Best camera for WDW

[maui2k5]

We (me, wife & girls ages 10/12) are heading back to WDW this August and I am thinking about bringing a good compact camera to go along with my iPhone 12 Pro. I have a Sony a6600, but no way I am lugging that around the parks.

Suggestions?

 

[trivan]

Unless you want a poster size picture your iPhone can’t be beat.
If you really want a camera, I use a fuji x100v when I dont want to use my iphone. The Sony RX100s are very good but too small for me.

I use the Fuji because back when I was crazy enough to carry an SLR around Disney, I found my best photos were around the 23-35mm focal length so I bought the x100v which is fixed at 23. In the right situation I love it. I have other Fuji’s if I need other lens as well.

 

[mom2rtk]

Unless you want a poster size picture your iPhone can’t be beat.
If you really want a camera, I use a fuji x100v when I dont want to use my iphone. The Sony RX100s are very good but too small for me.

I use the Fuji because back when I was crazy enough to carry an SLR around Disney, I found my best photos were around the 23-35mm focal length so I bought the x100v which is fixed at 23. In the right situation I love it. I have other Fuji’s if I need other lens as well.

Maybe for well lit outdoor shots. For anything else, my very first DSLR I bought in 2004 would beat my iphone 11 Pro hands down. I print lots of photos for scrapbooking. Even just looking at photos side by side on my computer (before edits) the difference is easy to see.

If you're just posting to social media? Yeah, an iphone will be fine.

 

[Figmentmommy]

I’ve always had luck with a basic Canon or Sony point & shoot.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

I like my Canon PowerShot SX720HS for a pocket point-and-shoot. It might not be the best camera currently on the market (I've had it a few years), but it has a 40x optical zoom and can fit in my pocket. It also has Wi-Fi and a phone app, so I can upload photos to my phone if I want to share them to social media while still on my trip. I do find my phone (Pixel 3) can sometimes take better low-light photos, but I love having the zoom, especially at Animal Kingdom.

A mirrorless camera will be more expensive but likely takes better quality photos than a typical point and shoot.

 

[Robbydj13]

I bring 4 cameras every trip and utilize them all at the parks. I don’t always bring all 4 with me every day, it just depends on what we are doing, but I definitely utilize them all in the parks.
I have my phone, a GoPro, a Canon EOS R and a couple lenses, and a Canon G7x Miii. All of them serve different purposes but thereis usually 2-3 with me at all times.
The EOS R with the right lens is great for nighttime shots. The G7x Miii works great throughout the day if I’m not wanting to use my phone. And the GoPro takes up almost no space so I always throw it in my bag.
Admittedly I take a lot more video than still shots, but they all take great pics as well.

 

[maui2k5]

Maybe for well lit outdoor shots. For anything else, my very first DSLR I bought in 2004 would beat my iphone 11 Pro hands down. I print lots of photos for scrapbooking. Even just looking at photos side by side on my computer (before edits) the difference is easy to see.

If you're just posting to social media? Yeah, an iphone will be fine.

I would be taking pics for my own use - not so much social media. Possibly printing, but mostly for memories and would like decent quality beyond what the iPhone can do.

 

[trivan]

I would be taking pics for my own use - not so much social media. Possibly printing, but mostly for memories and would like decent quality beyond what the iPhone can do.

im not pushing iPhone or any phone camera but what don’t you like about it? I would go to review sites where they have downloads of iPhone pictures verse $$$$ kits. Can you see the difference? Only you can determine that.
i have thousands invested in camera and lens and each set up for me serves a different purpose. I enjoy using all of them. When I want a shot for a large print I go with my best lens and camera, just a picture for memories my iphone will do it for me, low light or people pictures where I want buttery bokeh my fuji lenses. I agree in low light situations smaller camera will have issues verse a larger sensor and faster lenses but then your getting into a larger camera again. There are always trade offs.

 

[maui2k5]

im not pushing iPhone or any phone camera but what don’t you like about it? I would go to review sites where they have downloads of iPhone pictures verse $$$$ kits. Can you see the difference? Only you can determine that.
i have thousands invested in camera and lens and each set up for me serves a different purpose. I enjoy using all of them. When I want a shot for a large print I go with my best lens and camera, just a picture for memories my iphone will do it for me, low light or people pictures where I want buttery bokeh my fuji lenses. I agree in low light situations smaller camera will have issues verse a larger sensor and faster lenses but then your getting into a larger camera again. There are always trade offs.

Main issue is with flash photography and zooming in. I do like the photos from my iPhone 12 Pro, but not so much with the flash or when zooming in past 2x.

 

[trivan]

Main issue is with flash photography and zooming in. I do like the photos from my iPhone 12 Pro, but not so much with the flash or when zooming in past 2x.

Yeah they aren’t that good. Lol
Flash with any compact is going to be very hard. 1. they are not that powerful 2 the closer the flash to the len the more harsh it looks.
Some of the pockets camera have great zooms as someone posted.
Again trade offs, I don’t think there is 1 perfect camera for all situations. You could look for a camera which is good in low light and try to avoid flash photography. I think any camera meeting that criteria would have a decent zoom. Unless you go with a fixed focal length one

 

[maui2k5]

Yeah they aren’t that good. Lol
Flash with any compact is going to be very hard. 1. they are not that powerful 2 the closer the flash to the len the more harsh it looks.
Some of the pockets camera have great zooms as someone posted.
Again trade offs, I don’t think there is 1 perfect camera for all situations. You could look for a camera which is good in low light and try to avoid flash photography. I think any camera meeting that criteria would have a decent zoom. Unless you go with a fixed focal length one

Thinking about an RX100 VII possibly. Buy 2nd hand then sell after the trip.

 

[Robbydj13]

Yeah they aren’t that good. Lol
Flash with any compact is going to be very hard. 1. they are not that powerful 2 the closer the flash to the len the more harsh it looks.
Some of the pockets camera have great zooms as someone posted.
Again trade offs, I don’t think there is 1 perfect camera for all situations. You could look for a camera which is good in low light and try to avoid flash photography. I think any camera meeting that criteria would have a decent zoom. Unless you go with a fixed focal length one

Any camera that has decent zoom and very good in low light is going to be pricey. And it’s mainly going to come from a high quality lens. Unfortunately there’s not a solid work around or substitute for quality lenses...

 

[tigger2002]

The best camera is the one that you will use the most. I have/had Canon 5D, 7D, Fujifilm XT2, various point and shoot, with lots of different lenses. Most all of the photos I take these days is with my phone because it is always with me.

 

[trivan]

At least the OP didn’t ask about which camera bag, then we‘d have trouble. Lol

 

[LSUfan4444]

We (me, wife & girls ages 10/12) are heading back to WDW this August and I am thinking about bringing a good compact camera to go along with my iPhone 12 Pro. I have a Sony a6600, but no way I am lugging that around the parks.

Suggestions?

iPhone is all you really need but if you were to add something, I would suggest a GoPro and a small (non telescopic handle). For the money/impact I think it's the best combo.

 

[GDUL]

I have an iPhone 12 Pro but wanted more control on the camera settings. I looked into various software apps and decided on purchasing Camera+2. With this app, I can control shutter speed, ISO and white balance. I can also shot in RAW and it has a dedicated slow shutter mode. I bought it just before our WDW trip last month so I'm still experimenting with it (ie, learning exactly how to use it) but I've been pretty happy with the pictures, especially in low light situations. Just tossing out another idea since you have an iPhone and the app is inexpensive. I have a Canon 50D with multiple lenses that I still use but it was nice not carrying that around in the parks.

 

[melissalovesfigment]

We have a GoPro and I highly recommend it. We take so many more videos now than we used to. I love good photos but a good video of our kids enjoying themselves can't be beat, especially because it is waterproof. If you go this route, make sure to get an extra 2-3 pack of batteries because the batteries do drain pretty quickly if you are utilizing the video aspect. I also have an Olympus TG Tough camera that our kids love. It is drop proof, etc so we feel comfortable with our toddlers taking photos from their vantage point (38-42 inches tall). Your kids are a little older so can probably be trusted a little more with nicer equipment. I have a Nikon D750 that I use but mostly for fun. I could get great photos on my phone but I still really enjoy setting up and taking the photograph. I bring that with just a 35mm prime lens to get good low-light shots of our kids during the evening hours.

 

[Robbydj13]

We have a GoPro and I highly recommend it. We take so many more videos now than we used to. I love good photos but a good video of our kids enjoying themselves can't be beat, especially because it is waterproof. If you go this route, make sure to get an extra 2-3 pack of batteries because the batteries do drain pretty quickly if you are utilizing the video aspect. I also have an Olympus TG Tough camera that our kids love. It is drop proof, etc so we feel comfortable with our toddlers taking photos from their vantage point (38-42 inches tall). Your kids are a little older so can probably be trusted a little more with nicer equipment. I have a Nikon D750 that I use but mostly for fun. I could get great photos on my phone but I still really enjoy setting up and taking the photograph. I bring that with just a 35mm prime lens to get good low-light shots of our kids during the evening hours.

GoPros are much better than they used to be, especially the newer one as they have accessories with external mics which was a big shortcoming of GoPros. I would just be careful with using one as your primary camera as they are very wide angle and aren’t super versatile.

 

[_19disnA]

Several other recent threads ask basically the same question. This is also a sub-forum here relating to photography. You need to think about what you intend to do with the photos to decide on what type of camera is best. Do you want video or still images? Camera that is best for postage stamp size photos on social media will be different from one where you can enlarge them to hang on the wall. The skill of the photographer matters more then what specific brand of camera. All cameras allow you to take good pictures and even a good camera won't make up for a lack of photography skills.

Also need to think about how much camera equipment you want to lug around the parks all day. And how much time you want to be on vacation with your family vs. searching out the best spot for that ideal photo.

 

[photo_chick]

I'm going to counter some ideas presented with some specs here. The iPhone 12 pro's wide lens has an aperture of f/1.6 and a much higher resolution than you'll find with an older DLSR. So it can hang with the low light. Where you'll fall short is with tighter shots. You're looking at f/2.4. Better than a kit lens, but not up to a higher end zoom or a prime. The biggest loss with a phone is manual focus but even that is semi-possible with the choice of where to focus. So to improve on the phone now you're talking about carrying a bag with bulk and weight. If you want light travel you really can't beat some of the current high end phones out right now.

I am not an Apple user, I use a Samsung S20 Ultra which has slightly better camera specs than the iPhone 12 Pro, but only slightly. I've pulled off some great low light shots with it. And I do inspect them with an eagle eye. They're pretty clean. Especially when paired an app that lets me have a good deal of manual control and pull the RAW files. I've made some nice prints and I do like to print 16x20 to hang. But more importantly, they look outstanding on my rotating 55 inch 4K display QLED. Which is where it counts for most these days.

But others are so right about it coming down to what you want to do. Would I trust my images to my phone for event shooting? Absolutely not. I'm far too controlling for that and I get paid very well for it. Would I use my phone for my vacation? I have and plan to next week. I still take the DSLR with me when I'm intentionally going out to shoot, but for causal lifestyle shots I totally pull my phone out first.

There's also the consideration of experience over digital memories. When you're spending vacation with your eye to the view finder you're far less likely to form lasting memories. And that's actually backed up by some published studies now. It has to do with what your attention is focused on in the moment. You have to ask yourself which is more important. If it's the experience then save the cash and use your phone with a good app.