Need Recommendation - NON-DSLR for Travelling

[canonloverz]

Hi guys!

Intending to purchase a normal digicam (non dslr) for travelling purposes. No need to be a super zoom, usually take landscape photos.

My budget is around $800 dollars, any recommendation?

Thanks!

 

[lsisaxon]

Hi guys!

Intending to purchase a normal digicam (non dslr) for travelling purposes. No need to be a super zoom, usually take landscape photos.

My budget is around $800 dollars, any recommendation?

Thanks!

$800 can buy you a DSLR!! -_-; What are your other considerations?

 

[Skiver]

You could look at the Canon G9. I got both the G9 and the previous model, the G7. My main reason for suggesting a G9
1. Built solid like a tank, mine survived my sweaty palm from 35 degrees Celsius heat in thailand, minus 10 degrees alpine winter in germany and chewing gum. May be too heavy for your shirt pocket though
2. 12.1 Megapixels (1/1.7” sensor) with RAW mode for maximum image control
3. 6x stabilized zoom
4. live histrogram
5. superb image quality
6. Face Detection
7. ISO 1600 means you can shoot from a moving bus, there's also a special ISO 3200 mode
8. Good flash, but I don't use flash most of the time. There's even a mount for external flash.
9. Macro mode - you can bring the subject to 1cm from the lens at the widest end of the zoom. at maximum zoom, the minimum macro focus distance will become 50cm

You can leave the settings at "AUTO" and use the G9 as a point and shoot or you can invest the time to get use to the G9 and learn its very rich feature sets.

I spent the time to learn the G9's predecessor G7's functions. What's useful to me are
a) MF (manual focus) where camera shows you a blown up focus area and user can use the dial for manual focus under tricky conditions
b) custom white balance, which is created by aiming the camera at a white area and pressing the SET button to tell the G9 to treat that as white

Gotcha's
1) I left the ND filter ON for my entire 12 days trip in eastern europe during winter. I had only my G7 so I did not shoot in RAW. All my colors looks very dull. I call it the eastern block effect on my brain. So don't turn on everything on the G9 if you don't know what you are doing. If you can afford the space while you travel, shoot everything in RAW
2) I find that photos taken not by me at ISO 80 and 100 may come with lots of camera shakes. So if someone is helping to shoot for you, might be best to leave the settings at AUTO or turn up the shutter speed / use the flash.
3) You need to be careful if you use the G9 with the Joby GP2-00EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras. The GP2 may not be able to hold the G9 at all the position you want. I find myself looking for park benches and trashcans when I want to take a shot. That way I can set the ISO at 80 and end up with great shots.

RAW RAW RAW....
Shooting in RAW in G9 means you can focus on composing your shot and be able to touch up on your pictures when you get back.

 

[canonloverz]

How much is the G9?

 

[Skiver]

Back then, I paid $870 for the G9, it could be very close to your budget of $800 now.

 

[TMC]

you are travelling, go WIDE. A lot of pns nowadays have 28mm and are well below your budget of 800.

Take Ixus860 or Olympus 1030

The latter is 28mm wide angle with shock and waterproof features. The con is that it only takes XD cards.

 

[JamesW]

Ricoh GX100 if you're doing building and landscape. With the WA convertor, you can go to 19mm. Only limitation is that it's a 24-72mm zoom lens without the convertor, so you might find it a tad lacking at the tele end. Full manual control available.

G9 is also good.

 

[alternatve]

You could look at the Canon G9. I got both the G9 and the previous model, the G7. My main reason for suggesting a G9
1. Built solid like a tank, mine survived my sweaty palm from 35 degrees Celsius heat in thailand, minus 10 degrees alpine winter in germany and chewing gum. May be too heavy for your shirt pocket though
2. 12.1 Megapixels (1/1.7” sensor) with RAW mode for maximum image control
3. 6x stabilized zoom
4. live histrogram
5. superb image quality
6. Face Detection
7. ISO 1600 means you can shoot from a moving bus, there's also a special ISO 3200 mode
8. Good flash, but I don't use flash most of the time. There's even a mount for external flash.
9. Macro mode - you can bring the subject to 1cm from the lens at the widest end of the zoom. at maximum zoom, the minimum macro focus distance will become 50cm

You can leave the settings at "AUTO" and use the G9 as a point and shoot or you can invest the time to get use to the G9 and learn its very rich feature sets.

I spent the time to learn the G9's predecessor G7's functions. What's useful to me are
a) MF (manual focus) where camera shows you a blown up focus area and user can use the dial for manual focus under tricky conditions
b) custom white balance, which is created by aiming the camera at a white area and pressing the SET button to tell the G9 to treat that as white

Gotcha's
1) I left the ND filter ON for my entire 12 days trip in eastern europe during winter. I had only my G7 so I did not shoot in RAW. All my colors looks very dull. I call it the eastern block effect on my brain. So don't turn on everything on the G9 if you don't know what you are doing. If you can afford the space while you travel, shoot everything in RAW
2) I find that photos taken not by me at ISO 80 and 100 may come with lots of camera shakes. So if someone is helping to shoot for you, might be best to leave the settings at AUTO or turn up the shutter speed / use the flash.
3) You need to be careful if you use the G9 with the Joby GP2-00EN Gorillapod Flexible Tripod for Digital SLR Cameras. The GP2 may not be able to hold the G9 at all the position you want. I find myself looking for park benches and trashcans when I want to take a shot. That way I can set the ISO at 80 and end up with great shots.

RAW RAW RAW....
Shooting in RAW in G9 means you can focus on composing your shot and be able to touch up on your pictures when you get back.

Good luck in post processing and storing all those RAW files. I can take around 3-4k of pictures in a typical trip, do you want to convert all of them to RAW?

RAW is fine for certain applications like HDR and tricky scenes. Otherwise, jpeg is good enough. That's what you use 99% of the time anyway.

Samuel

 

[Skiver]

Good luck in post processing and storing all those RAW files. I can take around 3-4k of pictures in a typical trip, do you want to convert all of them to RAW?

RAW is fine for certain applications like HDR and tricky scenes. Otherwise, jpeg is good enough. That's what you use 99% of the time anyway.

Samuel

Agreed, raw does takes up a lot of memory space. There are portable HD devices to transfer backup pics while you are on the road to help overcome the disk space issue.

I travel with my laptop for work and holidays, with or without my camera. So it makes sense for me to shoot raw, your circumstances maybe very different. You can always shoot jpeg with the G9 and shoot raw selectively. That's the beauty the G9 offers.

 

[Kit]

It really depends on how disciplined you are. Train yourself to be critical in shots selection and you won't have much problem with storage on the road. When you come back, its not necessary to process all the RAW files. This is where the 2nd stage of photo editing comes in and again, discipline takes over. Don't let quantity take over quality.

 

[estel]

If you just need an P&S and not much manaul meddling, how about as Digital IXUS 860 IS? Very compact, comes with a wide-end zoom (28-105mm) which is great for travelling.

 

[zcf]

you are travelling, go WIDE. A lot of pns nowadays have 28mm and are well below your budget of 800.

Take Ixus860 or Olympus 1030

The latter is 28mm wide angle with shock and waterproof features. The con is that it only takes XD cards.

Panasonic Limix's FX36 and FX500 offer 25mm onward, but high ISO noise is an issue, Ricoh GX100 come with 24mm some more with wide angle adapter, but quite expensive also, like G9.

 

[labla]

either the 860is or the S5 If you want for future semi pro use then go s5 anyway i am a canon freak so don't ask me bout the others

 

[blackdrakes]

Nikon P5100 FTW.
Can use external flash for better indoor lighting.

 

[Legoz]

G9 is a decent camera but RAW format isnt as fantastic as you make out to be. =>
Most time, a high resolution JPEG shot would be suffice. More time should be spent on shooting and only some of it on editing. =>

 

[li0nheart07]

FujiFilm S100fs
great color, great ISO and comparable with dSLR...

 

[ymmij]

it is good to know you have a high budget for pns camera. the question is do you really need to spend so much money for that? if yes, then good and go ahead.

 

[gymak90]

Seems like only 1 person recommended Nikon

Well if you want to consider G9, then be sure to check out Nikon P5100, it's G9's competitor, though it has no RAW mode.

Also take a look at Nikon P80. 18x zoom from 27mm to 486mm. Will serve well for both wide angle and telephoto needs. It comes with 10.1megapixels and VR. Macro focusing is also available.. So you get to take nice pics without being physically close to your subject. Cost is about $699 i think

 

[keast]

g9's a good choice if you are already a canon dslr user, im using a 400d, sampled by friend's g9 barely any learning curve to me just for the few extra buttons i never seen before.

as said, built like a tank. but the iso performance is so-so only

and yea for travelling take a pns with as wide angle as possible and dont be bothered with stuff like flash hotshoe cuz you might as well bring your dslr gear down down

 

[mrchua]

ricoh gr and gx models are compact, look good, perform well, and have some slr functions. the sigma dp1 performs well too.