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What still-image camera do you use, and why?

I’ve tried for a few years to use my Android phone with inconsistent results. In bright outdoor sunlight I make choice mistakes and don’t notice. On occasion it decided to try to sell me something when I’m trying to get started.
Last attempt the dolphins wouldn’t wait. ( On walk to minimarket.)
Still using a Panasonic Lumix FT-3 Compact, but don’t carry it unless intending to take pics.

Maoraigh
EGPE, United Kingdom

Malibuflyer wrote:

wildlife photography in Alaska with a professional photographer next to me. And she made the great comment “The only reason I got myself a (Nikon) D5 is that after that I can never again blame the equipment for my own mistakes.”

The other reason is to keep up with appearances.

People who have no clue about photography would probably not want to hire a professional whose camera looks cheaper than their iPhones!

Awesome photos by the way! That bear sent shivers down my spine reminding me of the mauling scene in “The Revenant”.

Last Edited by Alpha_Floor at 24 Feb 21:38
EDDW, Germany

Spontaneous and amateur do not necessarily go together.Terence Donovan a photographic trendsetter in the 60’s worked very hard at making his photographs look spontaneous, that’s how he became so in demqnd.
6k and 8k are now the formats many filmakers work with. It’s not for You tube or Vimeo or even for television,.Although it can be useful for cinemas, rather like " Phantom Menace" which was supposed to start a new wave of cinema technology, the main advantage of 6k and 8k are things like a greater colour range which allows you to do more detailed, image manipulation, such as green screen and fly away blond hair on a motorcycle at 70mph.

France

If I’m going somewhere I think there might be an interesting photo opportunity I bring my Canon 6D and 17-40mm F4 or 85mm F1.8 lens depending on what I think will work. I will bring the DJI Phantom 4 drone almost anywhere I go in the car, and use that as my still camera in many instances. Invariably I will bracket 5 images on a still and edit in lightroom. I use my phone to take technical photos of part numbers on the back on instruments or for functional reasons.

The beautiful images you see on Instagram of cars/boats/girls/houses/aeroplanes etc are not taken on the fly with an iPhone…

Buying, Selling, Flying
EISG, Ireland

best camera is the one you have handy as mentioned already. so iphone. but Sony RX100 is a good option for me as well – tiny camera with great results. and you have a choice between new models at rather high price and some older with great price

LKKU, LKTB

Good optical zoom makes many photos possible which you would never get with a phone. For example this was taken from ~3000ft with the G7X

And while this pic would look the same from a phone

this crop one would not – you would just see all the software enhancement artefacts

and forget ever getting something like this from a few k

Yes, the RX100 is another good one.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I was looking at the G7X Mk II, but then a saw the G7X Mk III. The specs looked very much alike, but there could be some invisible essentials there as the MkIII cost 50% more than the MkII. Is the MkIII worth the 50% higher cost?

The elephant is the circulation
ENVA ENOP ENMO, Norway

Lovely photo of Bembridge harbour at high tide. You have missed out the crab and lobster barge, which is a resteraunt selling just that on board.

I agree, you will notice good kit as soon as you attempt any serious zooming of the subject.

I have yet to find a good GoPro type camera which has a reasonable zoom. GoPro is all very well but the wide angle is not always what you would like. Of course more traditional video cameras offer this feature, but they tend to be a lot more bulky, and are rarely water proof. I think there would be a market for something in between with a reasonable lens and the ability to zoom. Perhaps it already exists?

Last Edited by Fuji_Abound at 25 Feb 11:17

Fuji_Abound wrote:

I have yet to find a good GoPro type camera which has a reasonable zoom.

I assume the challenge with “GoPro type cameras” when it comes to zooming is the viewfinder. This tiny monitors they have in the back (due to format of the entire enclosure) are not really suitable for evaluating what you shoot – not to mention serious image composition.
While with comparatively wide angle lenses it doesn’t matter so much as long as you point directionally right (at least for the type of filming these things are made for) with a tele lens it would be quite difficult to point at the right spot.

Germany

Malibu – yes exactly and the zoom that is provided on the latest incarnation is not that powerful in any event. You are right for general sporting action the very wide angle action cameras have adopted is very good, but it tends to result in the typical action camera type footage. Take for example when you are skiing. Lots of wide vista etc, but perhaps you are standing on the piste and wish to film someone coming down a nice steep black, and for the majority of the sequence they are lost. The zoom is also fiddly to use, all that is required is the typical rocker arrangement adopted by more dedicated cameras.

I have spent a few happy hours trying to find something that sits between the action type cameras and the full blown movie (call them what you will) cameras, but without much success.

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