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[at-l] Trail Camera
On 9 Apr 2002 at 17:14, Jan Leitschuh wrote:
> What's the difference between SLR and ?the other one (non-SLR) in practical
> terms?
SLR = Single lens reflex. The other kind is a generally
refered to as "point-and-shoot" (P & S) and usually has auto-focus.
There are some other geeky types of cameras that pros use,
but definitely not for hikers, unless your name is David Muench.
SLRs are cool but heavy. Cool because they use high-quality,
interchangeable lenses. OTOH, this is not an option that the
typical thru-hiker will take advantage of, as there's a huge
amount of weight involved (by thru-hiking standards.)
SLRs have many other advantages, and are the "serious"
photographer's choice. I lug around an old Nikon SLR on
weekend hikes, but it would be a crazy call to take that camera
on an extended hike, where every ounce counts.
> Do I want a zoom? How will I know?
Zooms are handy, but always a compromise in terms of
optical quality. For the same price, a "prime" lens (fixed
focal length, non-zoom) should be better quality.
> How important is a glass lens?
Fairly important, I'd say. Glass can be ground and
polished much more accurately, and glass lenses
carry coatings that help capture the maximum amount
of light.
> How lightweight do these babies get?
You can get some very light P & S cameras that
weigh maybe four, five ounces. My old Olympus
Stylus weights 7.3 oz.
> How important is waterproof/water resistant?
Another tradeoff. You pay for that feature. It's
handy but not really essential, unless you're
determined to shoot photos in foul weather, or
from a boat, or underwater.
> How important is the panorama feature?
Not. (IMHO) It's just a gimmick, really -- in most
cases it's accomplished by cropping part of the
frame to give the appearance of a longer aspect
ratio.
> What other features are nice/near-essential?
Self-timer, or a remote shutter, if you like taking
"group" photos with yourself in the picture. Or
photos of yourself in front of some landmark.
> how did you carry it? Where?
I carried mine in one of the outer pockets of my
Camp Trails pack.
> What are a few lightweight models worth exploring?
Olympus Stylus.
> Any battery considerations?
Hmmm. Best if it takes a "standard" battery
(like maybe AAA) but this criteria could exclude
some otherwise worthy models.
Final note -- have a look at BH Photo's website
(www.bhphotovideo.com) and shop around. Their
prices are about as good as you're going to find,
their selection is second to none, and they are
about as reputable a shop as you will ever find.
Whatever you choose (and as with any other piece
of gear) I suggest you take some practice hikes
with the camera and get used to its quirks before
starting a serious hike with it. And always carry
a spare battery... <g>
rafe b.
aka terrapin