Which camera best for Antartica??

[ParrotTops]

Can anyone give me some advice on which digital camera would be the best and simplist to operate for Antarctica (I am novice but would like to learn to take great pictures!). Any other photog tips would be greatly appreciated also! Our travel agent recommended Nokia?? Thanks so much!

[donaldsc]

Are you doing one of the cruise-by tours where or a landing trip? This would make a major difference as to recommendations.

 

DON

[ParrotTops]

Thanks so much for responding. I'm going on the Minerva and will be doing zodiac landings.

[holidayhelen]

And I'm watching this thread and we are on the Star Sailing by - Jan 09. I have a Panasonic DMC FZ50 and also a fuji S8000fd - I did pick these for their long zoom whilst I was on safari. I would like to take perfect pictures - I do in my mind - the results on paper are not so perfect!!!!

 

Do I need any special accessories for the antartic - will the batteries be ok? I was wondering with the conditions being 'cooler'.

 

Any help?

[parischris]

Can anyone give me some advice on which digital camera would be the best and simplist to operate for Antarctica (I am novice but would like to learn to take great pictures!). Any other photog tips would be greatly appreciated also! Our travel agent recommended Nokia?? Thanks so much!

 

ParrotTops, I hope your TA knows more about travel than they do about cameras! I have no idea what your budget is, so recommending a camera is difficult. I'm also assuming from your post that you are looking for a point and shoot camera rather than a DSLR that you can change lenses on. For Antarctica, you'll need a wide angle lens (for scenery), and a zoom (for wildlife). In the compact camera space, you'll need to look for a camera that covers for example 24mm-320mm, or as close to that as you can get.

 

An example is the Panasonic DMC-FZ28K, that gives you 27-486mm. Once you find the camera models you're interested in, google them for reviews - whilst the Panasonic has astonishing coverage, the image quality at the long end will not be fantastic. Once you've settled on a camera, go to the camera store and try it out - see how it feels in your hands for useability.

 

You'll need extra batteries (or a battery recharger if the camera uses lithium or rechargeable batteries) as well.

 

Cheers

[2552phxcrzr]

You might consider a waterproof camera or invest in a separate waterproof casing. Either will serve you well in wet conditions. Image stabilization would be a must, especially when using the zoom.

 

Post 13 of this link has some tips from my experience in Antarctica - http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=531528 - I used a DSLR, so not all of it will apply, but you might pick up a tip that will come in handy with a P&S.

 

Re: Panasonic FZ50 and other P&S cameras that allow you to change ISO - this is useful when it's dark or heavily overcast, but keep in mind that noise will be introduced in the higher ISOs far more quickly than it would with a DSLR.

[floridatravelersforlife]

I'm on a cruise by in 2010 and plan to bring my 10 mp Canon Rebel with my 400mm zoom with 2x extender giving me 1200mm net. Yes I have a stabilized image lense.

 

I have done 24x18 enlargements of whale photos, taken at 2000 ft distance and see the detail of the tail. I'm ready.

[sailandcruise]

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5. I chose it because it seems to be the most versatile point-and-shoot on the market. It has a great 28-280 mm zoom lens. It's the only camera I could find with this large a zoom range that can also fit into a pocket. DSLR's would take better pictures, but I didn't want to have to deal with multiple lenses, settings, etc. I like the ease-of-use and am willing to trade-off the manual controls and slightly better picture quality. I find that having the camera available without lots of overhead (stuff to configure and carry, separate bag, weight and space, etc.) allows me to take pictures whenever there is something to see rather than just when I have prepared. In Antarctica you never know when you'll see something spectacular. (or perhaps more accurately, you'll always see something spectacular -- we saw a pair of humpback whales outside the lounge at 11:30 pm one night) I get a large memory card (minimum 2 GB, and always bring extras) so I can take lots of shots of the same scene, so if some don't come out well others do. Also, be sure to bring a charger and a second battery and always recharge them when you return to your cabin.

 

check out http://dpreview.com for detailed reviews of lots of digital cameras.

[thoms42]

I would recommend considering a Canon Powershot SX10-IS for a 20X zoom (28mm - 560 mm Wide-Angle - 35mm equivalent) and 10 megapixel resolution. At about $399.00 list with prices down to $349.00 or less, it is difficult to find more camera for the price.

 

I have a Powershot S3-IS (12X zoom) and bought an S5-IS (also 12X zoom) for my grandson who will be accompanying me on the MS Fram, January 23, 2009 to Antarctica.

 

This series of Canons provides a compact camera with great photo ability in a small package. It uses 4 standard AA batteries, which will go for hundreds of pictures without replacement. You'll appreciate that the batteries are a critical issue if you've ever had a proprietary battery go bad in the boonies. You can get AAs virtually anywher e in the world. We'll also carry extra battery sets and chargers to be sure. It uses the SD/SDHC memory card (available to 8 GB & more) which will store a 1,000 images, even at large formats. You should get at least several 2 GB SD cards to be sure.

 

These cameras also have excellent video capacity with stereo sound recording. I used the Canon S3-IS on safari and my photos compared very well with Nikon and Canon DSLRs and the video was superior. I even used the sound recorder alone to capture the nocturnal "singing" of hippos foraging around our tent in Botswana. I'm not a Canon salesman, just a very satisfied user. For a lot more info, check out - http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/canon_s5is.html.

 

Have a great time in Antarctica and looking forward to my trip! ;)

[Chris_GA_Atl]

I agree with the recommendation of the Canon SX-10 or a similar "superzoom" camera. Easy to use, very flexible for a lot of shooting situations, and will do movies as well. A beginning photographer should not try to deal with a DSLR for the first time on a trip like this.

 

In addition, consider taking a smaller point & shoot as a backup with a waterproof housing. We are taking a Canon A720IS as our backup camera, and we got the inexpensive Canon waterproof housing for it. That way we have something to use in wet situations when we don't want to risk one of our more expensive camera rigs.

 

Plus, you will have a backup if something happens to your primary camera. We are taking three cameras on this trip, and considering a fourth, so that we will be covered if something happens. Read this article and you will see what I am talking about:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/essays/aa-07-worked.shtml (scroll down to the "Canon" section)

 

Chris