Digital camera for shooting vistas and wildlife - Alaska trip?

[Dodie]

Hi all. Longtime DIS-er, first time poster on the Photography Board!

DH and I both have small Sony digital cameras (mine's a 7.2 MP DSC-W80) that we're totally happy with on an everyday basis. However, we are taking a special trip to Alaska this summer and don't think these cameras are going to get us the shots we'll want. It's not a cruise, it's a weeklong tour that includes train, motorcoach, and a couple of small glacier/wildlife cruises.

I don't think I need to invest in an dSLR, but I want something with significant zoom capability for wildlife and something that would do well for landscapes.

Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Amy]

Hi Dodie! You might want to check out the Canon S3 IS (the newest model is the S5 IS). I have the S3 and it's got a fantastic 12x zoom - the manual says it's the equivalent of a 400+mm zoom lens on an slr. Not quite a dSLR, but both the S3 and S5 have various settings that you can adjust, including a totally Manual setting, along with good old "auto".

Would you want a wide-angle lens for landscapes? Not sure about the S5...might not be wide enough.

Edited to add: Found this on Canon's website, specs on the S5:

LensFocal Length
6.0-72.0mm f/2.7-3.5 (35mm film equivalent: 36-432mm)

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I have some pretty neat camera stuff. How about just bringing me along to take pictures instead of buying a new camera?

 

[Dodie]

I have some pretty neat camera stuff. How about just bringing me along to take pictures instead of buying a new camera?

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

I don't think I need to invest in an dSLR, but I want something with significant zoom capability for wildlife and something that would do well for landscapes.

If you aren't ready for the expense of a DSLR, one of the "bridge" or "super-zoom" cameras seems like it would be a good choice for you. Since it sounds like most of your vacation photography will be outside (and, hopefully, in the sun) you won't really "need" a DSLRs low-light abilities to get good pictures.

The Canon S3/S5 is very popular and very good. You get a lot of features for the price; great image quality (IQ), great zoom range (36mm-432mm in 35mm equivalent), long battery life and excellent video capabilities (in full stereo sound). It takes fantastic pictures in good lighting conditions and decent/passable pictures in difficult shooting conditions (low light).

If you find the S3/S5's wide angle isn't wide enough -- and using the panoramic setting isn't good enough, either -- there are additional lenses you can buy (for not much $$$ compared to DSLR lenses) to increase the W/A capabilities, just as there are teleconverters to increase the zoom....