camera for Disney

[ougrad86]

Thought I would ask those in the know . I am looking to get a new digital camera (finally retiring my film camera) and I have more or less narrowed it down to a Canon, but now concerned about the zoom and the lens.

Based on experience, what sort of zoom do you "need" at Disney? I am more into the scenery, with my family somewhere in the frame sometimes. Doing fireworks and Spectromagic as well. Most of what I see is 4X, DH is saying I should have a really large zoom but then I get out of the compact easy-to-carry range, and I just want a small point-and-shoot.

Also, has anyone had trouble with lens getting scratched when the camera is shoved into a purse or pocket? None of them seem to have lens caps.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[M&N]

Maybe you should ask this on the photography board...They know their cameras.

 

[ougrad86]

Thanks - I wasn't sure where to put it - I will ask there .

 

[EnnEss]

4x is plenty. If you're going to move into a DSLR you're going to spend thousands to get a much larger zoom than that anyways, although the pic quality will go way up.

 

[justcantwait]

The folks on the Photography board are very knowledgeable, but really more into the DSLRs. If you're just looking for a really nice point and shoot kind of camera, I have the Canon SD1100 IS and love it! Took it to WDW last year and it worked great. Long battery life, pretty good lag time, takes SD cards so storage is good, small enough to fit in my pocket, and automatic lens cover. I think the zoom goes up to 8 or 10x. And, not that it should matter, but it comes in nice colors too! HTH

Kathy

 

[mom2faith]

SO much information to give you here!!

#1 - is it Optical or Digital Zoom - Digital Zoom means the camera itself does not zoom in on the subject, but rather on the photo itself. Optical Zoom provides clearer zoom photos because it actually zooms on the subject.

#2. No average person needs more than 6 MB - even if you are blowing up to a poster size that would be clear. For an 8 x 10 that is more than enough.

#3. Canons are great, but sometimes not user friendly. Kodaks are good, but their view finders are electronic (meaning you see a picture of the picture you are taking), Nikon is awesome if you want an SLR. I also like Sony's.

#4. Battery - what kind does it take. If it is AA then remember that those need to be Lithium in order to get the most out ofyour camera (and battery). Rechargables are fine but they have to be Lithium. If it is a battery pack - how long does it last, how much are replacements??

#5. Memory Cards - same thing, what kind of card does it take. I prefer to get cameras that use SD cards as most of mine take those and I can swap the card in various cameras (yes, I have more than 1 camera). They are also inexpensive and last a long time.

Good luck!!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

I've moved this thread to the Photography Board.

 

[zackiedawg]

Not sure what happened here - but there was another thread with the same question I replied to. So I'm copying that reply here:

First off, if you are coming into digital for the first time, and don't sound like a professional SLR style person, I would have to strongly recommend getting an ultra-zoom type camera. While not quite as compact as a slim little ultra-compact, they are still plenty small enough nowadays to wedge into a purse or small bag...and the versatility they provide is just about perfect for a first-timer. There are mini-DSLR style ultrazooms, with bigger grips and protruding lenses that are bulkier but have more range (you may not want these types if portability is high on your list), and there are compact ultrazooms that have 10x to 15x zooms on slim bodies that are no larger than a standard rectangular compact when turned off - the lens pops out to extended position when powered on. These might be a good pick for you.

Now...Canon makes some great cams - ones that might fit into this description for you would be the SX110 (10x) and SX200 (12x). However, I'd strongly encourage you just for your own sake to look around at other brands - there's really no particular reason to limit your choices because there are plenty of excellent cameras out there to choose from, and ergonomics/price/design/features are all so personal, that you might find you like another design better. Casio has a brand-new, just announced compact superzoom, the EX-H10, with a 12x zoom. Check out Panasonic's Lumix TZ6 and TZ7, both with 12x zooms, and Sony's H10, with a 10x zoom. They're all equal performers in nearly all situations...with very similar specs. If you really want to limit yourself to just one name brand...you'll still get a great camera...but you might miss out on one that you really would have loved, or would have been more comfortable to hold. Just my opinion!

Also, don't just look at the multiplication factor of the zoom - look at the actual focal range which is very important to get a versatile camera. You can get a 10x camera that has a longer reach than a 12x camera, for example. The most important number is the wide angle that the camera starts from. Wide angles are very useful for details, closeups, buildings, etc where you want to fit in as much as possible without cutting off the ends. Many compacts start at a fairly average 36mm...not very wide. A 10x lens on a 36mm base means you will reach out to 360mm (10 x 36). A camera that has a 12x zoom on a 28mm base means you'll reach out to 336mm (12 x 36). The 10x actually reaches farther...but at the same time, has a less useful wide end. You want to look for lenses with maximum verstility and range - I'd recommend getting a big-zoom camera that starts at least around 28mm, and has 10x or 12x of reach. This should give you the best of both worlds. The Canon SX200 starts at 28mm with 12x zoom bringing the telephoto end to 336mm. The afformentioned Casio EXH10 starts at a rather amazing 24mm and has a 10x zoom for 240mm at the telephoto end. Panasonic's TZ6 and TZ7 have a very good range of 25mm wide with 12x zoom to 100mm telephoto. Just a few ideas!

As for scratching and such - many of the cameras actually DO have lens caps - but they're built in. Usually, the lens will retract into the body, and a metal cover will slide into place when the camera is turned off. I'd make sure you get a camera that does cover the lens if you intend to be tossing it in a purse. It might be a good idea to give the camera its own little case as well - even just a soft drawstring jewelry bag or something - so it isn't collecting all of the dust and bits and scratches that can be hiding in a purse.

 

[kaffinito]

zackiedawg gave some good advice as usual!

I have very little to add, just get an extra SD card for the camera, and make sure it's a good one. Or get one with a lot of space on it, like an 8, you never know how many pics you take, and how fast your card will fill up.

Do yourself a favor and take the time to go to a store and check out all of the point and shoots, you might find that the one you like the best is not the one that you started out liking. For low light or night shots the Panasonic Lumix cameras are excellent. They have a good zoom range, great battery life, and the lens is covered when it retracts.

And for fireworks you can use an available trash can to steady your camera, but it might be worth your while to get a Gorillapod for your camera as well. They really come in handy when you need to steady your shots and there are no trash cans available.

Happy shooting!

 

[mhf]

I just received my 3rd Canon, an A1100 IS. (replacement for an old A95 and an older A85) Like the fact that it has 2 AA batteries. It's not the huge (expensive) Canon Rebel that DH has but my previous point n shot Canons have taken lovely Disney pictures. DH actually complained that his was too slow on the safari ride at AK. I get the added benefit of keeping my little camera in a small case in my pocket and not having a large camera bag for bag-check lines.

M