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Hi there,
I'm pretty new to digital photgraphy and I was wondering if I could ask for some help.
I'm off to South America in Jan next year and I'm wanting to take a good digital camera to record the ancient Inca sites I'll be seeing.
However there's that many cameras on the market I'm getting a bit over-whelmed.
I'm after a good camera that will take good quality shots that will encompass a lot of the field of view and will stand to been blown up to A3+ size.
I know I need to be aiming for a high megapixel camera but I need to stay around the 200 mark, 250 max.
Should I be aiming for an SLR, bearing in mind that I don't want to attract wandering hands, so the more compact the better.
I'm hoping you guys can help, I tend to not trust salesmen!
Thanks for any and all help,
Kilcaff.
A lot depends on how you are travelling. Is it a tour staying at tourist hotels or are you going rough?
In the later case probably the film slr is the choice but if you will have access to recharging facilities [simply a power plug like you have at home]at your hotel, most chargers [it should come with the camera] will work on both 110 or 230 volts without batting an eyelid, then an ideal camera meeting your specs is the Nikon 4100 at 189 pounds ...add in a 256Mb card at 35 pound you are within your extreme limit. You need to get a plug adaptor for the country[s] you are going to around 5 pound.
This is 4Mp and compact and will take any big close-ups you want.
As far as taking a wide field of view remember that you can always take a series of shots, allowing 30% overlap between each shot, and put them together in editing. You may get a stitch programme with the camera if you do not have Paint Shop Pro or Elements which permit you to work with the individual shots as layers for the stitching process. A wide-angle lens is way down the list of things I want to buy becuase the stitching is quite easy in editing.
I was away for five weeks and used a similar camera, it lived in my trouser pocket, un-seen except when I took a shot. In a foreign country I appreciated that from a security viewpoint.
If you cannot find downloading facilities during the holiday then remember to work at full resolution but increase the compression to keep the file size down.
Thanks for your help,
To clarify I'll basically be living with a local family in a rural community in deepest darkest peru for 3 months (2 weeks travel). The main reasons for really opting towards the digital is that I would like to be able to upload the pics/send them electronically to a web site or via email whilst away, when I visit the larger areas of cuzco/lima.
I also like the idea of using it post-trip for other projects.
as for price, I've not budgeted in this price range for memory cards/film/processing the 250 mark is for camera alone. I can cover other costs seperately.
Battery charging may be a problem, though I could take a supply before hand depending on the batteries the camera would take.
I've used panorama making programs before and I'm a big fan.
Adam,
Digital cameras are very heavy on batteries.
A friend went travelling in similar area to yourself but used a film slr and a supply of film (which you can pick up anywhere) and a couple of the film slr batteries as back up.
You can get yourself for example a good quality 2nd hand EOS and a couple of lenses and a stock of film for your trip.
The larger cities may have a develop and put on CD option. so you can upload when you are there.
Just to bear in mind that digital may not be the best way to go if you are relying on batteries or battery charging.
If you are certain about this and the camera takes standard batteries (like AA) then think about taking a portable solar powered battery charger or an in vehicle charger or invertor (most places will have some sort of vehicle or other).
I've done a fair bit of travelling in some out of the way places and its amazing where you will see the kodak or fuji sign 
May not be great quality but bearing in mind an old manual camera (like a praktica BX20) in manual mode with an old non battery operated lightmeter (like a weston)will continue to work with no power whatsoever indefinitely. So you are always guaranteed the photo
Ah an APS camera. Yes I can see you would want something better than that.
A digital SLR is out of your price range and if you get a one you would have to be prepared to spend time on a computer adjusting images etc and I imagine you will not want to do that. So I suggest you get a decent "prosumer" (an SLR-type digicam).
There is a huge range available within your budget. I suggest you do a Guided Search at Jessops HERE, and you may be able to come up with a few choices yourself!
A prosumer camera like a Minolta Z2 or Z3 would be within your range.
As an update, I've been looking around and discussed the matter with a couple of shops and read a few mags.
I've shortlisted now the Canon A95 and the Fujifilm E550.
This is largely based on the fact my original shortlist of the Fuji F610/F810 was scuppered by the battery problem of no mains supplies where I'll be staying.
Rechargeable NiMH was the only viable option, coupled with the option of a solar charger.
I take on board the film argument, however I prefer the route of digital for use after the trip. Also, I don't want to have to carry lenses about, Peru being the kind of place where things go walkies.
Which is also why I've had to remove the Z2/Z3 from my options as I really need something that I can squeeze in my pocket.
I've seen the Canon A95 and Fuji E550 for around 250 on dabs so I'm in my budget as well (which has now been upped to around 300 - hey, how many times will I be going to Peru!).
Thanks for all your help, and if you have any comments on the above please post them.
Thanks.
Adam.
I'd stick with film if I were you. Alkaline batteries tend to last about 20mins at a time (if youre lucky) so are not really a viable option, except in dire emergencies.
For 200 you could get a Nikon F55 or (the really good value option)a second hand Pentax MG/ME/ME Super, plus a film for every day, and spare batteries to last a decade.
With a little practice the results will be surprisingly good withstanding way beyond an A3 enlargement.
Just my opinion though.
If you are insistant on digital, then you aint gonna get a decent high megapixel for 200, plus batteries and enough memory to make it useful. Maybe you need to reprioritise. I know there are a whole load of high megapixel cameras around that price but they are generally rubbish (unless you find a bargain) To be able to enlarge to A3 you need an exceptional lens on the camera, not just loads of pixels.
Like I said, it's just my opinion though, I'm sure others will disagree!
Edit - Plus if you want a decent wideangle the cheapest repsectable ones are around 400. A 28mm lens for the aforementioned Pentax would set you back about 20-40 second hand. A friend of mine stayed in Peru, with a family for about the same amount of time. Unless they are relatively well off, they are not going to be too happy about you charging batteries every night. Peru is a very poor country.
Edit, edit - I suppose I am a saleman, and this is what I would recommend if you came in my shop! ;D
Shock horror, but given your requirements (Lack of mains etc) I would be looking into getting a second hand film SLR. How about an EOS 10 plus a 28 to 200 zoom. That lot ought to be possible to get for less than 200 second hand.
First time I've ever advised buying a film camera. Must be my recenttime in the dark room.
Can see you've looked into solar charger but didn't see any thoughts. I took one on my Everest Basecamp trek and very effective it was - had some lithium AAs as backup, which I've still got as never used! I was powering Fuji and GPSr with AAs
How did the solar charger do in the recharge time thing.
Would it take 3 days to recharge 2300 metal hydrides?
Any rough ideas as it might be a good bit of kit to have spare.
So long as you dont forward me your shops mail order details Ill take it as advice and not a sales pitch! ;o)
Main problem is that I need something that really fits into my pocket, I'm teaching English and doing conservation work (obviously won't have a camera on me most of the time doing the conservation work, what with the digging and rock moving). I'd prefer to have it there on stand-by.
I was aiming to avoid a neck bag/sack or another rucksack (I'll already have one on my back that would fit a small llama, and one on my chest).
I was considering using a solar charger for some NiMH rechargeable batts. Factoring in the total lack of a convenient power source. Ive not really examined it in depth yet, still reeling from the cast selection of camera! Id probably be taking a few sets of batteries and a couple of memory cards.
Id love to be able to take something like an SLR, Ive never really used anything like it before, with swapping lenses and such. But then there's the visibility issue.
In an ideal world Id like to take something like both.
I'll be taking my APS for rough and ready shots in places I wouldn't like to take anything too expensive.
Just when you think youre closer to a decision
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