Ed_Hobbick Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I'm going to be climbing some routes this year and need a camera so that I can add pictures to my trip reports. I'm looking for something kind of tough and good overall. Anybody have any suggestions? Quote
Kodiak Pat Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Olympus Stylus!!! I bought the 770SW for my wife (me) last Christmas. I love it. I don't think you can beat it for a point and shoot. It's shock and waterproof. To clean it off after getting dusty/dirty the directions say to turn it on and stick it under the faucet!! Last spring I stepped on it with my crampons on. Put a scratch on the case and LCD display but works great. The only draw back that I see is there is no viewfinder. Bright light conditions can be tough but hasn't caused too much of a problem for me yet. Quote
Matt Kidd Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I also have the Stylus, mine is the "Tough 6000". Very happy with it, it has responded well to the abuse I have already subjected it to. The pictures and video quality are both good. For me it is the right choice for the backcountry... Quote
summitchaserCJB Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I use a full size Canon Rebel DSLR with an ultra wide angle lens but I am really into photography and most people probably don't want to carry that much weight. Quote
Julian Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Anyone have any good experiences with a really light/thin point-and-shoot digital camera? I'm talking the sort of thing that can fit in the breast pocket of a jacket and you can yank out while alpine climbing to snap a photo, put back in, and it won't be bothering you while you are moving. Quote
ConorB Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Anyone have any good experiences with a really light/thin point-and-shoot digital camera? I'm talking the sort of thing that can fit in the breast pocket of a jacket and you can yank out while alpine climbing to snap a photo, put back in, and it won't be bothering you while you are moving. yep this is what ive used for alot of climbing and mountaineering. i scrapped the standard lanyard and make an adjustable one that is made out of thin parachute cord and long enough to go around my neck and take on and off with a helmet etc.... that way less worry about it slipping. i have a canon sd900 or something Quote
JosephH Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Canon SD990 Lowepro Rezo 15 case (lose the strap) Retractable Key Leash (attach to camera) Metolius Big Wall Gear Sling Attach the Rezo case horizontally high on the Gear Sling's left shoulder strap so the case opens towards your chest. Attach the key leash to the same shoulder strap below the case. With one hand you can now pop the camera out and shoot while on lead and even just throw it into space if you had to. It's what I do anyway. Quote
Le Piston Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 You might also consider the Canon A1000is...light, compact, good pictures, and takes AA batteries. If better quality pictures and features are a priority (and you don't mind the price and extra weight) look at the Canon G10 or G11. I used to have a Sony DSC P200 which took great pictures, but the lens kept getting stuck out. Good Luck! Quote
montypiton Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I've used the Olympus for years. If you buy it at Office Depot, they'll warranty it (nice for when your son drops it from a rappel station). All they require is that you return the trashed camera, and they just trade you a new one off the shelf. The best part of the deal is that when I returned mine, the model had been UPGRADED, and the new one did'nt cost me a dime. Also, its about the size of a half-inch thick credit card, and the photos are first rate. Quote
mike1 Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I use a full size Canon Rebel DSLR with an ultra wide angle lens but I am really into photography and most people probably don't want to carry that much weight. I really like my Canon Rebel XT (DSLR). It’s fairly light for its size. The bulk is the obvious drawback. I keep mine in a Tamrac Holster Pack attached to my hip belt. So far this hasn’t inhibited my climbing experience. Quote
layton Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Joseph, that's a nice camera!!!!!!!! For riggings I prefer the Osprey camera bag, small trim, slick - and use a metoliois superlight biner after losing the straps. Quote
summitchaserCJB Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Yep I have the same one. It is the lightest DSLR Canon makes. Too bad my wide angle lens is like 2 pounds. Quote
TrogdortheBurninator Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 last I checked, the two cameras that really stood out were the Panasonic LX3 and the Canon S90. Most others seemed to be a pretty big step down from these two. If I was buying a new camera, I'd definitely look there first. Quote
jon Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Olympus Stylus!!! I bought the 770SW for my wife (me) last Christmas. I love it. I don't think you can beat it for a point and shoot. It's shock and waterproof. To clean it off after getting dusty/dirty the directions say to turn it on and stick it under the faucet!! Last spring I stepped on it with my crampons on. Put a scratch on the case and LCD display but works great. The only draw back that I see is there is no viewfinder. Bright light conditions can be tough but hasn't caused too much of a problem for me yet. The camera is nice because it can take a beating. I have a hard time getting pictures I like with this though under harder light conditions. The shutter lag is fucking terrible. The flash is unpredictable. It's great for the beach, but when your hands are freezing the lag will make you want to put pick through it. Before this one I had a Nikon S210 which I got at Costco for $100 and it was awesome. Great pictures in all light with no shutter lag. Not the most durable though and broke with pretty small drop. Quote
ASmith Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 I use a Cannon Powershot 110 for small and lightweight with a 10X mechanical zoom and a Cannon 40D & 50D with 11-16mm F2.8 and 70-200 2.8 IS and a 300mm 2.8 and 1.4 ex for everything else. When I did my research I found that Cannon won all of hte consumer and mag tests for all three of the small categories, pocket fixed all the way to super zoom. I love ours it takes photos that are simply unbelievable for a point and shoot. Every time we use it we comment on how good it is. Quote
dennyt Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Canon SD880is, wider angle lens than most point & shoots. Dropped it out of my pocket rapping off Forbidden... fell 40 feet, bounced, stayed on the ridge, still fully functional Quote
JosephH Posted January 25, 2010 Posted January 25, 2010 Layton, yeah, the 14.7mp acts like a significant zoom all by itself. On the case/sling thing, getting a camera off my harness and out of the case to shoot on lead was too much hassle compared to it mounted on the shoulder strap, but then I climb with that gear sling anyway as I can't deal with gear on my harness (yeah, I know, it's an old guy thing). Quote
layton Posted January 27, 2010 Posted January 27, 2010 Does than Cannon take fuzzy pics in difficult lighting positions, or does it have a pretty good image stabilizer? That's a big one for me. Quote
G-spotter Posted January 27, 2010 Posted January 27, 2010 I have a Canon SX100IS and a Olympus Tough 8000. Both are pretty compact, the Tough 8000 is smaller. The Canon has notably better pictures. Better lens = sharper, and also better colour in the images. The Olympus tends to make everything look slightly blue. OTOH the Olympus is smaller, lighter and tougher. I take it canyoneering and river rafting and like that and it takes shots that are "good enough". It doesn't freeze at -20C and you can drop it off a cliff into a pool and it still works. Basically the best camera is the one you take the pictures with. A camera that is heavy and bulky might take good pics but if it's not in your hand or close by when you see that awesome shot then you won't be taking the picture. For climbing shots that means something you can climb on lead with and not worry about breaking. Forget megapixels and look at image quality. Once you have quality get the best zoom you can in a compact camera and you should be golden. Finally don't pay more than $300 unless you think you're going to seriously pursue commercial picture sales. You can get a lot of good camera for $300 nowadays. And you aren't out too much when you forget it at the bivi and hike out. Quote
JBo6 Posted January 28, 2010 Posted January 28, 2010 Long story short I was at a party last weekend and a buddy dropped his camera in a keg cup of beer, pulled it out turned it on and put it under the faucet to get the beer off. It was an Olympus point and shoot of some type. Never seen something like that before, so didn't quite focus on the model, rather the "Holy shit, your camera is in my beer" moment. Quote
rbw1966 Posted January 28, 2010 Posted January 28, 2010 I have an olympus that is waterproof I bought for paddling and snorkeling. The picture quality is so-so but its small and tough and perfect for watersports. I have had three canons now and they have all been good-quality, reliable cameras. The most recent one, I dropped at the top of a staircase and watched it bounce down two flights. I figured it was dead but I am still using it to this day and it works fine. I'd buy the SD990 if I was in the market today. Quote
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