Perro Del Diablo Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Hunting season upon us I would like get a camera to take along. I am thinking of budget of around $200. I would like to be able get good picture of deer head at about 60-80 yards. Last year a nice 8 point came out but hard to focus with cell phone at that distance. So any camera buffs aficionados have an idea what may be good option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trailrider #896 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 A small, lightweight digital with at least 6 megapixel. Ya gotta pack the weight with you, so a bigger, fancier camera is gonna be a drag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Howdy, I would get the digital equivalent of a 200 mm camera lens. And most digital cameras have shake control and you can just print a frame out of a video. Great stuff at very reasonable prices. You do mean digital camera not 35mm, right? I would very much favor something that says NIKON on it. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 Fuji makes several small digitals. I have used two or three and they're very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 We got this for my father in law for his trip to Israel. CAMERA IMO 16 megapixels is the absolute minimum you should look at. Also, optical zoom is far more important than digital zoom. This camera is still point and shoot, but it is a major step up from the cheap pocket sized cameras at Walmart. The next best thing would be something with interchangeable lenses. If you go with one of those, stick to a name brand with good reviews (I'm a Pentax man myself, but Cannon is a very close 2nd). The sensors in the larger cameras tend to be superior to the smaller ones. You can have a 30 MP camera with a cheap sensor that can be outperformed by a 20 MP camera with a great sensor. There is a YouTube channel by Tony Northrup. He and his wife are both professional photographers and they have made some excellent videos about the technical aspects of photography, as well as helping you choose a camera. They explain things to look for in a camera well and make it pretty easy to understand what to look for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 9, 2016 Share Posted October 9, 2016 One more thing I forgot to add, and as with everything else I said above, it's just my opinion. Packing a slightly larger camera on a hunt may be a bit more cumbersome, but the advantages to them in every other area where you would use them outweigh that negative. I would suggest you get a camera that you would be happy with in every situation where you would want to use one. Depending on where you hunt and what you take with you, there are some excellent backpacks available that will hold your camera as well as water, snacks, calls, etc. In a pack on your back, the added weight would be negligible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ace_of_Hearts Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 If the camera you purchase won't fit in your pocket...... Then be sure to get a camera harness for any hunting trip. Wildlife photography usually requires a lot of walking. The more comfortable you can make yourself the better. The camera can double as a binocular keeping your hands free for you rifle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted October 10, 2016 Author Share Posted October 10, 2016 These will be youth hunts so I will be chaperone the weight will not be a problem. I've had pocket cameras and they can take good pictures. I am wanting to go next step without breaking bank. Digital will be great as I can transfer photos at the hunt to the coordinators. Buffalo Douglas your link is to one of the ones I have considered. Thanks to all for sharing your knowledge and wisdom. Keep it coming also like to know what to avoid if a brand is not much more than expensive paper weight or is a to go to gem. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pulp, SASS#28319 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 To get a decent photo of a deer at the distances you're talking about is a challenge for a pocket camera. Not saying it can't be done, but it is a challenge. Lack of viewfinders, auto-focus not knowing exactly what you want to focus on, having to hold the camera at arm's length add up to a host of challenges. I bought a Nikon CoolPix P-610 about a year ago. It has a viewfinder, which helps tremendously, but it also has a flip out screen if you want to go that route. It has enough zoom to reach out there. I really like it, but it is not the perfect package either. Plus it is about $200 over the price you mentioned. So here's my suggestion. Whatever camera you get, make sure it has a wireless feature, and is tripod adaptable. You can aim with the tripod, and use your phone to trip the shutter, which eliminates camera shake. The biggest drawback of pocket cameras is slow lenses, which require slow shutter speeds. Here's a couple of photos taken at recent concerts. While not deer in the woods, the range is about the same, and the lighting is tricky. This photo of Lady Antelbellum was taken with a pocket sized Nikon CoolPix S3200: And this photo of Martina McBride was taken with the Nikon CoolPix P-610: The difference in quality is obvious. Both have 16 MP sensors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Plasters, SASS#60943 Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 has anyone had success with those camera glasses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 10, 2016 Share Posted October 10, 2016 As far as the major brand names, they are all pretty good. It's mostly about preference. Especially if you aren't getting a professional camera. If you get one with interchangeable lenses then you have a whole other line of things to consider. If you have a camera shop anywhere near where you live (those are few and far between anymore) it wouldn't be a bad idea to go in and gain some knowledge about the internal parts. If you know a professional photographer they would be a good help too. Another thing to consider is file size. When I shoot, I shoot everything in RAW format. Those tend to be large file sizes, but if you do anything in Photoshop (or send them to someone to edit in Photoshop) it gives you so much more data to play with and adjust. If the camera has that option, I would shoot them in that format as you can always save to a jpeg later. But, because of their size, get the biggest memory card the camera will support and carry a spare. My pictures are 12-17 MB in that format. It also carries with it all the data the camera took. For example you would know resolution, f-stop, etc. as it would all be tagged on that. If you do decide to buy one from amazon, spend a little extra and go with one of their bundles. There is always something you can use at a later time in those you might wish you had later. The "amazon Basics" line has some great budget friendly products. I have their bag, tripod, and a few other products and none of them have let me down yet, and they aren't overly expensive. For point and shoot, you want to be sure it has the CMOS sensor. That is the newer style of digital optical sensor. (the sensor is like the mirror in an old film camera). This photobucket album was all in a dark room with my good camera. They were just cropped and resized to jpeg format. I didn't do any other editing to them. But because I saved them as RAW, if I wanted to, I could go into photoshop and make them look like they were taken on a table outside in the daylight. If you haven't guessed, I'm big on RAW format Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks for all the advise I have chosen a Nikon L 840 package with 32 gig memory card from amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 That's a good choice. My father in law loves his. I played with it a bit and for still being of the point and shoot variety, it is very capable. Good luck on the hunt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I have one of these (sorta, older version) and love it! First digital I've had that meet or exceeds my film cameras. Well, maybe not my medium format. You can get something like this for around $300 or a mite less. JHC http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/coolpix/p/p900/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Camera people are very opinionated (gun people aren't? ) and many of them have thee opinion that Nikon's 16MP is better than Canon 24MP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colorado Coffinmaker Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I do just fine with the camera in my iPhone Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Camera people are very opinionated (gun people aren't? ) and many of them have thee opinion that Nikon's 16MP is better than Canon 24MP.Always been hard to beat Nikon's optics quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 After last year seeing nice buck son could not harvest but pictures were allowed my galaxy s 5 just not good enough. So this year I will step up a notch. Thanks to the good folks here in the saloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 I do just fine with the camera in my iPhone Eventually we get to a time when "I'm not sure what's in the picture, but it's that little thing in the middle." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted October 13, 2016 Author Share Posted October 13, 2016 Eventually we get to a time when "I'm not sure what's in the picture, but it's that little thing in the middle." :lol: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 My daughter just picked up a Fuji X-T10 at the BX. It is a bundle with two lenses and she opted for an additional card and a tripod. I love the looks of it with the throwback / nostalgia thing going. It reminds me a lot of my Pentax K-1000. I'm looking forward to seeing how she does with it, and how it works for her, as she is just getting into photography. It seems something else has passed on through the generations. I have a few old 35mm SLRs and a couple of cameras in other formats as well that my dad gave me. I want to find some way to display them where they aren't constantly covered in dust, since I will have very little chance to use them (some I don't believe I can get film for). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 you can get film for just about anything (for enough money). Not Kodachrome of course, actually I am sure you can buy Kodachrome, you just can't get it developed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Camera people are very opinionated (gun people aren't? ) and many of them have thee opinion that Nikon's 16MP is better than Canon 24MP. Never shot the Canon so can't say. All I know is LOVE my Nikon 820! JHC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Howdy, That Nikon 840 is darn tempting. Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shootin' Shu Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Whatever you get be sure it has an optical viewfinder.. I dont care which brand claims you can see their lcd screen in sunlight it wont happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 My daughter just picked up a Fuji X-T10 at the BX. It is a bundle with two lenses and she opted for an additional card and a tripod. I love the looks of it with the throwback / nostalgia thing going. It reminds me a lot of my Pentax K-1000. I'm looking forward to seeing how she does with it, and how it works for her, as she is just getting into photography. It seems something else has passed on through the generations. I have a few old 35mm SLRs and a couple of cameras in other formats as well that my dad gave me. I want to find some way to display them where they aren't constantly covered in dust, since I will have very little chance to use them (some I don't believe I can get film for). I just checked out the Fuji at Amazon... darned cool camera, but YIKES!! I hope she got a better deal at the BX...! Now... howcome nobody's invented a gizmo to convert those great old film SLR's into digital cameras...? I'd love to be using my late-60's vintage Canon FTb again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I just checked out the Fuji at Amazon... darned cool camera, but YIKES!! I hope she got a better deal at the BX...! Now... howcome nobody's invented a gizmo to convert those great old film SLR's into digital cameras...? I'd love to be using my late-60's vintage Canon FTb again... Significantly better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I just checked out the Fuji at Amazon... darned cool camera, but YIKES!! I hope she got a better deal at the BX...! Now... howcome nobody's invented a gizmo to convert those great old film SLR's into digital cameras...? I'd love to be using my late-60's vintage Canon FTb again... That's partially why I stuck with Pentax. I started out with a used K1000 and had 3 lenses for it. My dslr, from Pentax, still uses the same lense mount. With the other manufacturers, they seem to change lense mounts quite a bit. They have adapters to go from one mounting system to another, but the ones I've seen aren't as stable as a direct mounted lense. And that's one more thing you have to buy to continue using your same equipment. I can use all my old lenses, I just loose the auto focus as they aren't motorized like the new ones. I set up one of the user defined settings specifically for my old film lenses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chili Ron Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Howdy, Some breakthrough technology makes old lenses and other parts obsolete. And that's all there is to it. I paid over 200 for a single lens. Today the L840 is 200 for the camera and lens. And the lens isn't 200 mm or 300 mm or even 500mm. That is a 3200 mm lens. That's a good bit over three YARDS. Imagine carting around a nine foot long lens. Ive heard that photo students at various will put old equipment to good use. If anyone has more info on such donations please let me know Best CR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perro Del Diablo Posted October 14, 2016 Author Share Posted October 14, 2016 Howdy, That Nikon 840 is darn tempting. Best CR 209.99 plus 9.99 shipped factory refurbished with few extras like tripod case Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 That's partially why I stuck with Pentax. I started out with a used K1000 and had 3 lenses for it. My dslr, from Pentax, still uses the same lense mount. With the other manufacturers, they seem to change lense mounts quite a bit. They have adapters to go from one mounting system to another, but the ones I've seen aren't as stable as a direct mounted lense. And that's one more thing you have to buy to continue using your same equipment. I can use all my old lenses, I just loose the auto focus as they aren't motorized like the new ones. I set up one of the user defined settings specifically for my old film lenses. What model Pentax do you have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 I just checked out the Fuji at Amazon... darned cool camera, but YIKES!! I hope she got a better deal at the BX...! Now... howcome nobody's invented a gizmo to convert those great old film SLR's into digital cameras...? I'd love to be using my late-60's vintage Canon FTb again... :)I I'd love something like that too. I don't like digital displays and don't like autofocus. But to get something like that these days you have to spend some serious bucks for a professional grade camera. I was dragged kicking and screaming into the digital photography age, and it has advantages for sure, but I'd still prefer shooting my Pentax SLR's. I even have a 6x7 Pentax SLR medium format that uses 120 or 220 roll film. Try finding some of that these days, not to mention getting it processed. JHC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 That's partially why I stuck with Pentax. I started out with a used K1000 and had 3 lenses for it. My dslr, from Pentax, still uses the same lense mount. With the other manufacturers, they seem to change lense mounts quite a bit. They have adapters to go from one mounting system to another, but the ones I've seen aren't as stable as a direct mounted lense. And that's one more thing you have to buy to continue using your same equipment. I can use all my old lenses, I just loose the auto focus as they aren't motorized like the new ones. I set up one of the user defined settings specifically for my old film lenses. I still have a near 40 year old K1000. Still shot it up until about 3 years ago. My wife and I went on a cruise (or maybe our Hawaii trip), she was shooting a digital, got a corrupt memory card and lost 1/2 her pics. My old 35mm's turned out just fine! JHC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt. James H. Callahan Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 Howdy, Some breakthrough technology makes old lenses and other parts obsolete. And that's all there is to it. I paid over 200 for a single lens. Today the L840 is 200 for the camera and lens. And the lens isn't 200 mm or 300 mm or even 500mm. That is a 3200 mm lens. That's a good bit over three YARDS. Imagine carting around a nine foot long lens. Ive heard that photo students at various will put old equipment to good use. If anyone has more info on such donations please let me know Best CR Times have changed, that's for sure. Film camera stuff I used to couldn't afford is dirt cheap on E Bay, even medium format stuff. I had a fella one time wanted to buy my 6x7 Pentax outfit, he had his stolen. That was back when medium format stuff was still worth $$$$. Could have made some serious cash and wouldn't sell it. Wish I had how, it's worth pennies on the dollar and pretty much useless. Much as I hate to admit it, I think my little Nikon takes pics as sharp or sharper as the 6x7, and a whole lot farther and in lower light. Not to mention the 6x7 w/o a strobe is pretty much useless without a BIG tripod, it is so large and heavy. JHC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo Douglas Posted October 14, 2016 Share Posted October 14, 2016 What model Pentax do you have? I've got their K-50 with 2 motorized lenses (an 18-55 MM and 50-200 MM) My larger focal length lenses *200+ mm) are from my K-1000 as I got them for $20-40 vs $300 or more for the new stuff. I prefer those lenses if I'm not trying to grab quick shots as I can manually adjust everything and don't have to deal with trying to get the auto-focus to grab what I want. I've had a lot of fun with that camera. I took a lot of pictures at my brother in laws wedding. They had a friend who was a "photographer" do all their pictures. When they saw the ones that I took, after running them through Photoshop and putting them on a DVD for them, they said they wish they would have paid me to do it rather than the so called professional. Which I would have then used all the money to buy some of the neat stuff that my camera bag is lacking. Maybe I'll get a gig doing their maternity photos when that time comes. The only downside to modern Pentax is it can be harder to find compatible accessories. To get a good flash, there aren't as many that sync up with the Pentax camera as the ones that work properly with Cannon and Nikon. Also the off brand lenses tend to be harder to find as they mostly manufacture Cannon and Nikon mounts. It's fairly hard to find a K-mount digital lens from an off brand manufacturer that is of decent quality and still affordable. Amazon has thousands of results compatible with Canon and Nikon and usually less than 100 for Pentax. BUT, Pentax never changed their mounting system, so that was a huge plus for me as I learned on the K-1000. All of your K mount lenses work on new Pentax cameras. I think the only exception is their new medium format digital camera. I still have a near 40 year old K1000. Still shot it up until about 3 years ago. My wife and I went on a cruise (or maybe our Hawaii trip), she was shooting a digital, got a corrupt memory card and lost 1/2 her pics. My old 35mm's turned out just fine! JHC I mainly use mine for B&W as IMO digital hasn't come close to surpassing film in that aspect yet, unless you drop thousands on camera and gear. You just can't beat film for B&W as far as I'm concerned. B&W is fairly easy to develop yourself once you've practiced a time or two with unimportant film rolls. As for memory cards, I never skimp on those. I buy the absolute best I can afford and back them up to my PC after every time I go out and shoot. I've had excellent luck with the Kingston brand and rarely buy anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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