Hiking Camera

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opinionhated

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Hi. Need some advice on moving from a smartphone to a proper camera. Mostly used on multi day hiking - landscape, and some night campfire pics. I want to start using manual settings etc, and mostly understand the theory of it.

I'm. Considering the Sony Nex3n (R4300) or the Rx100 (R7200).

Any opinion on the above or an alternative suggestion? On price I'm going with the Nex. Doesn't seem to be much in it on image quality. Low light performance should be better on the rx100. Size difference is not major.

Also if going for the Nex would you do spring for the extra (55-210mm) lens at about R1800 more?

http://m.ormsdirect.co.za/photography/cameras/compact-mirrorless-cameras/sony
 
I would recommend a camera from one of the manufacturers who make cameras for a living, e.g. Nikon or Canon.

Both offer a wide range of lenses and accessories: in addition both are supported by third-party manufacturers.

There is also a thriving second-hand - and hire - market for both.

To my mind Sony view cameras more as a side-line than a mainstream product.

NB: I must admit to bias: I purchased my first [still-working] Nikon in 1968 :)
 
SLR camera's and now hybrids may be the rage and all but for outdoor photography it's really a no-no from me. The Canon PowerShot SX IS/HS range has exceptional zoom range with full manual settings. Take a look at the SX30 IS and SX40 HS.
 
nadimm said:
Hi. Need some advice on moving from a smartphone to a proper camera. Mostly used on multi day hiking - landscape, and some night campfire pics. I want to start using manual settings etc, and mostly understand the theory of it.

I'm. Considering the Sony Nex3n (R4300) or the Rx100 (R7200).

Any opinion on the above or an alternative suggestion? On price I'm going with the Nex. Doesn't seem to be much in it on image quality. Low light performance should be better on the rx100. Size difference is not major.

Also if going for the Nex would you do spring for the extra (55-210mm) lens at about R1800 more?

http://m.ormsdirect.co.za/photography/cameras/compact-mirrorless-cameras/sony
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Personally I'd say start with a proper DSLR and kit lens, then work your way from there. Wider choice of lenses, huge rental market and thriving second hand market. Even something line this would work well.

I take a 60D with a 10 - 20mm and 28 - 105 on hikes and have found this perfectly suited to my needs. Every time I take the 70 - 200 with it doesn't serve enough purpose to justify the extra weight in the pack. A mate of mine still uses his trust 450D with a Sigma 18 - 200mm lens (a budget setup if there ever was one) and comes back with some awesome pics, MUCH better than a phone at any rate.
 
On multi-day hikes I just take a cheapy Canon I have that fits in my pocket, no ways I'm carrying 1kg of camera equipment up a mountain
 
Thanks for the advice ppl.

On the DSLR front the size and weight is an issue. Mostly the bulk, and the damn thing swinging around your neck.

Not prepared for the sacrifices made on a ruggedized camera. Besides a hard case and a ziplock/drysack will cover most situations.

About manufacturer preference. From what I've read the Sony and Olympus cameras are good value outside the dslr range.

I think will consider the 2nd hand range. Why no support for CSC/ILC/Mirrorless type?

To reiterate I've seen some amazing places and always regret that I can't capture the scenery. And since I plan to do more hiking...
 
garyc said:
On multi-day hikes a light weight rugged camera may be worth considering>

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/3436829389/dpreview-recommends-best-waterproof-cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=news-list&utm_medium=text&ref=title_0_36

Most of these will not give you manual control and the low light performance is not great. They will however have a better chance of surviving if the conditions are rough, wet or dusty.
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These do look like a no hassle options.
 
nadimm said:
These do look like a no hassle options.
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Buying a waterproof camera was one of the best things I ever did.(we bought a panasonic) I now have photos when we went tubing on the River and on multiple hikes where it was raining like crazy the whole time. Depends on how far and how tough the hikes get but we try and do some Kloofing as well and it's nice just having some decent pictures of some of these amazing places.
 
You're best bet is a Galaxy S4 Zoom. They are excellent phones and their camera puts most compacts to shame.
 
TehStranger said:
A mate of mine still uses his trust 450D with a Sigma 18 - 200mm lens (a budget setup if there ever was one) and comes back with some awesome pics, MUCH better than a phone at any rate.
Click to expand...

How about a 350D with a Sigma 18-200? :) That's my standard for hiking.

I'm not overly careful with my camera, quite happy to take it hiking. I carry the one lens and camera in a small pouch, either round my shoulder or hooked to my waist strap, depending on the extent of the hike. It gets a splash of water on it sometimes, but I carry a ziplock for the heavy downpours. Also carried it down the Witelskloof, just took a drybag with for some of the more hectic sections. Taken it snow skiing too.

DSLRs are more rugged than many people give them credit for

Thing is it is heavy, and I can understand most people don't want to lug a dslr camera around with them the whole time. Especially if it's a multiday hike, that extra kg could be some decent food you're leaving behind ;)

This is what I have, and I enjoy the functionality/quality of photos etc. that I get from the camera. Weight isn't that big a deal for me. However it's difficult to advise a DSLR over one of the superzooms that have been suggested. Or even a waterproof equivalent. These allow you good photos with far more convenience.
 
GarethC said:
How about a 350D with a Sigma 18-200? :) That's my standard for hiking.

I'm not overly careful with my camera, quite happy to take it hiking. I carry the one lens and camera in a small pouch, either round my shoulder or hooked to my waist strap, depending on the extent of the hike. It gets a splash of water on it sometimes, but I carry a ziplock for the heavy downpours. Also carried it down the Witelskloof, just took a drybag with for some of the more hectic sections. Taken it snow skiing too.

DSLRs are more rugged than many people give them credit for

Thing is it is heavy, and I can understand most people don't want to lug a dslr camera around with them the whole time. Especially if it's a multiday hike, that extra kg could be some decent food you're leaving behind ;)

This is what I have, and I enjoy the functionality/quality of photos etc. that I get from the camera. Weight isn't that big a deal for me. However it's difficult to advise a DSLR over one of the superzooms that have been suggested. Or even a waterproof equivalent. These allow you good photos with far more convenience.
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I can bludgeon a man to death and drive home tent pegs with mine and still take a photo afterwards… :)
 
bwana said:
I can bludgeon a man to death and drive home tent pegs with mine and still take a photo afterwards… :)
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Exactly! While I don't go out of my way to cause damage to my DLSR, it's happy enough to take a slight jolt or some drops of water. Water drops on my lens ruining my picture bother me more than water actually falling on my camera.
 
nadimm said:
Samsung is big on gimmicks. From my s3 and note 2 experience. Won't buy Samsung again.
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Strange. I had Nokia for a decade then got S1, S2, Nexus 4 and now Galaxy Nexus. My wife has beeing using the S4 Zoom for 3 months now. Never had a problem with any of them and the S4 Zoom is no gimmick, it trumps DSLR in quite a few aspects.
 
Park@82 said:
Speak for yourself. Many people are very happy with their Samsung phones including me.
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True, but even die hard Samsung users think the S4 Zoom is a gimmick, and I can assure you its not. I have had bulkier phones before only with the S4 Zoom that bulkiness translates to a truly excellent camera that is always by your side.
 
My vote is always for waterproof when hiking. We did some river crossing recently and I so wished I had a waterproof camera.
 
Some cameras handle water surprisingly well. I had a Kodak Z1015is bridge camera that landed in the river and floated a few meters (cheap plastic body FTW). It would not switch on after taking it out the water but 24 hours of dehumidification and it worked like a dream.
 
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