Firstly, thank you for making this forum possible; right now I'm considering a sub-SLR camera & tripod (vs. a basic DSLR, but don't like the extra weight inconvenience w. travel).

Have been very happy with my Canon S1 IS but it was stolen recently. Canon might have a new model (S4?) coming out, but I'm unsure if it is available here in the next few weeks.

Given the smaller, lighter package of these 10+ zoom lens cameras, how much quality am I missing out on, compared to basic DSLR cameras, given I'd only use the standard lens?

Aside from the choice of camera, what else should I bring to get some great travel photos? I like the idea of the GorillaPod, but are there other, better options?

Photography will be a mix of scenic shots from hikes and rafting, scenic lookouts and wherever else I should take photos, from our accommodations and tours all around BI, Kauai and Oahu, including night shots of the volcanic activity, if these photos are any good.
Not forgetting some great HNL Do pics and a few photos for trip reports.

Is there a thread buried somewhere on making the most of camera and tripod, with smaller 'wannabe' almost-DSLR cameras? :D

Finally, I have been offered a camera as a 'gift' from Dubai, if this is cost effective. Any comments?

Please move/delete/comment on this post if it does not belong here. My understanding is that this new sub-forum can encompass 'talk' about everything that goes into creating travel photography. Thank you, Mahalo!

It really all depends on how creative you want to get. As I understand it, the sensors on the DSLRs are physically bigger, giving you more picture for the same number of pixels. (I really don't understand it, but everyone tells me bigger is really better.)

I have a canon EOS 1Ds Mark 11 (the one with the full size sensor). It is heavy and the lenses are heavy. It is a bear to drag around. I take it when I travel because I love to take good travel pictures.

I also have a canon G4. Both take great pictures. I can get much closer with the dslr and my 400 lens. The pictures are sharper; I can crop till the cows come home and still have a great 13 x 19.

I use filters with the dslr. There are filters for the G4 and add on lenses; I just haven't gotten them.

It is much easier to play with apertures and filters with the dslr.

I hate tripods, but they are almost essential with the Mark II.

It really depends on how much photography becomes a hobby for you.

Firstly, thank you for making this forum possible; right now I'm considering a sub-SLR camera & tripod (vs. a basic DSLR, but don't like the extra weight inconvenience w. travel).

Have been very happy with my Canon S1 IS but it was stolen recently. Canon might have a new model (S4?) coming out, but I'm unsure if it is available here in the next few weeks.

Given the smaller, lighter package of these 10+ zoom lens cameras, how much quality am I missing out on, compared to basic DSLR cameras, given I'd only use the standard lens?

Aside from the choice of camera, what else should I bring to get some great travel photos? I like the idea of the GorillaPod, but are there other, better options?

Photography will be a mix of scenic shots from hikes and rafting, scenic lookouts and wherever else I should take photos, from our accommodations and tours all around BI, Kauai and Oahu, including night shots of the volcanic activity, if these photos are any good.
Not forgetting some great HNL Do pics and a few photos for trip reports.

Is there a thread buried somewhere on making the most of camera and tripod, with smaller 'wannabe' almost-DSLR cameras? :D

Finally, I have been offered a camera as a 'gift' from Dubai, if this is cost effective. Any comments?

Please move/delete/comment on this post if it does not belong here. My understanding is that this new sub-forum can encompass 'talk' about everything that goes into creating travel photography. Thank you, Mahalo!

One of the biggest shortcomings of the average point and shoot camera is that it can't get very wide-angle. In 35mm film terms, your average P&S doesn't get any wider than 28-35mm. The kit lenses that come with the Nikon DSLRs (and Canon, I think) are equivalent to 27mm at the wide end. However, you can get a lens which is the equivalent of 15-30mm. That's really wide. Personally, about 90% of my shooting is done from 27-75mm. My lens is the equivalent of 27-300mm.

(I keep talking about "equivalents" because most digicams have different sized sensors. So, to make fair comparisons, I'm talking about what it would look like on a 35mm film camera. For most non-pro DSLRs, you take the focal length on the lens and multiply by 1.5.)

To address your tripod thoughts, a Gorillapod is handy in certain applications. There's no substitute for a good solid real tripod though. If you don't have something around to wrap the Gorillapod on, you'll be shooting on your stomach. I have Giottos MT9160 legs ($150) and a Manfrotto 468MG ballhead ($300). You don't need to spend that much, though - look at either Benro or Giottos products - you can probably find a decent head/legs combo for under $150. Any tripod you see at BestBuy isn't worth it.

Night shots at the volcano - depends on the lava flow. I was there in Feb 2006, and the lava flow was pretty low at that point - even at night, it was so dim it took a ~5 second exposure, so it just looked like an orange blob. I did get an OK shot of the smoke plume during the day.

It really all depends on how creative you want to get. As I understand it, the sensors on the DSLRs are physically bigger, giving you more picture for the same number of pixels. (I really don't understand it, but everyone tells me bigger is really better.)

I have a canon EOS 1Ds Mark 11 (the one with the full size sensor). It is heavy and the lenses are heavy. It is a bear to drag around. I take it when I travel because I love to take good travel pictures.



Ah, a 1D shooter - hardcore. :) The larger sensors basically means that you get less noise. Say you've got a 6-megapixel sensor in your little P&S. That sensor is probably 8mm in it's long dimension. My D70s's sensor is 24mm in its longest dimension. That means each pixel is 3x larger in each dimension, which means it has 9x the light gathering area of the P&S. Your 1D has about 20x the light gathering area, hence much better sensitivity when it's dark.

Please move/delete/comment on this post if it does not belong here. My understanding is that this new sub-forum can encompass 'talk' about everything that goes into creating travel photography. Thank you, Mahalo!I can't help you with your photography question, but you are DEFINITELY in the right place to ask it. Thanks for posting! :)

Thank you Manecca, Ben and PTravel, for your feedback.
A good thing about this forum is that it isn't segregated into 'point & shoot' & 'DSLR purist' sections ;), or canonTalk, NikonTalk etc, like other camera forums :D.

I think a DSLR is overkill in cost/weight terms for scenic holiday photos, IF I can get a decent prosumer/wannabe almost-DSLR, like an updated Canon S~ IS series (or Leica/Panasonic/Nikon/Olympus/Sony/Fuji/whatever) that does as well as a smaller unit can do, with a 10/12/15/18x zoom and as big a sensor as possible.

It seems Canon isn't releasing a S~ series yet and Olympus has scared a few people with its new 18x zoom model.
Maybe I should just look for a Canon S2/S3 on eBay - but if you can recommend something better, like the Pana/Leica or whatever, let me know - especially if it has a larger sensor, so that it improves on the performance of these mid-range P&S models.

Any other advice on photography in Hawaii is most appreciated.
As some say in Australia - TA!

One of the biggest shortcomings of the average point and shoot camera is that it can't get very wide-angle. In 35mm film terms, your average P&S doesn't get any wider than 28-35mm. The kit lenses that come with the Nikon DSLRs (and Canon, I think) are equivalent to 27mm at the wide end. However, you can get a lens which is the equivalent of 15-30mm. That's really wide. Personally, about 90% of my shooting is done from 27-75mm. My lens is the equivalent of 27-300mm.It's the rare p&s that goes wider than 35mm. I just ordered a 0.75x wide-angle converter for my Canon G7, which will turn it into a 26-157, at the cost of a lot of weight and size (compared to a p&s, not a DSLR). I don't see any other good alternative for current p&s's if you want manual controls and reasonable image quality.

Any other advice on photography in Hawaii is most appreciated.


You might want to check out the individual newsletters on Hawaii at www.photographamerica.com I haven't used the ones on HI (yet--i will soon), but others I've tried have been extremely useful/helpful with practical advice. Pricey, but worth it. You can get an idea of what a newsletter is like by downloading a free sample.

Have been very happy with my Canon S1 IS but it was stolen recently. Canon might have a new model (S4?) coming out, but I'm unsure if it is available here in the next few weeks.

Given the smaller, lighter package of these 10+ zoom lens cameras, how much quality am I missing out on, compared to basic DSLR cameras, given I'd only use the standard lens?

I think Canon is supposed to be releasing a S5 IS soon (I heard they will skip the number 4), but I don't think it will be a big jump forward from the S3 IS. A couple more MPs and slightly larger LCD is what I heard. You might find the S3 IS on sale for a very good price and it has a strong feature set. I tried one out for awhile and thought it was a very good camera. Very good for shooting video, also, if you like to do that. I found it very hard to get used to the electronic viewfinder, though, especially when trying to follow something in motion, but I am a bit biased that way. :)

You can certainly take great photos with the S3 IS and similar cameras, though. And it still allows you quite a lot of control over settings.

You might want to check out the individual newsletters on Hawaii at www.photographamerica.com I haven't used the ones on HI (yet--i will soon), but others I've tried have been extremely useful/helpful with practical advice. Pricey, but worth it. You can get an idea of what a newsletter is like by downloading a free sample.

Doesn't help the OP, but the books you can win this time around on the FT Photo Contest (shameless plug, I know :D ) are great if you're going to be in the southwest (CO, UT, AZ, NM).

Update: thank you for your feedback to date, especially manecca and Ben for your info sensors and lenses and what it means.

Today I visited a major Aussie discount retailer (Harvey Norman) old model clearance, just to see if there were good pickings.

Aside from some small savings on Canon S3 (not much saving/almost superseded now?) and an equivalent Panasonic and Fuji, I looked at these 'bridge' models and this discounted DSLR:

Olympus E300 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympuse300/page29.asp) (2yr old?) 8MP DSLR
Fuji S9500 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms9000/page15.asp) & S6500 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms6000fd/page14.asp) bridge cameras.

Note the Oly E300 and Fuji S9500 are a couple of years old, new-old stock, offered for AUD$599.
I think I'm able to get them ex-GST (10% less) as we are to buy as a 'duty-free' purchase, so this converts to USD$497/$447 ex-GST. The Fuji S6500 is offered forAUD$549 (8% less).

The DSLR is pretty small and light, compared to the Canon equivalent, which is a couple hundred more, which is more than I need to pay.

Considering the DSLR has a 28mm lens, does this make it a better bet than a bridge camera or a Canon S3, for scenic HI photos?.

Is the included lens sufficient for my basic scenic photography needs, or is it worth ordering another from the retailer or a US retailer or local eBay?

A monopod? I'm trying to keep it all as compact, light, portable and simple as possible.

Mahalo, ta and cheers! ^

S6500 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms6000fd/page14.asp) bridge cameras.

A monopod? I'm trying to keep it all as compact, light, portable and simple as possible.

Mahalo, ta and cheers! ^

I have a monopod. I like it because it is not as difficult to set up as the tripod. Of course, it isn't as stable either and I haven't figured out how to pan with it. I couldn't do a long exposure off it, but it gives better stability than handheld for fairly fast shutters and good light. I'm taking it to Italy iin a week. I suppose it could come in handy as a weapon to beat off purse snatchers, too. :D I know I should use the tripod more but it's such a pain.

FYI I'm keeping an eye on later Oly cameras with the 4/3 lens system, such as the E500 (on eBay - most are being sold with 2 lenses - maybe for about the same cost as a 'new' old stock E300, if nobody bids it up). This one still has the Kodak (!) sensor instead of the newer one in the 510/3390 etc with 'live-view'.

The Fuji 6500 still looks pretty good too, as a bridge camera. But the relatively light, compact Oly 300 & 500 DSLRs are tempting!

Scenic photo wise, anywhere I would say. Anywhere where you think the shot is nice. I like landscapes, usually on top of hills or mountains at a lake or forest. Scenic could also be a city, like city life.
Tripod I really like the Manfrotto 785shb. Holds my camera well and its small. fits in my carry on without an issue. I can take it up a ski lift in my backpack, and it assembles quickly. Feels sturdy also. Plus with the quick release and bubble level, its all the better. And its cheap. Think I paid about $60 or something for it.

Thank you Manecca, Ben and PTravel, for your feedback.
A good thing about this forum is that it isn't segregated into 'point & shoot' & 'DSLR purist' sections ;), or canonTalk, NikonTalk etc, like other camera forums :D.

I think a DSLR is overkill in cost/weight terms for scenic holiday photos, IF I can get a decent prosumer/wannabe almost-DSLR, like an updated Canon S~ IS series (or Leica/Panasonic/Nikon/Olympus/Sony/Fuji/whatever) that does as well as a smaller unit can do, with a 10/12/15/18x zoom and as big a sensor as possible.

It seems Canon isn't releasing a S~ series yet and Olympus has scared a few people with its new 18x zoom model.
Maybe I should just look for a Canon S2/S3 on eBay - but if you can recommend something better, like the Pana/Leica or whatever, let me know - especially if it has a larger sensor, so that it improves on the performance of these mid-range P&S models.

Any other advice on photography in Hawaii is most appreciated.
As some say in Australia - TA!

I think the compromise between a DSLR and a real small P&S may be something like the Canon G series rather than the S series. I have a DSLR and the above comments about sum up the pluses and minuses of that (mostly weight and space). But I started in digital (after 35mm, medium format (6x6) and large format (4x5) ) with an original G1. It isnt quite as small as an S series but has more manual options and you can add filters and some expansion lenses to get more wide angle or telephoto.

I think the compromise between a DSLR and a real small P&S may be something like the Canon G series rather than the S series. I have a DSLR and the above comments about sum up the pluses and minuses of that (mostly weight and space). But I started in digital (after 35mm, medium format (6x6) and large format (4x5) ) with an original G1. It isnt quite as small as an S series but has more manual options and you can add filters and some expansion lenses to get more wide angle or telephoto.

Thank you Gadgetfreak and Jason - I felt I had to buy something, so in the end bought an Olympus E500 with twin lens kit (unfortunately appears to be a 35-xxx rather than a 28-xxx standard lens). This camera was highly recommended on dpreview.com and with the release of Panasonic"s first DSLR with a great Leica four-thirds lens, it looks like there will be a choice of suitable lenses in future.

While this will give me more options for lenses and manual settings (and savs in RAW, too), I just hope I can learn to use it well enough for the scenic Hawaii landscapes, snow-capped mountains and lava pics at night, with long exposures.

Thank you all for the tips, to start me off.
Once I receive the camera I will likely check back with you.

Mahalo, cheers,
BB

Thank you Gadgetfreak and Jason - I felt I had to buy something, so in the end bought an Olympus E500 with twin lens kit (unfortunately appears to be a 35-xxx rather than a 28-xxx standard lens). This camera was highly recommended on dpreview.com and with the release of Panasonic"s first DSLR with a great Leica four-thirds lens, it looks like there will be a choice of suitable lenses in future.

While this will give me more options for lenses and manual settings (and savs in RAW, too), I just hope I can learn to use it well enough for the scenic Hawaii landscapes, snow-capped mountains and lava pics at night, with long exposures.

Thank you all for the tips, to start me off.
Once I receive the camera I will likely check back with you.

Mahalo, cheers,
BB


Sounds like an interesting camera. Here is a suggestion in regards to a tripod. Depending on where you will be while shooting, you might want to get one of these bean bags in addition to in instead of a tripod. (http://www.adorama.com/TPTP.html?searchinfo=bean%20bag&item_no=3)


I used one to take this with a 100-400mm zoom (although it did have image stabilization.http://farm1.static.flickr.com/131/321216031_d5e9f15a0e.jpg The bean bag was really able to help keep it stable.

Thank you gadgetfreak - it could be very useful!
Is it available widely in camera outlets - or even Costco and other merchants that sell some inexpensive camera gear?

Thank you gadgetfreak - it could be very useful!
Is it available widely in camera outlets - or even Costco and other merchants that sell some inexpensive camera gear?

I think it is probably available in any large camera store. They are made just for this purpose. It maybe isnt clear from the picture on the web page but in has a screw in it that it the same size as a standard tripod screw. So you just screw the bag to your camera (or lens in the case of a 100-400mm) and can carry it around like that. When you want to shoot you just rest/brace the whole unit on something stable (car, fence, whatever).

I think it is probably available in any large camera store. They are made just for this purpose. It maybe isnt clear from the picture on the web page but in has a screw in it that it the same size as a standard tripod screw. So you just screw the bag to your camera (or lens in the case of a 100-400mm) and can carry it around like that. When you want to shoot you just rest/brace the whole unit on something stable (car, fence, whatever).

I am a bit uncertain how you use the pod. Does the camera or lens rest on the pod, or is the pod intended to provide stability by resting on the camera?

I am a bit uncertain how you use the pod. Does the camera or lens rest on the pod, or is the pod intended to provide stability by resting on the camera?

The pod screws into the tripod adaptor hole on the bottom of the camera or lens. The pod then rests on a solid object with the camera on top of it. It is better than trying to rest the camera itself since it adapts to the shape of what you are resting it on which is tough to do with the actual camera bottom since it is inflexible and small. The broader base of the pod, can somewhat wrap around the object you are resting it on so it is more stable. In the picture above I had a 100-400mm lens screwed into the pod and the pod resting on the roll-bar of a Land Rover.

The pod screws into the tripod adaptor hole on the bottom of the camera or lens. The pod then rests on a solid object with the camera on top of it. It is better than trying to rest the camera itself since it adapts to the shape of what you are resting it on which is tough to do with the actual camera bottom since it is inflexible and small. The broader base of the pod, can somewhat wrap around the object you are resting it on so it is more stable. In the picture above I had a 100-400mm lens screwed into the pod and the pod resting on the roll-bar of a Land Rover.

Cool. I suppose if the arrangement is stable enough, a remote shutter release could be used for long exposures.

Any problems getting the pod through TSA screens?

Cool. I suppose if the arrangement is stable enough, a remote shutter release could be used for long exposures.

Any problems getting the pod through TSA screens?

Nope, none at all. Its just a bean bag with a bolt on the top basically. You can even dump the contents and then fill with sand or coffee or something like that at your destination if you have weight restrictions but it isnt very heavy.