Digital cameras for skiing

Tony Crocker

Administrator
Staff member
The Canon 870 is the successor to the 800 that I bought before the Peru/Chile trip last summer. The 800 was Canon's first compact with wide angle. The wide angle and the image stabilizer were my key motivations in the purchase. I formerly used a 2002-vintage S30.

The 870 has 8 megapixels vs. 7 for the 800. I shoot at 5 megapixels in exchange for Canon's feature that extends the telephoto zoom range a bit if you lower the megapixels.

I think Canon made a mistake going to the 3-inch view screen on the 870 vs. the 2.5 inch screen on the 800 while removing the viewfinder. The new screens are brighter, but in snow glare I still prefer the viewfinder.
 
Once upon a time I owned a predecessor to that camera. If you're looking for a pocket model it's an excellent choice -- color saturation is vibrant. Use the snow white balance setting while skiing. I second Tony's call for a viewfinder for bright sunny days on snow.

If you're looking for more creative control but don't want to lug a full-size SLR around, there are some excellent prices on my Canon S3 IS now that it's been replaced first by the S5 IS and now the S10 IS-- it can be had for $250:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... ps-sellers

9300.jpg


If you want the extra MP there are good deals on the S5 IS now, too, starting at $300:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... ps-sellers

Beware, however, that while smaller than a full-on SLR these still aren't pocket-size. For me it's worth the extra size for the image quality. The S5 IS has an impressive 12x optical zoom, and the S10 IS is 20x optical.
 
The S10 IS is the first Canon big zoom that also does 28mm wide angle. I noticed a couple of others like this came out this summer (someone had a new Panasonic on the China trip), so I'm not surprised Canon has one too.
 
This is great input thanks.

That's the problem I have with my wife's cheapo Olympus - no color saturation. I have to say I have NO IDEA how you shoot/frame without a viewfinder while skiing. And this camera will be primarily for skiing. Any other ideas on how to solve? Other cameras?

The money on the fancier one doesn't scare me so much as the fact that the shape is irregular. Not sure how much punishment it will take. Love the idea of a 20x zoom.

My Sony, when turned off, was a rectangle and took a ton of punishment - 5 years - before it died. When it did die the battery died and the lens was extended and the next impact was the end of it.
 
Harvey44":30g3m1pj said:
That's the problem I have with my wife's cheapo Olympus - no color saturation.

I've had pocket models from Olympus, Kodak, Fuji, Canon and Nikon. None had the color saturation of the Canon.

Harvey44":30g3m1pj said:
I have to say I have NO IDEA how you shoot/frame without a viewfinder while skiing. And this camera will be primarily for skiing. Any other ideas on how to solve? Other cameras?

What Tony's talking about is using an optical viewfinder vs using an LCD screen. It's tough to see the LCD screen in a bright, sunny environment on snow, hence using an old-fashioned viewfinder.

Harvey44":30g3m1pj said:
The money on the fancier one doesn't scare me so much as the fact that the shape is irregular. Not sure how much punishment it will take. Love the idea of a 20x zoom.

A lot. In fact, speaking of LCDs I no longer have one on my S3 IS -- I crushed it when I left it on the rear bumper of the truck when I slammed the tailgate shut. I therefore use only the viewfinder. The rest of the camera is fully functional.

Cameras are meant to take pictures, not to be coddled. If you worry about the camera too much you miss out on many great shots. Just like skis, they're only tools -- they can be fixed or replaced.
 
My Sony, when turned off, was a rectangle and took a ton of punishment - 5 years - before it died.
My Canon 800IS is a VERY compact rectangle, and was in its case inside my jacket pocket last April 12. Nonetheless the impact still bent the camera body and required $115 to repair it. If I had admin's big camera setup, I would have broken more than the 3 ribs.
 
Tony Crocker":1nilmawz said:
If I had admin's big camera setup, I would have broken more than the 3 ribs.

Which is why I don't generally ski with it around my neck. I typically ski with a small ski-specific backpack (some old patrol habits die hard, plus there are days when avalanche gear is advisable, even in-bounds). I carry my camera in a small pocket atop the backpack which has a zipper facing my head, such that I can gain access to the camera without removing my pack.
 
I also had an Olympus for many years, mostly for it's water resistance. But I gave it up for the 870 Elph because of the improved color saturation

IMG_1621.jpg
 
In response to Sharon, yes BUT.
My camera 800 Elph is 7 megapixels with 2.5 inch screen and viewfinder
Sharon's 870 Elph is 8 megapixels with 3 inch screen and no viewfinder
We both have the wide angle, 3.8x zoom and image stabilizer in a very compact package.

With the bright glare at places like Mammoth no viewfinder is close to a deal breaker for me. Maybe not so in the East where it's overcast more of the time and there's almost no skiing above timberline.
 
Viewfinder does seem key. In the east. Anywhere. Even on a sunny day, when not skiing, it's key. I'll probably look for one with it even though the price and color of the Canon look great. Other Canons?
 
On the sunniest ski days, with my sunglasses on, I cannot see the screen all that well. I just point in the general direction and hope for hte best, and 99% of the time the photo comes out great.
altasm.jpg
 
Maybe we should rename this thread digicams for skiing or something.

I bought a new camera last year, mainly for skiing. My last camera had no viewfinder, and that IS a dealbreaker for me.

Here is the list of my requirements:

Pocket-sized
Good optical zoom
Optical Viewfinder
Common form-factor batteries (like AA)
Industry-standard memory card.

My previous camera, a Sony, had a proprietary memory stick, proprietary battery and as I noted, no optical viewfinder, so I knew what I didn't want.

I settled on the Canon A720 IS. It's got plenty of pixels (I think 8 MP), 6x optical zoom, if memory serves, and it satisfied the rest of my requirements. I run plain old AA alkaline batteries, which don't have the life or rechargability of some of the more exotic chemistries, but if I really get stuck, I can buy a pair at any ski resort. (I always carry spares so I don't have to resort to that!)

It also has the usual list of software goodies like autofocus and various auto exposure modes - too many to list. I recommend it.

Tom
 

Sharon, that's a beautiful view, but you really need to adjust your white balance to deal with snow. Notice how blue all of the snow looks in that photo. It shouldn't.
 
Pocket-sized
Good optical zoom
Optical Viewfinder
Common form-factor batteries (like AA)
Industry-standard memory card.

I went with a lot more zoom myself (12x) which automatically eliminates pocket-sized from the discussion (for me). Though I have been thinking that when they take the spec's of the 720is & 5-6X zoom to a smaller form factor (say, the much thinner cannon elph size), that I might then pick up a truly small form factor camera (as an additional). I figure if it's already the size of the 720is I might as well go for the even better zoom options. For 'only' 5-6X zoom I want something really tiny. Tough to do optically, I'm sure, but someday soon one of the mfg's will figure it out.

Otherwise, I completely agree with the major items on the above list. Of course good reviews of the pic quality, optics and usability are a must too! I virtually never take a pic using the LCD, always with the viewfinder. I don't think I've ever seen something that takes AA's not be able to use Lithium? I use rechargeable batts as my primary but nearly always have a spare set of lithiums in the camera bag for just-in-case.
 
Harvey,

I can't find any mention of Li-ion in the manual, but I think those are 1.5V, so I don't know why not. The manual won't let me cut and paste, unfortunately, but they specify either Alkaline or NIMH, (Canon brand of course!), or Ni-Cad, although they do state that 'performance is unreliable' with Ni-Cads. I like the cost/performance tradeoff of the Alkalines, and I really like the fact that I don't have to pack a charger, and that I can buy the batteries locally anywhere in the world.

Tom

ps Sharon, GREAT pic, and beautiful day. I'm envious.
 
Admin":21baydml said:

Sharon, that's a beautiful view, but you really need to adjust your white balance to deal with snow. Notice how blue all of the snow looks in that photo. It shouldn't.

That was before I figured out that it had a snow setting. I bought that camera right before that trip and hadn't figured it all out. I didn't even notice the blue though. It looked good to me.
 
I recommend as one of the best small digital camera the Panasonic Lumix series. Panasonic is currently providing all of the bodies for the LEICA digital line, and in turn, Panasonic is using Leica lenses on all of their LUMIX cameras. I bought a LUMIX L1 (their SLR) after looking at the Leica digital SLR, got the same camera as the LEICA Digi-Lux3 for $1000 less. The point and shoot LUMIX line is also great quality and has the LEICA lens. I would recommend the LUMIX DMC line (TZ5K)@$300.


Comment from a camera review website:

"There is a considerable price difference between the D-LUX 3 ($600) and the LX2 ($377) and even more so between the V-LUX 1 ($849) and the FZ50 ($466). So what am I missing besides Leica's red dot and a one year longer warranty when I buy the Panasonic model?"
 
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