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#137406 - 08/08/10 10:25 PM Got a new camera for backpacking.
Wstrnsky Offline
newbie

Registered: 04/15/10
Posts: 11
Loc: Montana, USA
I got a Cannon Powershot SD1400 IS Digital Elph camera in my favorite color.... Orange! It has 14.1 mega pixels, 28mm 4x zoom. I like the size and weight. The pics that I have taken so far have turned out great. I got a package deal at Best Buy. Camera, extra battery, 4GB SDHC card, and a Lowepro camera pouch for under $250.

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#137505 - 08/10/10 08:35 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Wstrnsky]
Kent W Offline
member

Registered: 10/15/09
Posts: 607
Loc: IL.
I am considering a powershot myself. I am not sure I can get away from my digital slr. I cant beleive a powershot will take as good a pictures?

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#137509 - 08/10/10 09:31 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Kent W]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
As good a picture? Depends. Any of the compact small-sensor cameras can shoot fine pictures at low ISO settings. Some of them allow shooting raw files, so you get the advantages of post processing your own, if you prefer that. Even the JPEG files from my G-7 are fine at ISO 100. By ISO 200 they are not so great, and at ISO 400 they look pretty bad. If you want great image quality at high ISO values, bring your DSLR.

The advantages of the compact P+S camera are: size, weight, and, uh, weight. Bring a spare battery and shoot for a week. The disadvantages are image quality, speed, focus, and lack of manual control. If you want a good, small, fully featured camera, take a look at the Panasonic TS2, which is waterproof to 10 meters, has optical image stabilization, a wide angle lens with a decent zoom range, and takes reasonably good photos (again at low ISO settings.)

If you want a compact camera that shoots great files, take a look at the micro 4/3 systems. These have a much larger sensor than the typical P+S camera. I have a Panasonic GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 lens, and the files are terrific -- easily as good as files from my Canon 40D even at ISO 800 or 1600. The camera itself is about the size of a large-ish point and shoot, and smaller than the "super zoom" models. Everything in this gallery was shot with the GF1 and the 20mm lens.

I bought the GF1 as an "every day carry" camera -- something that would give me high quality images from a small camera. It's compact enough that I'll be using it as a hiking camera, too. The downside to any of these systems is the cost -- they aren't cheap (though if you want to feel better, price a Leica M9 and a couple of lenses. My first house didn't cost that much....)

_________________________
--Ken B

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#137556 - 08/11/10 11:19 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: kbennett]
Tango61 Offline
member

Registered: 12/27/05
Posts: 931
Loc: East Texas Piney Woods

Hey Ken,
How did you set up and get the shots of the butterflies?

Were you a short distance away and use the zoom lens of the camera or were you able to get up close?

I can sometimes get close ups of lizards but butterflies elude me.
_________________________
If you think you can, you can. If you think you can't, you can't. Either way, you're right.

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#137564 - 08/12/10 04:25 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Tango61]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
After I did a lot of research I ended up with the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. We also have a Canon Rebel. The Rebel is better for close up shots - say wildflowers (my fav. thing to take pictures of), far away things (we have a mid-range zoom lens for it) and for anything we want a filter for. The PowerShot is better for carrying - as they say, the best camera is the camera you have with you! Seriously the only unhappyness I have is the fact it won't take a UV lens on it. It has decent zoom and image stablilizer. I thought I would never use the lcd - but I don't use the view finder at all and rely totally on the lcd instead. I take it hiking and snowmachining.

This shot was taken with my PowerShot: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=31506646&l=381a8135bb&id=1301683544

Heather

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#137603 - 08/13/10 07:22 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Tango61]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
Originally Posted By Tango61

Hey Ken,
How did you set up and get the shots of the butterflies?

Were you a short distance away and use the zoom lens of the camera or were you able to get up close?

I can sometimes get close ups of lizards but butterflies elude me.


Hi, Tango,

Warning: I'm not a nature or macro photographer at all (my training is as a photojournalist.) So this was fun, and I was happy with the results, but it's not at all the "right" way to do it.

I was using the 20mm prime lens. I don't have a zoom for this camera (Panny GF1). It close focuses to about 8 or 10 inches maybe, so I just shot at f/2 -- a whole lotta photos to get a handful of good ones. (Good ones = eyes in focus.) Everything was shot hand held, mostly using the LCD screen on the back of the camera and the center focus point. That way I could hold the camera in close to the butterfly, but stand a little farther away so as not to spook them.

What made the biggest difference was this -- there must have been thousands of butterflies along that half mile trail. Tens of thousands. They were so busy eating, they weren't paying much attention to me.

--Ken

_________________________
--Ken B

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#137824 - 08/19/10 02:00 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: kbennett]
Claus Offline
member

Registered: 04/19/10
Posts: 56
Loc: Central Iowa
What I miss most from my DSLR with P&S is the instant availability. If I want to take a picture I just flip the switch on my Nikon D70 and press the shutter.

I bet that camera still takes some time to extend the lens and boot up.

And that's the main reason why I don't like using P&S cameras anymore.


Edited by Claus (08/19/10 02:04 PM)
_________________________
Please feel free to disregard my opinion.
http://adventurelaus.blogspot.com

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#137833 - 08/19/10 07:41 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Claus]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
Originally Posted By Claus
What I miss most from my DSLR with P&S is the instant availability. If I want to take a picture I just flip the switch on my Nikon D70 and press the shutter.

I bet that camera still takes some time to extend the lens and boot up.



Who are you replying to? The camera I mentioned (Panasonic GF1) has interchangeable lenses -- they don't extend from the body -- and it takes about as long to boot up as any other consumer DSLR.

That said, most of the higher-end P+S cameras that I've used lately are quite fast on start-up. Even my Canon G-7 from several years ago is quick. Not as fast as a professional DSLR, but quick enough for hiking. IMHO anyway.
_________________________
--Ken B

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#137854 - 08/20/10 05:34 PM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: kbennett]
Claus Offline
member

Registered: 04/19/10
Posts: 56
Loc: Central Iowa
Originally Posted By kbennett
Who are you replying to?

OP with the PowerShot and my wife's PowerShot SD850 is slow to start up and focus (or I'm spoiled).


Edited by Claus (08/20/10 05:40 PM)
_________________________
Please feel free to disregard my opinion.
http://adventurelaus.blogspot.com

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#137877 - 08/21/10 11:50 AM Re: Got a new camera for backpacking. [Re: Claus]
kbennett Offline
member

Registered: 10/27/03
Posts: 820
Loc: north carolina
Yes, but the original post was so far up the chain that I got confused. Sorry. blush

Some of the newest p+s cameras are pretty quick to start up, but the image quality hasn't improved much.
_________________________
--Ken B

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