Budget camera selection for Alaska

[misguy]

My Alaskan cruise has broken my bank account and here is what I am planning to take for this cruise.  Canon SX720HS, Galaxy 8s, and GoPro clone.  Will I hate myself for not finding a better camera?  What else would you recommend?

[Heidi13]

Although I use a couple of Canon 5D bodies, I also have a Canon point & shoot that is a little older than yours. The P&S gives very reasonable results in the majority of situations. If you're looking for mementos of your Alaska cruise, don't see any reason why you would be disappointed.

 

Don't have a cell phone or GoPro, so can't comment on them. 

[mskaufman]

I also have a Canon Bridge camera older than yours (SX-40).  It worked well in AK.  I also travel with my Canon 60-D and a Go-Pro.  I think you will be fine.

[AL3XCruise]

As someone who recently made the switch from cell phones and point and shoot cameras to DSLRs, I thought my experience might help.  Keep in mind I probably know less than the posters above!

 

If you just had the phone, I'd suggest an upgrade, but the SX720HS seems like a pretty capable camera based on its specs.  While it is true that a good DSLR is going to be technically more capable, not all of that capability is going to be used all the time.  For example, the large sensor and greater ISO range on a full frame DSLR will help at night, but if you aren't shooting much at night that doesn't matter.  The most important difference is the amount of configuration possible.

 

Some high-end P and S do have some options, but a DSLR really shines when you are thinking about settings and trying to optimize them.  This takes some research, experimentation, and experience.If that kind of process is something that interests you, an upgrade may be a good idea.  If you like taking pictures on automatic, a good phone or P and S camera can give good results.

 

Just for reference, I'm attaching two pictures I took from the same balcony.  On the left is a Canon 5D MKIII with a low quality 135mm  lens, the right is a Galaxy Note 8.  The galaxy would need a digital zoom to get in as close, which would lower picture quality.  I've never used the SX720HS would probably get closer to the 5D in terms of what it outputs due to its optical zoom and a sensor that is better than what Samsung uses.

 

I reduced both images to 40% of their original size because otherwise they are gigantic!  No other editing.  (Note: it looks like CC reduced them some more, but they are still correct relative to each other).

 

In summary:  I think you'll be happy with what you have, BUT if you want to try and learn more about photography and invest some time into taking some special shots, an upgrade would be worth considering.

 

Hope that helps!

 

Edited April 17, 2019 by AL3XCruise