OT: Photography. Tikk? Anyone?

[TangSoo]

Sorry for the Off-topic thread. I'm not aware of PM on here. I'm looking for input from Tikk or anyone else on cameras. I'm going on a cycling (bicycle) trip in the Italian Alps in August. I don't own a camera but want something better than the camera on my phone. I have $300 in mind but would creep a little higher if I have to. Small and light is essential but I want those great panoramic pics. Some technical input like lenses would be awesome. I don't know enough to know what to ask. I appreciate and welcome any input.

 

[tikk10]

Sorry for the Off-topic thread. I'm not aware of PM on here. I'm looking for input from Tikk or anyone else on cameras. I'm going on a cycling (bicycle) trip in the Italian Alps in August. I don't own a camera but want something better than the camera on my phone. I have $300 in mind but would creep a little higher if I have to. Small and light is essential but I want those great panoramic pics. Some technical input like lenses would be awesome. I don't know enough to know what to ask. I appreciate and welcome any input.

I think the cameras in the $300 range aren't any better than the top of the line smart phones these days. I have a Samsung S8 and am seriously considering only bringing it to Europe this June, only for the sake of traveling light. What sort of smartphone do you have right now?

My Instagram account is almost entirely (save the random wrestling shots) Samsung Galaxy phones, updated for each new edition.

I don't actually know much about midrange cameras though, because I'm either using my phone or using an outfit that costs a few thousand. The market you're asking about is constantly changing though and I'd be interested in hearing from others who know it.

 

[Sportfan2017]

Sorry for the Off-topic thread. I'm not aware of PM on here. I'm looking for input from Tikk or anyone else on cameras. I'm going on a cycling (bicycle) trip in the Italian Alps in August. I don't own a camera but want something better than the camera on my phone. I have $300 in mind but would creep a little higher if I have to. Small and light is essential but I want those great panoramic pics. Some technical input like lenses would be awesome. I don't know enough to know what to ask. I appreciate and welcome any input.

Since you are cycling and on a budget….you may want to take a look at a Sony HX400V. It has a quality Zeiss lens with a pretty solid wide angle 2.8 up to a decent zoom range as well. I found a nice package deal with many desirable extras.....64gb SD card plus 2 extra batteries with charger, case UV filter, small tripod and other extras. I added a polarizer and I am good to go. It has image stabilization, panorama settings etc. Solid camera for price. I will try to find a link. I still often use my old Minolta XG and XD cameras with lenses from 20mm to 1000 mm but you certainly wouldn't want to pedal them anywhere

 

[Sportfan2017]

Sorry for the Off-topic thread. I'm not aware of PM on here. I'm looking for input from Tikk or anyone else on cameras. I'm going on a cycling (bicycle) trip in the Italian Alps in August. I don't own a camera but want something better than the camera on my phone. I have $300 in mind but would creep a little higher if I have to. Small and light is essential but I want those great panoramic pics. Some technical input like lenses would be awesome. I don't know enough to know what to ask. I appreciate and welcome any input.

I paid 398.00 for the camera with the many extras. That deal was on Amazon about 2 months ago....not on there now. Haven't yet found it under 450.00 for just camera. It did come from Focus Camera...who I have done a decent amount of business when I was teaching Astrophotography. I'll see if I can find it direct from them.

Also....forgot to mention....I shoot in caves occasionally and one of the bigger selling points for me was that this camera has a hot shoe so I can use one of my giant flashes and not rely on the flip up flash that it also has. It is heavier and full sized so that may be a drawback for you. Mine is 22 ounces....not counting case and accessories
UPDATE:
Focus Camera doesn't even have the camera listed anymore......there is a used one on Ebay that is at 131.00 and ends at 6:00pm tonight. It is listed as: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V 20.4MP Digital Camera. You can check it out just to see the features and compare to other cameras in that price range. Good Luck I remember the first time I camped across America. I had what I realized was a crappy camera. I decided that would never happen again. And it hasn't

 

[dunkej01]

This is a positive infinity thread I can really get into.

#sorrynotsorry

 

[TangSoo]

I think the cameras in the $300 range aren't any better than the top of the line smart phones these days. I have a Samsung S8 and am seriously considering only bringing it to Europe this June, only for the sake of traveling light. What sort of smartphone do you have right now?

My Instagram account is almost entirely (save the random wrestling shots) Samsung Galaxy phones, updated for each new edition.

I don't actually know much about midrange cameras though, because I'm either using my phone or using an outfit that costs a few thousand. The market you're asking about is constantly changing though and I'd be interested in hearing from others who know it.

Thanks Tikk. I'm an Android guy so an upgrade is certainly an option then. At that altitude I'll have to have some bad weather gear, so lighter is better.

 

[TangSoo]

I paid 398.00 for the camera with the many extras. That deal was on Amazon about 2 months ago....not on there now. Haven't yet found it under 450.00 for just camera. It did come from Focus Camera...who I have done a decent amount of business when I was teaching Astrophotography. I'll see if I can find it direct from them.

Also....forgot to mention....I shoot in caves occasionally and one of the bigger selling points for me was that this camera has a hot shoe so I can use one of my giant flashes and not rely on the flip up flash that it also has. It is heavier and full sized so that may be a drawback for you. Mine is 22 ounces....not counting case and accessories
UPDATE:
Focus Camera doesn't even have the camera listed anymore......there is a used one on Ebay that is at 131.00 and ends at 6:00pm tonight. It is listed as: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX400V 20.4MP Digital Camera. You can check it out just to see the features and compare to other cameras in that price range. Good Luck I remember the first time I camped across America. I had what I realized was a crappy camera. I decided that would never happen again. And it hasn't

Thanks for the info. I don't do it often, but I love getting good deals on ebay. I would have been all over that, but I was on a much needed training ride. I'll keep my eyes out for that camera. Thanks!

 

[Sportfan2017]

Thanks for the info. I don't do it often, but I love getting good deals on ebay. I would have been all over that, but I was on a much needed training ride. I'll keep my eyes out for that camera. Thanks!

it got bid up pretty high....270.00 used. I am quite happy with mine......but it is bigger and larger than a phone. My bag with extra batteries, charger etc. is about 2 lbs. Also....don't let anyone tell you that the Sony DSC-H300 is as good or almost as good. I have one.....it isn't even close. I also saw good reviews on certain models of the Panasonic Lumix and Canon Cyber-shot in the same current price range of the Sony......450.00 Good Luck and enjoy that trip!

 

[tikk10]

Thanks for the info. I don't do it often, but I love getting good deals on ebay. I would have been all over that, but I was on a much needed training ride. I'll keep my eyes out for that camera. Thanks!

If you're going to shoot with your smartphone I'd additionally recommend keeping it on the HDR setting, which the newer phones will have. HDR is a process whereby the phone actually takes multiple shots simultaneously and then combines them, keeping the darkest highlights and lightest shadow areas. Especially useful when you're shooting in hard daylight settings, which you will if you're going to by biking. I keep it on by default.

Also recommend getting an app called Snapseed, which is a kind of quick and dirty Photoshop. I typically use it to punch up shots, but occasionally use it to salvage shots. Before & after example below of a shot taken with an S8, the second tweaked in Snapseed.

 

[Cali_Nittany]

If you're going to shoot with your smartphone I'd additionally recommend keeping it on the HDR setting, which the newer phones will have. HDR is a process whereby the phone actually takes multiple shots simultaneously and then combines them, keeping the darkest highlights and lightest shadow areas. Especially useful when you're shooting in hard daylight settings, which you will if you're going to by biking. I keep it on by default.

Also recommend getting an app called Snapseed, which is a kind of quick and dirty Photoshop. I typically use it to punch up shots, but occasionally use it to salvage shots. Before & after example below of a shot taken with an S8, the second tweaked in Snapseed.

The S8 has an awesome camera. A compact camera with a decent zoom is worth bringing too.

 

[RoarLions1]

Bought 2 SLR cameras 2 years ago, along with a point and shoot, and then there’s my cell.

The SLR’s can be a bit bulky, especially when we take an extra lens, though for walking tours (we bought ours for a Europe trip too), and indoor photography, it was the best. The point and shoot fit best in our pocket, and was great for outdoor shots, and indoor close-up photography. The cell phone too, was better than expected.

I won’t recommend one camera, as we did a bit of research, and I’m sure model numbers have changed. We have a Canon and a Nikon. A quick internet search, in addition to what had been provided in this thread, would help you, IMO.

 

[PSUaggie]

I agree with Tikk on the quality of top cell phone cameras today. The only thing you really miss out on (vs a $400 pocket camera) is optical zoom capabilities. Set up cloud storage in advance of the trip to automatically back up photos whenever you connect to wifi.

Phones with a quick charge feature are nice when traveling. Also consider a portable power pack if you will have extended times between charging. Don't forget the EU plug or adapter.

 

[tikk10]

I agree with Tikk on the quality of top cell phone cameras today. The only thing you really miss out on (vs a $400 pocket camera) is optical zoom capabilities. Set up cloud storage in advance of the trip to automatically back up photos whenever you connect to wifi.

Phones with a quick charge feature are nice when traveling. Also consider a portable power pack if you will have extended times between charging. Don't forget the EU plug or adapter.

Good advice here re cloud and portable power, which is pretty cheap now. Re cloud, I set my phone up so that Google Photos backs up and syncs whenever it's connected to wifi.

For my coming trip I've already purchased a SIM card with a UK phone number good throughout EU so I don't have to rely on wifi for data. For obvious reasons Wifi is useless when it comes to navigation so you may be interested in getting a SIM card, TangSoo, if your biking plans involve GPS.

 

[Cali_Nittany]

Good advice here re cloud and portable power, which is pretty cheap now. Re cloud, I set my phone up so that Google Photos backs up and syncs whenever it's connected to wifi.

For my coming trip I've already purchased a SIM card with a UK phone number good throughout EU so I don't have to rely on wifi for data. For obvious reasons Wifi is useless when it comes to navigation so you may be interested in getting a SIM card, TangSoo, if your biking plans involve GPS.

You can still use GPS without wifi. Just download offline maps from Google or Here.

 

[tikk10]

You can still use GPS without wifi. Just download offline maps from Google or Here.

True but you need a data plan to get stuff like traffic updates, detours, gas station prices, etc. through Google navigation. Perhaps less important for cyclists though.

 

[dbldoofus]

As a birdwatcher who takes pictures (I would never call myself a photographer....)

My Iphone 6 cannot hold a candle to my Nikon SLRs.
- I use a D7000, which is a very old model now and old 80x400 lens

- I started with a D3000 (even older and a lower model)

- and have used a D5300 with a 70x300 lens.

I would never expect to replace these with a phone or even a coolpix. They just don't carry the distance to get good nature shots.

When I went to Disney in 2016, I borrowed a D5300 from a friend and used a small 18-105 lens. By the end of that trip, I would have chosen a coolpix if I had access to borrow one. I didn't need SLR power for that kind of photography. Also while the 5300 is not large, it was too large for this use.

If I can figure out how to post a link, I'd share links to my better birding shots from 2017.

 

[tikk10]

I forgot to mention another camera I have (actually purchased for my better half but she rarely uses it) that might be perfect for travel due to its size. It's the Leica D-Lux 6. It's a compact digital and you can find them used for about $550. Leica lenses are unparalleled so to have one in an affordable compact camera is great.

Review here. Excerpt:

However what the D-Lux 6 does excel at is being a travel camera. If you are going to go on some foreign trip and want a camera that can do everything (shoot in the streets, take snapshots, photos of landmarks and family) it will be ideal for you. It has a great balance of weight, portability, image quality, and having the versatility of a zoom. So if you want to go off to some foreign place without having the burden of lugging around your DSLR, this is an ideal option.​

I took two shots of the same indoor scene [Imgur link], one with the D-Lux 6 and one with my S8, because I was curious just how far along the S8 (et al) have come.

Photo 1 is the Leica and Photo 2 is the S8. Both are pretty sharp even in low-light, like here. The Leica opens to f 1.4 and the S8's default is f 1.7. Almost all digital cameras now have some sort of image stabilization now, which allows you to get away with really low-light scenes and shoot at 1/15th second without noticeable shake.

The third pic is a closeup from each of the photos. You can see where the S8 just starts to break down in terms of image integrity. Like most smart phones, there's a lot of messy compression going on when you get really close, whereas the same areas on the Leica are smooth and consistent. Generally speaking you won't see much of a difference unless you wanted to make large prints. I think you'd notice a difference, but only if you were looking for it, if you printed 16 x 20. Probably would be tough to notice a difference at 8 x 10 though.

 

[tikk10]

I searched all over for a Suriano thread to dump my vacation photos but came up empty so am dumping here instead since I did indeed keep my camera at home and shoot with my Samsung S8 phone. So proof of concept follows below. London, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and a six-hour layover in Stockholm.

Great trip with a few bumps, including some idiot mistaking our luggage for hers on day one (took 2 1/2 days to get it back), and having our Airbnb in Paris robbed (just took our US cash and the real owner's jewelry). Enjoyed but glad to be back.

Weird side note: Rivals is entirely inaccessible from Europe as a result of the recent GDPR (data protection) law that many US sites evidently just don't want to deal with.

 

[tikk10]

 

[tikk10]

 

[Crunched]

Great pics Tikk !

 

[Chickenman Testa]

You guys doing this in 220?

 

[PSUcup1]

You guys doing this in 220?

220, 221 .... whatever it takes!

 

[nitlion6]

I take it this now the thread we should use to discuss possible summer time transfers out?