Camera? Best for Safari...

Old Jan 28th, 2007, 02:33 PM
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Camera? Best for Safari...

I have read the many threads on cameras and which one is the best and why. I was wondering if you were going to purchase a new camera for a safari in Kenya what type would purchase. I have gone around and around on the Digital SLR and the point-and-shoot (DSLR like) with the 12x Zoom lens. How important is Image Stabilization to you? Hom much lense (zoom) is enough?
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 03:00 PM
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"How important is image stabilization?" Very, it was one of 3 requirements I had on my digital purchase.

"How much zoom?" I wanted 12x so it was at least a 300 lens. That was the second requirement.

My 3rd requirement was regular AA batteries so I don't need to recharge, which is more of an issue in traveling places other than safaris in Africa.

I purposely went to the P&S when I changed to digital. I had an SLR manual camera that I liked just fine. The goal with the change was less lenses, less stuff to carry with less emphasis on photo taking, but still great shots.

Price was also an issue, since I take 2 camera bodies, meaning I had to buy 2.

I like my digital P&S pix more than the manual SLR, in fact I am thrilled with my results, but a digitial SLR would be even higher quality than a P&S.

If setting F-stops, using a variety of lenses, and fiddling with exposures contributes a good deal of pleasure to your travel and photo experience, then I'd do SLR.

Otherwise look at
-Canon S2 or S3;
-Panasonic Lumix Z25 or Z30 or maybe there are other Zs by now;
-Sony Cybershot DSC H2 or DSC H5.

Be sure to go somewhere that lets you try the camera out before purchasing.

I chose Sony DSC H2, which seems to put me in the minority on this board. I liked it far more than Canon and it had AA batteries, unlike Panasonic. Both Canon and Panasonic get good marks here for their results.
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 04:02 PM
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MiniApple, I've been going around and around on the Digital SLR vs Digital point and shoot too. I've pretty much decided to go with one of the 3 cameras mentioned by Lynn based on the reviews & posted pictures of others who own them.

Lynn, how many pictures would you be able to take with your Sony before having to replace the AA batteries? Could you go into a little more detail about why you liked it better than the Canon?
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 04:31 PM
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I was looking at the Sony H5 and the Canon S3, a friend said the DSLR is the only way to go. Lynn how quick is the Sony H5 at focusing at long distance zoom shots? I found it slow compared to the canon, it may be the AV focus settings on the showroom camera, I did not check that. The DSLR are great cameras, but additional lenses and extra weight, not to mention the fear factor my wife has over it. I am confused! Is there a easy answer.... David
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 04:32 PM
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I meant to say AF settings not AV....opps
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 05:07 PM
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I'm not much of a photographer, but I was delighted with the performance, and resulting pictures, of my Canon S2, which I purchased after reading up on the advice given on this forum.
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 05:39 PM
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I think that the Canon S4 and Sony H5 are very good cameras, I don't think I can go wrong with either one. I just don't know what I should buy. Sony, Canon, DSLR...
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 05:55 PM
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For our most recent trip, we switched to a DSLR, and we were very happy that we did. Once you figure out how to use it, it is extremely flexible and can get a lot of pictures you might not get with a point and shoot. But you have to pay attention to getting good quality lenses -- a good quality body alone isn't enough. But the results can be really nice.

Whether you go for a DSLR or one of the very nice point & shoots being discussed in this thread, the one pieceof advice I would give you is to practice with it before you take it on safari. Go to the zoo a few times, experiment with different settings, and learn what the camera is capable of by actually using it.

Good luck in making your decision.

Chris
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 05:58 PM
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i went with the Canon S3 IS and am very happy with it i upgraded from a basic canon point and shoot so i was familar with a lot of the features already. i also wanted something that took double aa's. i bought rechargeables (it takes 4) and little dual voltage charger and i never even had to use any of my spare batteries that i carried.

i would really recommend buying a few months vefore your safari so you can practice with it.

A person i work with bought the new Nikon D80 SLR and he's very happy with it.

i guess it boils down to how much you want to spend and how much camera you want to have
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 06:01 PM
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Well, it really comes down to budget. A dslr has many advantages over p&s cameras, but they're much more expensive. If you're just buying the camera for the safari, then I'd probably just stick with a p&s. If photography is a significant hobby and you'll be pursuing wildlife photography, then a dslr may be a worthwhile investment.

As for how much zoom, you'll want 300-400mm (35mm equivalent) for wildlife photography on the long end.
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 06:32 PM
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If you have not used a digital SLR there is a learning curve which you must go through. You can consider buying used DSLR's for much less than a new one. The problem is quality lenses are pricy. For example the Canon 100-400 lens that many think is the perfect safari lens runs about $1200-1400 (yes I know there are other less expensive options). Add in a body of $500-1100 and you see it adds up quickly. A point and shoot in the $350-600 range might sound like a great deal but you give up quite a bit of creative control and image quality. Don't be fooled by megapixels...they do not tell the whole story. Go to a reputable camera shop, try some out and see what feels good in your hand. I for one can't stand holding a camera at arms length looking at the screen. The viewfinder in most point and shoots are too small to be very useful. If you have used a regular 35mm SLR in the past you may have accessory lenses that will fit on a new digital body plus some of them have very similar controls to their 35mm counterparts.
Also, if you do not have any plans to enlarge photos larger than 5x7 or possibly 8x10 then a point and shoot may be perfect for you. I think you need at least 300mm for the bigger animals and 400mm may even be too small for birds.
Also, consider if this is a one time event or whether you might be going back again. A big investment in equipment may not make a lot of sense for a once in a lifetime visit.
As far as stabilization is concerned. I do think it is important whether in the lenses (think Canon is) or camera body (point and shoots have them too). This may be especially important in low light settings early in the morning and late afternoon when you have slower shutter speeds.
I did not find charging batteries that big a deal but would make sure you have spare ones even if they are the Li-ion ones so that you always have a charged one.
Personally, if you are interested in really good photographs get a digital SLR...if you want photographic memories and aren't too obsessed with the perfect image then a point and shoot will do just fine. The other advantage to the point and shoots is their ability to do mpeg videos as well.
Regards,
Eric
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 06:47 PM
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How many pix before replacing batteries?
Based on outdoor shots with no flash I got about 300. It also depends on how much you zoom and how long your camera stays on. I changed the 2 batteries a little less than once a day.

To save on batteries, when I got a battery-is-low warning, I'd remove them but then back in the room/tent I'd use those low juice batteries to do my deleting or cropping or whatever. I'd use them until they were dead rather than new fully charged batteries.

All batteries were rechargeable so I took the dead ones back home with me to recharge.

So Canon is up to S4 now?

I was all set to buy the Canon, but I did not like how it felt when I tried it out. I did not care for where the buttons were or how the zoom worked. The Sony had everything where I would expect it. It felt right immediately That's a very personal preference. My bias is to shy away from complex and to gravitate toward simple.

Canon also had a "fold out, pop out" display screen that is touted as an advantage. You can take photos by pointing the camera at something but not holding it up to your face and looking at the screen. In other words, you can sneak pictures. To me the screen was more parts to play with or to break. As it turns out I rarely use the display screen anyway in bright sunlight and instead look through the traditional viewfinder.

I liked the hard surface of the display screen on the Sony. The H5 is a 3 inch screen I believe, while the H2 has a smaller screen. H2 was big enough.

How quick does Sony focus? I can only speak for the H2 and my answer is a vague quick enough. I did not miss shots because of slow focusing I don't think.

Canon took AA batteries but required 4 at a time instead of 2. Now that may mean you change them half as often so the total # of batteries is the same. But it just seemed like I'd need to bring more AAs with Canon.

Price played no role in my decision between the Canon Ss the Panasonic Zs and the Sony H2. It did play a role in my decision to go P&S vs. Digital SLR. My Sony was the least expensive of the 3 P&Ss but that's not why I bought it.

Chris is so right to advise becoming accustomed to your new camera before leaving home. Don't delay so long in your decision that you have inadequate time for practice.

And take your manual with you.

The biggest variable in all of these camera decisions is the eye and skill of the photographer.
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 07:02 PM
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Also, I saw only quickly mentioned above that a P&S Canon S2/S3 type, etc. will take remarkably good video clips, up to perhaps 7 minutes (on a 1 gig card). Not a lot of video, not like a video camera, but still fun to take short videos along with still photos.
On our first safari in 2005 we both had had a P&S Canon S2. Most happy with it. On second safari in 2006 wife still used the S2 but I got a DSLR, Nikon D200. Why did I get the Nikon? Truth be known, because I like to play with cameras. I'm the F-stop fiddler atravelynn talks about above. I shot 35mm SLR slides for dozens of years. Truth be known, for 4x6 inch prints you can't tell the difference between photos taken with the S2 or D200. You will not give up any image quality up to prints sizes of 5x7 and likely 8x10. Truth be known, for 95% of the safari photos you will take the P&S will do a great job, equal to the DSLR. Get one of the P&Ss mentioned here with the 38-400mm zoom and video capability.
To get really good photos you do not need the best camera. What you need is a developed sense/feeling for what makes a good photo. And then take it.
regards - tom
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Old Jan 28th, 2007, 07:21 PM
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Lynn, Canon Powershot S3 is the newest model, I had a band-aid on my finger that hurts my bad typing skills. Sorry to anyone that thought a new and improved Canon was out, just a typo...Sorry
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 01:57 AM
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We took my Pentax DSLR with a 28-300 lens on it, which was just about big enough, and a Canon S2 IS. I stuck to one lens on the DSLR to cut down on the risk od dust on the sensor. Both cameras took good photos. The Canon S2 has less MP (the S3 has more) and you could see a difference in the quality of the photos. But if you don't want to lug a DSLR around then either the Canon S3 or the new Fuji would be good.
I am hoping to get the Pentax K10D before our next trip as it is weatherproof (therefore also a bit more dust proof)and it has IS and sensor cleaning. And I will take my new 50-500 lens too.
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 05:27 AM
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You can't go wrong with most of the 12x optical zooms.........but, if you have a little time.....wait and look at the Oly 550......18x zoom.

I'm hoping it will get the rave reviews everyone say and it's available prior to our leaving in June.
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 08:30 AM
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I am also a proponent of the Sony H2 (or H3). I'm not a camera person by any means, so DSLR was not really an option, plus they are alot more expensive, and, to be honest, quite large. I find a 12x optical zoom camera large enough to whip out in the middle of a street. DSLRs are slightly awkward.
Anyway, the Sonys are pretty user-friendly and take nice shots.

Laura
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 09:16 AM
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18 x with Olympia? Every year or so the options improve!
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 09:54 AM
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Hi all - for Lynn and the rest who have the Sony camera: Did you use the movie mode on it and how did it work? Dpreview gives the H2 a "highly recommended" rating. (I'm not giving up my DSLRs, but would like a video option in the fuuture.)

Cheers!
Sharon
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Old Jan 29th, 2007, 12:13 PM
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No movies for me. Maybe some day.
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