Cameras?

[wookieone]

Just wanted to ask if anyone out there had a good bikepacking camera that they liked? I am in the market for a new camera and was hoping for some advice. Mostly want simple, rugged, decent pictures, good battery life and not terribly expensive as they all seem to break. Any suggestions would be much appreciated! Thanks Jefe

[Carney]

I've been beating up an older version of this camera for the past year or so. It has a medal body, is shock proof, water proof etc. I've dented the crap out of the body and it is still working great. The price is a bit steep, but if it survives rain, snow, drops, etc it's worth it in my book. I'm kinda out of the loop on the digital stuff, but have been pleasantly surprised with the picture quality for a point and shoot.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Olympus+-+Stylus+Tough+12.0-Megapixel+Digital+Camera+-+Black/9225313.p;jsessionid=651C4459E2CB452564FD9BFAE983BD5E.bbolsp-app04-08?id=1218062424788&skuId=9225313

[paxton coyote]

been using an Olympus Stylus 850 sw (shock/waterproof) for over a year now, I'm happy with it though I have a lot to learn on taking pics.


   www.paxtonpeleton.blogspot.com

[willapajames]

I'm a big fan of the Pentax Optio W-series.  I'm on my 3rd one.  I had the first one (Optio WPi) for 3 years until I dropped it in a waterfall and couldn't find it until 3 weeks later.  It actually turned on at first, but proved to be a goner.  The second one (W60) was stolen from a shitty hotel room in Tennessee.  I just got my 3rd one (WS80), and it's the best one so far.  They're cheaper than the Olympus ones, and there's no external moving parts to get jammed with crud.  The only complaint I have with it is that the location of the tripod mount made it hard to open the battery hatch without modifying the mount a little.  
Here's the one I've currently got:  
http://www.amazon.com/Pentax-WS80-Waterproof-Black-Orange/dp/B002KE48CK/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267586647&sr=8-14
It also happens to be extremely light.

Edit:  I forgot to mention that it's waterproof and shockproof.  Also, in my limited experience, cameras that run on AA's eat through batteries.  The charger for this camera weighs less than a couple AA's, but you've got to find a place to plug it in...
It doesn't have a viewfinder (peepsight), but I've gotten pretty good at aiming it without being able to see the view on the screen on sunny days.

[redtabby]

I recently picked up a Panasonic Lumix ZS3.  It is very compact, which makes it easy to stow in a small carrying case which rides nicely on the cross-strap of a pack.  If you like making short videos, they have a button dedicated to that function, so you don't have to change mode settings or make other adjustments.  This camera does not have a viewfinder, which I have missed on bright sunny days (snowshoeing, for example).  Even in the worst conditions for seeing the display, I've gotten reasonable pictures.  (Doing a panorama assist in bright conditions could be difficult).  The image stabilizer on this camera is quite good; to get naturally lit shots I've declined the flash and gotten crisp images of still scenes with shutter speeds of 1/30th or slower while holding the camera.  You don't have manual control beyond exposure correction, but they give you quite a few "scene" modes to choose from, and you can preset two scenes on the mode dial for handy access.  The camera has a reasonably wide-angle view which zooms to 12x.  This is a 10.1MP camera.  Pictures in good natural light (or close up with the flash) have great clarity.  As light quality declines, the image quality degrades incrementally with grain becoming increasingly visible.  Of course, all cameras suffer from this.  The Lumix might not be as good of a low light camera as slightly more expensive, heavier, 12MP Canon PowerShot that I also own, but the difference hardly matters to me.  I've gotten more cool shots with this camera in a few months than in years owning the bigger camera - precisely because it is accessible right away.  Hope this helps!

[JF-rides]

Funny how everyone has a different answer for ya. I have had good luck with the Nikon Coolpic cameras. Mine is 10 mpix, has movie mode. I have dropped mine many times but it keeps on working. I guess the worst thing I did to it was spill coke on it while mixing a finish lap bottle for a Nordic ski race. It made the lense too sticky to move in and out. Figured it was done for so I got it warm, washed it with soapy water (made a mess) and I am still using it today. I also like the software that comes with the Nikon. Easier to use than some of the other brands.

Just make sure that you "don't" buy a rechargable camera.  Just keep some extra batteries. Get a good case, obviously. My case fits on my camelback sternum strap pretty nice for quick draw shots. I also like having a viewfinder to look through. It is hard to look at the digital screen when it is really bright outside. I have also noticed many new compact cameras make it really hard to turn on/off the flash. This is a pain because sometimes you need to flash even when it is daylight or you will have a shadow instead of a person... Good luck

[riverfever]

Jefe,

I use a Canon Powershot SD 1200 and love it. Super small and great pics. My last one finally quit working after I dropped it in a river so I recently got  a new one.

[jhl99]

I would recommend a camera that uses AA batteries over any proprietary battery, likewise for memory card... something that uses SD cards.  Additonally, an optic viewfinder is good for conserving battery power and composing shots in bright sun.

I've had good luck with my Cannon (not sure of model  A540?, out of production), bought a refurbished unit and is going strong... uses AAs and SD, good battery life, optic viewfinder, has manual focus cabability, accepts filters and wide angle lense with adapter tube very compact... was $130 or something in that range.

[bigworm]

I am currently using the Canon S90 but its not very cheap for a P&S. Its very durable though and takes spectacular pictures. You may want to check out kenrockwell.com he has some very good reviews on cameras.