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Sky Hiker
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Sky Hiker
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PostTue Nov 09, 2021 9:15 am 
Looking for a camera that is not too bulky and can be used on the chest strap on my back pack. Would like it to take decent pictures and have a decent zoom feature. Anyone have any recommendations? Thanks SKy

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Sky Hiker
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 6:32 am 
I guess no one on here takes pictures.

Tom
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neek
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 7:26 am 
Phone. Serious. If I were starting over today I'd carry a Pixel 6 Pro, nothing else. Right now I have a Canon G7x, but it's quickly becoming a paperweight. If you really want a small point and shoot, I imagine the Sony rx100 is still the best.

Bowregard
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awilsondc
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 7:53 am 
That depends on how much you like photos! How are you going to be using these photos? If you're just using them for social media posts and online viewing, a phone can work just fine although I've yet to see one that takes decent sunrise / sunset shots. Do you shoot in RAW? Do your own post processing? Do you frequently crop your images or make large prints out of them? Are you interested in low light photography like blue hour and night (astro)? Do you like that sun star effect some people get in their shots? If so, maybe something with a better sensor would benefit you. You should probably really like working with photos if you're going to get anything other than neek's recommendation of a phone or small point and shoot like the Sony rx100. Lots of recent discussion in this thread if you're looking for a crop sensor or micro 3/4 mirrorless camera.

jaysway, Bowregard
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Bowregard
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 2:27 pm 
I'm with neek on this one. I don't have a quality phone but the photos my wife and daughters' get with theirs are excellent. I bought a DSLR and top quality prime lenses years ago to shoot low light indoor photos but sold it all when they went off to college and bought a rx100 (first edition). The only thing I miss is length for wildlife and and a bit of control but I would gladly trade that for pocket size when hiking. If I really needed the flexibility of multiple lenses I would probably get an A5100. That model is getting old but I have not heard of anything that beats it in the very small format class. I bought the rx100 when they could be had for a couple hundred but I think they are all more than double that now. I don't think I would pay the asking price for the later models though.

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Sky Hiker
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 3:14 pm 
Yea I don't get fancy and spend my time photo shopping or retouching my pictures. I don't think I would shoot in .raw mode as I don't photo shop or retouch my pictures. I had a Panasonic Lumix but it took a trip in the water. I wouldn't say its pictures were anything to write home about. I see the pictures from some phones and they are excellent. But I also prefer to have my phone(cheap LG) separate from my camera. I guess there are a lot of options in cameras its just more a matter of preference I suppose. I just didn't want to deal with bulky, multiple lenses, filters, etc. Thanks for the inputs!! SKY

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Cyclopath
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 6:01 pm 
I use my phone for most photography. The "best" camera is always the one you have with you. My phone also has topo maps, a flashlight, and a campfire app to keep warm on the go. wink.gif I also use a camera where I have a few non zoom lenses and a tripod. I use it when I want the best quality - I like having some of my favorite pictures on the wall, they remind me of the best times and make me happy. I use it for night photos because a phone can't compete there. And for wildlife but I'm not very good at that. What you said about preferences having most to do with it is really spot on.

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Tom
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 8:24 pm 
I just picked up a new pixel 6 pro. Can't say that I would recommend it - certain things about it annoy me like the fingerprint sensor lag which is terrible (IMO unacceptable for a flagship phone) and also the curved screen which captures a lot of glare on the edges. That said, I'd agree the latest cell phones may be the way to go if you just want something that takes great point and shoot pictures with minimal fuss thanks to computational photography advantages. The latest iPhone Pro is pretty phenomenal although zoom is somewhat limited at 3x. Then again, it has a very wide angle lens. Samsung has a 10x optical zoom on their Pro although I would probably wait for the next version due to camera lag issues in the current model.

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InFlight
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 10:24 pm 
The wide lens on the Pixel is 50 Megapixels, the telephoto lens is 48 Megapixels. Only the ultra-wide “slums” at 12 MB (still plenty for a 8x10). For something that is always handy, the newest cell phones are very capable cameras. The cellphone camera rankings between the Pixel 6 pro and iPhone 13 pro are essentially the same (137 & 135) https://www.dxomark.com/rankings/ They certainly eliminated any need for the travel point and shoots. As a pure camera you could buy APS-C camera with a kit lens for the same cost. But you can’t make phone calls or visit websites on a APS-C camera.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Tom
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PostWed Nov 10, 2021 11:45 pm 
On the pixel 6 those 48+ megapixels get binned down to 12 megapixels, so same effective resolution as the ultra wide. Of course, the quality of those 12 megapixels is going to be superior vs. the ultra-wide due to difference in sensor sizes.

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Joey
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PostThu Nov 11, 2021 8:56 am 
When the iPhone 11 came out and I started reading about “computational photography” I upgraded my phone to the 11 Pro and gave my DSLR to one of my brothers. I also bought the Halide and Spectre apps both from a small company called LUX. https://halide.cam/ https://spectre.cam/ For those that want the most control, Halide lets you manually set shutter speed, ISO, focus, white balance, background blur and maybe some stuff I am not remembering at the moment. You can tell it to save your pics in RAW, or JPG, or RAW and JPG both. For example pics you can search for #ShotWithHalide on twitter. The latest update to Halide is an amazing macro mode. https://mashable.com/article/halide-app-macro-mode

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rossb
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PostFri Nov 12, 2021 3:07 pm 
I own a Sony rx100 camera, and I'm happy with it. It has a view finder, which I find really handy. Otherwise I have to get out my reading glasses, or stick the camera way out in front of my face and more or less guess that everything is lined up. It is especially handy to have a view finder when the sun is at your back. Sony makes a number of different versions of the camera, and some of the older ones lack that. The camera I have doesn't have much of a zoom. If you go the Sony route, I would recommend one with a view finder and a good zoom. I chose the Sony based on the bulk/weight and quality (most of the good cameras are bigger/heavier). You have full control with those cameras (shutter speed, ISO, etc.) although it sounds like the phones are catching up in that regard as well. I would definitely consider a phone, if that works for you. For years I've trusted this site for their reviews (and still do). Over time they have reviewed fewer and fewer small cameras, as there are few that are better than a high end phone. This is their latest review of small zoom cameras, while this is a guide for buying a phone. PS: If you want an older camera, I'm giving a couple of them away. I have a summer camera (now the Sony) and one I use in the winter (which is waterproof). I haven't gotten around to giving away the old cameras. These were high quality back in the day, but aren't as good as the ones I upgraded to. PM me if you are interested.

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InFlight
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PostSat Nov 13, 2021 2:04 pm 
Tom wrote:
On the pixel 6 those 48+ megapixels get binned down to 12 megapixels, so same effective resolution as the ultra wide. Of course, the quality of those 12 megapixels is going to be superior vs. the ultra-wide due to difference in sensor sizes.
I find the Mega-Pixel count competitions between newer cameras to be getting silly. Printed photos are 300 dpi 4x6 inch, 1200 x 1800 pixels, 2.2 MP 5x7 inch, 1500 x 2100 pixels, 3 MP 8x10 inch, 2400 x 3000 pixels, 7MP 12x18 inch, 3600 x 5400 pixels, 19 MP With some cropping, a 24MB camera is capable of a very large photo; and 12MB can cover 8x10. If your shooting weddings or large portraits at 18x24 (38MB) or 24x36 (77.8 MB) with a Hasselblad that’s a different ballgame.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Backpacker Joe
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PostSat Nov 13, 2021 7:16 pm 
i like the Sony a7R4 mirrorless slr.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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ejain
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PostSun Nov 14, 2021 1:17 pm 
Sky Hiker wrote:
Would like it to take decent pictures and have a decent zoom feature.
Define "decent"...

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