Cameras in the outdoors

M

Millhouse

Joined
Oct 14, 2006
Messages
423
Sorry, if this is off topic for this thread. I have been lurking around this thread for a while, mainly admiring the pics of the outdoors that some of you guys post.

I have been wondering what sort of cameras you use as some of the photos are outstanding, from close ups of your gear to landscape shots. Are you using a compact or lugging a dSLR.
 
I would love to have a DSLR, used to carry a film camera around, but for the past few years it's been a point-and-shoot Canon A530. It works. Takes good pictures, you can take a lot of them (main reason for going digital), and it's light. I have found, though, that I prefer having high quality pictures and having a bit of extra weight. Photography is another one of my hobbies, and it's really annoying that I can't get a lot of the shots I want to with this camera. When money becomes more abundant, my camera will be upgraded.
 
Though I haven't posted any pics with it yet, I recently upgraded to a DSLR, a Nikon D40 to be precise. Expect to see some shots soon, I'm about to pick up a few things relevant to the forum. :D
 
I carry a DSLR - Nikon D50 with two lenses. One with a 18-55 mm zoom for landscapes and a second 70-300 mm zoom for critters. Sometimes I also haul around a tripod but not always. The 18-55 mm is used 80% of the time. I'm saving up for 2 additional lenses. One will be a 60 mm 2.8f macro and another a 10-24 mm wide angle lens. These two lenses will cost as much as my camera body + the first 2 lenses.

Pulling all the camera lenses and gear is a bit of trial and you really have to use the camera enough to justify it. For me, I really enjoy taking pictures and the switch from 35 mm to digital has opened up a whole new world. Sometimes I will spend a 1/2 hr (not any length of time by professional standards) setting up a good shot or longer hunting wildlife with the camera.

You have to enjoy the photography for the sake of it. When you are walking around you are looking at things with composition in mind. Sometimes its kinds of silly. Sometimes you will walk through paradise, but see most of it through a viewfinder. But it is fun and addictive. I get almost as much enjoyment reviewing and editing my pictures after a trip as I do taking the trip (does that make any sense at all????).

There are a couple of other quirky advantages to it. One, myself being a bit of an intravert, I find that I don't have to spend all my time yacking away at people because they seem to respect my privacy when I have a camera to my eye. Hell, I don't even really take that good of shots, but I do enjoy the effort.

Getting a good camera bag is a must if you go the SLR route. Get a solid backpack designed for your lenses. This is infinitely better than a shoulder bag. Plus, you store a bunch of extra stuff like knives and gear in your pack. Good luck with your choice!
 
Kodak easyshare. I like this camera alot. It takes great pics, and has alot of settings to play with.:thumbup:
 
kgd said:
I carry a DSLR - Nikon D50 with two lenses. One with a 18-55 mm zoom for landscapes and a second 70-300 mm zoom for critters. Sometimes I also haul around a tripod but not always. The 18-55 mm is used 80% of the time. I'm saving up for 2 additional lenses. One will be a 60 mm 2.8f macro and another a 10-24 mm wide angle lens. These two lenses will cost as much as my camera body + the first 2 lenses.

Pulling all the camera lenses and gear is a bit of trial and you really have to use the camera enough to justify it. For me, I really enjoy taking pictures and the switch from 35 mm to digital has opened up a whole new world. Sometimes I will spend a 1/2 hr (not any length of time by professional standards) setting up a good shot or longer hunting wildlife with the camera.

You have to enjoy the photography for the sake of it. When you are walking around you are looking at things with composition in mind. Sometimes its kinds of silly. Sometimes you will walk through paradise, but see most of it through a viewfinder. But it is fun and addictive. I get almost as much enjoyment reviewing and editing my pictures after a trip as I do taking the trip (does that make any sense at all????).

There are a couple of other quirky advantages to it. One, myself being a bit of an intravert, I find that I don't have to spend all my time yacking away at people because they seem to respect my privacy when I have a camera to my eye. Hell, I don't even really take that good of shots, but I do enjoy the effort.

Getting a good camera bag is a must if you go the SLR route. Get a solid backpack designed for your lenses. This is infinitely better than a shoulder bag. Plus, you store a bunch of extra stuff like knives and gear in your pack. Good luck with your choice!
Click to expand...

I've got basically the same setup, though your second lens has more reach than mine. I went with the two lens kit for the D40: 18-55mm kit lens and the 55-200mm VR, which I used today. Callaway Gardens was having their yearly Labor Day weekend to-do, and I went to get some shots of the dog disco show, where they essentially play Frisbee with them in a large ring in the grass. Those dogs are amazing, though.

I also walked a few miles on the trails with my camera, got some great shots of a dragonfly by the lake. A circular polarizing filter is a must if shooting near water, IMO. I use a Tamrac shoulder bag, it fits my camera, two lenses, etc (lens hood, filter, notepad, granola bars, cell phone and MP3 player), perfectly without being unwieldy.

Next for me is the 60mm macro lens as well, most likely, and a good sturdy tripod.
 
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I've been using a Canon Powershot 520. Not alot of horsepower but it seems to get the job done. Now that I'm in the US I'm in the market for a higher quality camera. With the digital I have really come to appreciate the fact that it uses AA batteries. That's what kills me more than anything is to run out of battery life. Mac
 
Hey Pict,

Nice to see you posting again! Hope you are having a good time while in the U.S. Regarding the battery question. With a DSLR, you make use of the viewfinder to take pictures. Just like a regular SLR, a mirror projects the lens image to the viewfinder. When you press the trigger, the mirror lifts up exposing the photosensor for the shutter period. This makes DSLRs unusuable as video cameras because the mirror has to flip up with each exposure.

However, because you never really use the LED display unless to review your pictures, this means that the camera will lasts several days on. I have two lithium battery packs for mine and they easily last 3 week photo trips with 600+ photos.

It is true though that point and shoots, particularly if you use the LED to view and set up your shots eats through batteries like crazy. You can turn off the LED on most models though and use the included viewfinder. Personally, I found I took better shots through the view finder anyhow.
 
Canon PowerShot G5. 5.0 megapixel, with a small zoom lens. It runs on lithium-ion batteries, so I can't recharge in the field. But, one charge has been sufficient for a two-week trip, and since work won't allow me to take longer periods off, I'm not worried about running out of juice. The camera is a bit on the bulky side - newer models are packing the same features into a considerably smaller package. However, lugging it around in my pack has been worth it, as it has provided some truly memorable photos.

Some examples, both long-range and close-up:

IMG_1672.jpg


IMG_1782.jpg


Best,

- Mike
 
Sounds like a good set-up Kyp. I like the 18-55 mm lens, but part of me wishes for a bit more wide angle. One of the things with digital cameras is that most models give a 1.5x field of view relative to 35 mm. This gives you lots of reach on the zoom, but sucks at the wide angle range.

So in my 35 mm days, my favorite lens for landscapes was a 24 mm, but this one at 18 mm is the equivalent of 27 mm and just isn't as wide as I'd like. Similarly, I used to have a 105 mm macro which was the perfect macro lens and also a great portrait lens. The 60 mm = 90 mm in digital format and should be pretty equivalent in field of view.

I don't use the bigger zoom at its full 300 mm very often in truth. It really needs a tripod for best effect. Also, the autofocus tends to hunt much more at high zoom - I usually shut off the autofocus when going for the far shots.
 
KGD,

The move back went smooth but we're all homesick already. I hope this year goes fast.

I just shot that three night solo trip with the 520 and it ate up about 12 batteries but I got it all into one 2 gig card. Edited it turned out to be 52 minutes of video. That's not bad for a small package like that. A friend showed up here yesterday and upped the RAM on my laptop 4x. Once I get the HD cleared out it will process video faster. I'm really getting into this video thing. I find when I'm out there I can do either video or shoot stills, chew gum or walk.

All the video on my YT page was shot with the 520. I'm looking into HD now. Mac
 
My main camera is a DSLR; specifically a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II. I use a variety of lenses, depending on where I'm going and what I'm doing. These can include a 15 mm fisheye, a 24 tilt-shift, a 24-70, a 50 mm macro, a 50 f/1.4, a 65 mm 1-5x macro, a 100 macro, a 70-200, a 180 macro, a 300, a 500, and a 600. I also have a tripod, tele-converters, extension tubes, flashes, reflectors, filters, and various items. I even have accessories for my accessories, such as for my flash: a couple different diffusers, a cable, rechargeable batteries, a flash extender, filters, etc.

It's a big heavy burden. (Sometimes I'll get a protegé or apprentice to carry it.) It does facilitate getting some spiffy shots, though.
 
It's not the camera that takes good photos. It's person pushing the button. It takes a good eye to compose good shots. My "eye" is not so good. My wife has a Canon SD850 and I have a Nikon D40. It is easier to take good pictures with a camera with you than one left behind. The Nikon D40 is a great camera even though it is the least expensive of the Nikon DSLR's. It can be set up like a point and shoot and can be very versatile if you know what all the adjustments do.
 
I'm using a Canon Powershot S5IS, though most of its features don;t get used by me. I really like the super-macro capability - I use that alot. I also like continuous shooting, thaough it doesn;t see alot of use.
 
I've been looking at the Canon Powershot G9. I just cant decide between it and a DSLR which is only a bit more expensive.
 
I carry a compact. It is only 8.1MP with 5x optical zoom but I think it gets the job done. Macro shots are a little distorted due to the curvature of the lens but I'm no pro either. Example shots: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=578648

I would like to get a DSLR but they are expensive and bulky, so I doubt I'd actually carry it often enough to justify the price.
 
Millhouse said:
I have been wondering what sort of cameras you use as some of the photos are outstanding, from close ups of your gear to landscape shots. Are you using a compact or lugging a dSLR.
Click to expand...
Personally, I used to carry around a film SLR and several lenses, then cut back to a digital pocket camera and now I've recently upgraded to a new digital SLR and several lenses.

Honestly, it's becuase I view photography as a hobby in and of itself, and not just a way to document my other outdoor activities. The better pocket digital cameras can take absolutly outstanding photographs these days and most people don't need to bother with a DSLR unless they want to.
 
i have a few that i use

a vivtar 5355
fujifilm s1000
a cannon rebel xsi and 2 lenses i dont like it so i dont use it and gave it to my brother
exlim 9mp cam not sure model
a kodak c300


the fuji is brand new just got it today on sale and ill be using it for all my pics to come it is pretty sweet,
so far its really good for 150$
 
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