DSLR, point and shoot, or PP+

[AussieCaribou]

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited. My DH just booked for my DD and me to fly to the US in the next school hols! Awesome DH, I know! We don't get to go to the states nearly as often as I would like, but this trip is a bit special. We will be visiting extended family including my 94 (!) year old grandfather and my 89 year old grandmother, various aunts/uncles/cousins and family friends. It's DD (14) first time in the States during the Halloween fever. So, we will be doing haunted houses, apple festival at Julian, visiting the anzo-barago desert, and going to DL (and hopefully the Halloween party).

So here's my dilemma: what photographic equipment do I take?!?

I have a lovely little point and shoot digital that I often carry around with me. It will be coming over again this time...along with my gorilla grip tripod. But given that we are visiting the older members of the family, I really keep thinking that I must bring my DSLR to fully capture the moments. However, that's a lot to lug around DL and DCA.

So, my question for you all: what do I bring to the parks? Just my point and shoot/my point and shoot but get PP+/my DSLR

Ultimately, the Disney visit is just my DMom, DD and me....but I would love to get a halfway decent photo of the lot of us at DL.

Help! I keep feeling obligated to carry the big camera around! Founded? Not founded?

Thanks!
Aussie-Caribou

 

[kylieh]

Depending on how many days you're going you could take the DSLR just for a day or two, then use the P&S for the rest. That way you have the best of both worlds! We did that on the last trip, worked out really good, esp when I was sick of carrying the DSLR.

 

[battymum]

Why don't you get photopass. They should be able to capture a nice image of the whole family!

 

[battymum]

Sorry just read the post again.

My answer get pp+ for the parks, but take your dslr for the other moments!

 

[Toy Story]

Lucky you - how exciting.

I would vote for the PP+ so you have the family photos
If you are staying close enough to the parks, you could always pick up your camera for some evening shots.

 

[Marlea98]

The kids and I all carried p&s and DH carried the dslr We didn't buy the photo pass package as it was out of our budget. The CMs can take pics of you with your own cameras too.

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[Lei]

Hi! It really depends on your preferences. I'm somewhat of a photo snob. Once I started using DSLR, I scrunch my nose at P&S. So I'd just ignore my protesting shoulders and lug my DSLR around.

For my upcoming trip, budget is tight, so I'd only capture moments with my DSLR and get Attractions+. Ride photos is the only feature I want from Photopass+ anyway. Read about em here.

 

[jacs1234]

I bring my dslr, a 7D so it's quite big and heavy, and my point and shoot. My point and shoot isn't fabulous so I would miss my dslr if I didn't take it. I put my 7d in a back pack to carry it around but it is so much easier to whip out a p&s. That dslr sure does get heavy around my neck after a while.

 

[alicia1506]

i loved my p&s on my last trip, but didn't want the huge dslr to lug, so ended up investing in a MFT system. so much easier, lighter, less cumbersome etc.

i also don't mind PP+ (and have already ordered) but i am a bit of a snob about some of those pp photos as some seem to be off centre/out of focus etc and so wanted my own better equipment on me.

why not take the dslr and the p&s and just carry the dslr in a shoot-sac tote or similar? quick and easy access and removes the neck strain...

 

[shushh]

I always plan on leaving my DSLR at home and always end up taking it! I usually use my 18-200 and 50.

 

[Lei]

I don't know if you already know this, but dslr and professional sling are a killer combo for park touring.

So go take your dslr, but don't use regular camera strap. Invest in a good strap such as Black Rapid sport strap, Crump Industry Disgrace, or the ones from Optech. It's practical, very convenient, and you'll last for hours without neck / shoulder pains. Hope it helps!

 

[ssour]

Hi! It really depends on your preferences. I'm somewhat of a photo snob. Once I started using DSLR, I scrunch my nose at P&S. So I'd just ignore my protesting shoulders and lug my DSLR around.

For my upcoming trip, budget is tight, so I'd only capture moments with my DSLR and get Attractions+. Ride photos is the only feature I want from Photopass+ anyway. Read about em.

Totally agree with you Lei. I take my DLSR and get attractions+, I have been really disappointed in the quality of the PhotoPass photos the last two time I've purchased it. I'd prefer they take bad shots with my camera than me paying them to take bad shots with their own! I too have a Black Rapid strap which makes carrying it so much more comfortable.

 

[Lei]

Totally agree with you Lei. I take my DLSR and get attractions+, I have been really disappointed in the quality of the PhotoPass photos the last two time I've purchased it. I'd prefer they take bad shots with my camera than me paying them to take bad shots with their own! I too have a Black Rapid strap which makes carrying it so much more comfortable.

Yep! Btw, I was wondering where / how do you obtain the Attractions+? I heard it's only available at the parks?

 

[Royal Consort]

I'd prefer they take bad shots with my camera than me paying them to take bad shots with their own! I too have a Black Rapid strap which makes carrying it so much more comfortable.

I've found they take WORSE shots with my camera as they don't particularly care and ok shots with photopass. We still get the photopass because we're idiots

I gave up at the Christmas party. They didn't even wait for my flash to go before they put the DSLR away and had a whole bunch of blurry photos taken by different CMs. I wasn't impressed. For goodness sake, they put the characters in the places with the LEAST lighting possible in the first place!

Whoever thought Fantasy Faire in Disneyland with its dark interior and wood paneling was a great idea also needed to take a photography course. A place designed in which to take photos that essentially makes the lighting difficult to take photos...

 

[MolonLabe]

I don't know if you already know this, but dslr and professional sling are a killer combo for park touring.

So go take your dslr, but don't use regular camera strap. Invest in a good strap such as Black Rapid sport strap, Crump Industry Disgrace, or the ones from Optech. It's practical, very convenient, and you'll last for hours without neck / shoulder pains. Hope it helps!

Completely agree. While I was deciding on what sling to buy for my T4i I used the factory sling for half a day at a museum. TORTURE! I have no idea how people suffer thru the included straps.

I've got a Carryspeed FS Pro which makes carrying for 12 hours a day a breeze.

A quality point and shoot (like the canon G1x series) can do a lot. There are some things it can't and that's where the DSLR comes in.

We're doing PP again but only because of a share. Most of the pics with the PP cameras are crap compared to my T4i. I don't like handing off my camera with a $1,000 lens on it all the time, so that's why we do the PP.

Good luck OP. We are bringing our G11 because some days I won't bring the DSLR into the parks every day this trip.

 

[ssour]

I've found they take WORSE shots with my camera as they don't particularly care and ok shots with photopass. We still get the photopass because we're idiots

I gave up at the Christmas party. They didn't even wait for my flash to go before they put the DSLR away and had a whole bunch of blurry photos taken by different CMs. I wasn't impressed. For goodness sake, they put the characters in the places with the LEAST lighting possible in the first place!

Whoever thought Fantasy Faire in Disneyland with its dark interior and wood paneling was a great idea also needed to take a photography course. A place designed in which to take photos that essentially makes the lighting difficult to take photos...

Night photos are probably the only thing PhotoPass is good for, but we have a little one with us so are rarely out much after dark these days. Fantasy Faire was my DH's worst nightmare, after he took super bad photos of me with the princesses the first time we went through, I made him line up three more times throughout the trip so that I could have the photos re-taken with all the same princesses. He made sure he was extra careful after that LOL!

 

[AussieCaribou]

Okay, so I have decided that it's going to have to be all three. My DH thinks that I have lost my mind but I just can't not bring the DSLR (good grammar there...I know). So, I am going to bring it with me (in my backpack) and use it for 'important' photos - like DD and the characters - and then use the Point and Shoot for general photos and selfies...and because it will be three generations of girls in the family, I am going to spring for PP+ and see what happens (of course I will give them my camera too...more than likely the DSLR, preset to the conditions - thanks for the heads up on the lighting in the meet and greets). So hopefully I will have something that I would like to scrapbook.

Thank you everyone.

 

[GrazingGoat1966]

Short story......last trip I took the Canon 5d MK 2 to Magic Kingdom and had over 250 shots of the park, Cindrellas Castle, the Electrical Parade and the fireworks...all taken on our last night there.

Then when I went back to Kidani and proceeded to download the memory card, it wiped the whole f*(^%&g lot of them! So I ended up with absolutely zilch photos of Magic Kingdom (insert gentle sobbing).

Be fair to say I ain't going to make the same mistake again....... hopefully... fingers crossed.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Short story......last trip I took the Canon 5d MK 2 to Magic Kingdom and had over 250 shots of the park, Cindrellas Castle, the Electrical Parade and the fireworks...all taken on our last night there.

Then when I went back to Kidani and proceeded to download the memory card, it wiped the whole f*(^%&g lot of them! So I ended up with absolutely zilch photos of Magic Kingdom (insert gentle sobbing).

Be fair to say I ain't going to make the same mistake again....... hopefully... fingers crossed.

How devastating. There's a lot of things you can replace, but photos aren't one of them.