Which of these features would you give up in a travel camera

I am looking for an all-purpose travel camera which I can always keep
with me. I made a list of all the features I would want and DPreview
tells me it doesn't exit! Great.

So which of the following features would you give up in a travel camera
if it were your only camera:

1. Manageable size. Not necessarily light, but should fit a big pocket.
2. At least 28mm at the wide end.
3. Approx 200+ mm at the tele end. (No tripod.)
4. IS
5. Possibility of either aperture or shutter priority.
6. Optical View Finder.

OK, no such thing at present. Therefore which are one or two of the
most dispensable features in your experience and opinion?

[BTW... if I take out optical viewfinder, I am left with one choice
Lumix FZ18, which has not been reviewed yet and seems too big anyway.

If I give up the wide angle instead I am left with Canon G7, also large
but (barely) manageable. I could live with the size, but hate to give
up 28mm.

If I give up optical finder and settle for 100+ telephoto, then there
good pocketable choices: Lumix Lx2, LX1; Leica D-Lux3, D-Lux2.]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

The Lumix TZ3 lacks an optical finder and manual A or S controls.
But it is quite compact AND has a Leica 10X zoom (28-280mm)lens.
I so rarely use manual controls that for me it is a non-issue. YMMV.
I do like an optical finder but the TZ3 is reported to have a screen
that is bright and quite usable even in direct sunlite.
Bob Williams

 

Numbers 4 and 5, and probably 2. Good optical zoom is pretty important
for travel pictures, and taking pictures in bright sun with most LCD
displays is pretty difficult.

 

: > 1. Manageable size. Not necessarily light, but should fit a big pocket.
: > 2. At least 28mm at the wide end.
: > 3. Approx 200+ mm at the tele end. (No tripod.)
: > 4. IS
: > 5. Possibility of either aperture or shutter priority.
: > 6. Optical View Finder.
: >
: > OK, no such thing at present. Therefore which are one or two of the
: > most dispensable features in your experience and opinion?

: Numbers 4 and 5, and probably 2. Good optical zoom is pretty important
: for travel pictures, and taking pictures in bright sun with most LCD
: displays is pretty difficult.

Thanks. The camera meeting these criteria is Canon G7 (lacks #s 2,5).

 

I would like light and small, but I find I usually carry my DSDR

While you can stitch a group of images if needed, I consider wide angle
a most important feature and seldom travel with less than 24mm or wider
equalivent.

I can live without this on most trips.

I can live without it. Practice and a little knowledge can do a lot
here.

Since you can control one with the other.... Why Worry?

Only if I must.



All of the above was based on my needs your may vary greatly.

 

OK, I'm going to take a little different tac. I have backpacked
through Belize with 2 Lieca M2s, a 24, I consider necessary this wide,
a 35mm and an 85mm, great photos. Canoed the Macal and Belize Rivers,
with the Leicas, great trip, just prior to going digital. Used a small
water resistant waist pack to hold everything. My solution for you
would be a Nikon D40(x) and Tamron 17-50 f2.8 and a Nikon 55-200 VR.
Not an expensive kit, but light weight. Results would be far better
than any of the P&S cameras you have listed. You also have f2.8 from
17-50 (25-75mm). This is something very nice to have. A Pentax K100
would be an alternative, not that familiar with Pentax lenses. Also
light weight, in camera antishake. Another the Olympus E510. DSLRs
have better response than almost all of the P&S, even though these are
bottom of the line cameras you will get exellent results, and much
less noise in darkish conditions.

Tom

 

Give the Nikon P5000 a look. With the wide angle and tele adapters, it
covers your list fairly well. Somewhat similar to the G7, but more compact.
Easily fits into a big pocket (without the adapters), and superb image
quality, if you keep the ISO low. I use it when I don't want to lug the
D200 around, and bought it based on your criteria of 1, 4, 5 and 6. I
wasn't as concerned with 2 and 3, so I haven't bothered with the adapters.

 

If my #5 you mean shooting mode, you'd better re-read the spec sheet.
If you don't mind a wide angle adaptor, Canon A710IS is 6:1 zoom, small,
takes AA's, but G7 is a better camera if you can live with the size.
Dave Cohen

 

: RPS wrote:
: >
: > : > 1. Manageable size. Not necessarily light, but should fit a big pocket.
: > : > 2. At least 28mm at the wide end.
: > : > 3. Approx 200+ mm at the tele end. (No tripod.)
: > : > 4. IS
: > : > 5. Possibility of either aperture or shutter priority.
: > : > 6. Optical View Finder.
: > : >
: > : > OK, no such thing at present. Therefore which are one or two of the
: > : > most dispensable features in your experience and opinion?
: >
: > : Numbers 4 and 5, and probably 2. Good optical zoom is pretty important
: > : for travel pictures, and taking pictures in bright sun with most LCD
: > : displays is pretty difficult.
: >
: > Thanks. The camera meeting these criteria is Canon G7 (lacks #s 2,5).
:
: If my #5 you mean shooting mode, you'd better re-read the spec sheet.

Right. The G7 only lacks #2 (28mm), and maybe #1 (although it is
classified as "compact"), but does have manual controls.

 

The G7 is a fairly bulky compact but nevertheless fits easily into my
pants pocket.

It's somewhat cramped in that pocket with the neck strap, though. If
only there was a quick-release strap for it.

KS

 

Define "big pocket." I travel with a Nikon D200 and several lenses,
including a 80-200 f2.8 telephoto. I have had jackets with pockets big
enough to hold this combination. I wouldn't choose to travel that way, but
YMMV.

Not wide enough. My walk-around lens is 18-70 and sometimes I wish I had a
wider one.

About right, although I do have a 400 that I use of nature photos.

Up to 200 mm, not at all important. Having a fast lens is much better IMO.

And then some

Absolute must.

How about a D40 with a 18-200 AF-S lens. Not VR but you can probably get by
without it. If you really want VR, try the Nikon 55-200 VR.

 

Nice specs, and looks little, if any, larger than my current P&S, which
is about as large as I am going to carry when traveling.