Question Non-diving Camera

[Hoyden]

Since all of my travel has generally included diving I have made do with my TG6 and my iPhone 13 Pro Max for travel. I am getting ready to take a land based trip (driving Rt 66) and can't decide if I want to buy a better camera since the majority of the trip will be "sight seeing" - I probably don't want to spend more than $500-$800. Alternatively, I could buy more lens options for my Phone. For anyone who does surface photography, what would you recommmend?

 

[tursiops]

Unless you have specific needs -- like super telephoto (birds, wildlife) or super wideangle, or desire wall-size blowups afterwards, it will be hard to beat your iPhone. I would take my Olympus OM-10 with a bunch of lens, just because I already have them, but it is a pain to carry around, especially if doing any hiking.

 

[Johnoly]

I could buy more lens options for my Phone.

Some of the 36X telephoto power lens from Apexel are really good and the wildlife photo's are stunning. They have pocket size tripods too for camera shake.

 

[Pressurehead]

I just don't like photos taken with my mobile phone, it's OK, but...
My go to is a Canon R7 as I already have a good range of L series EF lens, with the Canon EF to R adapter it is great.
The R7 with the 50mm f1.8 [which is cheap but a great lens] it makes a good travel camera, throw in a f2.8 mid range zoom and I am covered for most travel shots [the Sigma for travel as the Canon is very heavy, but what a great lens, I digress, sorry].
And it is not heavy, and with the 50mm it is compact, and when shooting RAW, what you can do in lightroom is amazing being 32mp.
The Canon R7 or R10 is a bargain and silly people are 'flogging off' good EF lens at stupid prices, why? they want the the new RF lens when the older are just as good.
If I am going to some suspect place where my gear my be 'pinched', I will take one of my DSLR [I have a few], and again DSLR are being sold at crazy prices, Now there is a cheaper option for travel, for your money you could buy a EOS 80D and 2 lens. or even a 7D and still have change.

 

[Kimela]

I like the stills my TG6 takes - and I've captured some pretty cool pics of water in motion (topside). It's what I'll take on our next land-based trip. I have a Sony dslr, but I don't light the weight of it on my neck or the worries around packing it, or the room it takes up. That TG6 is pretty awesome.

 

[tarponchik]

Best of all, get Sony A6000. You can get used at Amazon for as low as $429, and later upgrade to use it as your underwater camera. Also, depending what you shoot most, get either 2.8/20 lens for landscapes/cityscapes/people, or 1.8/50 for flowers/portraits.

 

[Nemrod]

Why is it that small sensor cameras get beat up on these photo forums for the last decade or more and then phones with sensors the size of a pin head get recommended? Are phones somehow exempt from the laws of optical physics?

If you want something more like a real camera of yesteryear then a Sony A6XXX APS-C or perhaps an OM Systems M4:3 camera. Either with a sensor many, many times larger than a phone. Or perhaps a Sony RX series with a one inch sensor.

 

[tarponchik]

Why is it that small sensor cameras get beat up on these photo forums for the last decade or more and then phones with sensors the size of a pin head get recommended? Are phones somehow exempt from the laws of optical physics?

If you want something more like a real camera of yesteryear then a Sony A6XXX APS-C or perhaps an OM Systems M4:3 camera. Either with a sensor many, many times larger than a phone. Or perhaps a Sony RX series with a one inch sensor.

Likely, it's the economy. You got to have an iPhone anyway, so you may pick up one with a better camera.

 

[tursiops]

Why is it that small sensor cameras get beat up on these photo forums for the last decade or more and then phones with sensors the size of a pin head get recommended? Are phones somehow exempt from the laws of optical physics?

If you want something more like a real camera of yesteryear then a Sony A6XXX APS-C or perhaps an OM Systems M4:3 camera. Either with a sensor many, many times larger than a phone. Or perhaps a Sony RX series with a one inch sensor.

It is not just the sensor size, it is also the megapixels. There are tradeoffs that do not translate from the days of film.

 

[ThatDogDontHunt]

Unless you have specific needs -- like super telephoto (birds, wildlife) or super wideangle, or desire wall-size blowups afterwards, it will be hard to beat your iPhone. I would take my Olympus OM-10 with a bunch of lens, just because I already have them, but it is a pain to carry around, especially if doing any hiking.

Agreed. I have morphed to using different fixed lens cameras for different uses. My underwater camera is only used for scuba diving.

You need to decide what type(s) of travel pics you want to capture.

For non-scuba travel I am generally trying to get pictures of wildlife that is way too far away. So I use a bridge camera. This keeps it fairly small and way cheaper than buying an equivalent telephoto lens. Quality suffers a bit.

For other non wildlife travel I use an older digital compact zoom with full manual control and an EVF.

For simple happy snaps I just use my Android phone.

There are lots of options. Pick one that works for you.