Home Forums Gear Photography camera for hunting...ideas

I was going to put this in the Optics section but thought I'd try here first as this may get more response.

I am looking for a small digital camera...one that slips into my pocket easily. We have the large digital 35mm camera but it is bulky to bring hunting and even on vacation. Sometimes a small camera will do the deeds without having to carry bulk around.

Who has these small cameras that slip easily into a pocket while out and about or while hunting? What models of these small cameras are good ones to look at? I would want a small camera that is digital and can move pictures to computer etc.

Thanks for the ideas!

I would call Joel up at Camera Land and he can talk over a wide selection of cameras with options depending on your budget and such. Make sure you let him know you are a member of the forum for the best pricing possible as well. He can talk over the idea of weatherproof or not and long zooms vs. short telephotos.

I have decided that unless you're going to take the plunge and get something along the lines of a Canon G15 you are best off buying a "waterproof/shockproof" model. Every point and shoot I have carried backpacking/hunting/fishing has proven to be a fragile POS.

I found a Nikon S30 for $99.00 and it took these:




Has not been treated well and keeps truckin'.


Travis

As much as I love cameras, my Iphone 4S has replaced my point and shoots. It's small, light, and always with me anyway. The Canon G series are nice, and they have many interesting features (as do the Nikon equivalents, P7700; P7800) but if all you want is hunting pictures to print out up to 5x7" and post to websites and email, then all you really need is a decent camera phone. I say this as a guy who owns a dozen film and digital cameras.

Only a dozen cameras Oregon45? I think my office could double as a camera warehouse! I do agree that having a camera phone is good but I can't tell you how many times I did a shot with the phone and then thought about the advantages of having better lenses on a Point and Shoot. I have been eying the new Sony RX-100ii, but it is on the high end. One option Sony makes that is really nice is the RX-50, good quality glass, great zoom, reasonably priced, lower then the G series from Canon. Joel has them all!

I personally think camera phones suck.



Travis

valad,
I'm kinda in your boat. I'm looking for the ideal camera to drop in the hunting pack. I'll share what I've gone through, and how they did, and then I'll sit back and watch the suggestions come in with the hope that someone will point me to my next perfect camera.

First my uses;
1) I want to be able to share the scenery where I hunt. I think that hunting gets us into some of the coolest places with the most beautiful scenery that non-hunters will never see.
2) I want to document the successful hunt. Animal on the ground.
3) If possible I'd like to be able to get photo's/video of the animals in the field (those that I'm not planning on shooting, or those that my partner is lining up on).

I've reasoned that I need:
a) Better than decent glass (baggage from my other playing with camera's makes me a little more picky).
b) Excellent high ISO performance. Much of what we do is done in the early morning or evenings when lighting is terrible.
c) Decent zoom. I'd like to be able to shoot/video from a little bit of distance.
d) Compact size. It's quicker and I'm more apt to pull out a camera from my pocket than from my pack if I'm watching an animal.
e) Durability. I don't my field gear (but I'm not as hard on my stuff as deflave...dented, but none broken)

What I've used over the years.
I'll skip the film stuff, even though I think 35mm film was actually easier to get great shots with even with humble equipment.

The first digital camera I dropped in my pack was a Canon SD400. Very small. Good sharp images in good light. Terrible high ISO and terrible video. It fulfilled 1 & 2 and a & d. Used it for a long time.



I think I played with a Kodak playsport next. Good for 2 and d &e. Not very good IQ. Gave it to my kids to use.


Sony HX-20V. 2 & 3, c and d. 20x Optical zoom. I've got some great images and great video out of this camera. But under some conditions, it applies some funky denoising that actually degrades the image when you pixel peek.

Using the in-camera panorama feature


Zoomed in at 20x;


when you crop down and look at what's under the tree, look at what the processing does to the detail...the infamous watercolor effect.




Canon D20. Underwater waterproof. Only passable images in good light. Passable video in good light. Poor high ISO performance. Electronic zoom only.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/BlingRat/IMG_0050_zps5cd97ea0.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/BlingRat/IMG_0265_zps13b5c8e1.jpg[/img]

I'm toying with the idea of biting the bullet and going a little bigger which opens the door to the Super-Zooms, or a Mirrorless...but I keep hoping for the perfect pocket camera.

Valad,
Chris pointed out to me(thanks again Chris) I had mistakenly pu RX-50, it should be the HX50V. Nice shots Chris!

Thanks CLTPA,
With those shots was a hope was to show the limitations (bad grain in low light, slow shutter/motion blur, soft images, poor detail in shadows) you need to be aware of with pocket cameras.

thanks for all of the replies. I am now looking for shockproof and water proof camera that is basically a 'point and shoot' camera. with deflave's suggestion I went to Best Buy to look at their Nikon S30 and they had none in stock nor did their other stores.

So I checked two WalMarts and they are out too. I suspect that this Nikon S30 was their "end of year blowout" to make rom for new coming-out cameras.

I think I am going to go with a better rugged camera because I do not want a POS as deflave mention they do not last.

Still on the lookout for one. Yeah I know I will probably give up some quality pictures especially near the end of beginning of the day but I basically want this camera for use during the day.

Get one on line... Rakuten

They also have some refurbs for $50.

Some do, but some smartphones have a very nice camera built in. For example the iPhone 5-series, and some of the Android ones.

But for the OP I would recommend one the Nikon point-N-Shoot talked about by others, or one of the Canon compact cameras.

Best bet for the tough cameras are the Olympus Tough series. We do have the Nikon S31, the new model but it's like comparing This years NY Giants to the Broncos. The Olympus is far and away a better product.
Give me a call at the store and I can go over the features for you

I bought a used Canon S95 point and shoot and it takes great pics for the money. You could probably pick one up under $200.

Eric










It also takes decent macro shots:

I rented a Canon d20 this weekend. It's a water and shock proof version of their Elph series. It's easy to use. I also rented a Canon G16 and it's a bit bigger point and shoot. It has a lot of advanced photos. The files from it were very nice.

The last two shots in my earlier post are from a D20. Yes, it's truly a point and shoot, but the IQ was very mediocre. No optical zoom.

New to Forums, but not to photography.

May be kind of a late reply, but I was in the same quandary when my Panasonic DMC camera died. It had a Leica lens and 10:1 zoom. Great camera. However, I decided I wanted a really rugged waterproof relacement. If i go out for serious shooting I take my Nikon DSLs. After much research and agonizing, I settled on the Nikon AW110. This new version does HDR, excellent video, and really good pictures for such a small lens. And I don't have to worry about water or any other harsh elements.

Don't know how much you want to spend, but I have had a Nikon AW 100 for a couple of years now, and virtually all of the photos that I post on the Campfire these days are taken with that camera. It's waterproof and shock proof and it fits easily in a shirt pocket.

I've enjoyed my Canon Power Shot SD 1000 a lot. It's pocket size, pretty tough and has nice features. Takes great photos.

For deer hunting from a box stand, I'm looking at a Canon SX 50, which is much larger but has a great 50X zoom.

Two different cameras for two different uses.

DF

today most cameras will do the job if you do your part. these were shot with Kodak cameras that I bought because they are easy for me to use even in less than ideal lighting and conditions.