Traveling with Camera

RusherRacing

Hello,
Besides Racing my other hobbies include photography and traveling.
I will be visiting India for my first time here next month and I am thinking about buying a new camera. My current one is the Canon S2 IS and it is getting fairly worn out. I can trade it in on either a Canon SX10IS ($199) or Rebel XS ($349) through there customer loyalty program. I will also have my Olympus 1030SW (tough) series camera with but it doesn't take great night shots nor does it have any real ZOOM.
Cost isn't really a huge issue as I was orginally looking into spending $700. I am leaning towards the DSLR just cause I always wanted one. But now I am second guessing myself. For the following reasons.

The size for backpacking
Need to buy and and more importantly carry multiply lenses
Expensive to get a good high zoom lense
Theft

I will also be also have a HP mini with me during my travels for uploading and editing photos is this safe or should I just bring a couple 4-8 gig cards and leave the PC at home.

Feedback would be appreciated.

Haylo

I personally stopped carrying my SLR when travelling because all too often I'd go out briefly without it because of the weight and bulk, and miss what would have been a great shot. Instead I opted to carry a Nikon Coolpix 5000 which went everywhere with me; at only 5mp it's now sadly outdated, but I've been very pleased with it and have been fortunate to capture some great images.

Recently I've been reading up about the latest developments in the superzoom compact market, and am interested in the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7, which has a 25-300mm equivalent lens, and I'm seriously tempted. The only downside is that is has few manual controls, not even aperture priority which is definitely offputting after the camera I'm used to, and unlike the Nikon compact you can't fit filters.

I absolutely understand your desire to buy a DSLR, and have been struggling with that issue myself. I think that one of the most important questions I forced myself to answer was "Would I always want to carry it with me" - If the answer's yes, maybe a DSLR is the choice for you, if the answer's no, maybe it isn't.

The best camera in the world is absolutely useless if it's back at your hotel, when that amazing shot presents itself...

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Hal

I've taken my Olympus point and shoot on both trips to India, and always wished I had an SLR. I will buy one for my next trip. You can put a smaller SLR and a lens or two in a daypack. Theft would be no more an issue with theft of an SLR than a fancy point-and-shoot.

I'd leave the PC at home. There are internet cafes everywhere and you can get your cards burned to a DVD just about anywhere.

razorpig

I know what you mean about that TZ7 Halo. Looks like the perfect travel companion but could be frustrating if you're used to an SLR. I've got a Canon EOS650 (35mm) and a digital compact Fuji F30, but haven't entered the DSLR market yet. Taking the EOS650 isn't an option - too heavy, too big. I went to look at a Canon D450 the other week but decided I couldn't really afford it. After much consideration, I thought my best plan was to trade in my F30 for a TZ7 as I need good zoom capability for candid portraits. However, the more I read about the TZ7 the less sure I am. BAD low-light perfomance, BAD battery life, not to mention the shortcomings you've already covered. I'm off in less than two weeks, Fuji's doing well on e-bay, but still have no idea what to get!! Feels like I've been looking at different models on the internet for ever and the more I look, the more choice there seems to be and the harder it gets. At the moment, I'm leaning back towards the D450 despite the huge hole it will make in my wallet. So I've come full circle but still haven't made my final decision. My head hurts!! ;-( Oh what to do....clock's ticking. Sorry this isn't much help RusherRacing, but at least you know you're not on your own. That Canon SX10IS looks pretty good though, or the SX200 IS, or a newer Fuji..or...aarrgghh. Maybe I'll just take a sketch book

RusherRacing

Thanks for the input.. Based on this feedback and my trip to the photography shop, I have decided to get the SX10IS. It is very similar to what i have now. The manual settings are really easy. I can use 52mm filters. I love the thought of the DSLR but the cost of the lenses and the size to me are just to much of a draw back. I was told the SX10IS is good for night shots. I can't wait to get shots of the city lights lit up at night and the sunrise at taj mahal.

abracax

You can take good photos or you can carry a convenient camera - you can't have both unless you're willing to pony up the dough for a Leica M8. C'est la vie.

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Haylo

So there's another factor, unless you're going for a very long trip, have you got time to "learn" it. Are you going to be able to get the shots you want with a camera you're still going to be unfamiliar with?

Check out the latest prices on the internet, that model has been out for quite a time now and it may well be more affordable than it was last time you looked.

That is EXACTLY why I am still using my old 5mp Nikon!

I absolutely love its small size, hot shoe, ability to take filters and full manual capabilities, but it's nearly seven years old and despite being lucky enough to get some cracking shots, the image quality just isn't good enough for me. What I want is basically the camera I already have, but upgraded.

That's it! I'm buying a sketch book!

So, which grade of pencil is best to use for sketching?

paintedlotus

My Canon 5D, which is a bit of a hulking thing especially with the extra battery grip on it, goes pretty much everywhere with me.

I've found the most important thing to consider when thinking about photography equipment is the bag you'll be carrying it in. I don't like to leave my camera around my neck for very long, so I have a good bag that I can stash it in and get it out of relatively quickly. I also don't like to have a camera bag AND a day bag, so I've compromised and found a camera bag I can keep everything in (and have it within reasonable reach).

Haylo

So HOW did I ever miss this?

Yes, it is a compromise, but for me it is the ideal camera for carrying with me at all times. Plus, because it's been out for a while, the price has now plummeted to £250 new on eBay.

I am very very tempted...

razorpig

Hey Haylo(!), I'm going for 11 months so I've got plenty of time to learn a new camera, but I'm no stranger to them anyway. I've been back in to town today and looked at LOADS of cameras. Finally decided on an SX200 IS. To anyone considering buying a new camera, do all your research on the net but be sure to go and handle the things for yourself. The TZ7s a nice piece of kit, but as soon as I picked up the Canon and started playing around, it just felt right. Of course the end result is of supreme importance , but the process of getting there also has to be enjoyable. Also check out a few magazine reviews - the SX200 got "Best Buy" in a couple I looked at. What really tipped the balance, is the current £40 cash back offer on amazon - ends this Friday so get in quick if you're interested. So all in all, although it was an arduous process trying to decide, the final decision was a bit of a no brainer. My Fuji F30 is doing well on e-bay so I don't reckon I'll be much out of pocket by the end of the day. Effectively it'll have cost me less than £100 to upgrade my 6MP 3x to a 12MP 12x....now I need some sleep ;-) Happy snapping to all. I'll start researching pencils tomorrow

Haylo

Don't sit there writing on IndiaMike, go buy it and let me know what you think of it!

That was one of the cameras I was seriously considering, but I tend towards rather "rough and tumble" type travel and my current Nikon Coolpix 5000 has successfully taken some pretty severe knocks. The SX200S flimsy looking flash (though perhaps not feeling flimsy - hence your point about handling cameras) protruding whenever the camera's on, even when it's not needed, put me off that model.

razorpig

Steady on there ! Maybe I wasn't clear enough , I've just ordered one from Amazon but it won't be here for a few days. As I said, I tried one out earlier today and loved it, but the proof will be in the print quality which as yet is unseen. Wish they'd let you pay a nominal fee in Jessops to take a shot and print it out there and then. It's such a neat little camera with unfussy controls and a good screen. Impressive zoom as well. As for the flash thing, it is a little annoying, but i) it's also very slick the way it slips up and down, really nice action. No point whatsoever most of the time but it put a smile on my face as I watched it slide smoothly away like something out of the matrix. OK, I'm clutching at straws here but every cloud.... ii) more to the point, I've heard rumour that they can sort this out with a future firmware update. I should have mentioned that first, but it's action is so cool I couldn't help myself . The other BIG plus of course is it's size. If you want to travel light, this is a very good choice indeed in my opinion. So stop sitting there writing on IndiaMike and go and have a look at one . The guy in the shop also gave me a good tip, which you probably already know, but you can go to Flickr.com and do a search by camera type to see sample shots - very handy.

camelgirl

I bought the Canon SX200 IS two months ago because I have been looking for a compact camera with a telephoto lens for over a year. I bought & returned two others which I didn't like for various reasons. A Canon & a Panasonic. This one seems to be "the" one.

It's got a 12x optical lens & has all the other features I'm used to on my Canon SD880 IS, which I still love & which I've had for about 10 months.

I am still getting used to the pop-up flash which is where I put my finger to hold the camera. I feel sure it won't bother me once I'm used to it.

I will finally get to use it on a trip next month but so far, just playing around with it, I'm really liking it! And even the little video feature is excellent.

I am not a photographer & never want to carry anything that won't fit into a pocket or small purse or daypack. I think these new digital cameras are so amazing!

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My selected India photos http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/s...r/7030/cat/500

Haylo

I was thinking of taking an SD card with me, so I could take some test shots and check out the results back at home.

No, I hadn't heard of that one, what a good idea.



Camelgirl, thanks for the review, it really does sound like a great camera and ideal for travel. I'm now torn between that and the Nikon P6000 - maybe I need to hit the camera shops at the weekend!

Raptor

Before taking the plunge do look at the new digicams announced by Canon yesterday. And the prices for existing models in stock should drop accordingly. More specifically G11, S90 and Sx20 are all worth having a look.

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