High Sierra Topix

I am wondering what brand and model of a simple point and shoot camera the professional photographers here use.. if they even use one..or could recommend one for me.


I have used for the past 8 years a Canon Power shot A95..I love this camera as it is pretty user friendly for myself...it uses 4 AA batteries..but there is something wrong with the lens. So I am looking for a new camera. My main purpose for this camera would be for taking on backpacking trips and day hikes..I would love to be able to get a wide angle lens with a simple P&S..which I have read they are out there.

Any suggestions I sure would appreciate!

I am not a photographer by any means but I have have been very happy since I bought my Panasonic Lumix camera. I'm sure that it is capable of taking much better pictures than I have been taking. There are several different models and I would have to go home and look to see what mine is but it is older and probably out of production now anyhow. Here is a link to give you an idea what they are capable of. There should be some others who can chime in because I've read a lot of hikers write about them. I 'm not crazy about the quality of the lens but I love the amount of digital zoom they have and I get great milage out of the battery.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/panasonic- ... ORM=CMSMSP" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thank you so much for that link Gary...that is one of the camera's I am considering..I have read many reviews on them..and all seem very good.

I did call Canon today in hopes I could send mine in for repair..but was told Canon is no longer working on that model due to it is to old. So a new one for sure I need.

Thanks again!

Hello M,

I'm not one to continually keep up with the latest and greatest unless I'm looking for another camera and have not done so for a few years now. The A95 was what I had one of my brothers buy when that first came out in 2004. That uses a 5mp 1/1.8 inch CCD. Do your homework by checking out the Prosumer models from these pages:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best-cameras.html#pro" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compacts/statistics" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Would recommend something with at least a 1/1.7 inch or larger sensor

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and with full set of manual controls.

Many of the latest high end compact digital cameras have sensors with well over 10megapixels however their camera lens systems do not deliver any more resolution than usual 10mp DSLRS's thus are actually lens glass limited and the megapixel numbers are mainly a marketing ploy. Thus above 10mp's one will need somewhat larger sensors for that to make a difference.

Lots of pixels with smaller sensors allow greatest depth of field while larger sensors allow more low light and handheld work. So if you want to do closeup work with the greatest depth of field and good but not great resolution one would be better to get a camera with a not too small sensor with a lot of megapixels in the range of maybe 1/1.7" to 2/3". However if one is more interested in low light and hand holding using high ISO settings, with somewhat greater resolution then a larger sensor compact digital will be better.

Thank you David for those links and your information....Not being a professional..some of the terminology is somewhat confusing to me...and I really should read up on it more and know what each function on a camera does.

Thank you again..very much appreciate it.

Consider the Canon S 100. I'm guessing it will have similar controls to your older Canon. It has a 25mm lens, about the widest you can get on a P&S.

As far as shooting wide, you may consider one of the Sony models with the sweep pano capability; you can shoot as wide as you want with those. The sonys have good optics and good sensors.

Thank you so much John.....I like that Canon one you mention..another one to consider especially since my last one was a Canon and with it having that wide lens which is something I really want this time in a new camera.

I will also research the Sony models...I have a old Sony Mavica camera that records the images on a 3 1/2 floppy disk..it is the best camera for very close up detail things..not so much for far away landscapes.

Thank you again for this information!

Indeed the Canon S100 is a top choice though note they released an updated version the S110 just a few months ago. The S110 weighs 7 ounces while the top of the line G15 is 12.2 ounces much like my G10 though given similar optics and sensor the two probably have identical excellent image quality. The G series has a lot of features few users would ever need while adding bulk and weight. When I'm out backpacking carrying my Wisner, I leave the G10 at home along with all its attachments like external flash, shutter release, and filters I use for closeup work and instead just carry an SX120.

David

Videography seems to be the wave if the future right now, and I'm noticing most younger hikers under the age of 25 are opting for action-cam style devices , such as the Go-Pro Hero or the Sony Action-Cam.

And this is with good reason. The new chip sets in these devices are truly unbelievable in the way they stabilize the screen, while being anchored from a headband or a back pack.

The Sony Action Cam or the Go-pro 2 will more than likely be my recording device of choice on our next trekking adventure.

I used to be a professional, but not in landscapes, so I may not be representative. However, when I used a point-and-shoot in the Sierra, it was a dirt cheap Canon AS590 (cheap then, free now). It was because I carried a full blown HD camcorder with me at the same time...

Today that camcorder would be a DSLR, so no need for the point-n-shoot. Other than that, I really have no use for small sensor cameras and when I go visit the Sierra, I am usually there to take pictures, so I won't compromise on the gear - in fact, I usually bring more than I would have along anywhere else.

If I was forced to carry a point-and-shoot, I'd probably bring a Sony Nex-7 with a Metabones Speed Booster lens adapter (turns it into a full frame equivalent), plus all my favorite heavy old Nikon 35mm lenses, in the end carrying more weight than I do now with a full frame DSLR .