camera question

[honeymooners2be]

Hi all,

We will be going to alaska in september of 2008 and are considering one camera that we are thinking about purchasing and would just like some opinions from people that are definitely more skilled in this area than myself.

 

The camera we are considering is a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera. Thanks everyone for your input.

[CALMOM]

Hope this helps, tuff decision but qiangf2 has lots of knowledge and is extremely helpful. Hopefully, he will see your post, if not do a search for his postings. He is a dictionary of cameras and binoculars which are a must for an Alaskan cruise.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=586460

 

Have a great time, I will be sailing to Alaska for the first time 9/3/07.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

That is not an easy question!

 

In order to know what kind of camera you should buy, you should have some knowledge of using the camera and someone would also need to know what results you expect.

 

For example, let's say you've owned a 35mm Single Lens Reflex and you are someone who understands computers, I'd say, great, then maybe you want a Canon or Nikon with separate lenses.

 

But let's say you are a point and shoot person. All you want to do is point and shoot and then take the memory from the camera to the local drug store.

I might tell you then to get a Canon or HP or the Sony.

 

Do you want mostly photos of the people you travel with and maybe to take a photo in from of the glaciers with them>? Or are you going to want to get images of wild bears that are 100 yards away?

 

All of those things, and your budget, factor into the camera you get.

[honeymooners2be]

That is not an easy question!

 

In order to know what kind of camera you should buy, you should have some knowledge of using the camera and someone would also need to know what results you expect.

 

For example, let's say you've owned a 35mm Single Lens Reflex and you are someone who understands computers, I'd say, great, then maybe you want a Canon or Nikon with separate lenses.

 

But let's say you are a point and shoot person. All you want to do is point and shoot and then take the memory from the camera to the local drug store.

I might tell you then to get a Canon or HP or the Sony.

 

Do you want mostly photos of the people you travel with and maybe to take a photo in from of the glaciers with them>? Or are you going to want to get images of wild bears that are 100 yards away?

 

All of those things, and your budget, factor into the camera you get.

 

 

I am definitely a point and shoot person....

For my unexperienced self i thought that this would be a decent camera because of the 15x optical zoom lens, which i think is important for an alaskan vacation.

We definitely want to be able to take pictures of wild bears that are 100 yards away.

As far as our skill level we are recreational photographers at best, but we had planned to get the camera way before to "practice" and become familiar with the camera so that we might be able to increase our skill level before our cruise.

[photodoodle]

...we had planned to get the camera way before to "practice" and become familiar with the camera so that we might be able to increase our skill level before our cruise.

You are so right about this! No matter what camera you get, take some time to get familiar with it.

[cjnky]

I have a Sony Cybershot 7.2 megapixel and LOVE IT!! It's just such a great size to stick in my pocket and gets fabulous pictures. I bought a more expensive Panasonic for this trip because of more zoom, but I really think I'll be using my convenient Sony a lot more.

[ChatKat in Ca.]

What optical zoom does is magnify your photo and it means that the picture will be less crisp in many cases. It means it blows up the picture for you.

 

I would check out dpreview dot com and look at the features of several cameras and read the reviews there.

 

I suggest you go into a good camera store - not the local electronics chain store and chat with them. Canon and Nikon both make really great cameras. You don't need their most expensive. And I would buy it there since they will likely have a class or someone who can spend some time showing you the buttons and how it works.

 

The smaller cameras are harder to actually take pictures with because they don't have the stability of a grip. Also, you want to watch out for some of the little cameras that don't have a viewfinder. You have to use the LCT screen and you cannot always see them well in sunny conditions. I like the Canon "S" series of cameras personally.

[photodoodle]

What optical zoom does is magnify your photo and it means that the picture will be less crisp in many cases. It means it blows up the picture for you.

Hi ChatKat!

What you are describing above is "digital zoom". And you are right that digital zoom just 'blows up' the image. However, optical zoom is the good zoom. It actually moves the lens elements and captures the full number of pixels in the original image.

 

I don't know anything about the specific camera that Honeymooner is considering. But my advice is to ignore 'digital zoom' and compare only on 'optical zoom'.

[cruise junky joan]

did you manipulate your photos at all?

[photodoodle]

did you manipulate your photos at all?

Some have been cropped a little. A very few have been cropped moderately. Some are full frame. When necessary, I straightened the horizon. It's really easy to get a tilted shot on a small boat. I made adjustments to contrast in a number of the shots - increasing in some cases and decreasing in others. (Alaska seems to have extemes of contrast. On sunny days, too much, and on overcast days, too little. Some of the shots (especially in Juneau) have too much blue cast and I corrected this with white balance adjustments. It would be possible to manually set white balance for each location in the camera, but I find it easier to shoot raw format and fix it later if necessary. Also, when stopped down, there was a 'gob of schmutz' (very technical photography term ;) ) visible on my sensor, and I had to clean that up. :o Photographers would generally consider this type of stuff normal "post processing".

 

I'm not sure if this answers your question. Is this what you mean by manipulated? There is no compositing, if that's what you meant.

[deadzone1003]

Hi all,

We will be going to alaska in september of 2008 and are considering one camera that we are thinking about purchasing and would just like some opinions from people that are definitely more skilled in this area than myself.

 

The camera we are considering is a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera. Thanks everyone for your input.

 

The camera you are referring to is the Sony H-7 or H-9, both ultra-zoom cameras. Great for Alaska, since your trip is not until 2008, check on the Panasonic FZ18. The Sony goes down to 31mm wide-angle while the Panasonic goes down to 28mm. You will shoot majority of pictures in Alaska with a wide-angle unless you just like to people in all your photos or you like to take pictures of animals. Bbut you may want to get another camera that could be tucked into your pockets or purse. Your prospective camera is a little bulky and somewhat heavy, not convient if you want to bring it into the dining room.

 

Learn to use exposure compensation if you want the glaciers to have detailed features. (If you are still too confused, learn to use snow or beach feature on the scenic options.) Learn to use forced flash if you like to take pictures of people with bright scenic backgrounds. Above all, read the manual.

[jrw]

What optical zoom does is magnify your photo and it means that the picture will be less crisp in many cases. It means it blows up the picture for you.

 

I would check out dpreview dot com and look at the features of several cameras and read the reviews there.

 

I suggest you go into a good camera store - not the local electronics chain store and chat with them. Canon and Nikon both make really great cameras. You don't need their most expensive. And I would buy it there since they will likely have a class or someone who can spend some time showing you the buttons and how it works.

 

The smaller cameras are harder to actually take pictures with because they don't have the stability of a grip. Also, you want to watch out for some of the little cameras that don't have a viewfinder. You have to use the LCT screen and you cannot always see them well in sunny conditions. I like the Canon "S" series of cameras personally.

 

OPTICAL Zoom == GOOD (you want this)

DIGITAL Zoom == DON'T BUY BASED ON THIS (basically crops & loses quality)

 

Agree about dpreview dot com, check out model reviews as well as their Buying Guide (features search or side by side). I got a lot of great info there when I just went through the exercise of deciding what to buy. Another site with good reviews is cnet dot com, look under Reviews, then Digital Cameras. They also show the shooting times and shutter lags -- important to consider. Hate it when you miss a shot or can't get consecutive shots because the camera is too slow. I would also recommend the July 2007 consumer reports, they have a huge comparison as well as good background info geared toward people who are not camera buffs (easy to read & understand).

 

Agree about going to a local camera store! I went 3 times AFTER I narrowed down my choices. Each time I left with more self-assigned homework, as I wanted to be sure. "Play" with different cameras and don't let the sales person push you towards their favorite brand...get someone open-minded who can help find what suits your needs.

 

Agree to an extent on the small cameras being somewhat hard to grip. Just depends if you want truly pocket-size or can go a tad larger. Keep in mind, you will have a wrist-strap to prevent dropping...but one-handed shooting "can" be tough with the tiny ones (not to me, because I use the viewfinder most times and that seems more "steady" in my hand). I really wanted something that can fit even in hubby's pants pocket. My main goal was to lose the worry and heft of my film SLR and all its accessories. I seriously considered the Canon S5 IS and the Canon G7...but I knew I could not hold back and would end up buying the lens adapters...bringing me back to worrying about $$ equipment and lugging it around. I want to have the pleasure of a small camera for times I don't want to drag the SLR around. I went with the Canon SD850 IS (last week)...after being on the fence with Canon SD800 IS (a tad older model, main difference is 28mm wide angle vs. 35mm)...was a tough call for me.

 

VIEWFINDER, IMHO, is a MUST. In Alaska (I've been there) you will have lots of sun/glare, and the LCD may not always be visible. Viewfinder eliminates that issue. Another plus is you can turn off the LCD and save TONS of battery life!

 

Other things you might want to consider:

Image Stabilization -- IMHO is a MUST

Face Detection -- The jury is out on this one, some think it's a must, others think less of it...I don't have an opinion yet

Pict-Bridge enabled -- Makes printing a breeze

Battery Type -- Some use AA, some use NiMH, I prefer Lithium Ion. Might want to read a bit or ask at the camera store. Be sure to have at least one spare, whatever you get.

Memory Type -- Most cameras use SD memory. Sony (Memory Stick) and Olympus (XD) use their own. If you have memory cards already and don't want to buy new, or if this is first time and you don't want to buy another type later or be brand-loyal, you might want to keep this in mind.

 

Regarding brand-loyal, if you think you may someday want a DSLR, you might want to think about brand loyalty. For me, that was a factor. I know we will get a DSLR (I have a high quality film SLR now)...and it will make learning that camera easier because each brand tends to have somewhat consistent menus.

 

I'm sure there is more, but for now it's the top few things that come to mind.

 

Check out posts by a guy "pierces" (Dave), here is a good thread I found a few days ago:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=528428

Dave is a knowledgeable guy and I have enjoyed reading and learning from his posts. There are other good people out there as well, but he stood out for me, personally.

 

GOOD LUCK, HAPPY SHOOTING, AND ENJOY ALASKA -- YOU WILL LOVE IT! :D

[bernie's mom]

I have the Sony DSC H-5 (the version just prior to the camera you are discussing)...it is 7.1 mp and 12 x optical zoom. I was pretty happy with my photos that were taken on the same cruise as Photodoodle. They can't approach her terrific photos, but for the price of the Sony camera as opposed to the cost of Photodoodles' SLR camera, I feel pretty good about buying the Sony. I am pretty much a point and shoot kind of person - just now beginning to learn about photography. (Hi Photodoodle - nice to touch base again)

 

The suggestion that you to get a camera and practice lots and lots ahead of time is very good advice. When you are all excited about finally seeing that whale/bear/moose, your fingers need to have some muscle memory going in order to capture your subject fairly quickly. I found that the high-speed/sports setting on the Sony was really good for lots of Alaskan situations - including whale watching and train rides. The lcd screen on the camera proved to be very good and I didn't need to use the viewfinder very many times because of glare. The 12x zoom was enough to be able to see what kind of animal you were capturing, but not enough to really zoom up and see the details of a bear way down in the valley from a Denali tour bus. I think you'd probably need an extra telephoto lens to do that even with the 15x zoom of the H9. A little Olympus 710 also went on our trip and was really good for taking photos through train and tour bus windows as it has a "shooting through glass" setting. A tiny pocket sized camera like that is good to carry around inside the ship for dining room and people shots, too.

 

No matter what camera you decide to take - enjoy whatever Alaska presents to you....rain or shine it is simply beautiful. Have a wonderful trip. :)

[photodoodle]

No matter what camera you decide to take - enjoy whatever Alaska presents to you....rain or shine it is simply beautiful. Have a wonderful trip. :)

Hi Bernie's Mom!

You're back! I can't wait to hear about your land tour. Will you write a summary for us? It was so great to meet you on the bow of the Statendam. I so agree with you. Practice with whatever camera you have and then experience Alaska as it unfolds in front of you. You'll be overwhelmed with beauty' date=' you'll come home tired, and you will only have seen a tiny fraction of what's there. Then you can start fantasizing about and planning your next trip :D .[/color']

[Grannycb]

I bought a Sony DSC H-2 for our upcoming Alaska trip. Consumer reports gave it a very good review and it felt right for me. Since it wasn't the most recent model I got it for a very good price. Here is a practice shot taken of a squirrel in the top of a tree in a neighbor's yard. http://pws.cablespeed.com/~cindyb/SquirrelInNextYard.jpg One problem I had with the higher power zoom cameras was finding my subject. That might just take more practice.

 

Anyone know what the off colors are from around the tree? I've got lots to learn and expect to have fun practicing. I'm happy with the camera and photos it is producing even if they aren't perfect.

[photodoodle]

I bought a Sony DSC H-2 for our upcoming Alaska trip. Consumer reports gave it a very good review and it felt right for me. Since it wasn't the most recent model I got it for a very good price. Here is a practice shot taken of a squirrel in the top of a tree in a neighbor's yard. http://pws.cablespeed.com/~cindyb/SquirrelInNextYard.jpg One problem I had with the higher power zoom cameras was finding my subject. That might just take more practice.

That's adorable. You and the camera did a good job with color and exposure, too.

[marapics]

dpreview.com is a good place to start for detailed review of cameras. They can be quite technical but if you go to the Conclusion section, the reviewer provides pro/con and camera summary. Having used digital cameras for almost a decade (yikes!) most of them are reliable. If you aren't into the technicalities of photography, find one that is low on manual features. :)

[nctxmix]

Hi all,

We will be going to alaska in september of 2008 and are considering one camera that we are thinking about purchasing and would just like some opinions from people that are definitely more skilled in this area than myself.

 

The camera we are considering is a Sony Cyber-shot 8.1-Megapixel Digital Camera. Thanks everyone for your input.

 

I actually bought the Sony Cyber-shot 8.1 about 3 weeks before my Curisetour that begain 6/23. the 15x zoom really sold me on the camera. I have a picture from the bus window of a grizzzly bear in Denali which looks like I was 5 ft from the bear, but I was actually about 30 ft. We took a flightseeing tour around Mt McKinley and the pictures were great. I got a 2 GB memory stick and took over 600 pictures on it. The battery was great and just recharged each evening. I would definately recommend this camera

[GreatToBeGrammy]

Honeymooner,

I just got back from an Inside Passage cruise yesterday! It was the trip of our lives!

 

I have always had point and shoot cameras, and I love taking photos of our travels, and even more of our two grandsons!

 

I purchased a Sony DSC H1 about 2 years ago for our Hawaii cruise and have really liked the camera. It did a great job for pics of our family as well. I really liked this camera. However, it is a little bulky for every day use and toting around for the quick shot of the grandsons. I MUST have my camera with me at all times!!

 

I'm really picky about my pictures, even for an ameteur! I really wanted to upgrade for our Alaska trip, so I looked at all the info out there and ended up getting two cameras (I got really good deals)! I bought the newest Sony DSC H9 (the one you are thinking about) with the 15x zoom and 8.1 megapixels. I also got the little Sony DSC W55 7.2 megapixel for times I need something smaller (like when we did the Zipline in Juneau, what a blast!).

 

I took almost 1200 pictures on our 11 day trip with the larger DSC H9. It has a great feel to it. I almost always use the viewfinder because I can support the camera better at my eye level, but the tilting LCD screen did come in handy several times and I got great shots of bears along a trail that I couldn't have gotten without using the tilt screen. That alone made it a worthwhile purchase! I always use the fine setting and shoot at the highest megapixel so that I can zoom in on my subject even more when developing the photos and not loose any of the quality.

 

I took only 50 pictures with the smaller Sony DSC W55, but I was glad I had it with me! I would not have been comfortable on the zipline with the larger, more expensive camera. I could also carry the small one with me to dinner and sit it on the table without being to bulky. It worked out great to have it with me at dinner when humpback whales appeared outside our window! I got great shots and even video!

 

With the H9 I was able to zoom in on a bald eagle in a tree as we passed by on our ship. I zoomed in to get a great shot of it in flight! Got great closeups of whales, sea lions, glacier calving and more! It was fairly easy to learn to use and Sony has a free class online that teaches that camera. The main thing to remember is to keep it really still when you use the full optical zoom. You have to lean it against the rail or a post, or use a tripod. I took a tripod with me, but never used it. the posts and rails worked great!

 

So, my advice is to definately get the Sony DSC H9 and if you can, add the little one for incidentals!

 

If I can figure out how to post my photos I will. I've seen others that have albums online, but still have to learn that process!

 

Take care and sorry for such a long post,

Grammy

[GreatToBeGrammy]

Another thing to add about my decision to purchase both Sony cameras...

I wanted an extra battery and memory card to use in case of emergency! By purchasing the DSC W55 I got the extra battery and charger that could be used with either camera as well as an included Memory Stick reader. I kept both cameras in my small camera bag, and the one time my battery died I just removed the charged on from the other camera! Worked out great. I also had the extra memory stick in the second camera, but didn't need to remove it because I downloaded my photos to our laptop every night and started out each day with clean memory sticks. I use the 1 gig sticks because I think having 2 one gig sticks is better than the 2 gig stick. I was told it takes less time to process the photos using the 1 gig stick - not sure if it is true or not.

 

Also, the H9 camera has a very short lag time (I think it's the fastest for this type camera) which works great for quick shots. The continuous shooting mode is a must when shooting those humpback whales and glaciers calving! Glad for that feature also!

[honeymooners2be]

I actually bought the Sony Cyber-shot 8.1 about 3 weeks before my Curisetour that begain 6/23. the 15x zoom really sold me on the camera. I have a picture from the bus window of a grizzzly bear in Denali which looks like I was 5 ft from the bear, but I was actually about 30 ft. We took a flightseeing tour around Mt McKinley and the pictures were great. I got a 2 GB memory stick and took over 600 pictures on it. The battery was great and just recharged each evening. I would definately recommend this camera

 

Another thing to add about my decision to purchase both Sony cameras...

I wanted an extra battery and memory card to use in case of emergency! By purchasing the DSC W55 I got the extra battery and charger that could be used with either camera as well as an included Memory Stick reader. I kept both cameras in my small camera bag, and the one time my battery died I just removed the charged on from the other camera! Worked out great. I also had the extra memory stick in the second camera, but didn't need to remove it because I downloaded my photos to our laptop every night and started out each day with clean memory sticks. I use the 1 gig sticks because I think having 2 one gig sticks is better than the 2 gig stick. I was told it takes less time to process the photos using the 1 gig stick - not sure if it is true or not.

 

Also, the H9 camera has a very short lag time (I think it's the fastest for this type camera) which works great for quick shots. The continuous shooting mode is a must when shooting those humpback whales and glaciers calving! Glad for that feature also!

 

 

Thanks to both of you great info on the camera. I did go over to dpreview dot com yesterday and did get to preview a ton of pictures taken by the H9 and thought they were just incredible so i think i have made up my mind.

 

Have any of you used the extended cover that you put on the lens itself, if so what were the results of your pictures.... would you recommend for certain situations????

 

thanks again

[GreatToBeGrammy]

Glad you liked the photos you saw from the H9. You've made a good choice!

 

Yes, I used the lense adapter and hood the first day of my trip. I also purchased a polarizing lense to use with it. However, I wish I had left it off! The pictures that day turned out a little darker than I would like (I can lighten them up with computer software though). After that first day, I left the attachments off for all my other pictures. We had wonderful sunny weather most days, only rained two short times. A couple mornings were pretty misty. The photos still turned out great.

 

I think you can plan to leave the hood attachment off unless there is an extreme amount of sun when you are taking photos. I didn't even use it on the real sunny days and had no problems.

 

Enjoy!

Grammy