[DiamondLil]

I have this, but am curious what folks like for good quality images and ease of use while on the road.

Smaller image edited in.

 

[Kainam]

Kinda hard to tell what kind of camera that is from the pic being so tiny, but I have a Nikon 5700.
I shoot on large size, highest quality jpg, then post process it to downsize the image if I want to post the image on the web.

On my dslr, I shoot RAW + jpg, but its alot more cumbersome to transport on the bike.

 

[TexRod]

I have the same camera, Lil. I like it except when it comes to low-light, zoom situations. But I don't know that it's any worse than others.

I would like to get a Canon Rebel XTi.

 

[DiamondLil]

Sorry for the large pic. It was a touch of sarcasm to communicate how big it might feel while attempting to use it when riding. I am thinking that it may just be cumbersome to have to store it in the bags and that a smaller unit might work better.

For all else that I do this camera is wonderful.

 

[Kainam]

You might give the Nikon 5400 5MP (5/28/03) a try, ~$150

or its replacement the 8MP 8400 (9/16/04), ~$550

or the 12MP 5100 (8/30/07), ~$282.

Depends on what you typically take pictures of when you carry your camera on your bike. The cameras I listed, the lens lies more in the wide angle spectrum than the 5700.... better for bike shots without having to back so far away from the subject... worse at being able to zoom in on landscape shots etc...

They are more of a rangefinder size camera in the 35mm world, compared to the semi-SLR size of the 5700.

But personally I find the 5700 small and light....
but then I normally travel the airports with a 50lb backpack as my carry on,
and if I ride my bike somewhere I need to lock it up, I ride with a 12lbs of log chain across my shoulders...

YMMV

 

[sfarson]

Lil, I have a camera or two that are fancy in size and features. But increasingly have gained appreciation for the slender ones that can fit in a pocket. The advancement in photo quality is striking, and these small cams can have a really good movie mode. One of the Sony Cybershots (regardless of pixel count) are fine cams.

 

[lakedrunk]

I've got a Sony DSC-H1 and it takes great pictures and fairly good video. But I've taken it on many vacations and on the bike with me and recently I have been looking into buying something smaller. It gets to be somewhat of a hassle having to carry around the camera, I would much rather have something that fits in my pocket.

 

[DiamondLil]

...
But personally I find the 5700 small and light...

YMMV

That is exactly how I feel using it in any other circumstance.

 

[GAZOO!]

I use a Nikon Coolpix 200 for road shots. It is slim and will fit in a shirt pocked. I can have it out and shooting in seconds even when riding.

 

[3OliveMartini]

i have a fuji finepix s700 for more serious pictures and for the road i have the fuji finepix a350 for on the road quick pics.. they both make nice pictures

 

[EZE RIDER]

Another Nikon coolpix. The body twists in half for a good grip. It's a year or two old and is 3 megepixels.

 

[Pete Logan]

I use a Sony Cybershot DSCW80. Good enough for me, and it fits in a belt-mounted carry case or a vest pocket. Easy to use one-handed.

 

[DiamondLil]

Another Nikon coolpix. The body twists in half for a good grip. It's a year or two old and is 3 megepixels.

Wow! Do you have it? If so, do you like it?

 

[EZE RIDER]

Yes I have it and yes I like it but since I bought it Mega pixels have gone up and prices have come down. Any shots of mine in the gallery are with this camera except the obvious cell phone pics.

 

[3OliveMartini]

i forgot to mention mine are a 7 and a 5 megapixel..

honestly EZE.. i have an older one that i call the junky camera .. that i use when i think i might drop it or i know it might get banged around that is older and i think its a 3.. and serious.. if you dont want your pics enlarged too large it takes a just fine picture..

of all th epics i post.. some are with it .. some with the 5 and some with the 7 and unless you enlarge all of them to 8 X10 you really cant see a difference.. or at least i cant

 

[Kainam]

TOM is right, for web posting (~800x600), any of the above mentioned cameras are pure overkill. A 1 MP camera would suit that purpose just fine and still allow room for cropping the image.


Here is a table comparing MP to image size and print size...

Megapixels - Image Pixel Size - Print Size (300ppi)
0.5 - 800 x 600 - 2" x 2.6"
1.0 - 1280 x 960 - 3.2" x 4.3"
2.0 - 1600 x 1200 - 4" x 5.3"
3.0 - 2048 x 1536 - 5.1" x 6.8"
4.0 - 2272 x 1704 - 5.7" x 7.6"
5.0 - 2592 x 1994 - 6.5" x 8.6"
6.0 - 2816 x 2112 - 7" x 9.4"
7.0 - 3072 x 2304 - 7.7" x 10.2"
8.0 - 3264 x 2448 - 8.2" x 10.9"
10 - 3872 x 2592 - 8.6" x 12.9"
12 - 4288 x 2848 - 9.5" x 14.3"

 

[EZE RIDER]

I agree with you two. A good small camera that takes a beating just coming along for the ride. Thats even before you bang it around.
I think the lens should be more of a consideration at this point when buying a camera than the MP's. It will be for me next time around.

 

[DiamondLil]

I agree with you on that Ed. Lens matters ultimately so. Having been very happy with Nikon in past, I tend to have a bit of loyalty.

 

[_juggernaut_]

i use a canon powershot s5 IS -- a little too bulky for stowing in a pocket, but i got it for the zooming ability and the decent video capture