bubbapuck Posted October 12, 2020 #1 Share Posted October 12, 2020 My wife and I are going to cruise to Alaska next summer (fingers crossed). We want to invest in a good video camera to document our trip but dont want to break the bank. We have looked at the GoPro's as I have heard they are good, reliable, waterproof cameras. I dont know if anyone has any suggestions on other cameras? Thanks... EB Link to post Share on other sites
chipmaster Posted October 13, 2020 #2 Share Posted October 13, 2020 8 hours ago, bubbapuck said: My wife and I are going to cruise to Alaska next summer (fingers crossed). We want to invest in a good video camera to document our trip but dont want to break the bank. We have looked at the GoPro's as I have heard they are good, reliable, waterproof cameras. I dont know if anyone has any suggestions on other cameras? Thanks... EB Try an iPhone12, the video on them are pretty good, and they are also a computer, phone, tablet, internet access device and not to shabby HD video too, the latest ones are also waterproof too! 1 Link to post Share on other sites
pierces Posted October 13, 2020 #3 Share Posted October 13, 2020 A good multi-purpose photo/video camera would be the Sony RX-100 series. There are several iterations with various levels of zoom but any of them would provide a lot of versatility for photos and video. The only way a GoPro would be superior would be if you are an extreme activities person and need a droppable/submergable unit. Imaging on a GoPro is very wide and an eagle at more than 20 ft would look like a fancy sparrow and a bear at 200 yards would look like a very small dog. The RX-100 series starts at a couple hundred more than a GoPro and the latest ones are around $1000, but they are unmatched in performance for their size and cover a much wider range of possible photo situations. They are also small enough (pocketable) to be used with one of the smaller stabilizing gimbals available on Amazon. Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Tahitianbigkahuna Posted October 13, 2020 #4 Share Posted October 13, 2020 I have 3 GoPro's ... not a good choice for Alaska. I concur ... The Sony RX- 100 is a solid performer. A few bucks more and you could get a used RX10-IV in good condition. The RX10-IV has a 24-600mm equivalent zoom. Does video and photos equally well .... Here is a picture taken with a Sony RX10-IV ... perfect example picture for Alaska. 3 Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 15, 2020 #5 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Love my Nikon P900.......https://amzn.to/3dqEaRu I bought it for our Alaska cruise because I did not want to haul around a bunch of lenses. The P1000 would also be a good option 1 Link to post Share on other sites
bubbapuck Posted October 15, 2020 Author #6 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Absolutely love these cameras but unfortunately outside of my budget. Hopefully I can find a good Black Friday deal or something. Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 15, 2020 #7 Share Posted October 15, 2020 12 hours ago, bubbapuck said: Absolutely love these cameras but unfortunately outside of my budget. Hopefully I can find a good Black Friday deal or something. Believe it or not I bought the Nikon P900 new for under $500. Check Amazon, B&H etc....... 1 Link to post Share on other sites
bubbapuck Posted October 15, 2020 Author #8 Share Posted October 15, 2020 Does anyone have any experience with the Canon G7X Mark 2? I have seen good things. I plan to compare against the cameras suggested but wanted to see any opinions on this camera. Link to post Share on other sites
TheOldBear Posted October 15, 2020 #9 Share Posted October 15, 2020 And somewhere between the P900 super zoom and Sony RX-10 series are the Panasonic FZ 1000 and 1000 mark 2 cameras They use the same larger sensor size as the Sony, extensive video features and a nice [Leica branded] lens. Much cheaper than the RX-10 series in general. [note that some later RX-10's have some degree of weather sealing - the FZ1000 does not claim any] I think if I had the space [and budget] a P9000 + some larger sensor or more compact camera would be nice. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 15, 2020 #10 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 23 minutes ago, TheOldBear said: And somewhere between the P900 super zoom and Sony RX-10 series are the Panasonic FZ 1000 and 1000 mark 2 cameras They use the same larger sensor size as the Sony, extensive video features and a nice [Leica branded] lens. Much cheaper than the RX-10 series in general. [note that some later RX-10's have some degree of weather sealing - the FZ1000 does not claim any] I think if I had the space [and budget] a P9000 + some larger sensor or more compact camera would be nice. After my cousin borrowed my P900 she bought the P1000. It has a pretty amazing 125X optical zoom. She does a lot of wildlife shoots and works part time for Nat Geo. She loves the camera Abes of Maine has the Nikon P1000 for $849.00, Thats a great price Edited October 15, 2020 by Laszlo 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Tahitianbigkahuna Posted October 15, 2020 #11 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) I have 10 cameras I use for wedding photos/video. I've used large commercial video cameras including Canon Panasonic and Sony. They were heavy and I wanted something much lighter/smaller that had many of the high end features I'd grown accustom to. I've had Sony RX10 series in use for the last 7 years and currently use three RX10IV. Yes to some they may seem pricy but as I can afford to use whatever I want they are in fact economical for what they are capable of doing. IMO, the best all around camera for the moderate budget person. When the lights go real low I pull out my Sony A7iii's with fast glass but that is 4X the money as a used but clean RX10IV. A used but very clean RX10IV can be had for around $1000 😉 Edited October 15, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna 2 Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 15, 2020 #12 Share Posted October 15, 2020 9 minutes ago, Tahitianbigkahuna said: I have 10 cameras I use for wedding photos/video. I've used large commercial video cameras including Canon Panasonic and Sony. They were heavy and I wanted something much lighter/smaller that had many of the high end features I'd grown accustom to. I've had Sony RX10 series in use for the last 7 years and currently use three RX10IV. Yes to some they may seem pricy but as I can afford to use whatever I want they are in fact economical for what they are capable of doing. IMO, the best all around camera for the moderate budget person. When the lights go real low I pull out my Sony A7iii's with fast glass but that is 4X the money as a used but clean RX10IV. A used but very clean RX10IV can be had for around $1000 😉 At the end of the day the best camera for you is one you use. 4 Link to post Share on other sites
Tahitianbigkahuna Posted October 15, 2020 #13 Share Posted October 15, 2020 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Laszlo said: At the end of the day the best camera for you is one you use. Totally agree ... I own 10 cameras and use the best one based on the application. However ... If I only had 1 camera I could use/own from my arsenal it would be an RX10IV simply because they are the best all around camera for a wide amount of uses. Several other cameras are similar but as I know the Sony menu system it was a no brainer for me. Edited October 15, 2020 by Tahitianbigkahuna 1 Link to post Share on other sites
KYBOB Posted October 16, 2020 #14 Share Posted October 16, 2020 On 10/15/2020 at 11:20 AM, Laszlo said: After my cousin borrowed my P900 she bought the P1000. It has a pretty amazing 125X optical zoom. She does a lot of wildlife shoots and works part time for Nat Geo. She loves the camera Abes of Maine has the Nikon P1000 for $849.00, Thats a great price I would check out Abes of Maine before you buy. If you have time for reading, Google abes site:uglyhedgehog.com. or https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/abes-of-maine.html?page=2#sort=top_reviews&filter=1 B&H or Adorama, Best Buy for that mater are reputable online retailers I have purchased equipment from B&H since 1981. I have had no issues with either. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 16, 2020 #15 Share Posted October 16, 2020 53 minutes ago, KYBOB said: I would check out Abes of Maine before you buy. If you have time for reading, Google abes site:uglyhedgehog.com. or https://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/abes-of-maine.html?page=2#sort=top_reviews&filter=1 B&H or Adorama, Best Buy for that mater are reputable online retailers I have purchased equipment from B&H since 1981. I have had no issues with either. I hear you, I've bought 2 items from Abe's and never had any of those problems. However most of my camera equipment has come from B&H. I could spend a half a day just walking around their store Lol Link to post Share on other sites
bubbapuck Posted October 25, 2020 Author #16 Share Posted October 25, 2020 I have done a lot of research and have decided to up my budget a little. I am looking at the Canon SL3. If I can find a good Black Friday deal, I may go up to the canon 90d but I don’t think the price will drop that low. any thoughts on these two cameras? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Laszlo Posted October 26, 2020 #17 Share Posted October 26, 2020 18 hours ago, bubbapuck said: I have done a lot of research and have decided to up my budget a little. I am looking at the Canon SL3. If I can find a good Black Friday deal, I may go up to the canon 90d but I don’t think the price will drop that low. any thoughts on these two cameras? Check out Snapchick. She does a lot of camera reviews.... https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSnapChick/videos 1 Link to post Share on other sites
UnorigionalName Posted November 5, 2020 #18 Share Posted November 5, 2020 On 10/25/2020 at 12:37 PM, bubbapuck said: I have done a lot of research and have decided to up my budget a little. I am looking at the Canon SL3. If I can find a good Black Friday deal, I may go up to the canon 90d but I don’t think the price will drop that low. any thoughts on these two cameras? Why are you going for a budget APS-C DSLR in 2020? What do you plan on trying to photograph? What are your long term goals? what IS your budget? It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense for your situation. why are you unsatisfied with people's superzoom/bridge camera recommendations? do you want to photo wildlife? or is that not a big concern? 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Tahitianbigkahuna Posted November 5, 2020 #19 Share Posted November 5, 2020 On 10/25/2020 at 12:37 PM, bubbapuck said: I have done a lot of research and have decided to up my budget a little. I am looking at the Canon SL3. If I can find a good Black Friday deal, I may go up to the canon 90d but I don’t think the price will drop that low. any thoughts on these two cameras? My Better half did use a Canon 80D but since has changed to one of our Sony RX10IV as it is a more capable camera 😉 Link to post Share on other sites
masterdrago Posted November 17, 2020 #20 Share Posted November 17, 2020 Sony RX 100 series. Just got one a few months back and they are awesome. I even managed to track down an issue I was having with an AR jamming with its 7 seconds of filming at 1000fps. It's sharp, focuses fast and has a 24-200 equivalent collapsible lens. The only thing missing from my model (VI) is a external microphone input. Link to post Share on other sites
strickerj Posted December 9, 2020 #21 Share Posted December 9, 2020 Second the Sony RX100 - I have an a7 iii with the 24-105mm f4.0 zoom, and my wife has the RX100 mark 7 since she wanted something better than her phone but can't hold a big camera. We took both on a trip to Mexico last week, and I was pretty impressed with the quality of hers - in daylight, they're pretty close. (I chose mine because I wanted high performance in low light.) If you can swing it (it's on the high end of compact P&S prices), the RX100 mark 7 won't disappoint. Link to post Share on other sites
Tahitianbigkahuna Posted December 9, 2020 #22 Share Posted December 9, 2020 The Sony RXIV has a 600mm equivalent lens and for Alaska you will want the reach/ I'd take a RX10IV over the 100 series and day ... just my opinion. I own three RX10IV .... love them for stills and video BTW Strickerj ... I own two Sony a7iii's and the 24 - 105 lens. For panos / walk around lens it does wonderfully but 105mm is 157mm in crop mode but one will likely want 600mm in Alaska 😉 Notice my picture on the other thread I'm using a 35mm prime ... the 24-105 would of been hard pressed to pull off that shot with no noise. I was able to keep my ISO at 500 seeing I was able to drop to F/1.4. 3 stops above would be f/4, the wide open on the 24- 105 but would of been at 4000 ISO and had some noise to deal with. But for a good walk around the 24-105 is a solid performer. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
strickerj Posted December 9, 2020 #23 Share Posted December 9, 2020 (edited) Yeah I'm definitely thinking the 100-400 for my Alaska trip next year but I'd likely just rent one since I don't foresee needing it after that. Edited December 9, 2020 by strickerj Link to post Share on other sites
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