Tell me about your camera!

[Chrisey]

we leave at the end of this month and I'm really debating on what camera to bring.

I usually take pic with my iPhone 6, we just bought a gopro and I have a 7 year old Canon Rebel that we never use.

Would love to hear what camera you take cruising with you to get the best shots! All price points welcome

 

[Aby]

I have a DSLR that I took on my last two cruises. I didn't want the weight during my last trip to WDW, so I picked up a Canon G7x which I found got great reviews. It's pricy, but so far I've been very happy with it and I'm just about to take it on the Fantasy. I realize that my photos won't be as good as the ones that my DSLR takes but I just really wanted to feel light on this trip and not worry about getting the perfect shot. I don't have an iPhone so I can't comment on the quality of the shots of the G7x in comparison.

Hope this helps!

Aby

 

[Trera]

We have a Nikon D5500 DSLR that takes great pics but it can be inconvenient to take around everywhere with the extra lenses and flash.

 

[turtle27]

I am on a wait list for the nikon p900 (I hope it gets here before my cruise!), otherwise, I will have my phone samsung galaxy edge and my canon DSLR, BUT that is only because it is Panama, I would only take my phone if it were to ports I had been too already.

 

[xlxo]

I took pack a DSLR (Nikon D300) for trips. 18-300mm and flash. Works great in low light conditions.

 

[hockeyqueen19]

For an everyday camera that takes amazing photos I use a Fuji EP2. It's small and if you are really into photography you can change lens. I sometimes think it takes better photos than my Nikon D700.

 

[Quellman]

Best camera is the one you have with you. A bonus is knowing how to use it. There are really only 2 things to consider.

1. is how you plan on using the photos. If you only are sharing on facebook then iphone6 and go pro are a great combination. You may have a small learning curve if you do character photos and pass the go pro off, but not bad at all. However, If you plan on printing lots of 8x10s you might want to consider upgrading.

2. the other is what you plan on taking photos of. Sounds like with your current choices, not counting the 7 year old rebel collecting dust that we hope the battery still works on, you plan on taking photos of people and other close objects.

Based on the limited information I have deduced, you aren't going to be trying to take stunning vistas and long exposure night images. From the sounds of it you are just looking for a point and shoot camera. Easy to be carried, you won't have to worry about adjusting settings often, has nice image quality with minimal settings, etc. You can find great guides at websites like dpreview.

If you are looking for a versatile camera and plan on using it more frequently with maybe even off automatic settings, then you may want to consider a mirrorless camera system, like the Sony Alpha Series, or Olympus Micro 4/3. They have image quality that can be compared to entry level DSLRs, some even mid range, have interchangeable lenses many of which feature zoom, but are still small and light weight. I have a Nikon 1 series that I can take the lens off of and fit both in a coat pocket if needed!

Have a great time on your trip, can't wait to see some photos in your trip report.

 

[rachelm23]

I love to take photos but I also am very adventurous. Lugging around my Canon with giant lenses was just a pain and I found myself going out without my camera more often. So I bought a mirror-less Sony A6000. Best camera ever! It's light and it takes great photos! One of my favorite things is when using the display, what you see is what you get. No more taking a photo, pulling it up on the display and seeing what I don't like about it. The fully auto feature is great for beginners too. Here is a recent from our DCL Norway cruise.[GALLERY=][/GALLERY]

 

[Andasibe]

I have an Olympus TG-4, it is waterproof, crushproof, shockproof, etc.... For about $400 I have gone from snorkeling to taking amazing sunset pictures in just a couple of hours with it. Like you, I have several cameras but the Olympus is my favorite!

 

[cheermom2four]

Im bringing my Nikon D5100 (and multiple lenses) and also my Nikon CoolPix (waterproof and shockproof as I'm hard on cameras) as I really wanted a GoPro but a gal at work mentioned her's doesnt zoom in and out (this was months ago). I wanted a waterproof that I can use just like my regular DSLR just lighter weight and no lens changing involved. Now the newer version of the GoPro I havent researched if it zooms in and out so my reason for the coolpix might be obsolete by now.

 

[rhinodadz]

I take a Nikon DSLR with a few lenses and a Fuji waterproof point & shoot for wet excursions/snorkeling. I don't find the DSLR to be terribly inconvenient to carry, but I'm also somewhat of a photo nerd - YMMV.

 

[havoc315]

Packing my camera bag for Alaska next week:
I think I'm taking:
Nikon d750
Rokinon 14/2.8 and/or Nikon 18-35g
Tamron 24-70/2.8
Maybe Nikon 50/1.8 and/or 85/1.8
Nikon 300/4 vr
1.4 and 2x teleconverters
ND filters
Mefoto tripod

Also: Sony Rx100 and Nikon j3 with 10-30 and 30-110. (Mostly for other family members to shoot with)

 

[AcuraTL]

I just came back from the Wonder Alaska cruise and lugged around my Full Frame Sony camera A99. All I got to say is it is well worth it. We also brought our Sony RX100 III but the pictures are not even close to the A99. Also, bring a decent flash as most of your photos would be indoor and a flash will really help bring out the details.

 

[sillecruisers]

Nikon D700 with 50 1.4, 105 2.8 and 70-300, SB900 speedlite
Go pro for snorkeling, video and water related adventures
Iphone 6+.
The majority of the time I will probably just use my phone, but there will definitely be times when I want really good quality pictures (I'm a photographer so I will want to exercise that creativity at some point, while not always lugging around the big heavy gear.) I don't want to spend the money on the photopass when I have good equipment and can have a CM take family pics for us.

 

[jeffbear]

I got a mirrorless Nikon L830 with a 35X zoom and a fixed lens for work last year. It works great for holiday pics and served me well on the Alaska cruise a few weeks ago. But I'd still rather just use my iPhone most of the time, if I'm honest.

 

[MunFam]

We were on the WBPC. I brought my Nikon D3000 and our cell phones and the photo package. On the first day at sea, the camera fell from the desk to the floor and the screen shattered. The strap was hooked on the drawer pull and down it went. We still used it for pictures, but a lot of the ports we were not comfortable taking out a big flashy camera, so we left it behind and just used our cell phones and they worked out just fine. The photo package from DCL was hands down the best for character and family photos, so that was great!

 

[goldielocks222]

For those of you who bring your DSLR, what do you do with it when you go in the pool, on the slide on the boat or in the ocean on Castaway? Do you feel comfortable leaving it with your stuff in your bag? Any tips on securing it? I want to bring mine, but I'm nervous.

Thanks!

 

[xlxo]

For those of you who bring your DSLR, what do you do with it when you go in the pool, on the slide on the boat or in the ocean on Castaway? Do you feel comfortable leaving it with your stuff in your bag? Any tips on securing it? I want to bring mine, but I'm nervous.

In those conditions...

• my DSLR would be left in the room while I might bring a smaller camera.
• another option is PacSafe product which I would cable tie my camera equipment around something solid (table underside?)

 

[jec6613]

I have a few:

• Nikon D7200 with MB-D15 grip and RRS L-plate
• Nikon D5100 with RRS L-plate
• Nikon N80 with MB-16 and Kirk QR plate
• Nikon FM
• Nikon Coolpix P7100 with dive housing
• Nikon Coolpix P330

I also have about a dozen lenses and several flashes. My primary camera is the D7200, with the D5100 when I want a second body to avoid changing lenses, or a smaller more compact body (the D5100 with a few lenses is the same weight or lighter than most mirrorless cameras). The P7100 is a compact with reasonably long zoom for good light, and I have a dive housing so it can come to the pool or snorkeling or even SCUBA. The P330 is my shirt pocket camera: a 24-120 zoom with 1/1.7" sensor and raw capability, plus f/1.8 on the long end makes it great to tuck into a suit pocket.

My DSLR lenses include is:

• 16-85 VR
• 70-300 VR
• 35 f/1.8 DX
• 50 f/1.8
• 50 f/1.4 AI
• 85 f/1.8
• 105 f/2.8 VR Micro
• 40 f/2.8 Micro
• 300 f/4E VR PF
• TC-14E III
• TC-17E II
• 18-55 VR
• 55-200 VR

Along with CP and ND filters in 52, 67 and 77mm sizes.

Which lenses come along on a particular day depend on what I'm shooting - the 35 f/1.8 almost always comes along, but the rest is totally up in the air.

 

[jec6613]

For those of you who bring your DSLR, what do you do with it when you go in the pool, on the slide on the boat or in the ocean on Castaway? Do you feel comfortable leaving it with your stuff in your bag? Any tips on securing it? I want to bring mine, but I'm nervous.

Thanks!

It stays in the room - that's why I have a P7100 with dive housing, it's waterproof so it can come with me, and, besides, I don't want to bring my DSLR then, and unless I need long lenses or a lot of detail the difference in good light between a good compact and a DSLR is minimal - if I need more dynamic range I bracket shots, and more resolution I'll stitch shots.

I feel comfortable going almost everywhere with my biggest DSLR, including pretty poor locations in South America, and I'm carrying one in Johannesburg. It's insured, and I have a backup camera, and I keep close track of it. I also make sure to bring the smallest camera that doesn't compromise the photos.

Here's my general advice: don't get one camera, if you can afford it, get at least two with complimentary capabilities that work together as a system. My mother carries a Coolpix S9700 and Coolpix AW110: a long zoom camera, and a similar size waterproof one. They take the same batteries and charger (and the S9700 can charge inside of the camera), have the same basic software and user interface, so she trades of zoom for waterproofness - and if something happens to one, she's not dead in the water.

I obviously have five for different needs, with three different batteries (plus AA's), but my flashes work on three of them, my lenses on four, my media cards across all of them, and the menus and interface is very similar between the three so I don't need to think much about what camera is in my hand, I can just shoot it (even if that camera hasn't gotten out for six months). They also take the same tripod quick release clamps (Really Right Stuff's Arca Swiss compatible system), and the raw files they output can be processed the same way across all cameras because they're all Nikon, and they will all connect to my various BlackRapid straps.