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Hi All,

I'm finally gonna get a digital camera, but not quite sure what kind yet. Can anyone recommend a good hiking/backpacking digital camera that can take the trail and is 3 megapixels? Also I will want to boost the memory up quite a bit.

Thanks in Advance!

Paul

Reviving an old thread with a question....I am getting my mother a new camera for Christmas. I have dropped, submerged, scratched, dented and basically worn out her old one. She deserves a new one in the worst way! I have looked at the ads and what's available in a digital Point and Shoot and holy there are a ton of different models out there!!! Especially Canon, I quit counting....So I'm going to the experts on this one...HAZers????

She is 82 years young, with arthritis in both hands. She takes pictures of Dogs, backyard Flowers, and relatives that occasionally come over to visit. Lots of indoor pictures, as well as outdoor...She doesn't need much zoom, but I know that she would like the ability to shoot video. She loves the Camera that she has, the one that I have beat up, but I don't believe that Model is available anymore, Canon PowerShot A590, and she really doesn't use most of the features that come with it, ie. Scenes. Auto is more her speed. It needs to be very user friendly as she has a hard time grasping "technical". Too many buttons and gadgets just confuse her. I worry that some of these "slimmer" designs would be hard for her to handle with her hands and everything is so small on them except for the viewscreen, which thankfully has gotten bigger, so I know she'll like that...

Ok HAZers, suggestions would be very welcome here....

Will you be using it too? Because it sounds like your needs and hers don't exactly overlap.

iPhone 5

done

@Outdoor Lover I think something out of the Canon A series would fit the bill, such as this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-S ... ikearizona

It's not super slim, so it would be easy to handle without being too massive like a superzoom. While every camera on the market will have more bells and whistles than most everyone really needs, one of these canon's would be about as simple as you can get. It shoots HD video (can you get a camera that doesn't nowadays), and the price is very reasonable. You could find last season's models for under $100, and the only slight down grade (if any) in features would not be noticeable to your mom.

@chumley
No, I will not be using it, ever. I will use the old one as a backup....
@hippiepunkpirateI wonder if that series is what actually "replaced" the A590.... Looks very similar.

hippiepunkpirate wrote:one of these canon's would be about as simple as you can get. It shoots HD video (can you get a camera that doesn't nowadays), and the price is very reasonable.

Be careful here... If you don't want a high-pitched noise (similar what you'd experience with tinnitus) in your videos, DO NOT buy a Canon SX260HS!

I noticed the noise a few weeks ago and just dismissed it, however today I tested both Tracey's and my own 260 and both do the same thing. So, hoping to find a 'fix' for this, I Googled Canon SX260HS high pitched noise and found MANY reviews from consumers as well as professional reviewers and found it is inherent to all the SX260HS cameras.

Next I called Canon Tech Support about it. The tech tried to get me to send it in so they can check it out, but after telling her not only did I confirm it on Tracey's camera as well, but I told her about the reviews. I wasn't going to let this drop so she actually got her personal SX260HS and one that tech support has and she confirmed the issue. Kind of funny, as she has owned the 260 for some time and never noticed the sound until I told her about it.

Anyway, she is forwarding the information to Canon engineering to see if possibly this can be addressed with a firmware update.

So, as much a fan as I am of Canon cameras (I've owned nothing but Canons for 25+ years), be careful if you want to sue the camera for videos. Oh yeah, one more thing on this camera, to me the Image-Stabilizer is whacky. Too sensitive at times and not sensitive enough at others. First I thought it was just due to focusing on something other than I expected, but I've since found that isn't the case.

Good luck, I hope you find the right one.

@te-waYou apparently don't have an 82 year old mother.... I have just a very basic flip phone for her and she has trouble using that....
@CannondaleKidI certainly don't want her to use something that makes her think she has Tinnitus in her good ear. She had to have surgery a few years back because the Meniere's Disease was making her so sick. We actually make fun of her now since the surgeons had to "spackle" the hole in her skull when they removed the balance organ from her inner ear....

Sony Cyber-shot cameras have always been decent. I have one now after owning several Cannon cameras and have been happy with it. They are a nice blend of low cost and just enough quality.

Sorry for bringing up an old one here but I need some input on cameras. I plan on buying a new camera soon and I am totally overwhelmed I have a Nikon AW100 and I like it. The problem is that I feel like I'm missing a lot of cool shot because it has almost no zoom. I want a point and shot with lots of zoom. I think DSLRs are cool but I have zero patience and even less money. The other problem is that I'm very hard on all my equipment ;) I like Nikons operations and format but I'm open to anything. I need to keep close to the $500 range and would like more than 16X zoom. Right now the Nikon P520 is a front runner. Any input on the subject will be greatly appreciated, thank.

@Bradshaws
This is what I have and love it, though I may not be as picky as others:
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-LUMIX-D ... ikearizona

20x zoom is pretty cool. We got ours for about $170. Does 1080p video too. One of the other reasons we got it is size; I can carry it in my pocket while hiking. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go to electronics stores and just compare cameras with the zoom you want.

@Bradshaws
I have the Canon SX40 with 35X zoom and I love it. It's a larger camera but that's something you have to tolerate with the "Super Zoom" series cameras. I have gone to the max (35X) and taken acceptable shots while hand holding the camera. I have been thinking about replacing it with the Canon SX50 that takes photos in RAW and has a stunning 50X zoom.

There are a lot of Super Zoom P&S cameras on the market now that offer great photo capabilities so your decision shouldn't be an easy one. Best Buy always has a good selection of cameras on display for comparison and sometimes a knowledgeable person on hand to answer questions. Find the one you like then shop on-line for the best deal and no sales tax.

@Cokadoodledude
Thanks for the info. That's a cool camera. I really like the fact it will fit in a pocket

@mnlumberjack
The Canon SX50 looks to be a very nice camera also

And unfortunately I think your both right. I'm going to have to go down to Best Buy or somewhere else to put my hands on and play with as many cameras as I can. Thanks for the info

Bradshaws wrote:@Cokadoodledude
Thanks for the info. That's a cool camera. I really like the fact it will fit in a pocket

I just bought the updated Version of this Camera last week DMC-ZS25 at Costco (currently $70.00 off) at $230.
I would suggest NOT carrying in your pocket without some sort of case/protection. all the stuff that gets in your pocket during a hike plays havoc with the lens. (From experience)

coanbru wrote:I would suggest NOT carrying in your pocket without some sort of case/protection

Oh yeah, when it's in my backpack it's in a hard case. When it's in my pocket it's in a bag to keep dust off, but I've still managed to get a little dust on it. Definitely keep it protected.

Just make sure when you are looking at the Zoom it says Optical Zoom not Digital. All the digital one does is blows up the picture like anyone can do on the computer.. doesn't get you any nicer looking image..

I love the Canon PowerShot series of Canons - this is my third one! I have the SX40 and have beaten the pumpkin out of it for about a year now. The superzoom is great! The fact that I can wear it about 8 hours a day on the weekends and it still works is a marvel. It goes rock climbing, rappelling, backpacking, etc. It only spends time in it's dry bag when I am sleeping in camp or in a very wet canyon...

I would suggest looking in Flickr at the groups for the specific cameras you are looking at and see what people are posting. If you like the results there then you'll probably like the camera. Plus check to see if those groups have good user info. You can learn a lot from your peers. I got into the Canon PowerShort 5is group on Flickr a few years ago when I had that camera. They had tips and challenges that made learning the camera more fun than just going out and taking random pictures.

The biggest question you should ask is: How big do I want the Camera to be??? Would I rather have one that fits in my pocket that has a decent Zoom capability or do I want a Super Zoom Camera that I have to figure out how to carry, that is still convenient to use when wanted, but protected???

I have always been a Nikon fan because of the quality of their optics. Canon gives you more nice options on the Camera and Software itself, but I still feel the optics are not quite as good. A few years back I had a Coolpix P500 and loved it. So when I decided to invest in a Camera again, I decided to go with what I liked in the past and chose the P510 last Fall. And I'm liking it as much as I did my original P500, plus it's an upgrade with a few more features. Sounds like the P520 is an upgrade to the one I have now...(I have not looked at it)

My P510 has 42X Zoom which is pretty nice for Fauna shots. I never use the Digital Zoom however, unless I'm using it as a monocular instead of a Camera for the reasons mentioned above. The one feature it doesn't have that the Canons have, is that you can use Filters with the Canons and I would have liked that feature. Maybe the P520 allows that???? Something to look at....

I'm pretty thrilled with the quality of the Photos that I've been getting with mine, however, you have to be willing to figure out a safe, convenient way to carry it as it is a bigger camera or a Bridge Camera as they like to call it. It is basically the last step before a full DSLR. There are still things that it falls short on, but that's because technically, it's still a Point and Shoot type Camera and I would not get those features unless I go to a full DSLR. That will be in my future someday, but probably not for everyday Hiking....

Happy Shopping!!!

@Outdoor Lover
Thanks for the great info. Getting Pictures of fauna is the #1 reason I'm looking for a new camera. Of ALL the options of ALL the "Point and Shot" Superzoom cameras, SIZE is going to be the tie breaker.

You sould be thrilled, many of your recent photos have been outstanding

@Bradshaws
If you get a Nikon, make sure you try it out at dusk or in low light first. The Nikon that I have is a COOLPIX L810, and it's terrible in low light conditions and is not a very good camera. It takes about 20 seconds to get the image focused, if it gets it focused at all, and there's a 5 second delay between all photos, which is annoying, so I've missed a lot of my fauna shots with this camera.

@gummo
I looked at the L810 and dismissed it almost right away. It's at the very bottom quality of "Bridge" type Cameras with not nearly the features as the P500 series....