Camera alternative to using iPhone 6 on trips
 

Hello!

For all of my travels in the past, for the most part, I've used my iPhone 4, 5, or 6 on trips. I have many upcoming trips out of the country, and would like to get a decent camera that is better than my iPhone's camera. Not looking to spend an outrageous amount, but looking for some insight.

On a side note, I've thought about getting a GoPro, but that falls into another category I think.

Thank you!

I am really not trying to be snarky at all but have you looked through this forum before posting? There are several very informative threads addressing this very question on the first page alone.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...0-vs-s120.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...oting-p-s.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...00s-x100t.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...ggestions.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...important.html

And several others. If you could look through a few and come up with at least SOME idea of what you want and need, it would make helping you a lot easier. At this point, we don't even know if you want a DSLR or Point and Shoot and if you have any interest in furthering your photography or just interested in taking decent pictures with no extra effort. Any of those would be valid choices.

Help us a bit and we may be able to help you.

Thanks, I'll take a look at those. And I am looking for something simple/ a good value, not looking to become a professional photographer overnight but something good for taking quality photos (moreso than what my iPhone currently produces).

I did read threads you posted in previously and saw that the RX100 was very popular - is this a decent point-and-shoot camera? Any other recommendations? Thank you!

It is an excellent PnS. Not cheap but very, very good.

Another very good one is the Ricoh GR.

Thanks! I'll look into those. I don't mind spending the $$ for a quality, simple-to-use camera that'll last me. As long as it's better than my iPhone camera (preferably substantially better if I am paying a lot of $$$) then I won't regret my purchase.

+1 for the RX100. I did the same transition as you from the iphone 6 to this. The difference in photos was massive.

I settled on the first version which can be had for good prices.

Thanks! I think I'll be going with that! Just stuck on which version to get, the RX100 or RX100 ii. Any major differences other than wifi capabilities and the being able to tilt the LCD screen?

I will always suggest you to buy go pro`s. Easy to carry, great pictures, great videos and could support big tours. Best regards to everybody!

Don't underrate your iPhone 6 photos.

The video image stabilization is something else on my Plus, produces really smooth videos.

Though I don't think the video stabilization works for time lapse. Not sure about super slow mo.

I like my iPhone 6 - a lot - and the photo quality is great, but I want something better to remember my major vacations by. That being said, I will still use my iPhone occasionally!

No doubt, I carry DSLR on my trips.

But more and more I'm using iPhone for easy panoramas -- though I could do it with my DSLR and software too.

My DSLR is capable of sharper 1080p videos but handheld, my iPhone produces better more watchable videos.

Same here - love using my iPhone for panoramas. Am leaning towards purchasing the RX100 since my photog skills are not advanced at all. I've been told the RX100 is a really great point and shoot.

Yeah it's well regarded. But I think it's kind of advanced since it has big sensor.

There are several 1-inch high-end point and shoots. Some come with long zooms, some only come with a fixed lens, no zoom.

I see - didn't know that. For a first timer point and shoot, do you have any other recommendations or RX100 would be a good option? Right now, I'm stuck between which model of RX100 to get, the original or ii. The ii has wifi, which original model does not have.

Thanks!

The camera is only as good as the operator...

IS. ISO LIGHTING, ANGLE, SHUTTER SPEED, Depth of Field, lot of thing come into play, the cheapest and most long lasting thing you can do is improve your own skills.

Expensive stove does not make a good cook...

Absolutely agree! What would you recommend? Thx!

Not too familiar with point and shoots but RX100 is rather pricey for a point and shoot, though there are even more pricey models.

If you just wanted to get one with an idea of seeing if you want to ultimately move on to a DSLR or a micro 4/3, you may want to stay under $400, just to see if you like the results better. Then spend more on something better at a later point.

But here's a roundup of the high-end point and shoots:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/665...t&ref=mainmenu

Some of the high-end point and shoots approach $1000. For the same money you can probably find a closeout on an older (last year's model or maybe from 2 years ago) DSLR.

But you may not want a larger, heavier camera.

Thank you so much! Really appreciate the response. Will definitely do some research. Did find the RX100 original model for $500, but still expensive.

One thing you'll find with better cameras is that you'll have to post-process and want something to manage a growing library.

Often, people leave their smart phone pictures on their phones or upload to Facebook, Flickr, whatever.

But with better cameras, you'll want to import the higher-quality files into your computer and the better cameras give you RAW files (you can shoot JPEG too but you should shoot RAW). Then you can get drawn into editing and then getting hard drives to back up your growing collection of photos.

This is really going down the road of bad advice for a non-photographer. The OP does not want to become a "PHOTOGRAPHER," he just wants to take better travel pictures than he currently gets with his phone.

No. A P&S with a 1" sensor is not a good choice for this.

No. A DSLR is not a good choice for this.

No. Shooting Raw and post-processing everything is not a good choice for this and telling the OP he should is not good advice. It might come later but not to start out. Getting a good quality P&S that will take Raw + Jpeg is probably a good idea in case the OP wants to go that way eventually.

Yes. A good quality, non-interchangeable lens, small camera is a good choice for the OP. Several good choices have been offered here, including the excellent RX100. There are others that would serve as well, such as the Ricoh GR and others. Portability, useability, image quality right out of the camera and affordability are all important factors.

OP, you should go into a good store and handle several models. If you can find some of the ones discussed here that would be good. Find what fits your hand and eye and don't let the lure of marketing (Nikon, Canon) suck you away from what will work best for you. The best P&S cameras are not made by the big names.

Find a good camera that you like and that fits your needs and then practice with it to improve your skills. A skilled photographer can take excellent pictures with any camera. An unskilled photographer will not take good pictures with a $3k 5Dmiii and "L" lenses. Just get something you like and get good with it.

Thank you! Will look into it!

Appreciate the response! I am definitely leaning towards the RX100 as I'm sure you know. Just stuck between which model to get at this point, but I will head into the store and try a few out.

I went with the first version as the ability to add a viewfinder, wifi or tilting screen didn't interest me. This combined with the £300 price (including case, tripod, screen protector, extra battery) was a good deal I though and more than half the iii price.

I've used it for my trip to Seattle and this week in Japan and not regretted it. Fits into my back pocket so it doesn't weigh me down when walking around.

You can set it to automatic and it will do everything for you which is what I did to start with and my normal setting, however this week I've been experimenting with user settings and found the results and ease of use just as good.

Thanks for the response! Can't wait to get a look at them to figure out which one to buy!

The RX100 models are all excellent cameras and small, so easy to carry everywhere. So are all of the other higher end compact cameras linked above. If size isn't such an issue, also look at ultra zoom or so called "bridge" cameras such as Canon Powershot SX60 or the prior models. Much larger and heavier, but better zoom length. The image quality won't approach the RX100, but will be better than your phone. These cameras seem complicated, but have good program settings.

As others have suggested, go to a bricks and mortar camera store when it is not busy and spend some time looking and holding cameras. I'd suggest a dedicated camera store as opposed to the camera section of a big box store.

I'm going to the opposite direction of OP...

I have a Canon G12, but for "remembrance" pictures, I'm using more & more my iPhone. I may confess I still have my pictures for New Year holiday at the memory card, and I didn't use the G12 since then...

The G12 pictures are much better than the iPhone's, but at 99% of the time I just want to remember the occasion, not publish or share them. The iPhone camera is good enough for me. ^

Go to Costco, buy one use it, and feel free to take it back...

I-Phone Canon s110, Canon 7D.

BE CAMERA US THE ONE YOU HAVE WITH YOU..

Thanks all! I plan on heading into a store to look at a few different ones before I make a decision. Really appreciate the responses on here!

Regardless, my iPhone 6's camera is still very impressive for a phone!

I can definitely understand your perspective.

I had been a long time fan of the Canon G series, and have been a user of G-12 for about three years. It is an excellent camera with an articulated screen I like. I have taken some wonderful photos using the G-12, but have found it too bulky and and too slow. As an alternative, I have had iPhone taking most of the photos requiring less processing time between each frame or for moments that I find G-12 too troublesome to do the job.

Then, I found Sony RX-100. What a wonderful camera that it provides everything I need between an iPhone and the G-12. Fast camera, great panorama feature, and small enough to fit into pockets and better image quality than the G-12.

Keep us informed on your decision!

Go for the Fuji X100T. It's a great camera and delivers pretty good quality. It's a fixed lens but same for the iPhone so that shouldn't be a big deal.

And for a completely-different take on this-
 

The iPhone is really a pretty decent tool for opportunities useful for its fixed focal length. Generally anything from pretty wide (panorama capability) to normal wide (approximately 35mm focal length equivalent to a film camera). It's actually hard not to get a decent picture from it, if used within its normal range of capabilities (don't try to digitally enlarge, for example, to accomplish a telephoto shot).

So what I'd consider recommending to someone who's used to shooting with an iPhone and wants something that can "do more" would be a "bridge" camera, one of the higher-end superzooms, which can cover a range from 24 to 1200mm. They're not going to excel at low noise low light conditions, but they're relatively simple tools that are going to let the less-experienced photographer "get the shot" he or she is looking for. Such cameras are inexpensive enough that you could upgrade later and sell it and do pretty well.

Such cameras aren't going to satisfy a pixel-peeper (raising my hand high here!) but the simplicity and range might be something to consider. The only thing they'll lack is the small size of a compact camera.

For what it's worth, i take a LOT of photos with my iPhone 6 (because it's convenient and does a great job with both panoramas and close-ups), but always carry my Canon S120 with me for quick & dirty stuff (because it's such a fast camera in real-world use and really easy to hold).

My "real" camera is an entry-level Canon T3i (soon to be upgraded to a T6s) with one of four lenses attached to it-

10-22 Canon EF-S (very inexpensive, very sharp, kinda slow but a good intro to wider-angle photography)
15-85 Canon EF-S (huge upgrade over the standard kit lenses, very sharp across its entire range, 15mm end very useful, 85 often feels not quite long enough)
70-200 F4 L (this is my tack-sharp lens, unfortunately not stabiliized)
150-600 Tamron (bought for a single purpose, Safari in Tanzania, pretty amazing what it can do, too big for day-to-day use).

I don't think it makes sense for most people to go the route of the DSLR with a lens collection like mine; they'll likely be very happy with a camera they don't have to change lenses on, just frame the subject and take the shot. In my case, I might spend some time thinking about different ways to look at something, switch lenses, play around a bit... the convenience of being able to do so with just one lens is significant. Someone who really knows what they're doing can see the opportunities without going to so much trouble. That's not me, that's likely not the OP.

Interested in hearing what others think!

Maybe the OP like the ability to instantly upload pics?

Then he might find a camera with built-in Wifi with presets for uploading to Flickr and other sites to be useful.

Maybe also geotagging to a lesser extent since iPhone pics are geotagged.

Also the easy panoramas and HDR could be features he's gotten used to.

But yeah I wouldn't want to be stuck with a fixed lens.

Thanks for the addtl. replies! It's funny - I just used my iPhone this morning to take a picture of the NYC skyline from NJ - the picture quality was great, and it got me rethinking this whole camera thing! So, my question is, what's your opinion on a GoPro? I'm not trying to change the subject of this thread or change my original interest, but since I use my iPhone for photography currently, would getting a GoPro be a suitable option as opposed to spending the big bucks to get a camera (while I already have a fairly decent easy to use one on my phone already?) Don't take this the wrong way - I've been looking at the GoPro for awhile now, just never thought about getting one, but it could serve me well on a variety of trips when I think about it, and easy to use. Plus, it shoots HD video and wide-angle pics and has wifi capability.

So, I could spend a little less than $400 for a GoPro, or $500 for an RX100. Decisions...

I don't think the quality difference of a GoPro from iPhone would be that great. It still has a fixed focal length camera?

As for videos, will it have image stabilized video like iPhone 6?

If you want to do action photography and get something like water proof cases or put it on a drone, then it may make sense.

But it won't drastically improve the image quality like the RX100 would.

Keep in mind that editing GoPro video output is a significant undertaking; lots of time spent by your computer rendering it, plus whatever editing you want to do. There's also the rolling-shutter issue that causes GoPro output to display a sort of waviness if there's vibration (not movement, but vertical in the vertical plane). Mounted to yourself, a GoPro can do pretty good stuff.

OK, I'll admit it, I also think it's the supreme dorkiness to be using one of those GoPro "sticks" to shoot video of yourself and your surroundings.

And finally, what if you shoot a lot of video and want to keep it? Ohmygosh you're going to fill up huge hard drives quickly!!!

Guess what it comes down to is whether the GoPro, or any other camera, fills a need you have. If you need (or would really like) a GoPro, for whatever reason, maybe you've just always thought it would be cool to have one 'cuz you've seen what other people have done, well then you just gotta go do it. That's a different scenario than a conversation here about what type of camera would be best to document your travels.

Then again, maybe it isn't!

Full disclosure requirement: I own an older GoPro Hero2 and a JVC X2 sports camera. Both are buggy as !@$%!@ and frequently lock up. Both have severe rolling shutter issues when mounted to the handlebar of a road bike. Both have a need for very bright days to get good pictures. And I literally have a couple of terrabytes of video that I'll never get around to doing anything with.
Or this- http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...x60_hs_review/

I have young kids and our vacations involve a cheap waterproof canon point and shoot, a fancy pants DSLR, an iPhone5, AND a go pro. Lot's of work some times (usually not though, I just take the one device that makes sense for the days' activity) but I make a nice 10 minute movie out of each vacation that we can watch over and over with the kids.

One option is to get a waterproof housing for the iPhone with one of the action mounts. They certainly exist though you don't have the same flexible mounting with the footprint of the iPhone.

However, my iPhone 6 Plus does get hot when I was using it heavily for videos, slow-mo, time lapse, panoramas, etc. in a short period of time. There's probably some post-processing going on after capture before it saves the files so the battery draw was pretty significant.

Certainly though smart phones are leading the way with "computational photography."

Thanks all! I definitely have to make a decision - a camera with better quality than my iPhone or a GoPro I've always wanted to capture awesome videos of planes, etc. Will let you all know my decision! :D

I recently went on Safari in Africa and I rented a nice $5000 telephoto lense for my rather basic Nikon DSLR camera for about $150 a week. It was totally worth it. I would seriously suggest renting before purchasing anything of significant value.

As I've been looking at cameras with a similar wish-list to yours, I thought I'd share my current list: Here

Great thread, very informative! I am in the exact same boat here. Doing more and more travel related photography (mountains, hikes, etc.) I am in the same place. I love my iPhone5. Its handy, takes decent pictures and what I really enjoy is the fact you can edit them on your phone and adjust brightness, shadows, etc. all from your phone. I also appreciate not having to carry an extra, heavier camera.

However, what I do not like is the picture quality (especially when zooming into something). I do a lot of hiking/day packing and I do not want to be carrying around a bunch of heavy lenses. Therefore, I too am contemplating the question of whether to get a camera. The RX1000 seems to get high marks.