Cameras for Sale on HAL Ships?

[knittinggirl]

What brand of cameras are for sale on the HAL ships? Do they sell DSLRs?

 

I'm not planning on buying one, but I've had cameras break on day 2 of two cruises.

Edited July 9, 2016 by knittinggirl

[CaveDiving]

What brand of cameras are for sale on the HAL ships? Do they sell DSLRs?

 

I'm not planning on buying one, but I've had cameras break on day 2 of two cruises.

 

The Amsterdam had no cameras for sale on board earlier this year.

 

Scott & Karen

[Randyk47]

In short not much. The few cameras they have are sold by the photographer contractor and my recollection is that they were simple point and shoots, older models, and expensive compared to land prices. I've never seen a full blown DSLR for sale on any HAL cruise.

[Heartgrove]

Perhaps you aren't looking to purchase a camera soon, I thought that I would add my thoughts. Having had a DSLR fry its electronic board and then find it to be prohibitively cost effective to repair, I have been leery of digital cameras. My eye doctor once told me of the same problem he had on a trip to New Zealand. These were both high quality and well known brands of cameras.

 

On my last cruise I went with a DSLR, bridge camera, and a point & shoot. For all three I had two 32GB memory cards and a spare battery plus the chargers. Add in our two Smart Phones, I felt well covered.

 

In my opinion too much money is spent to make memories and to then chance having problems recording them. Incidentally, my replacement DSLR was purchased used (with a 180 day warranty) for a fraction of the cost new and uses the lenses from the fried camera. I plan on having another DSLR body along next time as well.

Edited July 9, 2016 by Heartgrove

[xlxo]

I'll also add there may not be much DSLR lens choices there either. Best to look for a camera when in port.

[jtl513]

About 8 years ago I had to buy a point&shoot Nikon on a ship and it cost about 30% more than if ordered on-line. Since then I always brought a spare camera.

Edited July 9, 2016 by jtl513

[take us away]

I also bring my older point and shoot camera plus a several memory cards and batteries as well as dumping the photos into my computer every few days. Am a bit paranoid about losing once in a lifetime photos.

 

Have not seen a camera for sale on a HAL ship in quite a while.

[taxmantoo]

Regardless of where you are headed, wait until you get to a port and purchase a replacement there. It will definitely be cheaper than buying on board, if they even have any.

Edited July 9, 2016 by taxmantoo

[amster65]

Just use your I-Phone!

[knittinggirl]

I have an extra body and a lens that works w/ that body. (Just in case.)

 

Just wondering about what's available. Princess sells a entry level Nikon DLSR.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thanks to all who posted. I sometimes wonder if I'm taking too much stuff, but now I feel better about it! I gave up on SLRs when I got my first digital camera. I'm too lazy to tote lenses. But even so I have my bridge camera, a point and shoot waterproof (for snorkeling), spare batteries, chargers, cords, cards. And my laptop to save backup copies. (I don't count the camera in my phone, as that's just for times I don't have a "proper" camera with me.)

 

At least I no longer have to carry the lead-foil bag full of rolls of film. Anyone remember those??? :D

 

I don't shop for camera stuff in port, so maybe I'm not noticing, but it seems there are fewer places to buy a camera. Mayne it's the ports we've been to lately, but I wonder if all the online deals have made it difficult for the shops in the islands to beat US prices. On our cruise this winter, I drowned my ancient Olympus waterproof (yes, I should have had the seals changed again). We had another snorkel trip planned, and didn't see anything on the ship. So I looked in port (Bonaire then Curacao) to see if I could get a replacement. I found only one store in Willemstad that sells cameras. I bought the cheapest waterproof coolpix (mixed reviews on that) and think I paid about 10% more than it would have cost at home, but I had it for the trip, and that's what mattered at the time.

[joekerstef]

Just use your I-Phone!

An iphone is a great tool to have in the camera arsenal, I certainly used mine quite a bit on my recent Alaska cruise, BUT it shoots wide angle which is great for those majestic pictures of mountains and glaciers (try the panoramic feature), casual snapshots, pictures of your dinner and whatnot but not so great if you want to take photos of say wildlife unless it's relatively close to you. I would never go on vacay with only my camera phone because I'd automatically miss the majority of the shots that I'd want to get.

[iflyrc5]

I have the large DSLR (Canon 7D) with several lens but have found that I really like what I call a higher end point and shoot for cruises. I picked up a Canon SX50HS (newer model available now)a couple of years ago and love it for traveling. It is much smaller and lighter than my DSLR, has 90% of the adjustment capability of my DSLR and has super zoom capability with IS and a built in flash for fill flash and 1080 video at the push of a button. I am sure that Nikon make a similar camera. Something to consider for your next trip.

[IRL_Joanie]

What brand of cameras are for sale on the HAL ships? Do they sell DSLRs?

 

I'm not planning on buying one, but I've had cameras break on day 2 of two cruises.

 

On our 2nd cruise to Alaska in May 2009 my 1 year old digital camera decided to lock up/break just as I took my 1st photo of Marjorie Glacier:(

 

I immediately ran down to the Photography area and asked if they could help me. A very nice young man tried his best to get the danged button to work but finally gave up after about 20 minutes.

 

I asked about buying a camera from them and he stated that while they do have some for sale, that I'd be better off buying one in Juneau the next day. Their price on board the ship for a camera almost comparable to what I had was more than $500.00 USD, whereas he saw the very same camera that I had at a kiosk inside the Diamond's International in Juneau on sale for less than $300.00 USD.

 

So yes, they do have cameras (or they did in 2009.) I do not think they have them out on display, so you'd have to ask.

 

Joanie

[hrhdhd]

Just use your I-Phone!

 

Don't have one! Now what? ;)

[sammygoose]

There were disposable cameras available in the 'tuck' shop on the Rotterdam last month. I'm pretty sure one was waterproof.

 

I'm not sure that's what you were looking for but if a photo emergency were to occur they are on a stand right inside the door.

 

We were fully loaded for our cruise so if something broke no biggie. I have no idea who'd actually buy one of those disposables.

[sabrefan]

My advice for trip photography would be this. A DSLR is only necessary if you want to do some creative photography which includes taking photos with more than one lens. Always a good idea to make sure your batteries are fully charged. If you encounter problems with your camera after knowing your battery is charged make sure your contacts on your battery and camera are clean of any debris. If you bought a new camera before your dream cruise, make sure you use at home a few times in order to improve your level of confidence in your new equipment. I also take a point and shoot waterproof camera with me as a backup and also in case it rains. Cheaper DSLR camera could be affected by rain.

[ski ww]

Have never seen any cameras for sale on HAL ships. I also go with a DSLR, a water proof point & shoot, & my older point & shoot. I did mention on one of our post cruise surveys that HAL should think about selling cameras. A lot of people wait for duty free ports to buy cameras & accessories, I know I've done so in the past in St Thomas & St Marrtin.

Allan

[USN59-79]

Have never seen any cameras for sale on HAL ships. I also go with a DSLR, a water proof point & shoot, & my older point & shoot. I did mention on one of our post cruise surveys that HAL should think about selling cameras. A lot of people wait for duty free ports to buy cameras & accessories, I know I've done so in the past in St Thomas & St Marrtin.

Allan

While our neighbors to the North may wait for duty free ports, for those who live in the U.S., the best buys for cameras seem to be here, either online or from stores like Costco. A couple of years ago on a Grand Asia cruise our table mate had her point and shoot stolen in Vietnam. She asked us to pick her up about a $100. replacement when we were in Singapore. I assumed we are in Asia, cameras are made in Asia, there will be a good buy here. I did a lot of shopping and found a reasonable one for about $120 that was on sale. The same camera would have been about $100. in the USA.

[navybankerteacher]

While our neighbors to the North may wait for duty free ports, for those who live in the U.S., the best buys for cameras seem to be here, either online or from stores like Costco. A couple of years ago on a Grand Asia cruise our table mate had her point and shoot stolen in Vietnam. She asked us to pick her up about a $100. replacement when we were in Singapore. I assumed we are in Asia, cameras are made in Asia, there will be a good buy here. I did a lot of shopping and found a reasonable one for about $120 that was on sale. The same camera would have been about $100. in the USA.

 

This happens with depressing frequency: manufacturers in East Asian countries often "dump" manufactured goods in the US in violation of trade agreements. My son is with Department of Commece and a major function is to monitor compliance with trade agreements.

[ravinblue]

A DSLR is only necessary if you want to do some creative photography which includes taking photos with more than one lens.

 

I disagree. There are many advantages of a DSLR over a point and shoot besides multiple lenses:

1. With a DSLR, the optical viewfinder shows you exactly what the camera will capture. The electronic viewfinder on a point and shoot is terrible in low light and difficult to see in bright sunlight.

2. Because of the lack of an electronic viewfinder, battery life is much greater in a DSLR.

3. DSLR's with a zoom lens requires the user to twist the barrel to get the frame that he desires - this is much quicker and more exact than the buttons or levers that electronically change the focal length on a point and shoot. Just notice the next time you are "waiting your turn" in front of a famous landmark - the DSLR people can get take their picture and get out of the way a lot faster than the point and shooters.

4, Taking a picture of a scene in bright sunlight will yield results that are indistinguishable on a DSLR, point and shoot, or a phone. But in low light, for portraits where you want a sharp image against a blurry background (narrow depth of field), in low light, etc, the DSLR is superior. You have much more control with a DSLR.

5. Although this has improved in recent years, point and shoots typically have a longer lag time than a DSLR - that is the time after you take a photo to when you can take another.

6. Better image quality - because the camera is bigger, the sensor where the image is recorded is bigger. That is why there is less noise in a photo taken by a DSLR even if the pictures have the same number of pixels.

 

Despite the clear superiority of the DSLR, I understand that the complexity is too much for some people. Even for those who aren't deterred by this, the size and weight of a DSLR may make the point and shoot preferable. I often leave my DSLR behind when carrying it around just seems like too much trouble and if it is raining, will use my point and shoot underwater camera (DSLR's for underwater use are just too expensive for me).:)

[3rdGenCunarder]

I disagree. There are many advantages of a DSLR over a point and shoot besides multiple lenses:

1. With a DSLR, the optical viewfinder shows you exactly what the camera will capture. The electronic viewfinder on a point and shoot is terrible in low light and difficult to see in bright sunlight.

2. Because of the lack of an electronic viewfinder, battery life is much greater in a DSLR.

3. DSLR's with a zoom lens requires the user to twist the barrel to get the frame that he desires - this is much quicker and more exact than the buttons or levers that electronically change the focal length on a point and shoot. Just notice the next time you are "waiting your turn" in front of a famous landmark - the DSLR people can get take their picture and get out of the way a lot faster than the point and shooters.

4, Taking a picture of a scene in bright sunlight will yield results that are indistinguishable on a DSLR, point and shoot, or a phone. But in low light, for portraits where you want a sharp image against a blurry background (narrow depth of field), in low light, etc, the DSLR is superior. You have much more control with a DSLR.

5. Although this has improved in recent years, point and shoots typically have a longer lag time than a DSLR - that is the time after you take a photo to when you can take another.

6. Better image quality - because the camera is bigger, the sensor where the image is recorded is bigger. That is why there is less noise in a photo taken by a DSLR even if the pictures have the same number of pixels.

 

Despite the clear superiority of the DSLR, I understand that the complexity is too much for some people. Even for those who aren't deterred by this, the size and weight of a DSLR may make the point and shoot preferable. I often leave my DSLR behind when carrying it around just seems like too much trouble and if it is raining, will use my point and shoot underwater camera (DSLR's for underwater use are just too expensive for me).:)

 

Almost nobody knows about bridge cameras, and you have to work to hunt them down, but I find a bridge to be the best of both worlds.

 

When I bought my first digital camera, the SLRs were way too expensive, so I bought a bridge camera. I had resisted digital for years, saying "real camera" vs "digital camera." After one weekend trip with the digital bridge camera, I got over my SLR/optical snobbery. I took the batteries out of my Nikon SLR and never looked back. I loved that the bridge was lighter, smaller than a SLR, and still very versatile, including a manual zoom. I was very happy to not be lugging around a camera bag of spare lenses, too.

 

You're right about the zoom on most point-and-shoot cameras. I find them very annoying, although they are getting better. In fact, my current bridge camera has the choice of motor or manual zoom. I'm amazed at how responsive the motor zoom is. I suppose my electronic "live" viewfinder uses some battery, but since I keep the viewing screen closed most of the time, I figure I'm not losing much.

 

The only weakness I see in the bridge camera is the low-light issue. Only the SLR with a wide aperture can give you really great low-light photos, but bridge gets close. And I can use the Aperture settings on my bridge to get shallow depth-of-field shots, which I use mostly for photographing flowers. (or cheat and use the "blur background" function)

[ravinblue]

Almost nobody knows about bridge cameras, and you have to work to hunt them down, but I find a bridge to be the best of both worlds.

 

When I bought my first digital camera, the SLRs were way too expensive, so I bought a bridge camera. I had resisted digital for years, saying "real camera" vs "digital camera." After one weekend trip with the digital bridge camera, I got over my SLR/optical snobbery. I took the batteries out of my Nikon SLR and never looked back. I loved that the bridge was lighter, smaller than a SLR, and still very versatile, including a manual zoom. I was very happy to not be lugging around a camera bag of spare lenses, too.

 

You're right about the zoom on most point-and-shoot cameras. I find them very annoying, although they are getting better. In fact, my current bridge camera has the choice of motor or manual zoom. I'm amazed at how responsive the motor zoom is. I suppose my electronic "live" viewfinder uses some battery, but since I keep the viewing screen closed most of the time, I figure I'm not losing much.

 

The only weakness I see in the bridge camera is the low-light issue. Only the SLR with a wide aperture can give you really great low-light photos, but bridge gets close. And I can use the Aperture settings on my bridge to get shallow depth-of-field shots, which I use mostly for photographing flowers. (or cheat and use the "blur background" function)

 

Your points are well taken. However, I can't get past holding the bridge or point and shoot camera at arm's length in front of me to look at the viewfinder as opposed to holding the DSLR up to my eye. Faster and steadier and easier to see in a variety of lighting conditions. For me, that (usually) trumps the other points.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Your points are well taken. However, I can't get past holding the bridge or point and shoot camera at arm's length in front of me to look at the viewfinder as opposed to holding the DSLR up to my eye. Faster and steadier and easier to see in a variety of lighting conditions. For me, that (usually) trumps the other points.

 

I completely agree about holding the camera at arm's length! That's one reason I rarely use my phone as a camera. But the bridge has a "live" electronic viewfinder. It's through-the lens, just not optically. Every bridge I've ever looked at is like that. Some point-and shoots do have viewfinders, but they're just looking out through the body.

 

I've never seen an underwater point-and-shoot camera with a viewfinder, but I suspect that's to reduce potential leakage points. Also, you can't really use a viewfinder with a mask in place, so they provide a large screen. Many years ago, I bought a disposable underwater camera for snorkeling. I had to laugh when I looked at the instructions. First thing was "Hold the viewfinder close to your eye." Seriously??? I just aimed in the general area of what I wanted and got a few decent shots that way. And a lot of shots of half a fish...

[ravinblue]

 

I completely agree about holding the camera at arm's length! That's one reason I rarely use my phone as a camera. But the bridge has a "live" electronic viewfinder. It's through-the lens, just not optically. Every bridge I've ever looked at is like that. Some point-and shoots do have viewfinders, but they're just looking out through the body.

 

I've never seen an underwater point-and-shoot camera with a viewfinder, but I suspect that's to reduce potential leakage points. Also, you can't really use a viewfinder with a mask in place, so they provide a large screen. Many years ago, I bought a disposable underwater camera for snorkeling. I had to laugh when I looked at the instructions. First thing was "Hold the viewfinder close to your eye." Seriously??? I just aimed in the general area of what I wanted and got a few decent shots that way. And a lot of shots of half a fish...

 

I had previously used a housing enclosing a point and shoot for scuba some years ago, but the camera technology improved to the point where these cameras were no longer adequate for me. I have not done any scuba diving now (for unrelated reasons) for several years, so I was not willing to pay the $$ for a "good" underwater camera for snorkeling. So, I just bought a Fujifilm FinePix XP70 just because Costco sold it. As you say, these are difficult to use with any precision and I need to delete a lot of pics and photoshop the rest to get a few half decent pics.