cameras...binoculars..and what about GoPro?

[katfer]

Which one did you get? The iAuto option (intelligent auto) is nice but if you learn the basics of photography, you'll be able to do a lot more - just play with it up until cruise time!

 

And I have a monopod that I use for distance shots

 

 

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I got the DMC-Zs50..from Costco Tell me about the monopod and what I use it for.

[AryMay]

I plan to use zoom mode for landscapes mostly. We are going on a private whale watching excursion...should I leave camera on auto or try for a video?

 

I do not consider myself a photographer although I love to take "pictures", so others may be able to give you better advice.

 

We are planning our second Alaska cruise in May and have a couple of whale watch tours booked. This time I plan to do a little more video. I used the burst mode on my Canon SX50 the last time and I was not good at anticipating when to start shooting. I would fire off a series of shots and just as the camera would stop to write to the card that is when the whales would show off their tails! I ended up with a few good tail shots, but mostly just backs...like this:

 

 

I am hoping to do more video overall, but I figure I can always save a frame of the video as a still shot if I want (although I'm guessing the quality will suffer.) My fear would be that we would witness a whale breach and I would be too busy trying to figure out when to snap a photo that I would miss it entirely.

[Herfnerd]

I got the DMC-Zs50..from Costco Tell me about the monopod and what I use it for.

 

That's what my wife got me/ I asked Santa for Christmas, lol

 

A monopod is basically a stick that you can adjust the height and it's threaded at one end where you can screw on the camera. It allows you to have a steady platform for the camera when using it at the extreme end of the zoom. No matter how good the OIS is, any motion can be exacerbated when fully zoomed out. Its a more compact version of a tripod

[nasa1974]

Do i charge a few batteries in camera..then take with me for excursions? I assume they will hold the charge. Yes we take a power strip....I'm addicted to too much that needs to be charged. Anyone have a good site to get extra batteries and memory you'll share..or is amazon ok?

 

I would use the cameras battery charger to charge all your batteries. If you have an Amazon account your should get free delivery. I have purchased my extra batteries from Amazon. As far as memory cards Best Buy on occasion has some great deals on memory cards. I generally don't have anything smaller than 16GB. Right now they have a pretty good deal on SanDisk "Pixtor" memory cards.

 

Marty

[katfer]

I would use the cameras battery charger to charge all your batteries. If you have an Amazon account your should get free delivery. I have purchased my extra batteries from Amazon. As far as memory cards Best Buy on occasion has some great deals on memory cards. I generally don't have anything smaller than 16GB. Right now they have a pretty good deal on SanDisk "Pixtor" memory cards.

 

Marty

Hi Marty...so charge batteries and take with me ..how do I know what kind of memory card to get...was just going to get same one that came with camera..what do u recommend? Will be taking videos.

[Herfnerd]

I plan to use zoom mode for landscapes mostly. We are going on a private whale watching excursion...should I leave camera on auto or try for a video?

 

You could leave it on iAuto and use the burst shot option - play around with it before your cruise to get familiar with that function and to see if you get acceptable shots. Shooting at 10 fps with 23 autofocus points will definitely help . Also try burst shooting in Sports mode - it will employ a fast shutter speed to try and grab those shots.

[Rewind]

Along the same lines, I'm looking at the Sony DSC-HX80. I've had good luck with my Sony DSC-TX30 (waterproof) but it just doesn't have the zoom capabilities I think I might need for Alaska.

[Hsmama]

The last three cameras mentioned here all rate really well on the comparison sites I've been reading,the sony hx80,the canon sx720,and the zs50....... I've been looking at them all,and thinking. The Canon might be the lowest of the three, but the price is right...... the optical zoom info is helpful, is there a difference in the average shooter with 30x and 40x telezoom? I dont know if the 40x would make things so shaky/fuzzy that it's not really useable in most situations..... but I don't really know. I'm going to investigate the monopod

[Hsmama]

question- if you had to choose between the panasonic zs50 and the canon sx720,which would you choose? the 50 has 12 mp, the 720 has 20 mp....I know that's not the only thing to look for, but it is somewhat important

[Sandybeach64]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the Nikon B700? It seems like it gets really good reviews but at this point I am so confused on what type of camera to get for our cruise. I have a smaller Nikon 8100 (I believe) but wanted to get a newer camera that had more zoom capability that I will also bring.

[Herfnerd]

question- if you had to choose between the panasonic zs50 and the canon sx720,which would you choose? the 50 has 12 mp, the 720 has 20 mp....I know that's not the only thing to look for, but it is somewhat important

 

For the average photographer, the lower resolution is actually a good thing! When Panasonic dropped that P&S to 12 MP, it actually increased low light capabilities over higher resolution cameras without sacrificing anything for the average photographer. Lower resolution also means smaller files which in turn allows cameras to push higher frame rates which means better sports and wildlife photography - within the limitations of the small sensor.

 

Keep in mind that higher resolution cameras mean that when you display it on a TV/monitor or print larger pictures, it will look nicer but since most people tend to show off their pictures on social media and computer monitors/phones, it may not matter. Also, higher resolution cameras mean you can crop your photos more and not lose detail.

 

Comparing the two, the Panny has higher ISO (better low light flexibility), faster lens, faster burst shooting, can take panoramic shots and more focus points. On the other hand, the Canon has a faster shutter speed and higher zoom and is newer.

 

Of the two, I would still go with the ZS50 - the great EVF and RAW shooting capability sealed it - for me.

[CCJack]

For the average photographer, the lower resolution is actually a good thing! When Panasonic dropped that P&S to 12 MP, it actually increased low light capabilities over higher resolution cameras without sacrificing anything for the average photographer. Lower resolution also means smaller files which in turn allows cameras to push higher frame rates which means better sports and wildlife photography - within the limitations of the small sensor.

 

Keep in mind that higher resolution cameras mean that when you display it on a TV/monitor or print larger pictures, it will look nicer but since most people tend to show off their pictures on social media and computer monitors/phones, it may not matter. Also, higher resolution cameras mean you can crop your photos more and not lose detail.

 

Comparing the two, the Panny has higher ISO (better low light flexibility), faster lens, faster burst shooting, can take panoramic shots and more focus points. On the other hand, the Canon has a faster shutter speed and higher zoom and is newer.

 

Of the two, I would still go with the ZS50 - the great EVF and RAW shooting capability sealed it - for me.

 

I agree, the large MP ratings on cameras are a bit of scam in some ways. These days it does not cost the manufacturer much to add resolution and then they advertise it, but for most applications you don't need nearly that much. The larger files not only hurts sports photography, etc. as mentioned but can be a pain when managing the files on your computer, etc.

 

Relative to binoculars, I own a pair of Canon IS (image stabilization) 10 x 30. In my opinion IS is huge advantage. I used my binoculars on our Alaska cruise, but also use them all the time for wildlife, sporting events, etc. They work like magic, I love them ! (Although they set me back about $500)

[nasa1974]

Hi Marty...so charge batteries and take with me ..how do I know what kind of memory card to get...was just going to get same one that came with camera..what do u recommend? Will be taking videos.

 

katfer,

 

Charge your batteries during the evening and overnight then take them with you during the day. That way you have a spare battery if the one in the camera gets low. For memory cards if you are planning on shooting video and taking stills I would suggest a memory card of 16GB or 32GB and same style as the one that came with your camera.

 

Marty

[Herfnerd]

There are replacement batteries with external chargers on sale on Amazon and elsewhere pretty cheap. The OE battery that came with our cameras are 1250mah and the two spares I got are 1500mah so will last a little longer - I hope. You can never tell with aftermarket stuff

 

And the memory that came with the camera is a pretty fast class 10 SDHC UHS-I card

 

 

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[Baddabing]

Just found my old Kodak Play Sport. Would it be as good as a galaxly S5 for videos when going whale watching? It is weather proof

[jenZ]

For those interested in camera comparisons, use this tip: type your two camera models in your internet search bar, separated by the abbreviation 'vs.' or just 'v'. ( plus you can just type the model numbers without the manufacturer's name; so it is a quick search!) In the results will be multiple camera reviewers who compare each camera's stats, along with price. A summary score is usually included. And reviewers qualitative comments. The trick is to know which features are most important to you in making the final decision. The reviews are helpful to understand in more depth the perceived value of each of the characteristics. So in effect, the statistical evaluation is an education itself in camera literacy.

 

 

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[Hsmama]

I have been doing that google compare now for two weeks....my mind is spinning! I am narrowing it down I think between the zs50 and sx720..... but then when I see the sx720,I compare the sx720,which appears to be the same camera,minus a little zoom capability (like 30 vs 40x optical)- I'm wondering if that extra bit of zoom is worth the extra $$$ (If I go with Canon) or not? I am having hard time visualizing the difference between 30x and 40x..... in terms of distance. Like for example, I see an eagle on a branch,and it's 200 feet away...... how 'close' can a 30x zoom get me for photos?

[Herfnerd]

For those interested in camera comparisons, use this tip: type your two camera models in your internet search bar, separated by the abbreviation 'vs.' or just 'v'. ( plus you can just type the model numbers without the manufacturer's name; so it is a quick search!) In the results will be multiple camera reviewers who compare each camera's stats, along with price. A summary score is usually included. And reviewers qualitative comments. The trick is to know which features are most important to you in making the final decision. The reviews are helpful to understand in more depth the perceived value of each of the characteristics. So in effect, the statistical evaluation is an education itself in camera literacy.

 

 

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I've done that in the last but the problem is that more often than. you will get conflicting info - one site will like one camera and another will like the other. I agree that the key is to know what features are important to you and see how they stack up

 

 

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[Herfnerd]

I have been doing that google compare now for two weeks....my mind is spinning! I am narrowing it down I think between the zs50 and sx720..... but then when I see the sx720,I compare the sx720,which appears to be the same camera,minus a little zoom capability (like 30 vs 40x optical)

 

Here is a comparison

[Herfnerd]

No idea why my reply formatted like that

[Hsmama]

Ok currently I have the Panasonic zs50 in my hand.... is is normal to hear a sort of whirring like something 'running' inside camera while using? I'm unsure if this is normal....

[katfer]

Ok currently I have the Panasonic zs50 in my hand.... is is normal to hear a sort of whirring like something 'running' inside camera while using? I'm unsure if this is normal....

I've not heard mine do that...

[katfer]

I've not heard mine do that...

I just turned it on and held it up to my ear..I do hear a very slight sound..hope it's normal.

[Hsmama]

I don't know.... for those here who have/use the zs50, what do you think of it? I've spent two days fiddling with it, trying various settings,and types of photos. I'm concerned I may have gotten a defective model (it was factory refurbished and sold as new) -anyone have issues with the focus capabilities? So far I am 100% unimpressed with the quality of the images I'm getting..... indoor,outdoor, different modes, various settings.... all the same lackluster results.I'm getting none of the crisp clarity I've seen in various blogs. I can get photos,just not very good results.

[Herfnerd]

Sounds like you may have a dud.

 

You do hear some whirring when the lens is moving but I've been more than happy with the pictures I take....

 

 

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