Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game New Digital Camera?

Well it's time I get with the times and upgrade to a digital camera. I know there is a photography forum but since I am a guide and the camera will mainly be used to take trophy photos I hope it's OK here. From what I've read in Eastman's Journal, for magazine quality, you need at least 4 megapixels. I have been looking at a couple of 5Mp cameras, a Kodak easyshare and a Pentax Optio 50.

So here are my questions . Which is a good camera for the intended purpose? Are there any features that are important for a hunting camera? Are there advantages to the EasyShare Printer Dock or would I be better of without one? Any advice or suggestions are exteremly welcome!
Thanks Jared

Canon is ahead of everyone else in the digital photo world. They were the first to get it right and everyone else compares themselves to Canon, and for a reason. The point and shoot versions with 5mp or more are all acceptable for your needs, though the SLR versions are MUCH better for many reasons.
art

The D70 is the mark everyone else aims for (Canon).......<grin>

For a Meat and Tater/rough duty camera,I think the Canon PowerShot series is damned tough to whoop up on.

Were I starting over,I'd do the 7Mp Thing within that series.......................

Powershots rock, Plain and simple. Easy to use durable and great photos. I would strongly suggest buying an "otter box" for it as well. That waterproof, nearly "black box" container has saved mine countless times.

I currently have the S1IS It's about everything I want in a simple to use camera.

It depends on whether you want a pocket camera or a 34mm-quality camera. You can only take pictures so good with a small lense. Canon makes a good pocket camera for about $350 on the street.

Olympus makes a good in between camera for about $225.00 on the street.

Nikon makes a professional camera for about $1,000.

They Olympus Stylus series are water resistant. I use them for work and hunting and couldn't be happier with their quality and ease of use. I've used other brands (Canon elphs, Kodaks, etc.) and I prefer Olympus for cameras that fit in our pocket. If you want a big one with a 10X optical zoom, try the Panasonics.

I upgraded my digital camera a couple of months ago. I decided to try the Casio EX-Z750. It takes excellent pictures, it's more compact than an Olympus, and thinner than anything else, which makes it nice to put in a pocket. The entire camera weighs ~4 ounces. The best part is, it records sweet videos with good sound, which might be a good feature for your clients. You can email them pix+video. Another good feature is long battery life. Long enough, that I wouldn't need to take any extra batteries for ~12+ day trip.

I have used the Olympus All Weather ones as well, which work great. However, I liked all the added features and benefits of weight and long battery life of the Casio.

The price should be around $360 - $400.

Thanks Guys! The camera will live in a pack, so a small tough package is what I'm hunting. I like hard copies of pics so should I be looking at a printer specifically for photos?
Again, Many thanks!
Jared

Jared,

I'm in the same boat as you in that I am looking for a small versatile digital zoom camera for hunting.

I have a Nikon Coolpix 3700 which is small and neat, but very limited with just a x3 optical zoom.

After seeing JJ's Canon S1 in action on a recent hunting trip, I have just ordered one and here�s why:

On most trophy pics, I prefer the results when the picture is taken from a low perspective...The S1 has a fold out LCD screen that can be titled upwards making the whole process far easier as you can now view the scene looking down from above instead of having to get down in the mud behind the camera. When you're finished, the screen can be folded away so the LCD surface is inwards and therefore protected..

Canon does an IR key fob style remote for the S1 for about $25 which makes being in the picture a whole lot easier than using the 10 second self timer. The later Canon S2 lost this handy feature otherwise I would have bought that instead.

The S1 takes 4 AA batteries, which can be bought just about anywhere. I am going to get some high capacity rechargeables with a charging unit, which runs either from mains electric, or the 12V outlet from your vehicle. Most digital cameras that use specialist batteries don't come with a charger that is 12V compatible.

The S1 can be fitted with a couple of additional lens one of which is a 1.6 tele converter...This means you have about a 500m lens capability in 35mm terms..Great for wildlife work...

The only practical downside I see to this camera for our use is that it is "only" a 3.2mega pixel and I would have preferred more.

Having said that, my current Nikon is the same and produces perfectly good results at 8"x6" and the experts tell me you can do enlargements up to about 11" x 8" with no problems. In fact, I think JJ said he has had a few 3.2 Mega pixel pictures published as half page photos in some hunting magazines.

Finally, the S1 has been replaced by the S2, so its possible to pick one up at bargain prices right now if you search the net.

As an after thought, another product I bought after it was recommend by JJ which will help with any small digital camera, is the Ultrapod 2 shown below...This is a compact "table top" tripod of a very simple design. It 's very light (4oz) and small so is easy to carry but adds great flexibility to your camera set up...It comes with a velcro strap so it can be fixed to a pack frame, branch or fence post...




I was a little skeptical at first, but this little tripod really does work well in the field when a larger tripod is too much hassle to carry..


Regards,

Pete

I have had an Olympus mju-410 (4MP) all weather as my compact hunting camera. With a 256MB card it's brilliant.

If I was to upgrade the 410, the mju-800 (8MP) with a 512MB card would be my choice for the same roll.

NMP

I have the Kodak 3.8 and am VERY happy with it. Small, compact, takes mucho grande pictures, and easy to use.

WN

Put me down as another Canon PowerShot fan. They are small, they work, and they are relatively tough. I'm hard on stuff and my Canon camera has held up better than my Leupold scopes and Remington rifles over the same period of time, if that tells you anything.

Gentlemen and Ladies. On our last hunt in the Bob our digital cameras froze. The only camera that worked was a pentex, slr, manual, which is quite old. Which digital works under cold weather conditions.?

The problem getting the digital cameras to work in extreme cold (15* and less) is not really the camera it is the battery. the reason that your Pentax SLR worked, I am guessing a K1000, is because it is a mechanical camera. The new digitals need the juice from the battery. The LCD screen may not activate in extreme cold either. The best thing to do is keep either the camera or the battery inside your coat to keep it warm.

Doug,
Thank you for the info

Consumer Reports had one or 2 issues ago a complete and thorough assessment of the digital cameras on the NA market.
Go to your library and check it out.

Another vote for the Canon S1IS.Great camera,takes excellent crisp pics from ants @ 3" to parachutist @ .5 mile.Also not too big to pack on a backpack trip.RB

Thanks Again for all the replies!!
Jared

For hunting and fishing....Pentax Optio WP (waterproof.)

I love mine.

Mark