A camera ? ? ?
 

Hey guys I am getting ready for the summer and im intending on doin a fair bit of riding on my bike i would love to take a camera with me. I dont actually know much about cameras and was wondering if any one could recomend a model to me Im no proffesional photographer and i need something thats quite sturdy.

any advice welcomed please

thank you in advance

keiren

Most modern digitals are sturdy enough for general snaps. As a 'starter' to cameras I would suggest you spend no more than £100-£200 on a small (thin) compact digital.
Learn about the functions first to see what fits in with your intentions. ie. action shots, stills, landscapes, zoom/wide angle, low light etc. Then look at memory storage (cards) capacity.
But only enough to get the idea. Dont get hung up about it all. BUY - POINT - SHOOT- LEARN - ENJOY.

When on the bike, wear it on a cord/ribbon around your neck. Then it is always instantly ready for quick photos. Dont let it hang loose, tuck it in your jacket. If wet, keep it inside any waterproof layers or in its own waterproof case if jacket not fully waterproof.

Tony has pretty much said it all - this is exactly what I do.

Most modern compact digital cameras have more than enough resolution for magazine publishing these days, the only downside is the shutter speed is usually not instant (like a digital SLR) and you may be limited with the zoom range (obviously SLRs allow you to change lenses).

However, unless you are shooting action shots and/or wildlife from a long distance (for example), then there really is no need to hump a digital SLR kit around with you, especially on a bike... for typical travelogue type photography, a modern compact camera is ideal - personally I like Canon and Fuji brands.

It is far easier to get creative within the limitations of a compact camera, while the (technical) results are almost a given these days. Afterall, the most important part of the photo is the subject, of course...

xxx

I have a Canon 710 IS compact.

Very nice, but I have developped a healthy obsession for the Pentax W60.
Water and dust proof, with a 5 x optical zoom and a 28mm equivalent wide angle, meaning you can take shots that give nice landscape perspectives or zoom in to get a closer look (by comparison I'd say about 85% of compacts have a 3x optical zoom, and perhaps a 35mm wide angle equivalent). Presently avaialbe for about £185 on line.

Only down side for me is no optical view finder and only limited manual functions (like setting your shutter speed etc) but then I only use these once in a while and it sounds like you don't plan to use them at all: you'll still get good quality pics.

I am starting to develop the same obsession for the W60 :thumbup1:. I like the fact it shoots semi decent video too. Anyone have one of these yet?

N

I've had one of these for a couple of years...

Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd Digital Camera - Black 2.7": Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

It has a 28-400 zoom lens and runs on AA batteries. Easy to charge up when on the road. It's not a pocket camera but is a lot smaller than an SLR.

for me, it is important, that i can buy the batteries everywhere, or you have to carry spare accu's. also have a look, that you will get a good objective, its more important then a big megapixel.
its better to have a optical stabilisator. the electronical stabis are :thumbdown:.

there are so many cameras, go to a spezialized photo shop(not the supermarket) and spend a lot of time with the people there. and then buy it! it will cost a bit more then the bay but you have the answers and the knowledge of the specialists.

I have the Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd as well and I love the camera. As flyingDoctor says it's not a pocket sized camera but is a fair bit smaller than most dig SLRs. One the big advantages to this camera is the 18x Optical zoom. It also has a big screen and quite a few manual mode for when the auto modes don't quite cut it.

Having said all that I am taking 2 cameras the S8000fd and a smaller F40fd that will live in my pocket for those happy snap type shots. It's a Fujifilm too so the controls are very simular to it's big brother.

I think panasonic do a fully waterproof camera which is small and you don't have to buy / worry about a waterproof case it.

Cheers

This is how I carried my Zoom Like a mini SLR, "old school" work. Rugged!

I used to use a Sony compact, its major draw backs were a small screen and no good for taking 'action' shots at Enduro meetings for our club website. I am no photographer but just really needed a 'point and shoot', then at the 2008 TT I got talking to a guy with a Sony and was impressed with the picture quality, and he was taking 'shots' of Road racers. So without hesitation I purchased the Sony DCS-H10,it takes great pictures and for the interested,a 3 inch LCD screen, 10x optical zoom, and is 8.1 mega pixels, back in June it cost £185 incl 2gb card chargers etc but I am sure by now they can be picked up for less.
Happy snapping

I used a Lumix(Panasonic) FZ20 for about 2.5yrs from new until it died, but it did get exposed to some awful conditions. I currently use a Canon compact which keeps working but the pics aren't very good - a shock from Canon! On the whole i was most impressed with my first digicam, a bottom-of-range Sony from '03. It put up with all sorts of abuse yet managed outstanding shots for it's type, and it used (supplied) AA rechargeables. And being a Sony it was built well. You could check out Olympus SW's which are weatherproof/tough, but don't use AA batts and the cards are pricey compared to the competition. Just my experiences...

Keiren
 

As you can see there are a zillion options. There are also a zillion opinions. The reason is simply that people buy cameras for different reasons, other than taking pics. Every one has different requirements and no single camera can satisfy such diverse needs, so what you now need to do is think what is important to you.

Creativity, and flexibility?
Sturdiness?
Price?
Zoom?
Size?
Brand?
Picture quality?Weight?
Image Stabilisation?
etc

You get the picture (geddit?)


For me these points were decent optical zoom, manual overides, price, size and an optical view finder (to reduce the effect of shutter release "lag"). Hence my recent choice of the Canon 710 IS. For you choice criteria may differ a lot: you might like landscapes, night shots, portraits etc. Have a think.

Then you go to a site such as this:
Buying Guide: Features Search: Digital Photography Review

I have often looked here to get an idea of what is out there. One note: more megapixels does not automatically mean better pics, so I'd say be flexible on that point. Zoom? For me the more the better, but in a compact the most you can get is about 6x optical. After that you start edging toward bigger "Bridge" cameras, or SLRs. Forget digital zoom: it just degrades the picture quality, better to crop and zoom on a PC later...

Once you have a few models in mind. Go to the shops and handle them. See if the button locations feel "natural" to you, or awkward, then you can buy the best model for you, rather than me, or anyone else!!

Now go do some window shopping from the comfort of your armchair!!

As Warthog's fine post says

...and it's so easy to get bogged down with the details/options out there. I'd just stick to a fairly basic unit at a lower price and get used to it before possibly upgrading to a more upclass one when your priorities become more apparent. With cameras it's often a case of not what you've got, it's what you do with it (or so i tell the ladies...:rofl:).

I have the Canon Powershot A720IS with a 4GB memory card, it takes 2 AA rechargable batteries. You can buy a charger which plugs into your bike. I can take about 5000 pictures with this camera and card.

I managed to totally submerse the camera in the mud at Mont St Michel, wash it off and carry on shooting. That was over a year ago and it is still going strong.

It is an 8MP camera which is plenty enough. I have just published a book of our Italy trip where all the pics are taken with this camera. All the pics are pin sharp and great colour.

My advice is to read as many camera reviews as possible. But set your price BEFORE you start looking. Decide what you want in a camera and stick to it. You probably do not need anything over 8MP.


Steve

For you choice criteria may differ a lot:

Large zooms (notably the Lumix range) are available but not that common. If the Lumix cameras have everything Keiren needs then these make a good choice and, indeed, the zoom is what sets the Lumix apart from most other manufacturers.
Personally, I rejected them for my choice due to the lack of manual overrides and no optical view finder in most cases. Keiren's needs may well differ: most are not botthered about the viewfinder.

My issue with megapixel size is less to do with the download times (my 6MP SLR saves 3MB files to my girlfriend's 8MP 1.3MB files, or my 7MP Canon), it is more with the loss of picture quality. Most compacts use similar size sensors (ie significanly smaller than SLRs).
So, the downside of bigger MP (over 6MPish) on such relatively small sensors means smaller sensors and, so, the risk of greater image noise, meaning all you get is worse picture quality than with a lower MP on the same sensor size.

Guys I think we are going off what keiren wanted and starting to defending our own purchases.

As keiren said he is not a pro so although a dig SLR or bridging type would probably be the best in the long run. To get to the stage where he will use all the features and then want more is a bit down the track (not saying you are not a fast learner keiren) and probably many, many photos in many different situations.

As you can see everybody has found something that they like and that works for them. All I can suggest (and a few others) is set yuou price, read up, try out in a shop if possible and then get out there and use it in as many differrent ways as you can. Any short falls will soon show up.

Enjoy
:thumbup1::thumbup1:

(discontinued? but see does have manual settings as do many other models.

Whoa, Nerd alert!

If Keiren's head didn't hurt beforehand, I bet it does now!

I think Gixxer.rob has the right idea - set a budget, do a bit of internet browsing of the manufacturer's websites to see what is out there, then head down to a local camera store and try a few for size so to speak...

Don't get too hung up on the technical specifications - pottsy says what I was trying to say - ultimately it's the picture you take that counts, not what you take it with... something that is simple, robust and easy to use would get my vote every time...

xxx

thank you for all the answers much appreciated im going to go and get a cam in the next week or so glad you all could help me

On bike I suggest to get smaller camera that can be put into front pocket, so it is always accessible and no need to reach your bag to take a quick snap.

I'm fan of compact cameras, many have now decent image quality.

Personally I use Panasonic LX series compacts for their small size, robustness and advanced feature set, however for newbie it may be too much. You can see some photo links on my signature. New DMC-LX3 is an ideal compact travel camera for advanced users (24mm f/2 lens).

Also, I suggest to get one with 28mm wide lens (more in view at once, especially in tight room/places). Many cheaper cameras come with 35mm or even 38mm wide lens as standard (not so good).

I agree with above regarding megapixels. Above about 4 mp it's the lens that lets your pix down on a digi compact, so pay more attention to the lens. In general big is good(i.e. a big fat lens) this means more light gets into the camera, big lenses are expensive to make, so cheap cameras tend not to have them. The above poster is right, you want a nice wide angle lens on a compact, it's much more important than the 'telephoto' end of the zoom. The Lumix cameras are great. Next time I have a few quid spare I am getting one of them. My current compact is a Nikon Coolpix 4800, which I was given. It is great, but a bit bulky.
I would suggest that one of the most important things for a beginner snapper is to have a camera you can whip out at a moments notice, rattle off a couple of shots one handed and pop away in a pocket without fuss. So nice and small is good. It's often these quick opportunist shots that are the best.
Whatever you buy, try it out in the shop first. Make sure the camera has minimal lag between pressing the shutter and taking the shot. This, almost more than anything else, can mess up pictures IMHO.

Matt :)

SLR, compact and so on
 

I own both, a Nikon SLR and a Fuji compact digital camera. For touring purposes I use the compact one. If I want to take pictures during "chill-ou-sessions" I use the Nikon (which I normally carry in my paniers).

To begin with shooting digital pics - I have to agree with most people here* don't get more than 4 Mega-pixels, go for a maker, i.e. Fuji, Canon and so on, I don't like the models that are using AA batteries (too much weight, not enough power). And check the Internet for digital camera comparisons - you will find lots of pages with great information!!

Hope this helps a little!? Safe riding!!

A couple more thoughts just to spin the head a bit further.

Save a little bit of your budget for a small (pocket-sized) tripod, or similar. If you're travelling you're going to want to take photos on self-timer with you in the shot, and a tripod makes this so much easier than trying to find a convenient rock. Who knows perhaps in this current credit-crunch atmosphere a camera shop might do you a deal. Of course if you do, check the camera has a tripod mount, I'm fairly certain all the known makes do, but I've seen some strange makes without.

Another thing to consider (even if you don't buy it right away) is a remote control. Think of it as one up from the self timer. With a remote you can not only take static shots of yourself, but with a bit of practise you can take riding shots of yourself. I have no idea which makes/models do this though, I've been trying to find out myself having seen a friend's excellent self-portraits.

And as other people have said check the lag time between when you push the shutter button and when the camera takes the actual picture. How many of us have pictures of people's rear tyres, because there's an age of delay between the two.

Rechargeable battery issues
 

Sorry if this is a little:offtopic:

I have a Fuji finepix A700 7.3 mp. Great little camera, takes cracking pictures but it absolutely hates rechargeable batteries-AA size.

A pair of fully charged 2500nimh batteries gives me a MAX of 30 pics, outdoors, no flash. Sometimes as few as 15-20.

Surely this isn't normal..?

I've got 'regular' lithium batteries in it now and it's fine, loads of pics, no sign of them giving up yet.

Anyone else had this problem?

Is this a known issue with some cameras or is it just mine..?

SOunds stupid but have you tried with different re-chargeables? Perhaps the ones you tried are just old and do not keep charge or there is something wrong with charger?

Yep, various brands, all bought new. Tried a fast charger, trickle charger and then a mate's charger. No difference.:(

Just to be sure, I charged them with my charger then gave them to a mate to try in his camera-Canon sureshot, I think. He got over a 100 pics and around half an hour of video so I'm pretty confident the batteries are good.

I took it back to the shop who sent it on to Fuji. It came back a week or two later with a note saying the "Firmware had been upgraded" but no one could tell me what that meant..! Didn't make any difference and the warranty's up now anyway.:censored:

The software (operating system) that is inside your camera is called firmware. Occasionally problems are found and new firmware is made available (similar to computer programs where updates are released frequently). Probably they did not find the problem or thought the problem was caused by older software your camera had.

The key to this is that consumer type AA