Cameras vs your cell phone

[rookiecruiser2014]

I use my phone to take pictures of everyday things, and don't currently own a digital camera. A friend suggested once I started cruising, it would be good to invest in a decent one.

 

For those who have cruised before - Did you bring a digital camera on in leau of using your iphone/smartphone camera to take pics?

 

for those newbies like me - what are you going to do on your trip?

[southpaw_1979]

I bought a proper digital camera. I was originally thinking of a dSLR but then decided I didn't want to lug it around and it would be more difficult to stash on the beach. Decided that a waterproof camera was more what I wanted, point and shoot. Settled on an Olympus Tough TG-1, I love it, there are a few little things I would have changed but it's mostly because of preference. I've always had a point and shoot, but frequently use my phone.

I highly recommend a camera.

[TheOldBear]

You may want to scroll down to the Photo and Camera Discussion forum, and also see a travel camera buyer's guide over at DP Review

 

I would look at either a 'tough' camera or a 'travel zoom' compact as the next step - not a complex slr or other interchangeable lens camera purchased on the way to the cruise.

[cb at sea]

If you are happy with the photos you take on your phone, I wouldn't mess with a good thing. If you want better photos, get a real camera.

 

 

I've found that all the time I spend trying to get a 'good shot" with a camera, I've not been living in the moment! So, I've pretty much stopped taking photos! I'd rather enjoy the moment, than try and capture it! If it's worth remembering, I will remember it!

Edited March 13, 2014 by cb at sea

[newlaxfan]

Take a camera, even if it's a point and shoot!

[Mytime2014]

I am cruising Alaska for my first trip and taking a point and shoot Nikon coolpix as well as son's Canon Rebel for glacier pictures.

If I end up cruising Caribbean,I would get a water proof. Hmmmm wonder if a water proof would be good for a whale watching excursion....

I don't even want my phone in my hand unless in a place that I can get a text to the family

[Cuizer2]

I use my phone to take pictures of everyday things, and don't currently own a digital camera. A friend suggested once I started cruising, it would be good to invest in a decent one.

 

For those who have cruised before - Did you bring a digital camera on in leau of using your iphone/smartphone camera to take pics?

 

for those newbies like me - what are you going to do on your trip?

 

I always bring a digital camera. A good DSLR that I use on the ship and on tours where I know there will be some good photo opportunities. I also bring a travel (pocket sized P&S) digital camera for off the ship. If I am going to be doing any photography in the water, I also bring a digital underwater camera.

[mitsugirly]

I used to bring my expensive DSLR camera, the bag, the lens and so on. Then I discovered I could take pretty good pictures using a waterproof point and shoot camera. I don't even bother bringing my DSLR now.

 

I currently have the Olympus Tough camera (630) and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

It takes awesome pictures on land and in the water (you can look at any of my latest reviews and see the type of pictures it takes). It has a lot of neat settings on it as well.

[Lerin]

Used to, but my phone takes decent photos and is much smaller.

 

I don't feel it's necessary to have a big, fancy camera. But to each their own.

[rookiecruiser2014]

Thanks everyone so far who have given advice.

 

While I do like the photos my phone takes, my worry is that since I wont be using the phone for data/calls the week of the trip, I wasnt sure if I wanted to even bring the phone on the boat at all.

 

I wasnt looking at any camera too fancy, but something small and compact that could take good photos and video for less than 200 bucks.

[TheOldBear]

Thanks everyone so far who have given advice.

 

While I do like the photos my phone takes, my worry is that since I wont be using the phone for data/calls the week of the trip, I wasnt sure if I wanted to even bring the phone on the boat at all.

 

I wasnt looking at any camera too fancy, but something small and compact that could take good photos and video for less than 200 bucks.

 

Looking over on Amazon [the 'outlet' section] there are a bunch of sub $200 travel zoom cameras [sony, Fuji, Panasonic, Canon….].

 

I would check the description / specs for 'optical image stabilization' or 'vibration reduction' features [compensates for the camera moving slightly].

[calliopecruiser]

I use my phone to take pictures of everyday things, and don't currently own a digital camera. A friend suggested once I started cruising, it would be good to invest in a decent one.

 

For those who have cruised before - Did you bring a digital camera on in leau of using your iphone/smartphone camera to take pics?

 

for those newbies like me - what are you going to do on your trip?

 

If you want a small light digital camera, you'll probably find your smartphone takes equally good pictures....I wouldn't bother with a digital point-and-shoot camera and use your phone instead. However, if you want and will use a DSLR, then a cruise is a great time to get one.

 

I love my DSLR and wouldn't cruise or vacation without it - but I've used SLR cameras for over 20 years and enjoy the taking of the pictures as much as the pictures themselves. For point-and-shoot occasions when I don't want to carry my DSLR (like at dinner), I use my iPhone.

 

My question is about whether I want a point and shoot film camera as well. Digital pictures won't last forever.

[ducklite]

I use my phone to take pictures of everyday things, and don't currently own a digital camera. A friend suggested once I started cruising, it would be good to invest in a decent one.

 

For those who have cruised before - Did you bring a digital camera on in leau of using your iphone/smartphone camera to take pics?

 

for those newbies like me - what are you going to do on your trip?

 

I have brought everything from a pro level DSLR to a simple point and shoot to only my iPhone. IT just depends on where I am going. Europe, I'm dragging the entire rig. Bahamas? Why bother.

[Mytime2014]

Why won't digital pictures last forever?

[RoxnDox]

Digital images may not last forever, but they're still durable enough, especially if you take basic precautions with your computers files. Update your files and software once in a while, migrate them to new machines, etc,

 

Jim

 

 

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[1313steve]

Thanks everyone so far who have given advice.

 

While I do like the photos my phone takes, my worry is that since I wont be using the phone for data/calls the week of the trip, I wasnt sure if I wanted to even bring the phone on the boat at all.

 

I wasnt looking at any camera too fancy, but something small and compact that could take good photos and video for less than 200 bucks.

 

 

If you decide to bring your iPhone, just put it in airplane mode and you'll basically have a camera only device (plus a calculator and flashlight!) :)

[calliopecruiser]

If you decide to bring your iPhone, just put it in airplane mode and you'll basically have a camera only device (plus a calculator and flashlight!) :)

 

And music, and audiobooks, and an alarm clock, and a compass, and word games, and.......

 

 

As for digital photos not lasting forever, it's as much about the software as the hardware. In 10, 25, or 50 years, the software to read those files might no longer be available, as well as the lesser possibility that the files will be corrupted and unviewable. Prints will last longer, and negatives even longer than that, if kept properly. For some people, 10 years is more than enough for their vacation photos, but others may want memories to be passed on to children, grandchildren, and their children, etc. Will we have people in 80+ years who will never have photos of their great grandparents, etc?

 

Off my photography soapbox now.....

[alfaeric]

Thanks everyone so far who have given advice.

 

While I do like the photos my phone takes, my worry is that since I wont be using the phone for data/calls the week of the trip, I wasnt sure if I wanted to even bring the phone on the boat at all.

 

I wasnt looking at any camera too fancy, but something small and compact that could take good photos and video for less than 200 bucks.

 

+1 for the "take the phone anyway". regardless of what you do for pictures, you may want the phone once you get back to the main port. The phone part will work in any US port, as well.

 

As for the camera- long story short- I went from a point and shoot to an iPod Touch with worse resolution, and was fine with it. We barely use the pictures we take, so the easier the thing, the better.

 

We now have iPhones.

 

It very much depends on what you do with the pictures when you are done. If you make super high quality prints for whatever reason, well, that means as good a camera as possible. If you shrink to fit onto a small Christmas card (which is what I do), the Touch was darned good.

 

have a great trip.

[TraceyPrk]

Was disappointed with photos we took in 2012 on our phones and a small digital camera. Took DSLR in 2013 and these were much much better. Will always take the better camera from now on as always print them out for those cold winter days when I want to remind myself of what a fabulous time we had.

 

 

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[rookiecruiser2014]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I decided on purchasing a small point and shoot panasonic lumix to bring with us for the trip. I will play with it in the weeks leading to the trip to make sure I am comfortable with all the features.

[jamessemaj]

Thanks everyone for all the feedback. I decided on purchasing a small point and shoot panasonic lumix to bring with us for the trip. I will play with it in the weeks leading to the trip to make sure I am comfortable with all the features.

 

The Panasonic Lumix is a very good choice. I have had one for several years and one trip left it behind and used my iphone. Wasn't happy doing that. In sunlight it was difficult to compose pics. The Panasonic also takes much better quality pics in my opinion. I bring both now.

[reedl]

And music, and audiobooks, and an alarm clock, and a compass, and word games, and.......

 

 

As for digital photos not lasting forever, it's as much about the software as the hardware. In 10, 25, or 50 years, the software to read those files might no longer be available, as well as the lesser possibility that the files will be corrupted and unviewable. Prints will last longer, and negatives even longer than that, if kept properly. For some people, 10 years is more than enough for their vacation photos, but others may want memories to be passed on to children, grandchildren, and their children, etc. Will we have people in 80+ years who will never have photos of their great grandparents, etc?

 

Off my photography soapbox now.....

 

Pretty much every camera takes jpeg pictures. As long as those pictures are stored in at least two different places (preferably more than that), then you will have no issues with preservation of digital photos that you keep. I have a file server in my house which is RAID-1 (which means two copies of everything). It also is backed up on a separate drive, and is also backed up to an online backup service. I also keep a copy of all my irreplaceable data (pictures, video, audio) on a separate offsite drive that is updated once a month.

 

So I have four copies of media that is in very standard file formats. Pictures are in jpeg. Music is in MP3 or wav, video is in mpeg-2 or mpeg-4. These are all formats that will be around for years to come.

[reedl]

As to phone camera versus a "real" camera. The quality of the picture will always be based on the lens in front of the sensor. You can have a 40 megapixel sensor, but if you have a little tiny lens in front of it, the picture quality will be poor compared to a real camera with a real lens.

 

I have a couple of old digital cameras and newer ones also. One is a Olympus E-10 that is 4 megapixel. The pictures that come out of that camera are of higher quality than any phone camera ever could hope for because it has a real glass lens which gathers more light than the tiny little camera phone ever could hope to. The pictures might not have 12 megapixels, but when you look at them either printed out at a reasonable size (5 X 7 for example), there is no comparison. The real camera pictures simply look better.

[teejgee]

There are pros and cons with each. Obviously there is the hassle of a 2nd device, especially with DSLRs, but if you're into photography, this is a great tool to (a) support a fun hobby and (b) create some amazing photographs that cannot be replicated with a point and shoot or a phone. A good camera and starter kit will probably set you back $750 to $1000.

 

I bought a DSLR and couldn't be happier with it. If all you're going to do is post Facebook snapshots, I'd stick with your cell phone.

[peety3]

I bought a DSLR and couldn't be happier with it. If all you're going to do is post Facebook snapshots, I'd stick with your cell phone.

+1 on this. We have several DSLRs with an assortment of lenses, and yet we rent more/different gear for our Alaska cruises. We're very happy with our pictures, and we usually draw quite a crowd when we show them.