Camera of choice on cruise?

[SpeedGeek]

Ok, so with less than three weeks away from one of my cruises this fall, I'm trying to figure out how I want to handle photos on this trip. I've got a Pentax K10D with a great bounce flash and lens, but it's a bit of a pain to lug around the ship and back and forth to the cabin (as I found out last October).

 

So I'm trying to figure out what compact digital I want to purchase for the trip and figured I'd get some input from other CC users for some ideas :D

 

A few needs:

 

- At least 10MP

- Waterproof or waterproof housing available

- Rechargable battery, no alkalines

- SD card standard (no xD/microSD)

- 10x zoom preferable

- Manual mode preferable

 

Thanks!

[tuffy0317]

I'm normally a Nikon D200 user, but shot our whole cruise last year with a Canon SD1200IS. I love this camera and often use it in manual mode, rather than auto.

 

Photos here:

 

I haven't used a waterproof case yet with it, but will be at the end of the week on our next cruise!

[davenew]

Ok, so with less than three weeks away from one of my cruises this fall, I'm trying to figure out how I want to handle photos on this trip. I've got a Pentax K10D with a great bounce flash and lens, but it's a bit of a pain to lug around the ship and back and forth to the cabin (as I found out last October).

 

So I'm trying to figure out what compact digital I want to purchase for the trip and figured I'd get some input from other CC users for some ideas :D

 

A few needs:

 

- At least 10MP

- Waterproof or waterproof housing available

- Rechargable battery, no alkalines

- SD card standard (no xD/microSD)

- 10x zoom preferable

- Manual mode preferable

 

Thanks!

 

I also got fed up with lugging a monster plus lenses. I now use a Sony DSCTX5B Cyber-shot Digital Camera - Black (10.2MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD with 4gb built in memory. Its just over 1/2 " thick and fits in my shirt pocket - great camera :)

[JackieJ]

I use the Fuji FinePix z33WP waterproof camera, love it! Be sure to get the float strap and silicon case to protect it though. It has no moving parts so the lens is exposed. The case has a little raised edge around the lens so you won't rich scratching it if placed face down.

[cal516]

If it's just another Caribbean cruise I only bring a pocket camera (Panasonic DMC-ZS7 - 12mp, 16x optical zoom, multiple-modes, stabilized, built in GPS).

 

When we go on a more memorable cruise (heading for the a Scandinavia And Russia cruise soon), then I bring the Panasonic plus my Canon 5D with a walk-around lens (28-135mm IS) and a 1.4x doubler. No flash. I rarely use the big honker on the ship, only during tours. If I encounter a low light situation (with no flash) I do the best I can with high ISO. Sometimes I wish I had one of a host of other lens (I was a pro photographer for a short while) but they're just too damn hard to lug around - not to mention fly with.

 

... Cal

 

(P.S. This is not an endorsement of the Panasonic pocket camera)

[SpeedGeek]

I also got fed up with lugging a monster plus lenses. I now use a Sony DSCTX5B Cyber-shot Digital Camera - Black (10.2MP, 4x Optical Zoom) 3 inch LCD with 4gb built in memory. Its just over 1/2 " thick and fits in my shirt pocket - great camera :)

 

How hard is the LCD touch screen to work with? Looks like an interesting choice.

[findatmyfeet]

I just bought the Sony TX5 Awesome!!

Water proof, shock prof ect

A bit pricey but has panoramic sweep and HD720

Very small and fits in a purse only down fall is 4X zoom

[SpeedGeek]

If it's just another Caribbean cruise I only bring a pocket camera (Panasonic DMC-ZS7 - 12mp, 16x optical zoom, multiple-modes, stabilized, built in GPS).

 

When we go on a more memorable cruise (heading for the a Scandinavia And Russia cruise soon), then I bring the Panasonic plus my Canon 5D with a walk-around lens (28-135mm IS) and a 1.4x doubler. No flash. I rarely use the big honker on the ship, only during tours. If I encounter a low light situation (with no flash) I do the best I can with high ISO. Sometimes I wish I had one of a host of other lens (I was a pro photographer for a short while) but they're just too damn hard to lug around - not to mention fly with.

 

... Cal

 

(P.S. This is not an endorsement of the Panasonic pocket camera)

 

How bad is the battery life with the GPS tagging (or do you even bother with that bit)?

 

And I completely understand the bit about lugging around equipment. It'd be great if I could bring enough primes to cover every last situation I could encounter, but I'm on vacation, photography comes second. :D

[ehfl]

Canon has a great waterproof camera.

[mjldvlks]

With the exception that I am not particularly concerned about the waterproof issue, I think we are looking for similar cameras. Here is a great site that has "super zoom" [10x or greater] compact digital cameras tested and reviewed as a group. I am leaning to one of the Panasonics, but have not yet made a buy. Hopefully this will give you some useful information.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210grouptravelzoom/

[HorrorFan]

http://www.olympuscanada.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1497

Excellent camera.

But I still would use my DSLR around the ship.

[SpeedGeek]

With the exception that I am not particularly concerned about the waterproof issue, I think we are looking for similar cameras. Here is a great site that has "super zoom" [10x or greater] compact digital cameras tested and reviewed as a group. I am leaning to one of the Panasonics, but have not yet made a buy. Hopefully this will give you some useful information.

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q210grouptravelzoom/

 

Excellent. Yeah, I'd like the waterproof option, but in the overall scheme of things, I'd only use the underwater portion on cruises. I'd probably just prefer a nice good quality compact to snap shots when I'm not carrying around the K10D.

[Daghis]

(Panasonic DMC-ZS7 - 12mp, 16x optical zoom, multiple-modes, stabilized, built in GPS).

I have this camera, too (although it's actually only 12x optical zoom, but they do have some enhanced zoom modes). I got it as an upgrade to the DMC-ZS3 I had before because of its included GPS functionality. It'll be nice to geotag photos while on the trip. I have enjoyed making HD movies with it.

 

I normally use an Eye-Fi card which also includes geotagging (through WiFi-positioning) at home, but that won't work very well out in the Caribbean. :)

 

As far as battery use due to the GPS, I don't have much experience with it as I've been letting my Eye-Fi card handle the geotagging, but according to the manual, it only activates the GPS once every fifteen minutes or so after it's initially locked its location, so it shouldn't be that bad. It is possible to disable the GPS if one is concerned about battery usage.

[Puffinater]

I also got fed up with lugging a monster plus lenses.

 

I will echo this I used to lug around a Nikon D70 with several lenses, filters, etc. It got to be a chore so now it is just a digital point and shoot that fits in my pocket.

[ccruisequeen]

Kodak easy share works for me- light-weight, easy to handle, big viewing screen & takes videos on the same card

[cal516]

I have this camera, too (although it's actually only 12x optical zoom, but they do have some enhanced zoom modes). I got it as an upgrade to the DMC-ZS3 I had before because of its included GPS functionality. It'll be nice to geotag photos while on the trip. I have enjoyed making HD movies with it.

 

You are absolutely correct, it is only 12x Optical Zoom but they have an "intelligent zoom" mode which brings it up to 16x without degradation (their claim, not mine). Of course, they also have digital zoom which brings it up to a bazillion-x but so degrades the image as to be nearly useless.

 

I'm pretty particular about image quality and the i-zoom to 16x does seem to work pretty well. I keep that setting on nearly all the time.

 

I also keep the GPS on nearly all the time the sky is visible (useless inside a metal ship) and the battery drain appears to be negligible - on vacation I charge it every night. That said, the automatic geo-tagging is only OK as it uses a fairly limited and sometimes incorrect fixed library of locations. For instance, I live near Annapolis, Maryland and all my tags come out "Maryland." Well, ya but really ...

 

It also has a "vacation" mode which will tag all your pictures between date A and B with a tag you create, like "2010 Cruise" or whatever.

 

It can also use GPS to automatically correct for timezones but this also seems to be wrong as often as correct.

 

There are a host of other automatic functions (intelligent this and intelligent that) none of which seem particularily useful to me.

 

For all it's neat functions, bottom line, I'm not wild about image quality with this camera, Leica lens and all. Also, night flash is pretty limited. It is not fair, off course, to compare image quality between this and a big Canon DLSR, but that is my only other current frame of reference. It just seems that my old Canon Powershot A700 (6mp, 4x optical) took better pictures.

 

... Cal

[Daghis]

You're right about the image quality. I preferred the quality of the pictures I took with my old Canon PowerShot SD500 way back when, but I'm a bit of a gadget freak and I love playing with features. I really wanted HD movie recording, so that's why I got the ZS3 (which had been reported by a few reviewers to have superior picture quality to Canon's comparable SX200 model). Now it was about the GPS feature, so I upgraded to the ZS7 (for not too much of an incremental cost thanks to selling the ZS3 on eBay).

 

Of course, compared to my old SD500 by today's standards, I would rather have this ZS7 thanks to its fantastic zoom in a compact camera. Although the quality may not be quite as crisp as I might like, the fact that I can zoom in 3-4 times more is very nice.

[Aquahound]

I have this camera, too (although it's actually only 12x optical zoom, but they do have some enhanced zoom modes). I got it as an upgrade to the DMC-ZS3 I had before because of its included GPS functionality. It'll be nice to geotag photos while on the trip. I have enjoyed making HD movies with it.

 

+1 on this. DW and I both have this camera (because we were always fighting over it). We love them. They are the best digitals we have ever had. Highly recommend!

[chipmaster]

Nothing beats a DSLR with a bounce flash for indoor pictures without the harsh direct lighting of a small P&S or the onboard direct flash. But as you noted it comes with bulk :mad:

 

Not sure why you need 10Meg. I've found 8 and even my old 5Meg to do very well if I'm careful and can blow up to 8x10 unless you are a peeper ;)

 

If in the water you can look here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup/

Its an old review and Sony has a new waterproof camera with backlit sensor that is worth a look: the TX5.

 

Ok, so with less than three weeks away from one of my cruises this fall, I'm trying to figure out how I want to handle photos on this trip. I've got a Pentax K10D with a great bounce flash and lens, but it's a bit of a pain to lug around the ship and back and forth to the cabin (as I found out last October).

 

So I'm trying to figure out what compact digital I want to purchase for the trip and figured I'd get some input from other CC users for some ideas :D

 

A few needs:

 

- At least 10MP

- Waterproof or waterproof housing available

- Rechargable battery, no alkalines

- SD card standard (no xD/microSD)

- 10x zoom preferable

- Manual mode preferable

 

Thanks!

[The Big Booper]

I bought the ZS3 last November and took it on our last two cruises. While I agree it would be nice to use a big honking DSLR, you are still weighted down by the DSLR and it's aux lenses being honking big.:D

 

The sensor inside any compact digital will always be smaller then a DSLRs'

 

Once you learn to use all the tricks that the ZS3 has up its sleeve you can produce really neat pictures. Such as this handheld vertical shot in St. Kitts lit up by nothing but moonlight

 

.

 

I've also found that if you use the digital zoom in bright sunlight, then the digital degradation is not that bad and you are dealing with a 48X zoom capability.

[bionicman97]

If you like quick access to manual controls and do a lot of photoshop type work on your images (It shoots in RAW format), I recommend a Canon G11. Most of the manual controls have a dedicated dial on the body of the camera, so you don't have to dig through menus.

[judydoc]

If it's just another Caribbean cruise I only bring a pocket camera (Panasonic DMC-ZS7 - 12mp, 16x optical zoom, multiple-modes, stabilized, built in GPS).

 

When we go on a more memorable cruise (heading for the a Scandinavia And Russia cruise soon), then I bring the Panasonic plus my Canon 5D with a walk-around lens (28-135mm IS) and a 1.4x doubler. No flash. I rarely use the big honker on the ship, only during tours. If I encounter a low light situation (with no flash) I do the best I can with high ISO. Sometimes I wish I had one of a host of other lens (I was a pro photographer for a short while) but they're just too damn hard to lug around - not to mention fly with.

 

... Cal

 

(P.S. This is not an endorsement of the Panasonic pocket camera)

 

Was wondering what is a 1.4X doubler. I have the same lens for my Canon 50D. I'm just learning this photography thing. Sounds interesting!

[The Big Booper]

Was wondering what is a 1.4X doubler. I have the same lens for my Canon 50D. I'm just learning this photography thing. Sounds interesting!

 

The doubler increases the zoom reading. So with a 50-150mm lens, it functions like a 70-210mm lens, but there will be some image degradation. TANSTAAFL.

[LittleMissS]

I'm in a similar situation as the OP. I have a great Canon camera that takes great photos, but it's bulky. I plan on taking in on the cruise for excursions, but I'd also like a nice point and shoot. I have an older point and shoot, but the zoom isn't what I'd like it to be.

 

My question is...are there newer P&S cameras out there with a nice zoom

that takes AA batteries? (or some type of battery I can buy at a drug store?)

 

The reason I ask this is b/c I'm concerned about battery life. On a recent land-based tour, several people in my group with tiny P&S cameras had batteries that died while in the middle of a very long day (after taking many photos). I'm afraid this will happen to me if I buy a nice little P&S. (My Canon camera takes 4 AA batteries, which is great...it's very easy to carry spare batteries and I never worry about my batteries dying on me) I also like the idea of not having to recharge my camera every night...

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

Oh...and to the OP...be careful with the touch screen cameras. I have seen the LCDs pretty scratched up from every day use. (Maybe they have protective plastic pieces that cover the LCD?)

[The Big Booper]

=...>>>SNIP<<<...My question is...are there newer P&S cameras out there with a nice zoom

that takes AA batteries? (or some type of battery I can buy at a drug store?)

 

The reason I ask this is b/c I'm concerned about battery life. On a recent land-based tour, several people in my group with tiny P&S cameras had batteries that died while in the middle of a very long day (after taking many photos). I'm afraid this will happen to me if I buy a nice little P&S. (My Canon camera takes 4 AA batteries, which is great...it's very easy to carry spare batteries and I never worry about my batteries dying on me) I also like the idea of not having to recharge my camera every night...

 

Suggestions anyone?

 

 

Operative word here is little. Tiny and thin p&s digitals are too small to hold bulky AAs. The dedicated lithium batteries are flat and thin to fit the form factor of the tiny cameras. I only would use a camera that holds lithiums and I always buy a second battery. After a while, it becomes second nature to pop the lithium into the charger every night back in the cabin.