.

Any help would be much appreciated! :)

Thanks. Jennifer

[Rhys]

Hello!

I am currently on the hunt for a great hiking camera. I regularly go for extended backcountry trips (6-10 days) and want to find a camera that will be able to stand up to changeable weather conditions, no recharging option & decent size & weight expectations (I am a little flexible here).

I am at a total loss for what to start looking at. I would like a 5 megapixel camera with manual functions and a fabulous zoom (although I understand with some cameras this can be an added purchase).

I've checked a lot of reviews but haven't been able to really narrow the field. Yesterday I went to a camera shop & the Pentax Optio SV, Pentax Optio 43WR & the Nikon Coolpix 5200 were recommended. None seem to have received stellar reviews.

Any help would be much appreciated! :)

Thanks. Jennifer


What kind of photos would you want to do? Panoramas? Close-ups of landscape features? Night photography? Personally, I'm in favour of two cameras - the Nikon 3100 because it's light and portable (I carry mine in my shirt pocket) and the Canon S1 IS because it's light, has a 10x zoom and a nice video mode plus all the manual features you'd ever desire. How large do you need. You say 5mp. The cameras I've quoted are 3mp. These will render excellent prints of 11.5 x 8 (A4). No digital camera is really robust or waterproof, unfortunately. Casio came out with a couple of ruggedised cameras but didn't pursue the line so I guess they didn't sell well.

[David Metsky]

You will need AA batteries, and get 2-3 sets of them for a trip of that length. I hike and backcountry ski with my Oly C-720 and can often get 3-5 days use out of two sets of batteries. Since I also use AAs for my headlamp, this saves on the amount of batteries I need to haul.

Beyond that, you must decide what features you are looking for. Weight is an issue, but not a big one if you are out for that long. Unless you are an ultra-light hiker you'll be carrying enough weight that a few extra ounces won't matter. I carry my camera clipped to my hipbelt so size isn't a huge deal unless you get up into dSLR territory.

A big zoom lens is quite useful in the woods. Wildlife shots are pretty much impossible without it, and wide landscapes get boring after a while. The zoom really helps you compose a shot in the wild when you can't get close to your subject.

Unless you go for a weatherproof camera like the Oly 300, 410, or the similar Pentax models I think all the cameras show about the same resistance to water and dirt. I haven't dropped mine too often so I can't rate them on survivability, but no digital camera will enjoy getting kicked around much.

If you are willing to carry the size and weight, I like the modestly sized big zooms like the Canon S1 or the Panasonic FZ20 as a nice option. If you want smaller, something like the Canon A80 or A95.

[jn wilson]

Thanks for the suggestions. I am a little hesitant to drop to a 3mp because I still haven't mastered the art of composition & have a tendency to want to play with cropping and enlarging areas of my photos. Other than that the options that you guys suggested seem to be bang on. I want to be able to take both landscape & wildlife shots.

No one ever plans on dropping their camera, but I'm hoping that if I do it will hang in there - otherwise it will be stored in a waterproof carrying bag on those days that the weather is less than agreeable.

Thanks again!
Jennifer

[Rhys]

Then I'd suggest for your needs that you look at the Panasonic range (12 times zoom), the Nikon 5200 (5 megapixel, 8 times zoom), the Canons (S1 - 3 megapixels, 10 times zoom and Pro 1 - long zoom but not sure how much or how many megapixels).

Personally, I'm happy with my S1 IS. It seems to offer everything I could ever desire. Of course, more megapixels would be nice but then wouldn't they always?

As far as batteries are concerned, the S1 takes AA. The Nikon takes a 2cr5 or its own EnEl1. I'm not sure what the Pro 1 takes but the Panasonics all take their own batteries.

My recommendation is to go for something with commonly available batteries. The Nikon is a good choice because you can get 2CR5s really cheaply online. They're very lightweight and pack a lot of power. The S1 IS is a good choice because you can take VGA (pretty much TV screen sized) videos and it also takes AA batteries.

[jn wilson]

Thanks Rhys for your camera recommendations. I am planning on taking the cameras in hand this weekend to see how they feel. I am still a bit nervous about 3mp (I can see myself more comfortable with 4) but its all about the all-round package.

Jennifer