mgtr

Looking for a decent digital camera to take on safari (Kruger). Would like to spend around $500. What are the key elements I should look for....mega pixel? zoom?
Any recommendations of good brands/cameras?

Alejandra

Panaosinic FZ30, i got it last week and very happy with it, prices in Europe over 700 $ but in the USA must be around 500

Gardyloo

Opinions will vary of course, but I think the Panasonic Lumix line (e.g., DMC-FZ5K, 5mp, 12x optical zoom, Leica lens - $450 or less all over) is a knockout. I've had 2 (first one lost) and think they're amazing value. They also make a more compact style with 6x zoom that is also great value.

For safari use, optical zoom is key IMO, along with enough mp that you can blow up the pix without too much image degradation if you don't have time to zoom in.

Some examples on my RTW website, http://home.comcast.net/~gardyloo

micjor

The Panasonic Lumix fz20 is between $400 and $430 at Amazon...I just bought it last week for $400 and there is no sales tax...although the fz30 is the new version, this one is quite remarkable as well.

mgtr

One concern that we have had on other trips is that while our current camera works great in daylight at night the image is often fuzzy (especially when there are lights in the photo). I really want to find a camera that works better in this respect as we are taking a night safari. Is that what the stablized zoom does?

Gardyloo

The stabilized zoom means body shake is damped when you're zoomed out. Night game drives are quite challenging because the spotlights are intense but the distance can be great, so it's more a case of shutter speed rather than body shake causing blurring. There's no easy fix, short of using a film camera with a lot of glass and very high speed film.

bat

I see the FZ4 for as low as $250--the 12x optical zoom lens is the same for each in the Lumix DMC series, yes? Is 4 mp too low for blowing up images?

lifelist

mgtr - Being able to change the ISO setting on the camera can get you a faster shutter speed. So, being able to change the ISO on the camera to as high as 1600 would enable you to get some reasonable shots at night with flood lights. However, most cameras don't have good performance at that high an ISO, and therefore you get noisy pictures (i.e. grainy).

bat - how big a blow up? 4 mp should handle an 8x10 just fine, 11x14 would need a little help with software, and 16x20 is too much.

bat

Thanks lifelist-8x10 would be fine. I saw the FZ20 for $400 and the FZ4 for $250. Besides the diff of 4mp to 5mp what else do you get for the $150 diff, does anyone know?

wjsonl

Bat, you might check out www.dpreview.com, my favorite digital photog website. Their website is set up so that you can put one camera right beside another one to compare the differences. It's helped me a lot in choosing which camera had the things I needed. Jack

cooncat2

I'm actually thinking about getting the FZ5 for my trip next year. I've done quite a bit of comparison shopping on Dpreview and this may be the ticket for me. I've got the Canon 20D for the big lens, but to avoid swapping lenses in the bush, I'm thinking about this one for close ups. If you're only taking one, I'd personally buy the FZ20 over the newer FZ30. That's just based on what I've read in the Dpreview review.

At any rate, good luck with your choice!

cooncat2

Jack we posted at the same time! Ditto, though, that's exactly what I do, that comparison thing!

wjsonl

Cooncat, great minds... etc, etc....

bat

thanks wjsonl and cooncat.

cary999

Returned from safari middle of this September, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, four nights at each camp. The three of us each had the Canon S2 and we all loved it. It is reasonably small and light but not pocket size. Its market competition is the Panasonic DMC-FZ5 and the Sony DSC-H1. Any one of these three are great cameras. We also found its movie capability fun. I put together a DVD with slides and movie clips, about 20 minutes long and it came out really nice even if I do say so The three of us took about 4,000 photos total. At the Kodak Gallery - http://www.kodakgallery.com/tdgraham/safari_2005
I have posted 28 of our safari photos. It is a good little sample of how the camera performs (and what decent well lit photos look like, oops, ;-) bragging again).
regards - tom

wjsonl

Tom, certainly agree that the Canon S2 is a nice camera. I don't have one but I did have a Canon S1 in June when we went to Kenya and Tanzania, and what a great camera that is. The only drawback to the S1 is that it is only 3 megapixels, not enough if you want to blow up a photo larger than 8x10. I didn't think I would ever want to do that, but then I went to Africa, and guess what? African photos can be so cool, so beautiful, that, by gosh and hot-damn, I would be perfectly happy if I could make huge murals and plaster them all over the house and pretend every day that I was back in the Serengeti or in the Masai Mara!!!
So, since I'm probably going back next summer to take my son as a college graduation present, I decided to get a camera with more megapixels. And to make a long story short, it boiled down to the Canon S2 and the Panasonic FZ5, both cameras having 5 mps and 12x optical zoom. I decided to go with the Panasonic FZ5 because I could get it on the internet for about $350, but I couldn't touch the S2 for less than around $500. If you go to www.dpreview.com, you'll also see some other differences, such as the fact that the FZ5 weighs significantly less than the S2. I am extremely happy with my FZ5, but I know the S2 is a great camera, too. You can't go wrong with either one. Jack

countingdown

I just purchased a Konica-Minolta Z6, new on the market. It has 6 mega pixels and 12x zoom. Price was $400. I chose this camera for the high resolution so I can enlarge photos and the zoom as well as the excellent rating for battery life. I have until Thursday to exchange it and keep reading about the Panasonics and wondering if I have make the best choice. Anybody familiar w/the Z5 or 6?

wjsonl

I'd compare the Minolta with the Panasonics, something easy to do on www.dpreview.com. Jack

wjsonl

That is, if you're really worried about it. Sounds like you got a great deal to me. J

beept

Is anyone very familier with the Sony H1? I love the large LCD screen it has. I have read the reviews on dpreview, but am hoping someone has some personal experiance with it. Also, Countingdown - let me know what you think of your Minolta Z6, I was looking at that as well as the Panasonic FZ5 too.