Good camera for a live aboard lifestyle

Nostrodamus

Nostrodamus

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7 Mar 2011
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www.cygnus3.com
Can anyone suggest a good camera for the live aboard lifestyle. I am looking towards a good compact camera that is easy to carry in summer yet will stand the rigours of winter aboard. I need some kind of control over the photos and they need to be clear.
Thanks
 
I use two. For general use on board I have an Olympus Tough. Can be dropped from 2.1 metres without damage (not tested) and used underwater to 15 metres ( tested to about 5 metres, perfect). Zoom is a little limited but excellent for many purposes.
For higher zooms and generally better quality pics I have a Canon SX50HS, the second similar one I have owned, a really nice 'bridge' camera. Bridge cameras fill the gap between compacts and SLRs. In the past I have owned SLRs with several different lenses, that needed a small suitcase to accommodate them. The Canon is almost as good, offering a huge magnification with good quality resolution and many other features of more expensive types.
 
Thanks Vyv, I have a cannon SLR and although it is an amazing camera I find myself not taking it anywhere as it is just too big. I want something you can slip into the pocket of a pair of shorts in summer but still takes excellent pictures and even a bit of video. Cameras have moved on so much in a short time I am lost with which sort to look at.
 
Panasonic lumix waterproof. We have an old one and a new one in the family and both work well. The old one is a bit battered now but has been dropped used in water and kept onboard. It still takes good photos, pretty surprising actually. I don't really use it because I prefer either a DSLR or a small camera with full control and a great lens, a Canon and a Fuji X100S repectively. However, I often don't use my camera's either because the Canon is too big to carry everywhere and the Fuji is too expensive and delecate to take to places where it will likely get wet and knocked around. For on a boat the Panasonic wins. http://www.panasonic.com/uk/consume...nd-shoot/tough-compact-cameras/dmc-ft5eb.html
 
I too have an Olympus Tough (TG-820). As well as being impervious to immersion and most other sorts of maltreatment, I have been really impressed with the quality of the photos it takes.

For less demanding environments I have a Panasonic Micro 4/3rds System Camera which offers most of the advantages of a DSLR in a smaller format.
 
An afterthought - you may have seen and admired noelex's anchor photos on this and other forums. He also uses an Olympus Tough. I was disappointed that the recent PBO review of underwater cameras did not include it, as before I bought mine I looked at many online reviews in which it always did well.
 
A different approach ..

Have you considered the Sony Experia Z3 smartphone? 20Mp camera, HD video with image stabilisation, and waterproof. Will fit in your pocket and also serve as a phone and backup chartplotter.
 
cmedsailor said:
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ30 (or TZ40). Excellent camera, both for still photos and videos.
Click to expand...

I sold my Nikon D80 (digital SLR), it was so bulky with zoom lens I didn't carry it around often. Bought a Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ35 and have used it far more. Leica lens with 20x optical zoom giving 40x zoom total with image stability. Lives in a small belt pouch.
 
cmedsailor said:
Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ30 (or TZ40). Excellent camera, both for still photos and videos.
Click to expand...

Will the videos it produces run in wide format on Microsoft or other standard software? Reason I ask is that I bought a Panasonic video camera. It can only be edited with its own editing software, which is dreadful. In anything else a 16:9 format is compressed to 4:3 because it needs an additional file to tell its software the format. No other editing software will read it.
 
I favour a Pentax Optio WPi as a general use waterproof compact camera.
I had an Olympus Tough for a bit but it always seemed to take too long to fire up.
See something interesting, switch on the Olympus Tough, wait while it gets its software sorted out and and.........too late , its gone!
 
If you want rugged and waterproof, these are your current options: http://www.dpreview.com/articles/3436829389/dpreview-recommends-best-waterproof-cameras

Out of those, I'd pick either the Olympus TG-2 or the Nikon 1 AW1. The Nikon has a Nikon 1 mount and comes with a waterproof exchangeable lens. The downside is that it isn't quite pocketable (unless you have rather sizeable pockets), but it does take much better pictures than the others. The Olympus will fit in your pocket and is under half the Nikon's price, with otherwise comparable features. Picture quality is acceptable.

I'm quite happy with my Nikon and the fact that it's waterproof makes me take it out much more often than a regular DSLR where I'd be constantly worried that a drop of water in the wrong place would forever silence it.
 
vyv_cox said:
Will the videos it produces run in wide format on Microsoft or other standard software? Reason I ask is that I bought a Panasonic video camera. It can only be edited with its own editing software, which is dreadful. In anything else a 16:9 format is compressed to 4:3 because it needs an additional file to tell its software the format. No other editing software will read it.
Click to expand...

Happy new year and sorry for the late reply. The following is from the manual. Probabaly can help:

■■About the recording format for recording motion pictures

This unit can record motion pictures in either AVCHD or MP4 formats.

AVCHD:
You can record high definition quality images with this format. It is suitable for
viewing on a large format TV or for saving to disc.
AVCHD Progressive:
The [GPH] or [PSH] in [AVCHD] is a mode that allows motion pictures to be
recorded at 1920 x 1080/50p, the highest quality* that complies with the AVCHD
standard.
Recorded motion pictures can be saved and played back using this unit or
“PHOTOfunSTUDIO”.
* This means the highest quality for this unit.

MP4:
This is a simpler video format best used when extensive editing is needed, or
when uploading videos to the Internet.

■■About the compatibility of the recorded motion pictures
Motion pictures recorded in [AVCHD] or [MP4] may be played back with poor
picture or sound quality or playback may not be possible even when played back
with equipment compatible with these formats. Also, the recording information may
not be displayed properly. In this case, use this unit.
••Motion pictures recorded with [GPH] or [PSH] in [AVCHD] can be played back on
equipment that is compatible with AVCHD Progressive.
 
pmagowan said:
Panasonic lumix waterproof. We have an old one and a new one in the family and both work well. The old one is a bit battered now but has been dropped used in water and kept onboard. It still takes good photos, pretty surprising actually. I don't really use it because I prefer either a DSLR or a small camera with full control and a great lens, a Canon and a Fuji X100S repectively. However, I often don't use my camera's either because the Canon is too big to carry everywhere and the Fuji is too expensive and delecate to take to places where it will likely get wet and knocked around. For on a boat the Panasonic wins. http://www.panasonic.com/uk/consume...nd-shoot/tough-compact-cameras/dmc-ft5eb.html
Click to expand...

+1, but no normal viewfinder is a pain and makes the device almost unusable in bright sunshine.
 
Thank you all for your replies and I did look at all the cameras mentioned. There is some good ones amongst them.
I wanted something that will fit in a pocket, take good photos and will record HD video.
In the end I opted for the Sony RX100. There is a mark 2 and 3 of this camera but the MK 1 has been reduced in price for what you get I opted for that. I still wanted to have a lot of control over the pictures rather than point and shoot. It is not waterproof but most of our pictures are taken on land and for on the boat I have our dslr if needed.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sony-cybershot-dsc-rx100
Again thank you all.
 
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