Camera for cruise

bigrednole · May 16, 2020

I will be reading more and researching. In the lockdown, I looked at my cameras. I have come to the following conclusions:

1. I have too many: GoPro for my daughter to have fun with

2. Olympus TG-4 for underwater and some general photos

3. Olympus OM-D e-M5 Mk II (just sold) for taking pictures

I learned that I am a picture taker and not a photographer. Carrying around a mirrorless, 2-3 lenses, and other gear is far too bulky. I am debating on what to do. I want to go the compact route because, well, they are just small, take decent pictures, and I am not really printing pictures anyway. I have only printed maybe a dozen. The rest are just kept digital.

If anyone has comments about a decent setup for a cruise or what others take on a cruise, that would be helpful.

pierces · May 16, 2020

Sony RX100 Mk III, IV, V, VI, VII

Several models still in production with various lenses from $500ish to north of $1000. Not cheap but they are the best compact travel cameras on the market.

Dave

Edited May 16, 2020 by pierces

zqvol · May 16, 2020

4 hours ago, bigrednole said:

I will be reading more and researching. In the lockdown, I looked at my cameras. I have come to the following conclusions:

1. I have too many: GoPro for my daughter to have fun with

2. Olympus TG-4 for underwater and some general photos

3. Olympus OM-D e-M5 Mk II (just sold) for taking pictures

I learned that I am a picture taker and not a photographer. Carrying around a mirrorless, 2-3 lenses, and other gear is far too bulky. I am debating on what to do. I want to go the compact route because, well, they are just small, take decent pictures, and I am not really printing pictures anyway. I have only printed maybe a dozen. The rest are just kept digital.

If anyone has comments about a decent setup for a cruise or what others take on a cruise, that would be helpful.

Use your phone, or use the TG-4.

mskaufman · May 17, 2020

I think the answer depends on where you are going. On a Med cruise I am more likely to "load up" even though I don't take everything with me everyday. I take the DLSR when touring. Often I also take a "bridge camera" that is lighter and has a longer zoom lens. And.. my GoPro. This past December when we went to the Bahamas I just took the bridge camera, which fits in my pocket (40X zoom).

bigrednole · May 17, 2020

17 hours ago, mskaufman said:

This past December when we went to the Bahamas I just took the bridge camera, which fits in my pocket (40X zoom).

Which bridge camera do you have?

Roger88 · May 17, 2020

4k Go Pro camera is the best choice for a short term cruises. You can capture all the memorable moments and it wont take too much space in your luggage. You can keep it in your pocket and easily connect to your phone, iPad and laptop computer. In terms of comfort - its the best camera around to work with.

Oakman58 · May 17, 2020

Have you looked at the bridge cameras available? Most have long zoom lenses and decent image stabilization. Some even have 1 inch sensors. It’s nice not having to carry extra lenses.

mskaufman · May 18, 2020

5 hours ago, bigrednole said:

Which bridge camera do you have?

I am now using a SX 720 (40X). I had a SX-40, which was much larger. The SX 40 is 35X, has a viewfinder but the SX 720 fits in my pocket. Both take good long distance pictures.

bigrednole · May 18, 2020

Thanks for the info. I am looking at options. I have not ruled out any option and I have not ruled out going with a small mirrorless and pancake lens.

SurfNCruise · May 22, 2020

Hi all. I am going to Alaska in 2021 on a cruise. Can anyone tell me if this is a good camera? it has 65x optical zoom and 20.3mp. I want to get decent photos of some wildlife (I hope) and scenery. But I don’t know anything about aperture or fancy things like that. I just want beautiful photos of my trip. Thanks! Oh, this camera is 549 at Best Buy. I’m open to other suggestions too! Thank you!

Canon - PowerShot SX70 HS 20.3-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

Model:3071C001

Halfdimes · May 22, 2020

For a small versatile camera I favored the Panasonic Lumix ZS50. I believe there is now a newer but similar model. The reason I liked that one is that in addition to the LCD screen it had an electronic eye level viewfinder. That came in handy several times in bright sun conditions where the LCD screen couldn't be viewed. I took that one on a 60 day South America cruise a couple of years ago and got many great photos that could be enlarged up to 16x20. More recently, I hankered for the Sony a6000 body with the 18-135 Sony zoom lens. A little bigger but I found a small Ape brand camera bag that fit the camera/lens combo perfectly. Toted that around northern Europe and Russia last summer with no problem. But if you strictly want a pocket camera, I highly recommend the ZS50 or its successor.

chipmaster · May 22, 2020

On 5/16/2020 at 4:12 PM, zqvol said:

Use your phone, or use the TG-4.

I remember a my last cruise lugged a very nice DSLR and a few lens, and then a really compact mirrorless, in the end 98% of the pictures came from my phone, I'd say don't discount how good the latest phones are even for low light.

The only time I see a dedicated camera make sense is when fast moving subject, extreme focal lengths etc.

Most static photos the phone is really hard to beat these days, unless you are blowing them up.

mskaufman · May 24, 2020

On 5/22/2020 at 9:08 AM, SurfNCruise said:

Hi all. I am going to Alaska in 2021 on a cruise. Can anyone tell me if this is a good camera? it has 65x optical zoom and 20.3mp. I want to get decent photos of some wildlife (I hope) and scenery. But I don’t know anything about aperture or fancy things like that. I just want beautiful photos of my trip. Thanks! Oh, this camera is 549 at Best Buy. I’m open to other suggestions too! Thank you!

Canon - PowerShot SX70 HS 20.3-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

Model:3071C001

As I indicated in an earlier post I have an SX-40 HS (an SX 70 predecessor). I have taken over 10,000 pictures with the camera and have been very happy. With a 65X I hope the image stabilization is good. The only problem I have is handheld photos on full zoom with objects far away. Otherwise, it is versatile and takes great pictures.

ianbutty · May 27, 2020

Whatever you go for make sure you get something with a viewfinder! If you are used to useing a 'normal' camera you are likely to get frustraited if you can't compose your images because you can't see the screen on the back of the camera. I am a guest lecturer on Photography on cruise ships and this is the comment I hear from people more than anything they wish they had a viewfinder! Particularly in bright locations such as the Caribbean.

My recommendation is to look at the Panasonic Lumix rage - I can't give you a specific model number because they change a little to frequently for me to keep track. My main camera is 5DMk3 but I do have a Panasoinc Lumix point and shoot for times I need to travel light and I have been very pleased with it.

All the best

Ian.

hloakes · May 31, 2020

I have a DSLR and a GoPro. I like the DSLR but get tied of carrying it around. The GoPro is fine but is too small in my hands. I just purchased a Canon G7 X Mark III. I seriously considered the Mark II, but was able to find the Mark III for about $100 more on Ebay and figured it would be better in the long run.

mskaufman · June 1, 2020

1 hour ago, hloakes said:

I have a DSLR and a GoPro. I like the DSLR but get tied of carrying it around. The GoPro is fine but is too small in my hands. I just purchased a Canon G7 X Mark III. I seriously considered the Mark II, but was able to find the Mark III for about $100 more on Ebay and figured it would be better in the long run.

I use a stick connected to the GoPro so the small camera is not in my hand. It is fairly easy to walk with the GoPro on holding it by the stick.

bigrednole · June 2, 2020

Thanks for all of the feedback.In the end, I went with a Sony a6400 and 18-135mm lens. I got a heck of a deal on an OB. I got it for the same price I sold my Olympus for. Only 403 shutter count on it. I figured with high school starting for my daughter, I would need a good camera for everything that will be on the way. I still have not ruled out a pocket camera. Prices on some used pocket travel cameras are excellent. Might even have an insane deal on Prime Day (still mad I missed on the Sony's last year for $100). But still, if the Panny long zoom pockets go on a good deal, I will buy one. I have enough junk I can sell to get the $200 or so for one.

Heartgrove · June 4, 2020

Last year we completed our transition to three Sony Mirrorless cameras (A-6000, A6400, A6500) with numerous lenses and a Sony HX90V. One feature that I use quite a bit is that I can WiFi from all four cameras to our phones. I normally do a running FB posting on our cruises, plus I use it for a FB railfan group that I belong to.

The HX90V gets carried in my pocket everywhere because of its small size and is great with its long 24-720mm lens when there is some distance involved. My wife uses the A-6400 with the 16-55mm because that is what she likes to use for her photo subjects. I use either the A-6000 or the A-6500, keeping one body as a spare, with different lenses but mostly the 18-135mm. The extra body is insurance as the last thing I want to do is travel on a cruise and have the camera go OOS.

bigrednole · June 6, 2020

I do like the app to send pictures to my phone. I just started learning how to do it and getting use to the camera. There is a pretty large learning curve coming from Canon and Olympus but that is mainly where things are in the menu, customizing the buttons to my liking, and getting the key features I use on the function button. I will need to explore video with it as well. Without IBIS, the a6400 may not be great for videos because I don't want to have a gimbal for it. I have the GoPro for video.

All I need now is to decide on which lens(es) to go with it. I am thinking the Sigma 16mm f1.4, but with the focus peaking with manual lenses, a much more compact prime may do the trick. I will have to look into options, used market, and what else I can do.

pierces · June 6, 2020

6 hours ago, bigrednole said:

I do like the app to send pictures to my phone. I just started learning how to do it and getting use to the camera. There is a pretty large learning curve coming from Canon and Olympus but that is mainly where things are in the menu, customizing the buttons to my liking, and getting the key features I use on the function button. I will need to explore video with it as well. Without IBIS, the a6400 may not be great for videos because I don't want to have a gimbal for it. I have the GoPro for video.

All I need now is to decide on which lens(es) to go with it. I am thinking the Sigma 16mm f1.4, but with the focus peaking with manual lenses, a much more compact prime may do the trick. I will have to look into options, used market, and what else I can do.

I have used the Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 for years on my A6x00 cameras. Focus peaking makes it very easy to nail focus and the lens itself is very sharp. Tiny too.

Parker, AZ - A6000 - 10s - ISO6400 - f/2.0

Dave

bigrednole · June 6, 2020

Gorgeous picture. I had the Roki on my Olympus, but I could never focus properly. The focus peek on the Sony will make it easy.

joshgates · June 10, 2020

I've been in pretty much the same boat, when I'm at home I like having all the options available to me in my studio or on the go, but on a vacation I just want to travel light and have fun. Nowadays having the best image quality is taking a backseat to just getting the shot, especially when they live mostly digitally.

Before my first cruise I was actually on here asking if I should take a medium format camera... So glad I listened and didn't, but even half of what I took then just stayed in my cabin. I actually tended to leave my camera in the cabin more often than not and just used my phone for probably 70% of that trip. Since then, I've been refining my travel kit down and right now it's sitting at:

Phone - I have a couple of moment lenses that I toss in my bag since they're decent quality and add next to no size/weight. It's decent for photo and video, is always with me, and some of my favorite photos have come from it in the last few years.
GoPro - This I take on anything active. Surprisingly decent photo quality, good video, and since it's waterproof* I don't really have to worry about it getting wet. I prefer to leave it set to a "linear" field of view, so it's not quite as wide but you don't get nearly as much distortion. It's also tiny and unobtrusive.
Dedicated camera - here I have two options depending on the trip type and my mood
- Fuji x100v - There's other options from other manufacturers out there, and different models of this one, but the important thing is it's an aps-c fixed lens camera. 35mm equivalent field of view and a f2 lens. This is my desert island camera, I love the look and feel of it, if I want something wider I can stitch a panorama, if I want to zoom in closer, I can walk or crop. I like being locked to one focal length, forces me to be more creative with my compositions, explore a scene more, and you don't have to worry that you brought the wrong lens with you. It's light, small, and the perfect travel camera for me.
- Fuji x-pro/x-t/x-whatever series - Interchangeable lens mirrorless system. Other brands (like your Sony) work just as well, I'm just only familiar with Fuji. The standard kit lens for this is the 18-55mm which covers the 27-82mm (equivalent) range well and is good quality, but I could never get used to using zoom lenses, so I take three primes with me. The Rokinon 12mm that @pierces mentioned above, just a fantastic quality wide angle when you have focus peaking, a fuji 56mm f/1.2, and then either the 23mm f/2 or the 35mm f/1.4. Still a small kit overall since the lenses are so tiny, but incredible quality and versatility. I can also just stick the 23/35 on the camera and leave the rest in the room and not feel like I'm missing out while having more options if I really want/need them.

Now, all the said, if it's a bucket list / once in a lifetime trip, like Antartica, I'm taking the best equipment I can, regardless of size/weight 🙂

bigrednole · June 10, 2020

I bounced the ideas around. I have technically 4 camers: Phone, GoPro, TG-4, and the new Sony a6400. I actually like the size of the Sony. I was truly planning on going with something like the RX100-V. But when my wife said something about future homecomings, proms, graduations, this, that, for even money, I decided to stay in the ILC family. If I start to scuba dive (high possibility), I can get a nice housing and the a6400 is excellent under water too. I have pretty much every option in my hands possible. Just need a fast prime lens. I am debating about the Roki above and the Sigma 16/30mm f1.4. Both are amazingly detailed and fast.

joshgates · June 11, 2020

For me, and this is a personal opinion, I’d go with the 30mm f/1.4. The 12mm is way too wide to be an all purpose lens and the 16mm is wider than I’d like for most cases. If you tend to prefer a wide angle though, I’d probably get the 16mm over the 12mm.

Laszlo · August 3, 2020

On 5/22/2020 at 9:08 AM, SurfNCruise said:

Hi all. I am going to Alaska in 2021 on a cruise. Can anyone tell me if this is a good camera? it has 65x optical zoom and 20.3mp. I want to get decent photos of some wildlife (I hope) and scenery. But I don’t know anything about aperture or fancy things like that. I just want beautiful photos of my trip. Thanks! Oh, this camera is 549 at Best Buy. I’m open to other suggestions too! Thank you!

Canon - PowerShot SX70 HS 20.3-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

Model:3071C001

The Nikon P900 is an awesome camera for $600. Its 83X Optical Zoom is excellent. I bought mine in 2016 to use on our Alaska cruise. I did not want to haul a bunch of lenses around. I also took it to the Galapagos Islands

https://amzn.to/3k3zTGB