Compact point and shoot for Alaska

Much of the feedback I got when I asked for suggestions of a waterproof camera to use on an Alaska trip suggested that the picture quality and zoom of a waterproof camera wouldn't be satisfactory and that I didn't need waterproof. I'm not planning on taking pictures to blow up and mount. Mostly I want nice photos to remember the trip and to post on social media. My cell phone has been fine for prior trips, but this time I'll be taking zodiac and kayak excursions and don't want to risk taking my cell phone on those.

I'd like something less than around 250 grams (about a half pound or less) and preferably under $500. Zoom is nice but from what I've seen so far, one can only get so much zoom before the size of the camera starts going up to more than I want to carry around.

You may want to head over to DPreview, and try their camera feature search page https://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras#!

Without a 'waterproof' requirement you likely will end up looking at so called 'travel zoom' cameras [compact, long zoom range, big screen on the back, some have an electronic viewfinder] Something like this Panasonic camera https://www.dpreview.com/products/panasonic/compacts/panasonic_dmczs60

That page makes me feel pretty dumb about cameras. I get a lot of results and don't know what to put in to narrow the search after setting the weight maximum and max focal length for some zoom.

http://www.techradar.com/news/photography-video-capture/cameras/best-waterproof-compact-camera-1260610

https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-waterproof-camera/

Pricewise, the Nikon and Olympus are actually very close.

I've been to AK 6 times. This summer will make 7. I agree about not wanting to take your cell phone on those excursions. The camera in your phone is good enough for you so, any 12 to 20 mp point and shoot from the major manufacturers, is probably going to be good enough. You want small and convenient GoPro Hero Black 5 or 6 will work. They don't need any additional case and the wide angle perspective will be an advantage in AK. Any of the waterproof point and shoot cameras from Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, or Fuji will be good enough. I recommend waterproof because in my experience, there is a good chance that you will experience wet or rainy conditions on at least half the days of your trip. The first two times we went to AK we had sunshine and upper 80 degree temperatures every day. That was unusual. The last 4 times we had more rainy days than sunshine. It rained 13 out of 13 days when we went in 2016.

Check out the thread in this forum about using a GoPro. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2461178. Another advantage of the GoPro is that you don't need to use your hands to use it. You can mount it on your body and use voice commands. You get to be an active participant in the excursions/trip and the camera just comes along and records what you see and it has a lot of options for doing it from video to stills, to bursts and time lapse. Take the pictures for the purposes you find important, not what professional photographers and serious enthusiasts find important.

I'll be using a Hero 6 on our AK vacation this summer. They are quite versatile and definitely will fit in a pocket.

I've always been a fan of Canon's higher level compact cameras in their Powershot product line (still use an S100 for underwater pictures), Though I've never actually owned a "super zoom" compact.

If I were in the market for a new one, the SX730 HS would be on my "short list" of higher end compact cameras to look at: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx730-hs/4#article-body this also lists a Panasonic and Nikon as competitors.

That page makes me feel pretty dumb about cameras. I get a lot of results and don't know what to put in to narrow the search after setting the weight maximum and max focal length for some zoom.

There is a lot of information there - and an active community full of nit picking gear heads [more focused on the equipment than actually using it] :p

I also provided a link to the Panasonic 'travel zoom' camera as that is typical camera of the type. Includes features like

• Built in lens cap [protected when off]
  
• Large screen [fills back of the camera]
  
• Wide zoom range [means a long lens]
  
• Pocket sized when off [may take a large pocket ]
  
• Some sort of 'intelligent auto mode' [scene or subject recognition]
  

If you have a camera store somewhat nearby, visit them and try/buy the camera there [sort of like the advice for a new cruiser to visit a local Travel Agent]. If all you have is a 'big box' retailer - most of the time they will not be knowledgeable enough to even know *when* they are lying. If that is the case, dealing with an online retailer with a good return policy is likely a better option.

There is a lot of information there - and an active community full of nit picking gear heads [more focused on the equipment than actually using it] :p

dpreview's forums? LOL yeah. They like to minutely pick at details such as blowing up a photo and arguing over slight differences in pixels. Stuff you'd NEVER see with the naked eye.

But, it happens all over. I haven't paid attention in a while, but I was in car groups that would argue over nit picky things in real life. 0-60 times being the obvious ones when they've never even seen the car, let alone drive it, and drive it well enough that their own skill wouldn't make half a second difference.

Anyways, cameras have gotten so good, it's pretty hard to go wrong with the major manufacturers. If you find a few lists on google and just pick from the top 2 or 3 choices, you should be fine.

The one good thing with the GoPro is that it's a WIDE angle view. This means that the video looks a lot less choppy (the up and down motion you make from moving) isn't anywhere near as noticeable as on, say, your phone. It also means you can mount it anywhere and pretty much be sure you'll get whatever you're aiming for in the frame. Lots of margin for error.

The only bad thing is the battery is pretty horrific, but video does that to most cameras.

I was also initially intimidated by DPReview.com, being a complete newbie, but you'd be surprised by how many helpful people are on there, plus it's nice to see side-by-side comparisons of photos, too. The reviews are comprehensive, there are plenty of buying guides and many people on there are budget-minded. For example, there are numerous people on the forums who swear by the Casio digital zooms.

I was also initially intimidated by DPReview.com, being a complete newbie, but you'd be surprised by how many helpful people are on there, plus it's nice to see side-by-side comparisons of photos, too. The reviews are comprehensive, there are plenty of buying guides and many people on there are budget-minded. For example, there are numerous people on the forums who swear by the Casio digital zooms.

For compact cameras, I would include Casio as one of the majors [along with Panasonic, Sony, Canon, Fuji].

A few times they were the technology leader - I recall that Casio introduced a 'burst' capture [takes a bunch of full res photos quickly] years before similar 'pro capture' features were added to mirrorless cameras or other brands of compact cameras.

I have a Panasonic Lumix ZS19, which I love. It has a long zoom, takes video, can shoot manually if you want or totally automatic. It takes great pictures, just not terrific in low light situations, but good enough. I am going to upgrade to their newer ZS70 which has a view finder, a flip up screen for selfies, a 30x zoom and takes 4K video before our trip to Alaska this year. Maybe check that one out. They sell it on line or at Best Buy or amazon or maybe even a camera store.

Good luck in your hunt.

I've always been a fan of Canon's higher level compact cameras in their Powershot product line (still use an S100 for underwater pictures), Though I've never actually owned a "super zoom" compact.

 

If I were in the market for a new one, the SX730 HS would be on my "short list" of higher end compact cameras to look at: http://www.techradar.com/reviews/canon-powershot-sx730-hs/4#article-body this also lists a Panasonic and Nikon as competitors.

I'll second the Canon SX730 HS I picked one up to use as a pocket camera. It takes really good pictures and has an impressive optical zoom.

Mark

I used to have a canon sxsomething that was lightweight, and had a really decent zoom. I loved that camera for traveling. However, and I don't know if they still make it, I got one that would run on AA batteries. It made a huge difference when I ran out of battery- I could go to any gas station (I was in the middle of nowhere in Argentina at the time) and get a new battery. That was something that made my life a lot easier. I think it was either the sx170 or sx180.

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I used to have a canon sxsomething that was lightweight, and had a really decent zoom. I loved that camera for traveling. However, and I don't know if they still make it, I got one that would run on AA batteries. It made a huge difference when I ran out of battery- I could go to any gas station (I was in the middle of nowhere in Argentina at the time) and get a new battery. That was something that made my life a lot easier. I think it was either the sx170 or sx180.

 

 

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I believe the Canon SX160is was the last of that line to use AA batteries. When Canon came out with the SX170 it had a dedicated battery and charger. Canon no longer makes that line of cameras

Because AA batteries are available everywhere my Canon SX160is is my go to travel camera. My backup camera is the SX110is which is an earlier version of the same camera. I also usually have my Samsung smartphone with me and it takes some decent pictures too.

If I had to buy a new travel camera today it would be either the Nikon Coolpix A900 or the Canon powershot SX730.

I have been searching for a new camera for some time now, so glad you re-posted. I currently have a Lumix zs25 that's having issues. I also have a new Fuji underwater camera that I mainly use in the Caribbean. Haven't decided if it's traveling to Alaska in June.

Been reading camera reviews, blogs, DPreview (confusing) until I'm dreaming about them at night. Finally decided for the type of camera I'm looking for, I'm over thinking it.

There are only big box stores here & a very knowledgeable camera guy that deals in used cameras at the flea market. Spent a lot of time in the "best" box store this week and had a great young guy, who definitely knew what he was talking about!

The consensus is as follow: Canon Powershot sx730 or the Lumix zs 60. Pretty much what everyone on this thread has said.

I bought the Lumix zs60 at Costco (this is the second time I'm trying this) because their refund policy is great. Still contemplating the Canon 730 - yup, I guess I'm indecisive! It would be great if I could compare "apples to apples" with both cameras in hand.

I think both will be great, just not sure I"ll keep the Lumix.

R

I have been searching for a new camera for some time now, so glad you re-posted. I currently have a Lumix zs25 that's having issues. I also have a new Fuji underwater camera that I mainly use in the Caribbean. Haven't decided if it's traveling to Alaska in June.

 

Been reading camera reviews, blogs, DPreview (confusing) until I'm dreaming about them at night. Finally decided for the type of camera I'm looking for, I'm over thinking it.

 

There are only big box stores here & a very knowledgeable camera guy that deals in used cameras at the flea market. Spent a lot of time in the "best" box store this week and had a great young guy, who definitely knew what he was talking about!

 

The consensus is as follow: Canon Powershot sx730 or the Lumix zs 60. Pretty much what everyone on this thread has said.

 

I bought the Lumix zs60 at Costco (this is the second time I'm trying this) because their refund policy is great. Still contemplating the Canon 730 - yup, I guess I'm indecisive! It would be great if I could compare "apples to apples" with both cameras in hand.

 

I think both will be great, just not sure I"ll keep the Lumix.

Great site for comparing cameras. It’s in German but your tablet or phone should be able to translate entire pages.

http://www.dkamera.de/testbericht/bildqualitaet/

I found that our city still has a real camera store downtown and visited it today.

The PanasonicLumix ZS70, Nikon Coolpix A900 and Canon Powershot SX730 all seemed pretty nice. All similar size. All the same price (the Lumix is normally $50 more but on sale for the same price as the others now). Really not sure which to get.

I saw some negative reviews on the Canon Sx730 saying that it had focus issues that sometimes caused blurry pictures and others that love it - not sure if it is an issue that was fixed or user error or what.

A couple of small things that I noticed - the Lumix ZS70 has an electronic viewfinder - which may be handy in bright light situations where the screen is hard to see - or just because in some cases it may be easier to frame the shot that way.

The flash on the Nikon and Canon pops up on the left side (when viewing the camera from the back as in normal usage) while the Lumix flash is on the right side of the camera body above the grip. Not sure which is better. It seems like the cute pop up mechanism is something that could fail with usage. The flash built into the camera body seems more durable but since the grip area is small, one will have to be careful to not have a finger block the flash when you want to use it.

Yes, my concern with the pop up flash on Canon. Like that I can use screen or view finder on Lumix-also like that it has option for neck strap

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I found that our city still has a real camera store downtown and visited it today.

The PanasonicLumix ZS70, Nikon Coolpix A900 and Canon Powershot SX730 all seemed pretty nice. All similar size. All the same price (the Lumix is normally $50 more but on sale for the same price as the others now). Really not sure which to get.

 

I saw some negative reviews on the Canon Sx730 saying that it had focus issues that sometimes caused blurry pictures and others that love it - not sure if it is an issue that was fixed or user error or what.

I personally take any "pictures are blurry" reviews with a massive grain of salt, given how few camera owners actually understand shutter speed

Olympus makes a great waterproof p&s that might met your http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/tg-5.html

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I personally take any "pictures are blurry" reviews with a massive grain of salt, given how few camera owners actually understand shutter speed

I read those complaints on Amazon. You're right in that it's because they don't understand shutter speed. However, they're not using a DSLR. The auto settings aren't good enough for beginners. That said, most super zooms have that problem.

I think it's a concern worth considering. A lot of people don't have the time or inclination to learn what all the settings do or how they affect the picture. They just want to press a button and get a nice photo keep. They're never getting out of auto. Even using the different "scene" modes might be too much for them. The OP has to decide how much he wants to dive into changing settings for different scenarios, and how well the camera even allows him to change things. It might not be easy to do.

The last time I tried to buy a cheaper (under $400) point and shoot for travel, I returned it because while I know what I'm doing, the camera made it too hard to change settings and wasn't responsive enough. When a parade is going by, I don't have 5 minutes to screw around with the menus to change the settings I need. And if it takes half a second from shutter press to taking the shot, it's really hard to time it when you've got a moving object. Some point and shoots just work better than others at the auto stuff.

Even some DSLRs. I remember my cousin had an old Canon Rebel DSLR while I had a Nikon D200 at the time. I was using auto everything. I think I still don't mess with the auto white balance on my D750 currently. However, back then, I got a crash course in setting manual white balance when he asked me to take pictures of a party he was hosting with his Rebel and that Rebel's auto white balance was AWFUL. I had to do manual white balance or all the shots came out really weird.

I read those complaints on Amazon. You're right in that it's because they don't understand shutter speed. However, they're not using a DSLR. The auto settings aren't good enough for beginners. That said, most super zooms have that problem.

 

I think it's a concern worth considering. A lot of people don't have the time or inclination to learn what all the settings do or how they affect the picture. They just want to press a button and get a nice photo keep. They're never getting out of auto. Even using the different "scene" modes might be too much for them. The OP has to decide how much he wants to dive into changing settings for different scenarios, and how well the camera even allows him to change things. It might not be easy to do.

 

The last time I tried to buy a cheaper (under $400) point and shoot for travel, I returned it because while I know what I'm doing, the camera made it too hard to change settings and wasn't responsive enough. When a parade is going by, I don't have 5 minutes to screw around with the menus to change the settings I need. And if it takes half a second from shutter press to taking the shot, it's really hard to time it when you've got a moving object. Some point and shoots just work better than others at the auto stuff.

 

Even some DSLRs. I remember my cousin had an old Canon Rebel DSLR while I had a Nikon D200 at the time. I was using auto everything. I think I still don't mess with the auto white balance on my D750 currently. However, back then, I got a crash course in setting manual white balance when he asked me to take pictures of a party he was hosting with his Rebel and that Rebel's auto white balance was AWFUL. I had to do manual white balance or all the shots came out really weird.

I'd like it to work perfectly in automatic mode and not to have to think about the settings, but your comments aren't very actionable. They don't suggest a camera that does better on automatic. All the cameras I've looked at Amazon reviews for have a bunch of people very happy with the camera but some people complaining about blurry pictures - the Panasonic has fewer (but fewer reviews overall - perhaps a more recent release).

Do you have a suggestion for a compact camera that will perform better?

A lot of the review sites mostly give reviews based on the specs. I've haven't found many that say much picture quality tests and/or user-friendliness instead of just comparing the numbers on the spec sheets.

I understand the impact of shutter speed and aperture - I had a film SLR that I used decades ago. But there are often times when I'd like to just take a quick snap and not fuss with settings.

I may go out and get the Panasonic ZS70 tonight.

P.S. I'm a woman. Prounouns can be difficult on forums like this.

I am looking to replace my Panasonic Travel Zoom TZ6 (ZS1 in the US) one of the originals, both my wife and I have one each and have been using them for the past 7 years with satisfactory results. I gave up taking my DSLR's way back. The web site mentioned by others dpreview is excellent for comparing specs, but it also has sample photos taken by the cameras. I have taken my own SD card to a local dealer that has the cameras on display and have tested both the ZS70 and its earlier smaller brother the ZS50, using my favourite subject, my wife, taken the pictures home and reviewed them. Both cameras are equally good despite the pixel coun difference, the ZS50 is over 50gms lighter though, but has a few less features.

This link is for the DPreview comparison, click on the link for each camera and it will take you to a page with many sample photos.

https://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=panasonic_dmczs50&products=panasonic_dczs70&sortDir=ascending

Heres some pics with the ZS1

A picture of my wife using hers

This pic is not what she took, but one I took from behind her just a second or two earlier.