Which camera

[Grassman]

I'm after some advice/recommendations about a suitable camera please, and I was wondering which cameras you find the best for boating.

Firstly, I want one which takes a shot virtually straight away. You all know what it's like, you're travelling along and suddenly you come upon something you want to photograph. You grab the camera but even when going only a couple of miles an hour by the time you get it in position it's either too late or the desired shot isn't as good.

I currently have a Panasonic and there is always an annoying 3 second delay between pressing the button and it taking the picture, by which time there are trees in the way or the view has gone. I know this can happen in poor light but even when the light good it is nearly as slow.

I'm looking for a camera in the price range of between £150 and £200 and one which can also take short videos of decent quality too. My priority is good 'still' photos so I don't want a camcorder, and I want a camera which takes better photos than a standard android phone.

Searching the internet the cameras I've fancied have fairly good reviews but there is the occasional comment that there is a delay in the shot being taken, so I obviously don't want to have the same problem again.

 

[PD1964]

Panasonic Lumix GM1 a great little camera, tiny, easy to use and carry, light and compact, can easily be used one handed while steering the boat, just put in your pocket and off you go, can be had off Ebay for around £200, has an excellent choice of interchangeable lenses too. A great travel camera.

Edited January 5, 2018 by PD1964

[Dr Bob]

I would go for a Nikon d800E with a couple of lenses, the Nikkor 24-120mm F1.4G zoom and the Nikkor 80-400G F4-5.6G zoom. You wont do much better than that. Throw in a few spare batteries and a decent tripod and you wont look back. There is a newer body (the D850) but the extra features are probably not needed.

Maybe a bit over your budget ........about 30 times over...but its good kit.

[Chewbacka]

I haven’t looked at current cameras so can’t advise, but I would get one with gps built in that way you can always see the photo location,

[PD1964]

12 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

I would go for a Nikon d800E with a couple of lenses, the Nikkor 24-120mm F1.4G zoom and the Nikkor 80-400G F4-5.6G zoom. You wont do much better than that. Throw in a few spare batteries and a decent tripod and you wont look back. There is a newer body (the D850) but the extra features are probably not needed.

Maybe a bit over your budget ........about 30 times over...but its good kit.

I've had the D700 with the 24-120 f4 & the Tamrom 15-30 f2.8 but I think the FX Nikons are a bit out of his range and are OTT for his needs, I found them to be too big for traveling on the boat, ideal though if you want to take great shots when the boat is moored up, but for just grabbing and shooting too big and heavy also expensive and hard to fit in your pocket. More for semi-pro landscaping.

Edited January 5, 2018 by PD1964

[Tim Lewis]

1 hour ago, Grassman said:

I'm after some advice/recommendations about a suitable camera please, and I was wondering which cameras you find the best for boating.

Firstly, I want one which takes a shot virtually straight away. You all know what it's like, you're travelling along and suddenly you come upon something you want to photograph. You grab the camera but even when going only a couple of miles an hour by the time you get it in position it's either too late or the desired shot isn't as good.

I currently have a Panasonic and there is always an annoying 3 second delay between pressing the button and it taking the picture, by which time there are trees in the way or the view has gone. I know this can happen in poor light but even when the light good it is nearly as slow.

I'm looking for a camera in the price range of between £150 and £200 and one which can also take short videos of decent quality too. My priority is good 'still' photos so I don't want a camcorder, and I want a camera which takes better photos than a standard android phone.

Searching the internet the cameras I've fancied have fairly good reviews but there is the occasional comment that there is a delay in the shot being taken, so I obviously don't want to have the same problem again.

 

 

You are not going to get anything particularly special/fast in that price range however I have one of these which takes very good photos. Not particularly fast turning on from shut down but if you learn to press the power button as you raise it to your eye you won't miss much:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DSCWX350-Digital-Compact-Optical/dp/B00IGL9PQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1515194912&sr=8-1&keywords=wx350+sony

Tim

[StephenA]

53 minutes ago, PD1964 said:

I've had the D700 with the 24-120 f4 & the Tamrom 15-30 f2.8 but I think the FX Nikons are a bit out of his range and are OTT for his needs, I found them to be too big for traveling on the boat, ideal though if you want to take great shots when the boat is moored up, but for just grabbing and shooting too big and heavy also expensive and hard to fit in your pocket. More for semi-pro landscaping.

I've got a Canon Rebel T5 which is a great SLR but as you rightly say - cameras like that are a bit OTT for just snapping shots (although its sports mode auto shoot is very good for catching canal wildlife on the move as the attached pics show.. and yes I know the head is missing on one... but that's what happens using an SLR on the move when you are steering ). Otherwise I use a small Coolpix which I can slip into my pocket ... but sometimes it does take too long to wake up.

Edited January 5, 2018 by StephenA

[AllanD]

May I recommend the Nikon Coolpix B500.  I have just recently purchased one and really appreciate the quality of the zoom and ease of use.  Can be linked via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to other devices for sharing.  Cost is around £220 from various sources.  

[Jess--]

you will probably find that the 3 second delay you are seeing is down to the autofocus

if you can half press the shutter button, on most cameras this triggers the focus but doesn't take the picture until you press it the last bit, running a ride where I see people take hundreds of pictures of the sky or peoples feet due to the delay I have had to explain it many many times, so many people just don't realise that the majority of cameras work this way.

[cheshire~rose]

5 hours ago, Jess-- said:

you will probably find that the 3 second delay you are seeing is down to the autofocus

if you can half press the shutter button, on most cameras this triggers the focus but doesn't take the picture until you press it the last bit, running a ride where I see people take hundreds of pictures of the sky or peoples feet due to the delay I have had to explain it many many times, so many people just don't realise that the majority of cameras work this way.

That is what I was thinking too.

If this delay is the thing that is most problematic to you then it might not be the make and model of camera but the way you use it that will help you capture the secen you really want.

When we are boating my camera is rarely far from my side.  I tend to use it as a point and click camera but I have already adjusted a few setting to a standard "boat on the move" situation. We all know that it is best to be completely still when taking a photo but if you are standing still on a moving boat you need to account for that. I set my camera to a shutter speed priority as fast as the light on the day will allow me to have it (but I usually aim for a minimum of 1250) and I will often select a single spot focus (as it is most often a bird I am trying to take a photo of)

If a camera is set on automatic it has to "make sense" of the scene it is being pointed at and decide where the focus is. The picture it takes will be a compromise on focus between all the different distances in the frame. with a single spot focus the camera will focus on the thing in the centre of the frame which means that whatever it is you have pointed it at is the thing it is going to prioritise focusing on and so it does not have to make such a big decision about all the other stuff and although the thing you are pointing it at might be completely still, if you are on a moving boat the fast shutter speed removes that problem from the equation.

I don't really understand all the settings myself so my explanation is probably a load of gobbledegook but what I do know is I resisted having a "proper" camera because I didn't understand how to use it then I was bought one along with a one day workshop on "how to get off auto" and while I haven't a clue about many of the settings I never use auto on my camera and I do seem to manage to get lucky far more often than when I was using auto all the time

[Grassman]

As ever, some very useful and helpful replies to my OP. Many thanks.

My problem does appear to be more related to focus/shutter speed than it needing to wake up from standby. 

I realise now that I was being a bit optimistic with my perceived price range but I'm happy to go a little above that figure if necessary. I'm going to investigate some of your suggestions as well as any new ones that appear, and when I do get the new camera I realise now from the advice given here that I need to pay more attention to the settings.

[Kendorr]

Panasonic Lumix range

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-SZ10-Digital-Camera-Black/dp/B00T53FY90/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1515227528&sr=8-2&keywords=lumix+tz+35

I've just picked mine up and took a pic in about 1 second

 

If you want to go a little more up to date

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-DMC-TZ70EB-S-Compact-Digital-Camera/dp/B00T0DX0PK/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1515227683&sr=1-1&keywords=lumix+tz70

Fantastic little camera with a 30X optical zoom and does have the GPS feature mentioned earlier.

Kevin

[rusty69]

Was going to post a pic of my 10 quid lumix I got on Gumtree, but when I picked it up to take the pic, I realised the problem with my plan. 

[Tim Lewis]

9 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Was going to post a pic of my 10 quid lumix I got on Gumtree, but when I picked it up to take the pic, I realised the problem with my plan. 

Photograph it in a mirror (After first turning off the flash:-) )

Tim

[ditchcrawler]

4 hours ago, cheshire~rose said:

That is what I was thinking too.

If this delay is the thing that is most problematic to you then it might not be the make and model of camera but the way you use it that will help you capture the secen you really want.

When we are boating my camera is rarely far from my side.  I tend to use it as a point and click camera but I have already adjusted a few setting to a standard "boat on the move" situation. We all know that it is best to be completely still when taking a photo but if you are standing still on a moving boat you need to account for that. I set my camera to a shutter speed priority as fast as the light on the day will allow me to have it (but I usually aim for a minimum of 1250) and I will often select a single spot focus (as it is most often a bird I am trying to take a photo of)

If a camera is set on automatic it has to "make sense" of the scene it is being pointed at and decide where the focus is. The picture it takes will be a compromise on focus between all the different distances in the frame. with a single spot focus the camera will focus on the thing in the centre of the frame which means that whatever it is you have pointed it at is the thing it is going to prioritise focusing on and so it does not have to make such a big decision about all the other stuff and although the thing you are pointing it at might be completely still, if you are on a moving boat the fast shutter speed removes that problem from the equation.

I don't really understand all the settings myself so my explanation is probably a load of gobbledegook but what I do know is I resisted having a "proper" camera because I didn't understand how to use it then I was bought one along with a one day workshop on "how to get off auto" and while I haven't a clue about many of the settings I never use auto on my camera and I do seem to manage to get lucky far more often than when I was using auto all the time

I find the same as you,I also think that the better charged the batteries the faster it responds, but that is just a think, I cant measure it and don't want an ecofan argument. I use a Finepix S5800 and would like something better I think the way it gets treated on the boat its not worth it. I often take snaps with one hand on the tiller and the camera in the other. I also like to look through a view finder when taking snaps, I find it easier to point in the right place.

[mrsmelly]

Pentax me super is what I use. Had it for years. You press the shutter and it takes the picture, can be put in auto mode. I usualy stick 200 asa in it to cover lower light conditions. Can be purchased from ebay very cheaply.

[Jen-in-Wellies]

30 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

I find the same as you,I also think that the better charged the batteries the faster it responds, but that is just a think, I cant measure it and don't want an ecofan argument. I use a Finepix S5800 and would like something better I think the way it gets treated on the boat its not worth it. I often take snaps with one hand on the tiller and the camera in the other. I also like to look through a view finder when taking snaps, I find it easier to point in the right place.

I find this with my camera. I think it could be that charging up the flash capacitor with a partially discharged battery takes longer, but have no idea. In my boating on the move settings I set it to no flash and shutter speed priority, focus in the centre. That way I can grab it with one hand, turning it on with a finger as I do and it is ready to take a shot as the viewfinder comes to my eye. I am still using a 15 year old Nikon Coolpix 5000. Which in digital camera years is so paleolithic that it should be made out of flint and reindeer sinew. I've bought, used and broken several other cameras over the years, but the 5000 keeps on going. It was expensive to buy, but in cost of ownership has been very cheap.

Jen

[Detling]

always found Fuji to be fast but currently use Sony which is good and has a massive X30 zoom with stabilization that works well. On hoilday in NZ last year a ranger wanted to zoom in to a penguin to read it's tag, she tried an SLR with no luck but managed it with mine. May have been an old SLR or just as short lens I don't know.

[Dr Bob]

13 hours ago, PD1964 said:

I've had the D700 with the 24-120 f4 & the Tamrom 15-30 f2.8 but I think the FX Nikons are a bit out of his range and are OTT for his needs, I found them to be too big for traveling on the boat, ideal though if you want to take great shots when the boat is moored up, but for just grabbing and shooting too big and heavy also expensive and hard to fit in your pocket. More for semi-pro landscaping.

Yes, my suggestions were a bit (a lot) TIC, but getting good flight shots of birds – without their heads missing is not easy with cheap kit.

In some things, the saying “you get what you pay for” sometime applies. For Cameras it certainly does. Jess and Cheshire Rose said in the previous posts that the autofocus will be a weak point that stops the camera taking the shot the instant you need it. Very true. We struggled for years trying to get good shots of Dolphins playing 'chicken' at the bow of our lumpy water boat with a small bridge camera. The more you pay the better the systems are. However it's not just the speed the autofocus works. It's also about how the camera lets you operate the AF.

On the better DSLRs, you have the option to continuously focus via a separate button. When you half press the shutter button, the camera does the exposure setting but not the focus. Instead you use your thumb to press another button on the back to do the focus. This is far superior as you have full control of the AF and you are not snatching the shutter button. The even better bodies have multiple focus buttons so you can do a single spot focus with the AF on button, a 9 or 25pt focus with another button and a Group focus with a 3^rd button. These various AF modes are important and you need to be able to switch between them if you are trying to shoot flying birds. See the image below (a Common Gull in fast flight). Shooting in spot mode is Ok but the minute your spot goes off the bird then the camera will focus on the background and you loose the shot. Group mode focusses on the nearest thing which is the bird, so you can loose the spot point off the bird but still retain the bird in focus. Ok this was a big bird but still a pig to shoot when moving fast. This was with a big lens (a 500mm Prime) handheld. Having the ability to switch between 3 different AF modes is a huge advantage for moving birds.

I know all of this is way out of the price range of the OP, but these are features that I would be looking out for if I wanted a decent bridge camera – if shooting wildlife is involved.

[Horace42]

Depends whether you want  bulky multi-lens camera for 'photographs' or a pocket camera for 'snapshots'.

In the old days of film cameras, I was dead keen and had the best I could afford (nothing more than basic). And looking back the photographs - that took ages to compose, lenses to choose, and shutters and irises to set and focus  - are the most boring imaginable.

The interest has long since waned, and now with my wife's simple digital camera  I just grab scenes an the spur of the moment .  It is the snapshots that are most interesting and fun for trips down Memory Lane .

Anyway, the time from clicking to take picture was a big nuisance, as well as soon running out of memory. But by pure chance both problems were solved when we bought a new camera - a Canon SX700HS.  The chap in the shop said the 'speed' was a lot to do with the memory card,  and speed of copying and transferring data was mainly the reason for the high price - not the 'size'. So we bought the 'largest' card they had at the time (2 years ago) to get the data speed - and hey presto! - no noticeable delay in taking a picture.

There might be other factors such as focusing time etc - as already stated - I mention memory speed for what it is worth.

 

 

[PD1964]

3 hours ago, Grassman said:

As ever, some very useful and helpful replies to my OP. Many thanks.

My problem does appear to be more related to focus/shutter speed than it needing to wake up from standby. 

I realise now that I was being a bit optimistic with my perceived price range but I'm happy to go a little above that figure if necessary. I'm going to investigate some of your suggestions as well as any new ones that appear, and when I do get the new camera I realise now from the advice given here that I need to pay more attention to the settings.

I always buy and sell my gear on Ebay, you can get some great deals second hand, the big camera companies bring out many new models each year and most amateur photographers think that if they have the new gear and highest mega-pixel camera they will take photos like the pro's. You can get some great camera's for around £200, most new models are just tweaked versions of previous models with features you will not use most of the time.

If your camera is slow to focus, change your focus point if our can, I find Area AF faster then Centre weighted for outdoors. Just go out and play with different settings to find what suits best and enjoy it.

Edited January 6, 2018 by PD1964

[Dr Bob]

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

I find the same as you,I also think that the better charged the batteries the faster it responds, but that is just a think, I cant measure it and don't want an ecofan argument. I use a Finepix S5800 and would like something better I think the way it gets treated on the boat its not worth it. I often take snaps with one hand on the tiller and the camera in the other. I also like to look through a view finder when taking snaps, I find it easier to point in the right place.

I think it is a bit different to the ecofan argument. That is a black and white. Does it work or not!

Battery charge state will have some sort of effect but on the smaller point and shoot cameras, there are not so many high power drains but a low voltage could slow down any of the systems. It will vary camera to camera and may well slow the time to shoot. On the bigger DSLRs I have not seen any direct evidence of lower voltage slowing things down but there has been lots of 'chatter' on the DPReview forum about the VR (vibration reduction) system on the Nikon D800 affected by low batteries. I too have seen that with very mushy shots - unexplainable with normal theories. Lesson - keep you batteries over 50% charged! Where have I heard that before?

[Ex-Member]

After a lot of research  I have just bought an Olympus TG 4 (on sale at jessops for £269)   I am just a 'point and click' photographer but this camera is amazing for the money and virtually unbreakable, even taking photos underwater. It also takes 'raw' pictures. 

I really wanted the Nikon Coolpix P900, it has an 83x zoom.  You can take pictures of the moon and 'Flat Earthers'  swear by it   but my partner said they would have me committed under section 29  so no hope.......

[Rob-M]

I have a Canon SX700 which is a compact point and click with a good zoom. My problem is remembering to take it out with me.

[rusty69]

1 hour ago, mrsmelly said:

Pentax me super is what I use. Had it for years. You press the shutter and it takes the picture, can be put in auto mode. I usualy stick 200 asa in it to cover lower light conditions. Can be purchased from ebay very cheaply.

Tried to give away my Olympus 0M-10 a few years back. No takers.