What kind of camera

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Jim Fitz

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Joined
Mar 26, 2016
Posts
99
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Wherever the brake is set
I haven't bought a camera in 20 years.  Use my smart phone, but am looking at going FT in the next year, and wandering the country.  Would like to get a decent quality camera without spending big bucks. 

It sure is nice now that we have digital cameras out there....I sure spent a lot of money years ago developing pictures.

Thanks.

Jim
 
You'll find a range of opinions here, from smartphones to full-featured DSLRs, with bridge cameras in between. Personally, I haven't had good results with a smartphone, although some folks get great results. I'll defer to the experts.
 
There are great makes fo most budgets from Nikon.. Canon.. Sony.. Fuji... Olympic. For basic photography, most of these will give you great performance! On a smaller budget, I would suggest a camera not requiring a ton of expensive accessories.. a DSLR with a kit lens is OK for most folks needs... but some of the smaller cameras with built in lenses can be great. Fuji makes a few that are quite good!
 
That is a loaded question right now. I got tired of dragging a camera around that was the size of a microwave oven a few years ago and I started using my cell phone for all my photography and never looked back. The best cell phone cameras are on par with the best DSLRs today. No you can't blow up the photos to the size of a billboard and you can't photograph tiny birds in flight far away, but for just about everything else they are equal or better. You will hear some people dispute this but they are the ones who have a huge financial interest in their current system and refuse to understand technology marches on. If you look in my signature you will see a link to my 100 favorite photos from 2015. Almost every one was taken with a cell phone.
 
One type of camera that's a lot of fun for travel is the ruggedized and waterproof point and shoot - while the pictures might be about the same quality as a cell phone (which is pretty good these days), the freedom of having a camera with you at all times that you can just knock around, drop in the sand, wash off under the sink, and take underwater or in the water with you can't be beat sometimes.

Everyone will drop their camera sometime, when you drop one of these you just smile :)

The GoPro Hero series is one type that you see everywhere but they are a bit awkward to use as a normal camera and can get expensive with all the accessories -

Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and a couple other companies are all making well rated versions of these.  I have an slightly different interchangeable lens version from Nikon (AW1) that will take any of the Nikon 1 lenses from 18-810mm equivalent, it's sort of a middle quality between cellphones and true slr's.  But for the average traveler I'd recommend one of the fixed lens options.
 
workerdrone said:
One type of camera that's a lot of fun for travel is the ruggedized and waterproof point and shoot - while the pictures might be about the same quality as a cell phone (which is pretty good these days), the freedom of having a camera with you at all times that you can just knock around, drop in the sand, wash off under the sink, and take underwater or in the water with you can't be beat sometimes.

Everyone will drop their camera sometime, when you drop one of these you just smile :)

Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, and a couple other companies are all making well rated versions of these.

I really agree with this. My DSLR, and associated garnishes will always be first and foremost for me. However, I also have an Olympus Tough TG-3 point and shoot. TG-4 recently came out with more bells and whistles including RAW capture. Anyway, my TG-3 has been dropped onto an asphalt driveway and survived without a scratch. It also has been fully submerged in sal****er when I rolled my kayak. Still works like a charm.
When I was researching the rugged point and shoot styles, at the time a lot of the reviewers liked certain brands over others for certain features but the same sort of sentiment was shared. That was they always came back to that Olympus over all the others. A lot of good informative reviews online for the various brands.
If you have any local camera shops, go and check out what they have and play with them a bit in the store.
 
Would like to get a decent quality camera without spending big bucks. 

As Tom J. says, there will be all kinds of opinions here. But with your statement above, if big bucks means more than $200-$300, and if you're looking beyond the pocket computer most folks call a phone these days, then look at Best Buy, Costco, etc. at what they have in your price range and you'll likely find a Canon, Nikon, Olympus or Sony to your liking.

Or, you could go to http://www.dpreview.com/ and sort through their reviews. They get more detailed than most folks want, or even understand, but skimming specs and comments can give you some very useful insight into the various models and their relative ease of use, picture quality, etc.
 
If you are interested enough to want interchangeably lenses, you need to step up to a DSLR, probably Nikon or Canon. Next step down is a larger body camera with a top quality but non-changeable "mega-zoom" lens. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic and a few others make some great ones for around $300-$400. If that's still "big bucks", consider the pocket-size zoom cameras from Canon, Nikon and Sony. They have decent zoom lens, drop in a pocket easily and can make some amazing photos and videos, all for $100-$200. These still make photos than can be enlarged a bit and handle difficult lighting conditions. The next tier down includes most smart phones cameras, many of which do a darn good job or casual photos.
 
I totally agree with the idea of getting a sports camera. They are rugged, can go anywhere and still take amazing photos. There is a line of accessories that allow you to attach the camera to just about anything you wish and get point of view images from any point of view you can imagine.
 
With the caveat that I'm predominantly a point-and-shooter, I like the handling/touchy feely of my bridge camera (non-interchangeable zoom lens). It's a little smaller than my DSLR and significantly lighter. If I know I'll be taking photos, it's out of its case most of the time, and is easy & comfortable to hold single-handed.

Meanwhile, I increasingly find myself leaving the bridge camera behind, and reaching for the smartphone on my belt. I'm hoping my next phone will have a more user-friendly screen and camera. On this one, I can't see the screen in our California sun and, even when I can, the resulting pictures are almost always a disappointment.
 
I got me an annual pass to Disney World a few months ago and I have been there six times recently. I estimate that I see about 100 cell phone photographers to ever conventional photographer. And about 9 out of 10 of the conventional photographers are using a bridge camera. Seeing a DSLR photographer is a rare event. I am currently using an LG G4 which has one of the best cameras in a cell phone on the market. And it only costs $300.

http://www.amazon.com/LG-G4-Unlocked-Leather-Warranty/dp/B01774WPQ8/ref=sr_1_2?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1460123864&sr=1-2&keywords=g4

It is almost impossible to take a bad photo with it. 16 MP Camera with f/1.8 low-light lens, Manual Mode, Optical Image Stabilization, Laser Autofocus, and high-res image sensors. It comes with a host of great features and my favorite is voice control. Point the camera, say "cheese" and it takes the photo. No pressing buttons, no shaking the camera. Then you can email it or post it on Facebook almost instantly. Another thing I love is that my entire photo collection is in my pocket at all times so if I wish to show off any photo it is right there.
 
If you're interested in the rugged option, this might get you started:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-waterproof-camera/

Another bonus for these cameras - you can just hand them to kids :)  Who knows, they might get some neat shots while they're having fun with your gadget, at no stress to you!
 
DH and I both use DSLRs for professional portrait photography.  I think we have a couple of point and shoot cameras around somewhere but we never use them.  We only use our cell phones to take snapshots.  Our best resource for information is B & H Photo.  Check out their website for product info and reviews then call their photography department and ask their opinion.  We've been working with B & H almost exclusively for the last six years. 

 
After I lost my passion to teach photography (long story) I decided to scale down on weight and space for my equipment. I sold most of my lenses (CANON) and studio equipment and bought a Panasonic Lumix FZ1000. This is a bridge camera with a Leica lens 25-400mm 21mp. It also has awesome video capabilities (including 4K)

Although not as good as my Canon 7D it will do the trick. I'm not making money with my pictures but want to use high quality images for my website. This will do the trick for sure, it is ultra light and has "more lens" than my 5 lens setup with the Canon.

I still have the Canon 7D for sale (hint)

Next step I'm looking for a go-pro or similar solution to use as a dash cam and all weather cam.
 
Dang it Dutch ... I deserve a whack. Eric and I should have invited you to join us.  :-[  Earlier this month we had the opportunity to meet and spend several hours with Ken Skulte.  You probably know that he is one of Canon's Explorers of Light. He was very generous with his time and gave us lots of tips including a demonstration on how he does light painting right down to the lighting formulas he used on several of his award winning images.  Of course Eric came home wanting a few gadgets that Ken recommended.

For those who aren't familiar with Ken's work he started out as a wedding photographer  :eek: and is now able to pursue his photography passions that include photographing the Milky Way, Aurora Borealis, lighting, hot lava flows, storm chasing, and race cars.  Here is a link to his work: https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/explore/see-impossible/ken-sklute-aurora-borealis  and another link to his website:  http://serendipityvisuals.com/  Enjoy!
 
MN Blue Skies said:
Dang it Dutch ... I deserve a whack.

You asked for it.... WHACK.... :'(  I hope you remember next time now :)

MN Blue Skies said:
Earlier this month we had the opportunity to meet and spend several hours with Ken Skulte.  You probably know that he is one of Canon's Explorers of Light. He was very generous with his time and gave us lots of tips including a demonstration on how he does light painting right down to the lighting formulas he used on several of his award winning images.  Of course Eric came home wanting a few gadgets that Ken recommended.

I have seen his work before, very impressive, something I would like to do after we start traveling. This new camera is capable of capturing stuff like that. :) I know gadgets, a never ending story. It's a GAS addiction. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) Thanks for the links :)

 
DutchEagle said:
This new camera is capable of capturing stuff like that. :)

I think it would be very hard to persuade Ken Skulte to replace his Canon 5d Mark III with a Lumix.  ;)  However I am curious about what body he uses for his videos.  Last year I was convinced we needed a Lumix for Hybrid Photography.  A Lumix Luminary, along with Dave J. at National, convinced me otherwise. Dutch, you probably know Dave J. 


 
Cellphone cameras are too limited.  Poor low light performance, prone to camera shake and a bit of a cliche' with all the people taking stupid selfies in public places.

The problem with snapshot cameras is that they usually don't give you access to the important settings like exposure time and aperture.  How are you going to control depth of field without those?  Generally they have vastly inferior lenses (but still better than most cellphones). Very little creative control.

I think the best place to shop for a camera is Amazon.  Millions of reviews and probably the best prices anywhere.  Don't be afraid of a used camera.

What's your budget?  If I had an unlimited budget I'd have a One of these and an assortment of lenses.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1244709-REG/hasselblad_h_3013742_h6d_100c_medium_format_dslr.html

But I somehow get by with a Canon T2i and a couple of good lenses and a Canon 12 MP pocket camera.
 
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