Cameras for motorcycle camping

knary said:

How is the performance better?

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Well actually with a marketing term they use is real life technologies and well when I take a picture that has varying lighting conditions the camera processes and turns out a real nice picture.

Like if I take a picture with the sun to the side it will not only fill in with the strobe if need be but also adjust the background as well to "make" it look the best.

Basically it just works the best for me. I have tried the sony's and canon's and still have an canon elph film camera and this hp well just works better for regular everyday use. (point and shoot)

M. Cohen said:

I carry my Canon D-SLR, a bunch of lenses and tripod when I travel--packed in typical soft stuff and so far no problems.

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but then also,

Bob W said:

Carrying a SLR on a bike is a risky business. Some do it but they pack the lenses very carrfully. Lenses do not like vibration.

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So I've been using a Minolta DiMage 7Hi, but I have a Nikon D70 ordered. What's a reasonable way to pack to guard against vibration? I can see that the cut foam can protect against a discrete blow, but what about vibration? Is foam still the best approach?

Noel

The NY Times ran a nice series of articles in their Circuits section this past week. It can be viewed online at www.nytimes.com then go to the Circuits section. The debate will rage between digital and film for a long time. Each has its place. The articles will not answer all your questions but can provide a basis to figure out what you want.

I agree with the recommendation for timer and tripod. For the bike look at REI and other camping suppliers for a mini tripod. The mini tripod is only about 8-10 inches tall. It has a Velcro strap that I use to strap it to the handle bar. It is small but can be set up on the tank or luggage to give it some height. It also can be strapped to a road sign or tree. It may sound goofy but works great and allows a steady shot and for you to be in the picture if you want. I also have a hiking staff that has a ball on the top that can be removed to allow it to be used as a tripod support.

Packing camera and related gear is a balance between access and safety. There are various cases and pads that can be used to protect the gear. I have carried a film SLR and interchangeable lenses to various digital cameras. Vibration was not the major concern, rather dust and water. Packed with reasonable care vibration should not be an issue until you reach the point you are shaking the bike apart. At that point you have bigger issues to worry about than your camera.

digital cameras

Two sites which might help you compare features of the multitude of digital cameras available are: http://steves-digicams.com and http://dpreview.com

I love good photo ops and I love bikes.......I'm taking my whole D70 Nikon system to Alaska this summer. The issue was easy availability. I don't want to stop the bike and take 15 minutes to unpack the camera to shoot a picture. Here is the setup I designed. Works great and on a shakedown trip to NC it worked perfectly.......





Everything is foam mounted in this pelican case. All my gear is tied down infront of the case. I can open the case and remove the camera without disrupting anything else on the bike. All with gloves on if need be......

Nice job!

Hey Roy, that's a really nice job you did mounting the Pelican case to the bike. And those cases will take any kind of beating you hand out. Great way to carry an SLR. Just wondering, are you also taking a P&S for even quicker access? Something you can just leave in your pocket?

RoyB said:

I love good photo ops and I love bikes.......I'm taking my whole D70 Nikon system to Alaska this summer. The issue was easy availability. I don't want to stop the bike and take 15 minutes to unpack the camera to shoot a picture. Here is the setup I designed. Works great and on a shakedown trip to NC it worked perfectly.......

Everything is foam mounted in this pelican case. All my gear is tied down infront of the case. I can open the case and remove the camera without disrupting anything else on the bike. All with gloves on if need be......

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If you're still around here, I'd love to copy this setup you've got so I can take my Canon down some backroads.... what parts did you need for securing it down (I like the locks), any good recommendations on where to get the case, and how did you keep it waterproof if you needed to drill.... I presume it's probably like guncase foam inside that you cut yourself?

Very nice rig.

I'd just strap my padded lowenpro backpack on the back, but it's not terribly waterproof...





Mark

i just bought this camera for the exact same reason:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/

didn't go dslr because i thought that was overkill and risky considering i'd be riding with it. so far this cannon has done well. i'll really be putting it to the test this summer though--can't wait!

I dunno, SLR is worth the risk. But care must be taken....

Canon S80: Ultimate Bike Camera

Although this is an older thread, I'm glad to see it resurrected. I bought a camera Saturday, and I'm so enamored with it, that I thought I would start a thread in tribute to what I think is the "ultimate motorcycling camera."

An SLR is always a superior camera, due to its greater flexibility, more advanced features, lens changing ability, etc. But when I think motorcycle, I think tank bag. I've earned a living sellling cameras; I've owned dozens, four of them digital. I've had big ones and small ones, long lenses and short. But to my way of thinking, this one does all that one needs and in the smallest possible package. It's primary benefit is its wide-angle 28mm lens (35mm equivalent). Most cameras aren't this wide. The larger "prosumer" cameras have much longer lenses, but they go really soft at the telephoto end, rendering the images almost useless.

In any case, if you're thinking about a bike camera for Christmas, give the Canon S80 a hard look. It's an impressive tool.

Whoa... smaller image?

Hehehe. Yeah, I have an A75 for small shooting stuff "Hey, this is us on the bikes" kind of thing, but I have a Canon Digital Rebel that I take landscapes and macros, portraits... and anything I may want to blow up down the road and stick as art on my wall. I also have an older Minolta X700 that I took what may have been the best shot of my life on... but I digress.

The A75 fits in my pocket. I don't even bother with the bag. It goes almost everywhere (except work) with me... heck., even for the possibility of a traffic accident, that is wise.

But when I want full quality, composed shots, I want my Rebel :=)

Ian408???

Ian,
I've been waiting on a response from you? From what I can tell, Ian is a semi-professional to pro photog and I'd love to get his opinion on this. I just bought a Nikon coolpix 7900 (7.1 mp) a couple of months ago and don't really like it, I'm not impressed with the low light pics. (I could be using it wrong,no?) I'm really considering selling it and getting a Canon S2IS, this cam had 12x optical zoom in a smaller body. I'm really tempted to buy one of the cheaper Canon Digital Rebels, but am worried about the size of the thing!
If anyone has any experiance with the Nikons in lowlight, let me know!
Chris

Canon S-80 for Camping

I agree with Dan, I also have bought photo gear from B&H for 10+ years with no poroblems. I had a small Canon s-500 digital that was great until it got soaked in a rainstorm while walking 18 holes. Finally replaced it with a canon S-80. If you are comfortable with an SLR already and use manual controls effectively...this is a good step up from a pure point and shoot.
If you would rather not bother with learning the ins and outs of the camera, pick a 4 meg model and blast away. If the camera is in your pocket... chances are you will use it more than if packed away requiring assembly.
Good Shooting

zooomart said:

[snip]If the camera is in your pocket... chances are you will use it more than if packed away requiring assembly.[/snip]

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I intended to add this tip to my previous post--thanks for stating it. There's a million opinions about which camera, or which kind of camera, is best, and they all have merit; however, the camera that takes the best and most memorable pictures is the one you have with you and is handy.

Well, guess I'll get creative on the case when I get closer to trip season :=)

I work too much and I'm slow

I have both Canon SLR's and an S50. I ususally keep the S50 on a lanyard
when riding. It's worked out very well. At the moment, I rarely take any of
my SLR stuff on the bike.

Two reasons. It takes a lot of space and the idea of a yard sale if I do go
down doesn't excite me. There's a third and that is that I often shoot with
long prime lenses. They don't fit in the cases.

Here are some images;

#1


#2



One was taking with a 1dmkII and the second, the S50.

You probably don't notice the difference in quality. There's a difference
of 3MP between the two cameras. Let's blur it further (sorry).

#3



The difference here is 6MP. It was taken with a Coolpix 950 (ancient by today's
standard ).

Each does well in low light, takes reasonable pictures and with the exception
of the 1d, easy to carry.

But the little P&S can't do this...

#4



Nor can you change the lens except by using thread on adapters (like the
telephoto or fisheye for the coolpix). The P&S typically has a smaller image
sensor.

So back to the question. In my tank bag, I can carry a 20d with a short
lens on it (like a 10-22) and one other lens, say 70-200, packed in some
sort of absorbant material. I sometimes do this. The 20d or digital rebel are
small enough that you could do this easily.
And by using good glass and a 1.4xTC, you can get good range with a
minimum of gear.

Even when I carry an SLR, I carry the S50 because as someone else said,
if it's easy to get to, you'll use it.

What ever you decide to carry should be based on how you plan to use the
gear. If you want an SLR, the Rebel is a great one. Packed carefully, it will
do fine on the bike. But a little pocket sized point and shoot is a great thing
to have too.

Ian

P.S. I should add that if you do chose SLR, your investment in lenses will
far outweigh any investment in bodies. So pick a brand that has the lens
selection you want. With Nikon or Canon, you can't go wrong.

Travel cameras - revisited

ian408 said:

P.S. I should add that if you do chose SLR, your investment in lenses will
far outweigh any investment in bodies. So pick a brand that has the lens
selection you want. With Nikon or Canon, you can't go wrong. Ian

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The new PENTAX 'istD' digital cameras will accept your older Pentax SLR lenses without difficulty. Have a look at the new 'istD' camera here.

Also, check out the rebates now being offered for the new PENTAX digital SLR lenses designed specifically for the 'istD' cameras here.

PENTAX RULES!!

ian408 said:

Even when I carry an SLR, I carry the S50 because as someone else said, if it's easy to get to, you'll use it.

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Ian - *great* post... even though I only understood about 75% of it (*why* do photogs talk in code? )

You're right about taking the point-and-shoot along. When I rode to Alaska in 1998, I took a film SLR and a Kodak 1 megapixel camera. (How times change... that 1mp camera was the first under $1000 megapixel digital camera. Now you can get 5 times as many mp's at 1/3 the price!)

Even though the SLR was reasonably accessible, I might have shot 2 rolls of film the entire trip while I shot probably a gig worth of 1mp pix. 20/20 hindsight, I wish I didn't do that because the pics are too low res for anything other than small drugstore prints. They were good for my on-line trip report, tho.

Perhaps you can answer me a question... when will the photo sensors in digital SLR be big enough so that you get the full use of a wide-angle lens? I like wide angle and it seems that my 24mm lens only performs like a 35mm when used on a digital back.

Thanks.

The original Ian

Visian said:

Perhaps you can answer me a question... when will the photo sensors in digital SLR be big enough so that you get the full use of a wide-angle lens? I like wide angle and it seems that my 24mm lens only performs like a 35mm when used on a digital back.

Thanks.

The original Ian

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They already are... last time I checked, however.. price to play was $7,000. I love Canon, but puuuleeeease....

Belg

Visian said:

Perhaps you can answer me a question... when will the photo sensors in digital SLR be big enough so that you get the full use of a wide-angle lens? I like wide angle and it seems that my 24mm lens only performs like a 35mm when used on a digital back.

Thanks.

The original Ian

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Ian,
One of the big reasons I've held back on getting a digital SLR is the fact that the body will become obsolete "soon" as the MP count continues to increase. For someone who is used to film SLR bodies being good for decades, that idea sux. But, here a story...

A couple of years ago I bought myself a Pentax Optio 555 for bike use. It's a 5mp camera and right after I got it I was at our local club's monthly breakfast with another rider who's an HP engineer in their imaging division. As we talked I made the comment I though 5mp would get me through until the MP count started to stabalize and really rival film - somewere around 15 ~18mp - and that maybe that would be in 4~5 years. He didn't say anything, but he did shoot me a look that said to me that I was pretty close to the mark. YMMV