Recommendations for a camera for climbing

[BootsandPants]

I tried a search but couldn't find anything within the past two years, so I figured I'd start a new topic.

 

I recently sold my Canon 7D, and lost my point-n-shoot somewhere up in Yodelin (if you find one up there, PM me), so I'm now cameraless and in the market for a new one. Ideally, I'm looking for something small enough to take into the mtns with me that won't feel like I'm carrying the kitchen sink, which is ultimately why I ended up letting the 7D go. I'd like to have the same manual control as the SLR to be able to control my shots. Also, if it's not easily accessible, I'm not going to take as many pictures, so I'd like it to be small enough to store it on a pack strap or in a shoulder pouch that's easily accessible during climbs.

 

What do you guys use? Any recommendations? There's too much info out there on this stuff. I'd rather hear recommendations from other climbers rather than a guy in a lab in ideal conditions scrutinizing every little pixel.

 

Thanks!

[Water]

i hate given away the secret of this beaucoup-awesome camera... but in all honestly look at the sony NEX series. It is a little bigger than p&s but you get dslr-capable shots.

 

that said you may hate the control/interface enough to say no way, but, on the nex-5n I found it is capable. could certainly be improved a lot, but, I don't find myself outright angry or losing shots due to interface/controls--so any 'frustrating' at times is well offset for the results I get.

 

 

 

[wetslide]

If you want better quality pictures than you can get with a P+S you might want to look at an older rebel xs (lightest full SLR canon makes) paired with a prime 50 lens (light as shit and cheap and takes great photos). Then again, that kind of blows the whole carrying it on your shoulder thing for some climbs. But it works for me. To each their own.

[CaleHoopes]

Very happy with my Nikon AW100 for climbing (P&S). 16MP & 1080p. 5oz.

Lookie: http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26293/COOLPIX-AW100.html

[wetslide]

Wow that camera looks cool!

[DPS]

Panasonic Lumix is a nice size, easy to use, has some manual controls (I think) and takes good photos.

[JasonG]

Canon s100 is pretty much the ideal P&S to have on your harness or shoulder strap. RAW, 24mm on the wide end, manual controls, HD video, and decent optics.

[jon]

Very happy with my Nikon AW100 for climbing (P&S). 16MP & 1080p. 5oz.

Lookie: http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26293/COOLPIX-AW100.html

 

What's the shutter lag like? How about white balance? Looking to replace my olympus "tough".

 

I have a Lumix LX5 and it's great. Amazing macro capability. Has a lens cap though which I give the S100 props for.

[JasonG]

The Nikon P310 is another option, though it lacks RAW capabilities, and has a narrower zoom range. I really feel that the s100 is the best P&S going out there right now though, it's a stellar camera.

[ajpederson]

i hate given away the secret of this beaucoup-awesome camera... but in all honestly look at the sony NEX series. It is a little bigger than p&s but you get dslr-capable shots.

 

that said you may hate the control/interface enough to say no way, but, on the nex-5n I found it is capable. could certainly be improved a lot, but, I don't find myself outright angry or losing shots due to interface/controls--so any 'frustrating' at times is well offset for the results I get.

 

 

 

I completely agree. I recently traded up from a point and shoot to a NEX-3 and I love it. The pictures are so much better. The NEX is nice because it has a bigger sensor than the other mirrorless models from Nikon and Olympus. It is a bit annoying having to go into the menus to change anything and not having the physical controls on the camera, but you get used to it. The size is nice compared to some of the people i climb with carrying full DSLRs.

[DanielHarro]

I recommend the Nex 5n as well, great handling with glove!! Te canon S100 is great but I found it way to small to use without taking off my gloves, even bare hands it's feels too small for me. The LX5 is a bit outdated in my opinion, no 1080 video and a slower processor, I have a lX3, the next version LX6 should be nice whenever it comes out.

[AlpineK]

If you have a Mac get one of these Lytro

 

If you have a PC like me you'll have to wait

[Winter]

I recently picked up a Canon S95 - the prior gen to the S100 - which is about a $100 cheaper. The S100 has a new sensor, which is supposed to improve performance at high ISO but S95 is still a great camera. One take on the comparison - http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=2102.0.

[KaiLarson]

A number of options are available.

 

Pocket cameras with zoom lenses:

 

The Canon S100 is the smallest of the pocket cameras that will still give you decent image quality and full controls.

 

The Panasonic LX5 is larger than the Canon, but still is pocketable.

 

I own both the LX5 and the S100. I prefer the LX5, as it seems to give consistently better real world image quality than the S100. If space is at a real premium, however, the S100 will work too.

 

If you want interchangeable lenses, but don't want the weight and bulk of a dSLR, the micro 4/3 format Olympus OMD E-5 is the way to go. It's a pro quality camera body with excellent image quality and a built in electronic view finder. Much smaller than a dSLR. I can carry my micro 4/3 camera and 3 lenses for the same weight and bulk as a small dSLR.

 

The Sony NEX series cameras have small bodies, but the lenses are much larger than equivalent m4/3 lenses. The result is that the camera/lens combination of a NEX camera is significantly larger than a m4/3.

 

Lots of good choices, but if I had to only have one climbing camera, to do everything, it would be the LX5

Edited April 19, 2012 by KaiLarson

[JasonG]

I think it really depends on how accessible you want the camera to be when on route. I've found the best option for getting the highest number of high quality images is to have two cameras. Something you can pull out with one hand and take photos with on route like the s100, and a lightweight SLR (Canon T2i, etc.) with a lens or two that stays in basecamp for the low light hours, camp life, landscapes, etc. For harder routes where I will be carrying over or bivying on route, I typically just take the little camera.

 

I've not tried the 4/3 options or slightly larger P&S with lens caps, as they seem a bit big for my tastes. For me its important to have something that I can easily strap to a pack strap or harness, and especially making sure that it isn't bulky enough to get in the way when leading.

[robpatterson5]

I was looking at the S100/95 Ended up with the ELPH300 b/c of size/weight/breakability, and just not worrying about the cost of replacing it.

I'm told the sensor and lens are comparable to the S95 ect & that you can hack the 300 to record RAW files (IMO the main advantage of the S95 - that and the control ring).

 

For whitewater trips I also picked up the $50 waterproof hard case for the ELPH300 that turns it into an underwater camera. No more pelican cases!

Edited April 19, 2012 by robpatterson5

[BootsandPants]

Thanks for the replies guys. Sounds like the S95/S100 is a solid favorite, along with the LX5. The Canon G series also looks promising, although bulky. I'll have to stop by some stores to check them out.

That Lytro cam looks awesome as well. I hadn't heard of that kind of technology but it seems like an interesting development that would be able to add a lot of creativity into photos. Too bad the output is in their own propriety format.

The 4/3rds cameras look interesting, but I have a feeling they will end up too bulky in the end, at least the one's I've held so far are.

Been looking at the Ricoh GR IV as well. Apparently they have some of the best one handed shooting controls and ergonomics in the business, which seems pretty sweet for climbing. Might be hard to find in shops though to test out though.

 

For me its important to have something that I can easily strap to a pack strap or harness, and especially making sure that it isn't bulky enough to get in the way when leading.

 

Yep, that describes exactly what I'm looking for. I've climbed with a DSLR for a year and it became more of a chore to get pictures on route, not to mention the fear of scattering a month's worth of pay in plastic and glass on the ground. I found I wasn't taking pictures because of this, and then started wondering why I was lugging this beast around in the first place.

[dorianlee]

P&s cameras are awesome for how light and compact they are, but they lack the super wide angle lens capability of dslrs. Dramatic mountain scenery really lends itself to wide angle. That said, the s100 has the widest (24mm) of any of the top end p & s cameras out now. If the Canon G1x had a wider lens, I'd say it was the perfect blend between dslr and p&s.

[robpatterson5]

the S100 is a good choice, but its also expensive and fairly bulky. Compared to something like a GH2 it also does not have the best image quality.

I'd sugest an inexpensive but good ultra-compact (for me the the ELPH300) or durable/waterproof camera, and a compact rangefinder camera (like the GH2) which will have better quality then the S100.

 

 

[ryanb]

Really happy with my aging canon sd800 (28mm wide) but a wider lens would be nice. I'm waiting for some sample images but the canon sx260 looks pretty compelling in that it is cheeper then the s100 and has a 25-500mm equivalent zoom.

 

Maybe add http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK to provide raw image support. I'm sure image quality won't be quite as good as the more expensive/less zoomy cameras but I like the idea of a tiny package that gives you 25mm for most mountain things and a big zoom for the occasional bird/animal/distant person on ridge line shot.

[Tyson.g]

For a small light camera I dig my Canon A1200.

Does decent pics/vid, lots of options regarding settings and manual control.

It is not too much $.

 

[JoshK]

What makes the S95/S100 and LX5 stand out are their larger than normal sensors (compared to a typical P&S) and relatively fast lenses (low F stop). The Olympus ZX1 also falls in this category. This makes them perform very well in low light, but carries a cost premium and a slight weight penalty. If the fast lens and large sensor aren't important to you, a cheaper P&S will probably fit the bill nicely.

 

I am very happy with the Lumix GX1 for a larger rangefinder style camera. The Micro 4/3 system has lots of lenses available for it now, so you can get the flexibility of a D-SLR in a much smaller and ligther system. As another poster mentioned, I find carrying both a P&S and the M4/3 to be a good solution if I'm ok with carrying a bit of extra weight for the added flexibility.

[mplutodh1]

May not be what you are looking for as it does not have all of the typical DSLR 'options' - but I've been happy with my Olympus – Stylus Tough 6020. It's pretty sturdy, I don't stress over it being in my pack or jacket pocket that gets bumped, etc.

 

 

[ajpederson]

May not be what you are looking for as it does not have all of the typical DSLR 'options' - but I've been happy with my Olympus – Stylus Tough 6020. It's pretty sturdy, I don't stress over it being in my pack or jacket pocket that gets bumped, etc.

 

 

Slowest......Camera........Ever.

 

But I've seen one dropped a long ways and be just fine. So it really depends on what you need.

[obwan]

May not be what you are looking for as it does not have all of the typical DSLR 'options' - but I've been happy with my Olympus – Stylus Tough 6020. It's pretty sturdy, I don't stress over it being in my pack or jacket pocket that gets bumped, etc.

 

 

Slowest......Camera........Ever.

 

But I've seen one dropped a long ways and be just fine. So it really depends on what you need.

 

Man, you guys are really camera pro's. I cannot be trusted even with the p&s around rocks, I can only use the "cardboard" models - and sometimes the panoramic is useful. So here's what I call a long drop!

I dropped a guys brand new $450 Nikon off the top of "Rod of God" at Vantage, plus scratched the b'jesus out of my wife's nice p&s.