Snap decisions
Snap decisions
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia
Choosing a camera as a travel companion can be tricky. After all, you want to make sure you have the best workhorse to capture sights you might never see again.
Here are Connect editor Dave Bullard’s top tips, plus some of the latest models
CAMERA TYPE
COMPACT: These models — the “point-and-shoot” variety with collapsible lenses — are best for those who like to blend in when travelling.
Not looking like a tourist can be hugely beneficial, and compact digital cameras can be slipped into a pocket or handbag.
PROSUMER: This is the midway point between compact and SLR.
Usually looking like a small SLR, they generally give a higher degree of control than compact varieties.
They don’t have interchangeable lenses, but many have mounting threads for magnifying lenses and filters.
SLR: You won’t believe how good an SLR’s optics and processing can make your shots look.
You get far more control, plus the option of exchanging lenses and adding a really good flash.
But you’ll be paying a lot more, and SLRs are bulky and heavy to carry — though they’re getting smaller and lighter.
As for blending in . . . put one of these around your neck and you might as well add a Hawaiian shirt and Bermuda shorts.
MEGAPIXELS
MORE isn’t necessarily better.
Always look at the price when considering the number of pixels a camera has. If you are getting a 7-megapixel camera for under $300, chances are the maker has saved money by cramming the pixels on to a smaller sensor.
This just leads to a decreased dynamic range, which means an irritating loss of detail in the shadows and highlights.
If you are buying in the lower end of the market, go for a lower number of pixels and a better-quality sensor.
After all, unless you are printing bigger than A4, you really need only 4-5 megapixels.
ZOOM LENSES
THE standard zoom on a compact digital camera is 3X, but many makers are offering “prosumer” models with 10X and even 12X lenses.
Be aware that, while longer zooms will let you get closer to the sights, the longer the lens the more they will shake, so you’ll need to look at image stabilisation and external support.
Don’t bother including digital zooms in your buying checklist.
These just use software to enlarge a part of the picture, then fill in the missing data — and the results are generally bad.
Also consider a wide-angle lens — such as the 28mm one on the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-TZ3 — which will give you more leeway in tighter situations.
TRIPODS
BY FAR the best way to get movement-free photos is to mount the camera on a tripod and use the self-timer to count down to a shot and give the camera time to settle.
While many tripods are big and bulky, there are a few traveller-friendly alternatives:
BEANBAGS: You can make one of these yourself for next to nothing. Just sew together two squares of material and fill it with small beans or polystyrene balls.
FLEXI-LEG MINI-TRIPODS: These are about 10cm high and can be bought for under $20. Better still, ask your dealer to throw one in free.
GORILLAPOD: This one (pictured right) is walking out of camera shops. It’s a flexible-leg tripod that can be stood on, or wrapped around, just about anything. About $40 (www.joby.com ).
MONSTERPOD: This is a compact camera support that lets you attach your camera to almost any surface — even sideways or upside down — using a sticky morphing polymer. About $60 (www.borge.com.au ).
IMAGE STABILISERS
THERE are two ways that a camera can counter hand-shake: optical and digital.
Optical systems are regarded as better, and physically adjust a floating lens element to counter movement.
Digital ones move the sensor, or charge-coupled device (CCD) instead.
BATTERIES
BUY a camera with a removable battery, and buy a spare or two. You don’t want to be stuck with a Low Power warning and have to leave the camera back at the hotel to charge.
If you will be travelling in the back of beyond where powerpoints are scarce, consider buying a camera that takes AA-size batteries — such as the Canon PowerShot A550 or the Pentax K100D Super digital SLR — which you can find anywhere from Zanzibar to Ulan Bator.
Or consider a solar-powered charger such as the Solio (left). For about $150, it can charge Mini-USB-equipped cameras via an adaptor (www.solio.com).
PROTECTION
CHOOSING a metal body over a plastic one is your first step towards making sure your camera survives the trip.
Looking for a camera that is shock- and splash-proof is the next step.
And if you think you’re really going to be rough on your gear, check out a camera such as the Olympus Tough 795SW or the Ricoh Caplio 500G.
If you are going underwater, there are housings made for most compact cameras. Or you could go straight for a dedicated underwater one such as the Vivitar ViviCam 6200w, which will take you 10m down for just $269.95.
VIEWFINDER
MOST camera viewing screens just don’t work in bright sunlight.
They are improving all the time, but look for an extra-bright one or get a model with a viewfinder as well.
You really don’t want to miss the shot of a lifetime because of the weather.
A CAMERA FOR EVERY OCCASION … AND BUDGET
Nikon
Model: D40X
Price: $1099 body only; lens kits available, including $1199 with AF-S DX 18-55mm f3.5-5.6G ED lens
Nikon: (02) 8748 5200
www.nikon.com.au
THE D40X is an entry-level SLR offering top quality in terms of optics, processing and functionality for the price. It has a 10-megapixel sensor, which gives you the ability to blow up prints beyond A3, and threeframes- a-second continuous shooting for fast-moving action. The on-camera retouching tools are great for travellers.
Vivitar
Model: ViviCam 6200w
Price: $269.95
Ricoh: 1300 363 741
www.ricoh.com.au
IF YOU are after a relatively inexpensive camera for your next beach holiday, check out the ViviCam 6200W. Encased in a yellow shockproof rubber shell, it can handle salt, sand, dust and dirt-and depths of 10m. It has a 6-megapixel sensor, and the price is brought down by using a focusfree lens instead of a zoom.
Panasonic
Model: LUMIX DMC-TZ3
Price: $649
Panasonic: 13 26 00
www.panasonic.com.au
THIS is at the top end of the compacts. Developed in partnership with Leica, the TZ3 has a 7.3-megapixel sensor and a slim stainless-steel body. But its biggest strength is its lens, which lets you zoom 10X from wide-angle 28mm to 280mm telephoto. Europe’s Technical Image Press Association like it so much they’ve given it this year’s
Best Superzoom Digital Camera award.
Fujifilm
Model: FinePix S5700
Price: $349
Fujifilm: (02) 9466 2600
www.fujifilm.com.au
THE S5700 is a mid-range camera that takes the SLR form for those who prefer something a bit bulkier to get their hands around. It’s a 7.1-megapixel model with a 10X zoom from 38mm-380mm and a handy Dual Shot mode which will take two shots in quick succession, one with flash and one without. Great for taking travel shots in a hurry.
Olympus
Model: Tough 795SW
Price: $599
Olympus: 1300 659 678
www.olympus.com.au
ONE of the most rugged consumer cameras you can buy is the Touch 795SW.
It can withstand temperatures as low as -10C, endure pressures of up to 100kg, be dropped from 1.5m and be taken underwater to a depth of 10m. It even has face-detection autofocus and autoexposure, with Shadow Adjust to get the best overall results. It’s a 7.1-megapixel model with a 3X optical zoom.
Add comment October 3rd, 2007