Cameras....
I’ve always had an interest in photography, but just never wanted to invest the time or money when dealing with film. We did have a very nice 35 mm point-and-shot camera that we started taking with us on trips sometime in the early 1990s, although our commitment to taking pictures varied from trip to trip.
Around 2002, we bought our first digital camera, a Fuji Film FinePixA303; very basic, but it did take nice images. I used the digital and Lynn used the film camera. In 2007, I upgraded to a superzoom,the Fuji FinePix S5200. More zoom (10x versus maybe 3x with the A303) and even better picture quality. I tried to get Lynn to ditch the film camera and use the older digital, but she would not hear of it.
The first real opportunity to use the new digital camera was during the Utah trip in 2007. I think this was the turning point for Lynn on switching to digital as well, although she still carried the film camera for a few more trips. The specific instance was when we were hiking along through the park (may have been heading up to Scouts Lookout) and Lynn made the comment that she would like to take a photo of a particular view, but that she only a 4 shots left on the roll. Being me, I replied that I would like to take the shot as well, but I only had 400 shots left on my card! The bruise has healed now, and Lynn now uses my old digital camera.
I moved on to a Canon PowerShot SX10 IS in late April 2009, and Lynn started using the S5200. The SX10 is a GREAT little camera; 20x zoom, lots of features and options and simple to use. The flip-out view finder LCD screen is extremely useful and allows me to get shots from odd angles and still know what I am shooting.
For the trip to Belize, I went all out and purchased a waterproof/underwater camera, the Canon PowerShot D10, for our first time snorkeling. This is a very nice device and turned out to be a great purchase. In addition to using it for snorkeling, I also used it on our canoe trip in Belize (no sense risking the other cameras). It also works well for aquariums.
I upgraded to the Canon PowerShot SX30 IS, with its 35x optical zoom, in July 2011, just in time for the Wyoming trip. It served me well in Yellowstone for critter shots as well as landscapes.
I added one more camera to the stable, a Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS (April 2011). This is pocket size camera, so that I no longer have to miss those chance opportunities. I carried it everywhere for a while, and it paid off with some nice shots. It does well with landscapes and near-range shots, but it is limited in zoom capability, so trying to pull in mid to long range subjects just is not going to work. But after a couple of months, I think is was a very good addition. I'll just keep a watch for a smallish camera with better zoom capability.
In April 2012, I upgraded my pocket camera to a Canon PowerShot SX260 HS. It is really a little big for a "pocket" camera, but close enough for government work. The big advantage is the 20x optical zoom, which is a huge improvement over the SD1400. This made a good compromise between the SX30 and the SD1400. However, in May of 2013 the SX260, which had been working fine to this point, developed what I think was a misalignment in the optics so that there was a semi-circular discoloration on the left-side of the image. It was not a big issue, and was only visible in certain lighting conditions, but it was enough to just bug me. So, I replaced the SX260 with a Canon PowerShot SX280 HS (basically the same camera with a few slight improvements).
|
March 2013 brought another camera upgrade. Brand loyalty is now set and I stayed with the superzoom class so I bought the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS with it's amazing 50x optical zoom. Lynn will get an upgrade to my old SX30. There was a discussion in Trip Advisor about camera recommendations that I weighed in on (starting at reply 11). Keys points were the zoom capability and the high speed burst feature, so I did a few tests on birds in flight and the moon (as described in the TA thread). All were highly successful. I was surprised at how well the SX50 preformed and was even more anxious to get it out on the trail. Here are the links to the studies:
|
Handheld, full optical zoom, night handheld setting and cropped in for detail...not bad.
|
In August 2015, I knocked the SX280 off its shelf. Repair was not cost effective so I bought a replacement and upgraded to the Canon PowerShot SX710 HS. Very close in size, so pocketable, but 20 megapixel and more importantly 30x optical zoom (up from 20x with the SX280). The layout of the controls is a bit different, so it will take some getting used to, but I think the locations of the controls makes sense, so it should be a improvement. Time will tell.
Return to Photos, etc.