Camera for the hills

[Aktoman]

Hello I am new to this so not sure if this is the right place for this advice. I am doing the munros and my old camera is just not up to the job anymore so I want to buy a new one. Does anyone have any recommendations? My current camrra is just 2MB max so that shows how old it is. I try to do wildlife shots but they always seem too far away or blurry so I guess I am looking for something with zoom and fast AF. I do alot of wild camping so I would like to experiment with night pictures too. But I dont want one of those big muckle things, just a lightweight thing thats practical for the hills, not to big or heavy. If anyone can point me in the right direction that would be much appreciated. Thanks

[dabshood]

If you need a compact waterproof camera for general use in the hills I would take a look at the new Olympus TG5 which is just about to be released. Sorry I can't actually recommend it as I'm still waiting for delivery myself. According to the pre-release reviews it's among the best of the waterproof types.

[Robinho08]

I've got a Panasonic TZ70, newer models are out now but it comes with a decent zoom for wildlife and handy for night shots.

[Mal Grey]

I have an Olympus TG2 (great grandad of the TG5), very tough, waterproof. Great pictures in good light, less good in poor light. Can't imagine it managing night photos well, for that you'll need a good camera with the ability to open the shutter for extended periods. Zoom is fine, but nothing special and not something I would say is good for wildlife, but again not much in the "compact" class will be at reasonable prices. I think you're paying quite a lot for the camera being waterproof/shockproof, which I need for canoeing, but therefore the actual performance is less good than others at the same price point as you're paying for things like the seals, special battery closures etc. Don't get me wrong, its a good camera, and the TG5 will be better I'm sure, it just has some limitations. I am used to having a DSLR with me 95% of the time though...

I've seen some impressive zoom results from Panasonics, of the compacts those seem to be the most powerful and somehow manage to keep things sharp and steady.

"Bridge" cameras might give an option between compacts and DSLRs which give better results but are less bulky than the latter.

[prog99]

I had a panasonic superzoom camera but got rid of it. The pictures at a glance were bright and seemed good but looking closely at them showed horrible artifacts and smoothing. Would be interesting to see if even newer models have resolved this.

The newer olympus sounds interesting. If they have finally solved the image quality issues that have affected the whole range (I had an older one) then they could be onto a winner.

For me an aging canon d10 for its waterproofness(and good photos) and a sony rx100 for other times suffice.Neither have crazy zoom levels but good image quality.

[Essan]

Unless you have £1000+ to spend, my recommendation would be one of the Panasonic TZ range - can be used as a basic point and shoot camera but has loads of options for manual and more creative use. Small and doesnt weight too much and if you avoid the latest model not too expensive (TZ90?). Batteries last well. "Starry Skies" mode gives a 30 sec night-time exposure which will capture the constellations though you wont get the stunning shots of the milky way taken by those with much more expensive cameras and "HDR mode" is good for general landscape. Plus a 30x zoom (depending on model). My TZ70 is as good as my previous Fuji HS30 Bridge camera and a fraction of the size and weight.

[LoveWalking]

This thread might help you

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=68361

[garyoppolis]

From the thread linked above, I'm very happy with my second hand RX100 Mk 1.

It's compact: about 4" x 3" x 1"

It does long exposure: 30 seconds in the settings and a "bulb" I haven't figured out yet.

The autofocus is fast: I don't know how it's measured but it's quick.

The sensor is big: (ish) makes good use of the light it gets and minimises noise in low light. Probably some other stuff I don't understand.

On Ebay, anything between £170 and £240.

That's by no means a recommendation based on a thorough understanding of the camera market, but I have one, and I know I like it.

*better options may exist(*

[weaselmaster]

I too had an RX100 mark 1 - Great camera, high quality photographs and very compact.
Do be aware however that it doesn't like water - I took it along with me when completing the Grahams recently. it got a little bit moist - light drizzle - and unfortunately has ceased to work. I did dry it out thoroughly but although some functions do work, the screen remains dead, which renders it fairly useless for taking photographs.

I am swithering whether to replace it with the same model, or consider the new TG5 when it becomes available.

[Border Reiver]

If you need a compact waterproof camera for general use in the hills I would take a look at the new Olympus TG5 which is just about to be released. Sorry I can't actually recommend it as I'm still waiting for delivery myself. According to the pre-release reviews it's among the best of the waterproof types.

After dropping a Panasonic TZ7 from my pocket into a river and killing it, I carry an Olympus TG1 (similar to TG5). It's drop proof to 2m, waterproof to 10m, freeze proof to -10c & dust proof. It's also got GPS built in. If it drops in mud, I can just wash it in a pool. Not the biggest zoom, but still excellent for landscapes. I would imagine the TG5 is a good deal better. I also carry a Canon G16 compact which is a more sophisticated camera, but I daren't get it wet or drop it.

[Aktoman]

Thank you for all your replies and advice. Sorry for delay in my reply but been away working for last 4 weeks.

There are so many to choose from and I guess they all do the same thing to varying degrees. I will take a trip to the shops and try out all your suggestions and maybe have a new camera for my next adventure.

Thanks again

[Mal Grey]

I have an Olympus TG2 (great grandad of the TG5), very tough, waterproof. Great pictures in good light, less good in poor light. Can't imagine it managing night photos well, for that you'll need a good camera with the ability to open the shutter for extended periods. Zoom is fine, but nothing special and not something I would say is good for wildlife, but again not much in the "compact" class will be at reasonable prices. I think you're paying quite a lot for the camera being waterproof/shockproof, which I need for canoeing, but therefore the actual performance is less good than others at the same price point as you're paying for things like the seals, special battery closures etc. Don't get me wrong, its a good camera, and the TG5 will be better I'm sure, it just has some limitations. I am used to having a DSLR with me 95% of the time though...

I've seen some impressive zoom results from Panasonics, of the compacts those seem to be the most powerful and somehow manage to keep things sharp and steady.

"Bridge" cameras might give an option between compacts and DSLRs which give better results but are less bulky than the latter.

Further to this, I've only gone and broken my TG2! Chipped the corner off the case, so no longer waterproof. Fair to say its had some serious abuse, being dropped into canoes, swum down rivers, thrown about etc, so I still view it as tough. Intending to fix with epoxy, and assume its won't be submersible any more, but should still keep the rain off.

[rgallie]

Not my thread but a subject I have been stuck on for months, having spent a bit of time deciding between something from the Sony RX100 range or the Panasonic Lumex TZXX rangeI think i'm gna get a TZ90..

Half the price of the latest RX.
And whilst image qualty will not be quite as good I only ever post them on Facebook.
The main reason for wanting a new camera is decent optical zoom and this beats the RX on that.
If I really want good night sky photos i'll make the effort to bring my Canon DSLR since i'd have my larger overnight backpack anyway.