Good digital camera to capture Alaska's beauty

[donaldsc]

iPhone 7+ will get you close in.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

I have no idea what picture #1 is; the flower in picture #2 is out of focus and the background is distracting because it is not blurred enough.

 

DON

[Flatbush Flyer]

I have no idea what picture #1 is; the flower in picture #2 is out of focus and the background is distracting because it is not blurred enough.

 

DON

 

 

 

Jellyfish

You have to admit: not bad for iPhone pix taken by a non-photographer.

[Dev'sMom]

I have to admit, almost every holiday card the last few years has been a collage of photos mostly taken by our phone!

Well Best Buy has what seems to be a good deal on a sony a5100 bundle with the 16-50mm and 55-210mm lenses. Better than amazon's price for the same. I'm so tempted!

[goose&mav]

I have to admit' date=' almost every holiday card the last few years has been a collage of photos mostly taken by our phone!

Well Best Buy has what seems to be a good deal on a sony a5100 bundle with the 16-50mm and 55-210mm lenses. Better than amazon's price for the same. I'm so tempted![/quote']

 

I bought the Sony A6300 2 yrs ago from amazon via Beach camera, came with a lot of accessories. Prices have really dropped for this and now they offer a whole kit and caboodle including 2lenses for cheaper with more gear than the price I paid 2 years ago.

 

I really like the Sony mirrorless system and researched it a lot when I bought it. It has 4k video capability also. But honestly, I take more pictures with my iPhone than anything else...

 

Definitely buy a high memory SD card and make sure the batteries are charged.

[cheone]

I bought the Sony A6300 2 yrs ago from amazon via Beach camera, came with a lot of accessories. Prices have really dropped for this and now they offer a whole kit and caboodle including 2lenses for cheaper with more gear than the price I paid 2 years ago.

 

I really like the Sony mirrorless system and researched it a lot when I bought it. It has 4k video capability also. But honestly, I take more pictures with my iPhone than anything else...

 

Definitely buy a high memory SD card and make sure the batteries are charged.

 

Also try Walmart.com which has a cheaper price than Amazon for most items including Cameras. By using Walmart.com, if you don't like the item, just take it back to the nearest Walmart store and get a refund.

[Dev'sMom]

I bought the Sony A6300 2 yrs ago from amazon via Beach camera, came with a lot of accessories. Prices have really dropped for this and now they offer a whole kit and caboodle including 2lenses for cheaper with more gear than the price I paid 2 years ago.

 

I really like the Sony mirrorless system and researched it a lot when I bought it. It has 4k video capability also. But honestly, I take more pictures with my iPhone than anything else...

 

Definitely buy a high memory SD card and make sure the batteries are charged.

 

I like the features of the a6300 vs a5100. Seems like you get a lot for a slightly bigger size. Especially that little bit of weatherproofing and faster focus! I don't plan to buy another camera for a long time, so I'm making this my top choice now. I know I am so indecisive!

I do agree that day-to-day I will continue to use my phone for photos. But for our upcoming Alaska trip, and potentially other breathtaking places the I want to show my son, I will use a dedicated camera. We have a go-pro, for fun. I think a good camera will round us out well, apart from a dedicated regular video camera, which I have no need for right now.

 

Given my choice of a6300 (or a5100 if I change my mind yet again!), what is a good recommended "all-in-one" lens for me, the non-pro? I want something I can use during Glacier Bay scenic cruising, whale watching, Denali National Park, and some family photos (no need to be ultra-fancy portraits) with nice landscape or cruise ship behind us. I don't want to have to change lenses during an excursion, for example. So good zoom but also okay closer up. Does this exist in one lens? Bundles come with 16-50, 55-210, or 18-135. Are any of these suitable or should I go with something else entirely? p.s. I can't spend 1K on a lens right now. If I should move this question to the photo forum, please let me know! Thank you all again. I promise to decide this weekend :D

[marybeshaw]

Good luck with your purchase!

 

I was originally taught to reformat my SD cards every time I downloaded pictures to my other drives, but I have started keeping all photos on my SD cards as additional backups, rather than reusing the same SD card.

 

I would recommend you find some classes to learn to use your camera, and also get some good photo software. Post-processing can make a night and day difference. I used to work for Adobe, and I am addicted to Creative Cloud (ask about an “employee” price if you know an employee). I also have almost always had access to Lynda.com through my employers, which has amazing online photography and post-processing (software) classes.

 

———

When I bought my camera, 5 or 6 years ago, I got the best body I could afford with a 50mm lens (no zoom; the cheapest lens I could find, but good quality!). I figured I would get a better lens in a year or so (which didn’t happen). I found it was tough to deal with family photos and such because I couldn’t zoom out.

 

Finally, for our Alaska cruise (in 3 weeks now!), we bought a “new” lens - actually a refurbished 55-300 lens - and a nice sling camera bag. That was my Christmas present!

 

So I will be able to zoom in, but not zoom out. For family photos, I will still have to back up a ways. Maybe in a year or two I will be add another lens to my collection.

 

The camera body has come a long way since I bought mine. I figured it would be a decades-long investment, and now I look at the amazing new cameras on the market and almost wish I didn’t go that route. But I have a body that will take 11x17” photos without blowing it up, and I enjoy shooting in RAW and doing the post-processing myself. I might not have the best new tech, but I do have a solid camera. That said, if I were to make the decision again, I am not sure if I would do the same thing.

[donaldsc]

Jellyfish

You have to admit: not bad for iPhone pix taken by a non-photographer.

 

My only comment is that when I look at a photograph, I look at at the quality of the photograph and what it says to me and not the camera that was used to take the photograph.

 

DON

[Dev'sMom]

marybeshaw, thank you for those tips! I'm also used formatting memory cards before use. I like your idea of not re-using SD cards though, to save for back-ups. Learning post-processing software and classes--things I hope to get in to! Especially after retiring! I hope you have a great cruise with lots of memories captured on your great camera!

 

I've moved my camera/lens question to the photography forum so I don't keep "clogging up" this one :)

[Fairfield Nana]

I bought a Sony a6000 a couple of years ago and really love it over my Panasonic Lumix and Canon Rebel. It is way faster and sharper, and has a ton of lenses you can buy. It came with the two aforementioned 16-50 and 55-210 lenses, and I have since purchased a Sony E 50mm f/1.8 lens which is perfect for normal and close range and is also very useful for some long-range shots. Only cost about $250. I would also recommend to anyone who buys this camera to buy a copy of David Busch's "Sony a6000 Digital Photography" book (Amazon has a very affordable price) and to access Tony Northrup's video on youtube for a 60 minute extremely useful, thorough and easy to follow "how to" video.

[Dev'sMom]

Fairfield Nana, I'm glad to hear of another happy Sony mirrorless owner!

Well, so I went around 1K over my original budget of $500, and ended up ordering the a6500 with a 18-185mm lens, plus a wide angle 12 lens. Once I saw the images from these camera types, I couldn't resist. I'm hoping it lasts a looong time for that amount! I have a LOT of homework to do in the next 5 weeks to learn this thing!

Happy picture-snapping and cruising, all, and many thanks again for your advice! :)

[tcdcruiser]

Digital Camera Review is the photographers equivalent to Cruise Critics for cruisers. See below recommendations for best travel cameras...

 

 

 

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-cameras-for-travel

[marybeshaw]

Fairfield Nana' date=' I'm glad to hear of another happy Sony mirrorless owner!

Well, so I went around 1K over my original budget of $500, and ended up ordering the a6500 with a 18-185mm lens, plus a wide angle 12 lens. Once I saw the images from these camera types, I couldn't resist. I'm hoping it lasts a looong time for that amount! I have a LOT of homework to do in the next 5 weeks to learn this thing!

Happy picture-snapping and cruising, all, and many thanks again for your advice! :)[/quote']

 

Wow, congrats! Enjoy!

 

I decided to take my own advice and have been watching Lynda.com photography lessons to brush up- and I am so glad I did! I am learning a ton. There is a mirrorless camera course on there, as well as other courses that work for all cameras (like “composition” and “exposure”).

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention: my library offers free Lynda.com access, so check with yours. And if you bought your camera at a local shop, they probably offer classes, too.

[Dev'sMom]

Wow, congrats! Enjoy!

 

I decided to take my own advice and have been watching Lynda.com photography lessons to brush up- and I am so glad I did! I am learning a ton. There is a mirrorless camera course on there, as well as other courses that work for all cameras (like “composition” and “exposure”).

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention: my library offers free Lynda.com access, so check with yours. And if you bought your camera at a local shop, they probably offer classes, too.

 

Oh that's cool, I'll have to check that out. My pesky job is getting in the way of me learning this camera and photography! :')

[Dev'sMom]

Digital Camera Review is the photographers equivalent to Cruise Critics for cruisers. See below recommendations for best travel cameras...

 

 

 

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-cameras-for-travel

 

 

Yes I read a lot on there (glad to hear it's reputable!) as well as CC member pierces page http://www.pptphoto.com/articles/usi...ers_frame.html in the course of deciding and some of their info tipped me over to the Sony mirrorless. I am finding some great ideas! Can't wait to get hands on with my camera when it arrives!

[Dev'sMom]

Hello all. I was hoping to post a review in early July about our Alaska trip and my new camera. Unfortunately we couldn't go. I was diagnosed cancer in mid-June. I'm in the midst of chemotherapy now. I'm praying to be able to beat this terrible disease quickly. And re-book for 2020. I feel most terrible for my young son. I need to be here for him as he grows up. There's so much more I want to do with him. I'm praying to have many more quality years with him. He and I are best friends. Everything I do is either directly or indirectly for him. I can't even look at the camera right now. Once I get some good news about my health, I will feel comfortable planning again and learning the camera to capture the all-important memories with my son. I'm struggling emotionally for him as much as I am physically.

p.s. I'm re-posting this in my other longer threads where I got helpful replies to my questions, where I intended to report back.

[CheckersMidwest]

I bought a Canon Power shot , it was about $500. Not exactly point & shoot but it did not have extra lenses. My daughter has a Canon rebel that takes beautiful pix but I didn't want to carry around those lenses.I just wanted to hang it on my neck and snap when I wanted to.

 

 

 

With that being said.....I'm not sure I made the right choice. Most of my pix are dull and not crisp. However, that's kind of how it was....lots of fog & haze, so in reality they probably turned out fine.

 

 

I did use the enhanced color setting a few times and the flowers, water,glaciers, etc turned out pretty. I have a 'few' wonderful pictures. The rest are equal to my old cheap camera.

[gambit57]

Digital Camera Review is the photographers equivalent to Cruise Critics for cruisers. See below recommendations for best travel cameras...

 

 

 

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/buying-guide-best-cameras-for-travel

 

I actually prefer the photography section of Cruise Critic. DP Review tends to be very specs focused. The users, in particular, are known to be quite the pixel peepers (ie they stare at extremely blown up sample images and argue over differences from pixel to pixel, even though a normal person could never see any difference when the photo is the size of what you see on a computer screen, let alone on the screen of an smartphone).

 

I get way better plain language and practical advice and knowledge asking here than on DPReview. I'm not saying it's bad there. It's just not as newbie easy. Once you're at the enthusiast level, it can be very illuminating. Ken Rockwell used to be good for plain language and easy advice for newbies, but now his stuff is just recycled hot garbage.

[masterdrago]

I actually prefer the photography section of Cruise Critic. DP Review tends to be very specs focused. The users, in particular, are known to be quite the pixel peepers (ie they stare at extremely blown up sample images and argue over differences from pixel to pixel, even though a normal person could never see any difference when the photo is the size of what you see on a computer screen, let alone on the screen of an smartphone).

 

I get way better plain language and practical advice and knowledge asking here than on DPReview. I'm not saying it's bad there. It's just not as newbie easy. Once you're at the enthusiast level, it can be very illuminating. Ken Rockwell used to be good for plain language and easy advice for newbies, but now his stuff is just recycled hot garbage.

But if you've never surfed Ken Rockwell's pages, there is a lot to learn there - good advice on photo stuff in general.