Heidi13

Yes Bon voyage all ... It is always very exciting...... I know this sounds awful but let's hope you are running late leaving Sydney. vivid Sydney starts next Friday ... The bridge and the opera house are just amazing when they are lit up... The view from the ship would be spectacular!,,,

We will be aboard and are definitely hoping for a delayed departure so we can enjoy the lights.

To be perfectly honest, I have no idea.

The outboard vessel is P&O Ventura.

Can someone recommend an easy to use digital camera, small enough to fit in pocket or purse, between 200-300$?? Cruising to Alaska soon. Thanks

Most camera aficionados are brand loyal and tend to recommend the one they use, which for me is Canon.

Some years ago my daughter was in a similar predicament and I wanted her to have the ability to purchase what felt and worked best for her, so I took her down to our friendly local camera store.

They gave her a brief overview of the features of about 10 - 12 P&S cameras in her price range. She held them, played with controls and took some shots. She then short listed it to 3 and they reviewed them in more detail. After an in depth review, which included using the controls to get a really good feel for the camera, she selected the Canon G9.

Remember if the camera doesn't feel right, you won't use it much.

This process took about 3 hours.

Koh Samui, Thailand

Big Buddha

Big Buddha

House at Wat Plai Laem Temple

Wat Plai Laem Temple

Red Swimming Pool at The Library Hotel, Chaweng

All day tour in Koh Samui, Thailand

DSLR

- Canon 5D Mk 3

- Canon 5D Mk 2

- Canon 40 D

SLR

- Canon A 1

P&S

- Canon A2000 IS

Lenses

◾Canon EF 16 – 35mm f/2.8L II USM

◾Canon EF 24 – 105mm f/4L IS USM

◾Canon EF 70 – 200m f/2.8L IS II USM

◾Canon Extender EF 2x III

- Canon 50mm f/1.8

Tripod

◾Promaster XC525 Black

Flash

◾Canon Speedlite EX 580 II

For posting photos I upload to http://www.use.com

Smaller and less susceptible to viruses.

Krazy Kruizers - If ever able to go on safari, go to South Africa rather than Kenya/Tanzania.

Contrasting photos at Victoria Fall Park, Zambia

Quiet shot of mother and young Zebra grazing right outside the park

We were at Niagrara Falls last summer, but Vic Falls is Niagara on steroids

This is from the top viewing platform on the Zambia side, where it is still dry

This is taken from about the end of the Zambia side and the spray is so bad you think you are in a winter storm

Sunset cruise on the Zambezi River at Livingstone, Zambia

Sun almost setting through the palm fronds

Sun setting on the Zimbabwe side of the Zambezi River

Selection of photos from our recent South African safari.

Male Leopard

Large herd of elephant at watering hole adjacent to our lodge

Teenage Male that briefly charged towards our vehicle and then lost a staring contest with our Ranger

Waterbuck

Zebra

A few shots from a large pride of 13 lions on our recent safari.

Young male lion close-up

Female lion close up

Young male looking fierce

Adult Cheetah at Cheetah Outreach Program in Somerset West, a suburb of Cape Town. Big cat with handler while DW went in to meet and pet it.

When travelling I have 2 full frame bodies, a slew of lenses and a P&S.

When going out for the day, I try to speculate which lenses will be required. If more than the standard 24 - 105 I will take 2 bodies. Standard zoom on 1 body and either telephoto or wide angle on the other.

I try to restrict lens changes while out in the field, as on an extended trip it would be a challenge to get it cleaned should I get dust inside.

Usually always pop the P&S into a pocket.

We embark on the Sea Princess WC on May 22nd and have the following budget.

OBC - $2,000

Tips - Complimentary

Tours - $7,000 (we will only use ship tours)

Additional Spend - $10,000 (drinks, specialty restaurants, misc)

We don't tend to drink much and will have steak house dinner about every 2 weeks. Never gamble, use the photo shop or attend the myriad of extra fee stuff Princess try to flog.

For shore currency we have small amounts of Australian, Euro, Sterling, Iceland & US.

Thanks but I am thick what if you book as one world cruise..

We have booked the entire WC on Sea Princess, departing May 22nd. Our cruise history shows we get 4 credits for the number of cruises and 104 days added to the to number of days.

For benefits we get the mini bar top up and internet on each of the 4 segments.

You could also book it as individual segments with 4 confirmation numbers, but I suspect it is more costly. The 4 confirmations would get you the additional OBC for shares, military, etc.

In addition to the Pacific Princess departing in January you also have the Sea Princess departing in May from Sydney.

At a shade under 80,000 tons and about 2,000 pax we find them a perfect size.

Haven't been with HAL, but we really enjoy sea days on Princess ships. You can relax or attend a different activity every 1/2 hr, or any option between those 2 extremes.

I always enjoy reading WC blogs. I hope some of you lucky cruisers of the world will blog for the rest of us. Links? Cheers!

Sea Princess from Sydney, starts May 22nd. We will maintain our blog

http://www.andyandjudi.com

I use Canon 5D3 & 5D2 bodies and around the glaciers I use the 24-105 on one body and the 16-35 on the other, using the 24-105 for most shots.

For whale watching I swap the 16-35 for the 70-200 with 2x extender, again staying with the 24-105 most of the time.

Have been to Alaska many times and have never had any issues with taking glacier shots. I've used both Aperture or Shutter priority and got excellent results with both. On rare occasion the highlights blow out I dial in -ve exposure compensation. Never found any need to bracket the exposure.

For calving I switch to shutter priority and continuous shooting, with shutter at faster than 1/250 and preferably 1/500th

For whales, I always use shutter priority faster than 1/500, with ISO increased to get reasonable aperture, which varies widely depending on weather. I have used the power drive on the old A-1 and low speed continuous on the digital bodies. Getting the perfect shot is very hit and miss.

I've seen your pics havoc and they are fantastic!!! What do you have for glass??? I'm currently using my father in laws 24-105 f4L and 70-200 f4L but am looking to purchase my own,,,any recommendations??:)

For Canon lenses to go with your 5D3, I suggest:

- 70-200 f2.8L II IS USM, can be used with 2x converter

- 16-35 f2.8L II USM,

- 24-105 f4 or 24-70 f2.8L

BUMP-

I found a better camera that I am probably going to purchase. Just within my price range, it is the Canon Eos Rebel XT. But, I have a question. If I were to get the XT, would it perform taking pictures better than my G3's camera?

Both are older Canon models, with the G3 dating from about 2002 to 2003 and the Rebel XT, also designated 350D, from about 2005. Don't have any experience with either, but the XT shared some features of the 20D, which is from the same era. The 20D was my initial venture to digital photography.

The reviews are positive, with a 8M sensor and DIGIC 2 processor. They provide 2 auto modes. It is also very compact and light weight.

To answer your question, most definitely the XT will take better photos, especially in limited light and will be more flexible.

Making the decisions regarding the gear to take are always a wee bit easier when you know the type of shots you want to capture.

Currently I travel with a 5D3, 5D2 and small P&S, however until last year I also had a G10 for the wife. The G10 could do everything the 5D did, just not as conveniently and not as well in low light.

Having worked on cruise ships and latterly extensively as a passenger, the ship for us is the primary reason for taking a cruise. For us, ports are an additional bonus, but if we don't go ashore no big deal. Therefore, I take many photographs around the ship.

For most of the photos around the ship, sunrises/sunsets, theatre, atrium, etc I prefer using the dSLR, therefore I would give up other stuff to bring the 5D2, if weight was an issue.

I also recently bought a new bag, which carries all my gear and laptop in a single backpack. This is now my only carry-on luggage.

Personally, if a new product meets my requirements, I will always opt for new over a used product with more features, especially if price is similar.

I just can't give up the manufacturer's warranty coupled with additional warranty through the credit card. Most of the time you never require warranty, but it's reassuring to know it is there.

With P&S cameras my concerns for used product is how many times has the camera been dropped and has it got sand from use of the beach.

Jan,

The 70-200 may be slightly faster, but the 7D2 is amazing for a 2nd body. Great frame rate + most new features from the full frame bodies.