Camera's

[concour]

If you are planning on buying a camera on your cruise it pays to do your homework before you leave. Many of the deals that seem great in St. Thomas or St. Martin are really just OK. Many places like B&H Photo are very close to the same prices as the islands. While digital cameras have a good perfrormance record, occasionally they do have problems and I would much rather deal with repairs of returns through a stateside place like B&H than one of the island shops.

[concour]

Duplicate post. Never could figure out how people could duplicate post. Now that it has happened to me I still cann't figure it out.

 

Must be the internet fairies at work.

[1alexcartermom]

Olympus 770SW. It is digital, completely waterproof, fits in your back pocket, and is shockproof. My three year old has thrown it to the ground hard, it's been it my back pocket horseback riding, and it stayed with me the entire time in both the sand and the water on our 8 day cruise & two days pre-cruise- Total 5 full beach days, mostly in the water. Examples of water pics I took with this camera in Antigua - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070411&cimg=87 Used the camera underwater to take pics in St. Maarten - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070410&cimg=35 and St. Thomas - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070412&cimg=49

[shadowspark]

A really good technical site that reviews cameras and the pictures they take is: http://www.dpreview.com/.

 

When doing an excursion make sure your camera (if disposable) has a flash. If not, the reduced lighting in some environments (like a jungle, rainforest, etc.) will impact the camera's ability to take pictures. I would agree with some posters that an optical zoom is important, but a combination of lens, zoom & processing power should be balanced to find the optimum camera. I know of many cameras that have lower mega pixel ratings but take better pictures due to the lens used in capturing the photo.

 

In regards to underwater housing, this can be really expensive and will depend on the type of camera you purchase. Digital SLR water housings can be as expensive as the camera itself. Additionally, there's been a new wave of people using underwater camera bags that allow your camera to take underwater pictures. I haven't had a chance to purchase water bag or water housing as we are far from any ocean here in Winnipeg, MB Canada, but I've seen photos and they're impressive.

[robtulipe]

Before you run out a buy duty free in the islands, be sure the warranty will be honored in the US. Many companies have US divisions that may or may not honor warranties of products brought in from outside the country even though it is their product. For instance, Nikon USA may not honor the warranty on a genuine Nikon product brought in from Asia or Europe. They will be happy to repair it for you, just not under warranty. Something to think about and ask before you buy. (As if they'd give you a straight answer anyway)

That's one reason I bought my new Sony Alpha SLR digital on St. Thomas USVI last month in order to have a US warranty and I looked on line and didn't see a better deal than $900US I paid at Boolshand's with 17-70mm and 70-300mm lenses, 2GB card, card reader, A1 filters and bag. I did have to negotiate to get that price. The other thing is being in Canada I could bring back tax and duty free. We have a $750 limit so I declared body and DW accessories. We would have to pay these and shipping to get from cheap US online retailers.

For my casual carry around all the time on board camera, I just picked up on clearance a nice Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30. It uses the Pro Duo cards the above camera can use (also CF cards for the SLR) and its 6MP resolution and video mode works well. The current 7.2MP Sony's don't have the Carl Zeiss lens and a lesser aperture range.

[laumadjen]

I wouldn't go the underwater bag route. I got one for our Easter cruise and gave up on it and bought a disposable camera for the rest of our water shots.

 

Olympus 770SW. It is digital, completely waterproof, fits in your back pocket, and is shockproof. My three year old has thrown it to the ground hard, it's been it my back pocket horseback riding, and it stayed with me the entire time in both the sand and the water on our 8 day cruise & two days pre-cruise- Total 5 full beach days, mostly in the water. Examples of water pics I took with this camera in Antigua - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070411&cimg=87 Used the camera underwater to take pics in St. Maarten - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?use...070410&cimg=35 and St. Thomas - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?use...070412&cimg=49

 

How does the 770SW do with it's autofocus? My wife has a Canon A620 and it seems to focus on everything but what I want in focus. I've tried using P mode and only the center focus point but still have problems. I have a DSLR but didn't want to bring it on the cruise. I like the idea of a water proof digital camera and your pics look good.

 

Or get it HERE for $779, which also includes a $100 case.

 

Actually that's a prior model (HV10).

 

but is the best consumer video camera on the market for at least this year.

 

My Sony HDR-HC7 take offense to that. :rolleyes:

 

the ability to take both high definition video and still pictures at the same time

 

Watch out with this. My Sony HDR-HC7 does this but the quality of the picture is not the same as when you are in the mode to take still pictures. Also, mine is limited to 3 pictures when you are videoing a scene. If you stop and start recording again, you can take 3 more. Not sure about the Canon. It's still a nice feature though.

[1alexcartermom]

How does the 770SW do with it's autofocus? My wife has a Canon A620 and it seems to focus on everything but what I want in focus. I've tried using P mode and only the center focus point but still have problems. I have a DSLR but didn't want to bring it on the cruise. I like the idea of a water proof digital camera and your pics look good.

 

 

The auto focus is great. All pics I took were on the full auto mode. The Olympus 770SW is basically a point-and-shoot with limited manual controls. When I want to use manual and super zoom, I use my Sony H5, too big and fragile for cruise & beach purposes. The only negative about the 770SW is that it needs a better hand strap so you don't lose it in the water. Other than that, it is a perfect sand, sport & water camera (& mine has already taken significant abuse).

[tekman26]

I have purchased a Canon 30DSLR and have to say has been the best investment I have bought. I have 4 lens each for a different reason.

 

85mm 1.8 - Portraits

 

EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM - Long Distance

 

EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM - Low Light and Wide Angle

 

EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - Mid Range

 

Plus a handgrip with 2 batteries, plenty of storage space, and Speedlite 580ex with a lightsphere to go over top of it.

 

That is what I bring and my DW also brings her camera which is a Samsung 7.1mp for around the ship sometimes. As well as a Canon camcorder Optura 40

 

I just love to take pics of everything and anything. People and Landscape anything that catches my interest.

[8 Bells]

I am taking a Pentax K100D with me. I already own a Pentax SLR film camera and can use my lenses with the digital SLR. It got good reviews online at: http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/digital-cameras/

 

Have a great time and take some great pics!

[curlymason]

Before you run out a buy duty free in the islands, be sure the warranty will be honored in the US. Many companies have US divisions that may or may not honor warranties of products brought in from outside the country even though it is their product. For instance, Nikon USA may not honor the warranty on a genuine Nikon product brought in from Asia or Europe. They will be happy to repair it for you, just not under warranty. Something to think about and ask before you buy. (As if they'd give you a straight answer anyway)

 

EXCELLENT ADVICE! Before you purchase it, ask to see the warranty card that will come with the equipment. If it says USA Warranty on the bottom, you should be fine. If it says International Warranty - don't buy it! It won't cover you in the USA even though it says international. These are called Grey Market cameras.

 

I'm a professional photographer, so we always bring a lot of equipment with us (it has it's own rolling case!). We use Canon digital SLR's - 30D's mainly along with a full range of lenses. We also have two Fuji 3500 series point and shoot's. I can't recommend Fuji PNS's enough - they have great photo quality capabilities. Some of the new Fuji's also have eliminated the shutter lag time. Of course, Canon is always a good way to go as well! It really all depends on what you want the camera to do and what your budget is. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions about specific cameras or photo questions - curlymason@hotmail.com ! I'm always happy to help! Oh, and if you would like to see some of our work (we specialize in wedding photography) check it out! I'm going to be adding a gallery of our travel photography eventually! http://www.khmasonphotography.com

[SeaSiq]

Or get it HERE for $779, which also includes a $100 case.

 

Lisichka,

 

The camera that you linked to at Newegg is not the HV20, it is the older HV10. They both use the same sensor, but the HV10 is in a pistol grip format, has fewer bells and whistles and reportedly somewhat poorer picture quality. That is why I spent the extra money for the HV20.

 

So far the video and the still picture quality really lives up to what I have read in other peoples reviews on many sites. I have a choice of 4 DSLRs, two film SLRs, 3 fixed lens maxi telephoto digital cameras and 1 rangefinder digital, but felt that the ability to capture eagles, whales and other wildlife in both still and video with the same camera was a real advantage in Alaska.

[beach girl66]

I highly recommend the Sony DSC-H5 it has the stabilization that eleminates the blur you can get from just slight movement when holding it, It has a burst mode that allows you to shoot a sequence of shoots within in 5 sec's, it has 12 optical zoom which I find to be fantastic, it is 7.2 megapixels and takes 35mm quality pictures. The memory card 1gb takes approximately 500 pictures, I got the camera for Christmas after multiple hints :D It was 350.00 on sale and retailed at 500.00 . I had a sony cybershot 3.1 camera that was 5 yrs old and still took great pictures, but I wanted a higher megapixels for more clarity. Happy hunting.

[texancruzer]

We have always had Kodaks too.... but last fall I bought the new Olympus Stylus 720 SW.......

 

it is amazing !! Very small silver camera with 7.1 megapixels AND YOU CAN TAKE IT UNDERWATER TO 10 FEET !!!

 

Has 25 settings from candlelight to underwater macro to video......

 

Took it on Legend cruise - went with me everywhere (snorkeling, cave tubing etc...) have a lanyard that cinches up around my neck and then I tuck it in the front of my swimsuit (;) ) and it goes everywhere !!

 

Takes amazing pics too...... check it out before you make any decision...... paid @400.00 including extra memory card.

 

Now hubby has one too.....

[Desert Cruizers]

Canon. Any of the digital Elphs (SD550, SD700, etc) are wonderful because they are so small and easy to carry. Plus you can buy special buy cases for them that allow you to shoot pictures underwater (see HERE). Just last week they had the SD800 IS for around $180. Just keep your eyes open. Make sure it has an image stabilizer (one of the most important things in my opinion). Amount of pix is over-rated. You do not need anything over 4 or 5 pix unless you plan to print HUGE poster size pictures. A decent optical zoom is nice, but remember that the larger the optical zoom, the bigger the camera is going to be. Digital zoom is worthless, do not even pay attention to that. If you want a really nice digital camera get a Canon S3. Awesome camera!! One more thing: you can get cameras really cheap here in the U.S. as well (I got my S3 when it first came out for $190 when instore they were close to $600). No need to wait for the islands. Just keep your eyes open, price match and use coupons.

 

For memory cards, you should be able to find a 4GB one for no more than $20.

For our last Cruise April 06 and I am new to Digitals but settled with the Canon A520, 5 MPCanon Zoom 4 X 5.8 -23.2 mm have no diea what that means <g> Anyway, I love the results. Also take my Nikki Sure shot. For our Hawaii Cruise thinking of taking also the Sony 560X Handycam.

[phopte]

I use a Nikon D50 with a Tamarron 18-200 zoom and love it! My daughter has a Nikon CoolPix something or other and gets some good shots as well. I think most any of the cameras mentioned here will do fine. I personally like a camera with a view finder and not an LCD. The LCD is great for checking your shot after but most of the time, I find that I can hold the camera much steadier with a view finder up to my face instead of holding the camera out and looking at the LCD. Since I like to take a lot of non-flash pictures, the steadier the better.

 

The most important thing is to learn how to use it! As an example, often you can get a better shot (IMHO) by turning of the automatic flash. In some places, you cannot use a flash and can get in big trouble if you do. When we toured Kennedy Space Center a couple of years ago, we were in the Space Station Assembly area. We were told we could take pictures but not use the flash because it would set the fire alarm off! :eek: Some museums will let you take non-flash photography as well. Using a flash in areas such as these will get you in big trouble, not just glared at.

[kathyemma]

I always take my camera to the beach and I am so paranoid about sand and water - it would be great to have one that can handle it. I wish it had a better zoom though. Does anyone know of a waterproof with a better zoom? I am actually going to the camera store tonight to play with a few of them.

 

Kathy

[BecciBoo]

What kind of camera's do you bring with you when you cruise? I am in the market for a new digital. What do you mainly take pics of? Just curious.

 

Last summer we purchased the Olympus Stylus 720SW Shock and water resistant camera. And we absolutely love it. User friendly, every mode explained on screen as you pick it and its waterproof to 10' underwater. Consequently, we have taken great snorkeling pictures and stills on board as well. Try it at your local camera/Best Buy. You will not be disappointed in this camera it rocks.

 

This was 10' under on a reef in Bonaire. An excellent photo by our Stylus.

[1alexcartermom]

The zoom on the waterproof Olympus 770SW is only 3x optical, but seemed to be adequate. If you want to see the full zoom, here is a pic I took in St. Thomas with no zoom - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070412&ctime=151818

 

here is the exact same shot, 15 seconds later with full zoom - http://www.dropshots.com/day.php?userid=115983&cdate=20070412&ctime=151833

[BecciBoo]

Ours is the 720SW but the 770SW maybe newer.

 

You just can't go wrong with these cameras. Sand and water...no problem. You can take movies too. And the size of a credit card almost. I can't say enough about it. And you don't have to mess with any of those extra parts.

 

The zoom can do macro photos on things as small as a dime. Plenty of zoom capability and its. 7.1 megapixals....sometimes TOO much. More than that would be overkill. Just pop it in your pocket and take it anywhere. Ours with case and tax came to about $450 online.:D

[BecciBoo]

This little fish was only 2 inches long but you're probably not getting the picture hugh?

[kathyemma]

Those pictures are wonderful! When you print out 4x6 or 5x8's are the pictures clear?

 

Thanks!

[futaba951]

I have an Olympus SP-500 UZ that is OK for what it is. An inexpensive P&S. We use it on the job everyday. What I am most impressed about this camera is that it has been dropped more times than I can count and has battle scars that would take your breath away, but it keeps on ticking. One time it fell off the tool box on our truck and hit the pavement and I thought it was a goner that time as it started taking pure white pix with yellow streaks after that, but turns out it just jarred the memory card out of place and after I took it out and put it back in it has been fine ever since. Actually, it has been dropped and fallen out of the truck at least 4 times since then and is still kicking. This poor little camera takes between 250-300 shots a day, 5-6 days a week and we've had it well over a year. You probably won't go wrong with any Olympus product. I've also got a Nikon D200 that I won't use on the job and it's a great camera. I've always been partial to Nikon since I had an F2 back in high school back in the day. But having grown up in Japan and most of the major camera makers are Japanese companies an argument can be made for most any brand out there. I actually attended the Art Institute of Philadelphia for a short time, majoring in commercial photography, but I left to go to work for my cousin in the movie industry. I wish I had those couple of years to do over again. I would have made a killer paparazzi. :D

[polodad]

I had a Minolta Maxxum 7000 film camera for 20 years and made the switch about 1 1/2 yrs ago to the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D digital SLR. I use an 18-70 wide angle lens and 70-300 zoom. Usually on cruises I just use the digital slr for shooting from the ship and honey & I have compact digitals we can use at dinner and for carrying on land. Next cruise is NEXT week. woo hoo.

[robtulipe]

I had a Minolta Maxxum 7000 film camera for 20 years and made the switch about 1 1/2 yrs ago to the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D digital SLR. I use an 18-70 wide angle lens and 70-300 zoom. Usually on cruises I just use the digital slr for shooting from the ship and honey & I have compact digitals we can use at dinner and for carrying on land. Next cruise is NEXT week. woo hoo.

Sony has taken over the Konica Minolta camera line so their Alpha 100 is their latest SLR product and can use accessories (lenses, flash, etc.) from the previous autofocus Maxxum line. What sold me on this camera was the image stabilization system, it dust removal system for the CCD (photo recording cell) and its performance when it was demonstrated to me in the store.

[Lisichka]

Lisichka,

 

The camera that you linked to at Newegg is not the HV20, it is the older HV10. They both use the same sensor, but the HV10 is in a pistol grip format, has fewer bells and whistles and reportedly somewhat poorer picture quality. That is why I spent the extra money for the HV20.

 

.

 

Well, there you go. Lesson 101: do not post when you first wake up, or you make silly mistakes. :p

 

Sorry about that. :o