Need good travel camera advice
Jul 17, 2014 12:09:33 #
Planning a trip that will involve air and train travel, lots of walking and some hiking. I have decided not to take my DSLR because of bulk and weight. I need a recommendation for a budget-minded camera that takes good shots in a variety of lighting conditions with enough speed to take some action shots. Thinking high-end pocket, or point and shoot - open to suggestions and the wisdom of experience.
Jul 17, 2014 12:12:36 #
If your budget will allow I would look at a Fuji x100s. You may never take your DSL with you again.
Jul 17, 2014 12:33:16 #
The new high end point & shoot's are not very budget minded. The middle class point & shoot cameras like the Nikon P340 and others from Canon and Sony ect. I have the Nikon P340 and it's small enough to be a pocket camera, has all the manual settings and the pictures are sharp. Around $340.00
Jul 17, 2014 12:40:23 #
amehta
Loc: Boston
suncolby wrote:
Planning a trip that will involve air and train travel, lots of walking and some hiking. I have decided not to take my DSLR because of bulk and weight. I need a recommendation for a budget-minded camera that takes good shots in a variety of lighting conditions with enough speed to take some action shots. Thinking high-end pocket, or point and shoot - open to suggestions and the wisdom of experience.
Some hint about your spending comfort would help. Does a Sony RX100, currently $500, fit your budget? There are a number of "large sensor compact cameras" now available, after the RX100 showed that there was a market for them.
Jul 17, 2014 14:46:52 #
If you want a superzoom bridge camera, the P500 and P600 line from Nikon are all nice and the Canon SX-50 has a lot of devotees around here as well. $300-$450 range for these and you can use DSLR like manual controls as well as pre-canned scene modes. If the manual controls and a viewfinder aren't important to you, drop down a notch to the Nikon L820/L830 ($200-$300) or the comparable Canons. Still a superzoom, but you need to rely on the LCD and automatic settings. Hope this helps some...
Jul 17, 2014 21:36:34 #
Thanks for the help. I would love a higher-end camera but I didn't plan this purchase - it is a last-minute decision so funds are low. So I'm looking at the lower end. Is there a lot of difference between the Canon SX50 and the SX170? What are the best advantages of the next level up?
Jul 17, 2014 21:46:37 #
DavidPine
Loc: Fredericksburg, TX
A Sony RX-100 I, II or III will work well for you. I have the RX-100 (I) and it is a great camera in my opinion and while I always carry my D800 on trips, I always have my RX-100 in my pocket. Good luck and have fun.
suncolby wrote:
Thanks for the help. I would love a higher-end camera but I didn't plan this purchase - it is a last-minute decision so funds are low. So I'm looking at the lower end. Is there a lot of difference between the Canon SX50 and the SX170? What are the best advantages of the next level up?
Jul 18, 2014 06:20:30 #
suncolby wrote:
Thanks for the help. I would love a higher-end camera but I didn't plan this purchase - it is a last-minute decision so funds are low. So I'm looking at the lower end. Is there a lot of difference between the Canon SX50 and the SX170? What are the best advantages of the next level up?
Totally different cameras!!
SX50 has an electronic ViewFinder, SX170 only has the LCD
SX50 has a fully articulated LCD (swings, tilts, swivels, etc) and the SX170 is a FIXED LCD so it will be difficult to see under some lighting conditions.
SX50 has a 50x optical zoom, SX170 only has 16x zoom
SX50 has higher ISO values by about 2 stops I believe.
SX50 has a 'slightly' wider angle at the short end.
SX50 is approx 399 and the SX170 is approx 180
Depends on what is the most important to YOU!
Jul 18, 2014 07:18:30 #
DavidPine wrote:
A Sony RX-100 I, II or III will work well for you. I have the RX-100 (I) and it is a great camera in my opinion and while I always carry my D800 on trips, I always have my RX-100 in my pocket. Good luck and have fun.
Dave,
Unfortunately, I think all but the M1 version might be in this OP's budget. I also think the RX-100 M2 would be the perfect pocket solution for trips and hiking, but the pop-up EVF and the fully articulating LCD on the M3 just place it head and shoulders above the rest. Did someone say "SELFIES" on trips?
There are cheaper alternatives for pocket sized travel cameras and this OP has to really weigh his choices based on his budget and needs.
Jul 18, 2014 08:07:04 #
amehta wrote:
Some hint about your spending comfort would help. Does a Sony RX100, currently $500, fit your budget? There are a number of "large sensor compact cameras" now available, after the RX100 showed that there was a market for them.
Heard lots of great things about this point and shoot to make me want to consider it also.
Jul 18, 2014 08:13:07 #
Mr PC wrote:
If you want a superzoom bridge camera, the P500 and P600 line from Nikon are all nice and the Canon SX-50 has a lot of devotees around here as well. $300-$450 range for these and you can use DSLR like manual controls as well as pre-canned scene modes. If the manual controls and a viewfinder aren't important to you, drop down a notch to the Nikon L820/L830 ($200-$300) or the comparable Canons. Still a superzoom, but you need to rely on the LCD and automatic settings. Hope this helps some...
Nikon P/520 works just fine for me
:thumbup:
Jul 18, 2014 11:07:13 #
RKL349 wrote:
Heard lots of great things about this point and shoot to make me want to consider it also.
The M1 recently got reduced now to about $400 and the M2 is around $600 but the M3 was just released and sells for $800. I know that's expensive for a point & shoot pocket camera but it has the same processor as their RX-1 model and includes the new pop-up EVF. Watch out for ads that sell the RX-100 for less than $798 or so, since it's probably the older M1 or M2 (with standard articulating LCD screen) models, but they're really fine cameras as well and the M2 has a bigger analog zoom than the newer M3 model. The M2's only short coming is that you need to purchase the added EVF that fits on the hot shoe at an added price of around $200 or more but you may not need this option.
I like the newer M3 with it's pop-up EVF and built in flash. I haven't needed to use the flash yet for anything since the camera does great in low light with the 1" sensor and Zeiss f-1.8 (average 2.8 across the analog zoom range) lens.
Jul 18, 2014 11:20:56 #
On recent trip to Alaska I carried the Nikon P600. Relatively lightweight, versatile, and under $450. I wanted to take my DSLR, but the weight and extra glass would have been quite a bother.
Jul 18, 2014 12:51:14 #
if i'm spending my money on a trip, i'm taking my best and a camera that I know. i'll find a way to deal with the bulk and weight.
Jul 18, 2014 13:03:38 #
bull drink water wrote:
if i'm spending my money on a trip, i'm taking my best and a camera that I know. i'll find a way to deal with the bulk and weight.
I've pretty much given up on taking all my DSLR equipment on vacations when it's not absolutely necessary. These idiots at the airport security check points have you turn on every piece of equipment now to check for explosives (even external drives now) and I even had one fool try to disassemble a huge zoom lens until I yelled at the clumsy idiot. These guys have the intelligence of a flee and are arrogant to boot.
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