A picture is worth a thousand words

[DillonG]

Everyone knows that our pictures are invaluable from hunting trips. I keep 100s of pictures from previous fishing trips on a spare hard drive along with family photos. Sadly, many of my fishing pictures were taken with my cell phone. I am wanting to upgrade and purchase a real camera to start taking on hunting/fishing trips. I will be the first to admit that I know nothing about what makes a high quality camera or even spot a good deal. Looking for some insight to what everyone takes on their hunting adventures.

 

[JimP]

You can always download the pictures from your phone to your computer and then a CD or some other type of storage device.

You can even do it with a bluetooth connection

 

[DillonG]

You can always download the pictures from your phone to your computer and then a CD or some other type of storage device.

You can even do it with a bluetooth connection

Yeah I have done that in the past. I am under the assumption that a dedicated camera is going to take much better video and pictures than my cell phone.

 

[Bhfs300]

What kind of phone do you have?
Cameras nowadays take photos that are 25-60 megapixel compared to phones that take at best 12 megapixel. I use Sony’s and picked up a A7II new for $1000 recently that takes 25 megapixel. The camera will wifi photo’s to your phone etc.

 

[DillonG]

What kind of phone do you have?
Cameras nowadays take photos that are 25-60 megapixel compared to phones that take at best 12 megapixel. I use Sony’s and picked up a A7II new for $1000 recently that takes 25 megapixel. The camera will wifi photo’s to your phone etc.

I have a LG G6. The phone itself is in rough shape as I am not a great steward of my phone and I truly believe that cell phone companies rip off consumers. Probably a wildly different opinion than most 29 year olds. I am really in the market for a decent camera in the $500 price range.

 

[Standard Velocity]

We have taken a DSLR, a micro 4/3 camera, compact with optical zoom and cell phones. We have found the compact with optical zoom in conjunction with a good cell phone camera works best.

Cell phone for close shots in markets, boats and selfie’s with panoramic backgrounds. It’s so darn convenient you take more pictures.

I keep the compact camera in a little hip holster (Lowe Alpine) that zips up keeping it fairly safe from water. I can unzip and turn on the camera pretty quickly to get better pictures of things that require zoom. With a 3’ usb cord I can charge it with a battery backup from my pocket while it is in the holster if we’re hiking.

Ours is a $300-400 Lumix. If you can justify a Leica it will be markedly better but the Lumix is fine once you have figured out the different modes. Made the mistake of using a weird focus mode for the first week of a trip to Iceland. The photos require postproduction editing to decide exactly where you want the focus to be. Still haven’t made the time to do so.

 

[Nyati]

I recommend a Canon Powershot

 

[Ridge Runner]

I'm not a photographer, and I dont know a lot about some of the new cameras. I have used various Cannon, Nikon, Kodak cameras in the past, all good quality cameras in that time.

I went with the Nikon, DSLR, D5300, mainly because the Nikon D5300 came in a package with 2 lens, at around $500.00USD, and in my opinion Cannon and Nikon are equal in picture quality, value, and buying accessories. As for price shop around: Best Buy, Amazon, camera shops.

I would make sure when you buy a camera make sure it is a new camera with a really good warranty policy and not a refurbished, limited warranty policy name brand camera.

 

[Ray B]

I have been a Nikon fan since I got my first in 1968. I transitioned to digital 10 or 12 years ago. the first digital I got was a cool pix and the main complaint about it was that when turned on it went through an energy draining boot-up, the lens would zoom out and then if idle for a minute would shutoff then when turned on would go through the cycle again. I got a D40X which has been discontinued several years but still takes quality photographs. the main thing I don't like about it is that there a just a few buttons/knobs and all sorts of functions can be accessed through clicking this or that and having various menus appear on the screen. It takes someone much more attuned to new technology than this old guy. the one camera that I've been eyeing for a year or so is the Nikon Df, which is a digital camera but operates quite similar to the old film FTn, F2 series cameras. Basically the film screen has been replaced by a digital sensor and the main actions the photographer controls is the lens opening, focus and shutter speed. the equivalent of the film speed is also adjusted with a knob. Everything else that the camera does has to do with a computer program that compares what the camera sees with thousands of preset conditions and selects what it thinks is the best match. the other feature newer cameras have is ability to send photographs via Internet- a feature I consider a negative.

With regard to selection of a new camera there are two questions: do you want to have "full" screen (Nikon calls it Fx) or partial screen (Nikon calls it Dx). It amounts in film terms to a larger negative. the other consideration is how automatic do you want it. Generally more automatic is cheaper but there are situations, particularly with focus or contrasting lighting where automatic means poor picture.

 

[Bhfs300]

I am really in the market for a decent camera in the $500 price range.

Hi Dillon
I looked through the Sony camera line and even their pockets cameras are more than $500.
This one is under your amount it looks like a great camera with an incredible optical zoom.
It does not have Wifi and that option is very valuable nowadays.

check it out!

https://www.sony.com/electronics/cyber-shot-compact-cameras/dsc-hx400-hx400v#product_details_default

Tom

 

[JimP]

I have a Cannon Powershot SX50 which has a 50x digital zoom. I have taken some great pictures with it and some at a very long distance with the digital zoom.

I picked up a whole kit, camera, tripod, battery, charger, memory card, and case off of Amazon for around $450 a few years ago. I will admit that the tripod isn't much to brag about but it works.

 

[Bhfs300]

The difference between digital and optical zooms is huge.
Digital means you are taking a 3000by2000 picture then only using the part you like that is 30by20 not much left old low resolution
Optical means the camera is taking a 3000by 2000 picture of what the other one only has a 30by20 not even close.
Never buy something with a digital zoom!

 

[Timbo]

Mobile (or "cell phone") cameras these days can take great quality photos (portraits and pics of you and your game etc). But a dedicated camera IMHO is a MUST HAVE, since mobile cameras lose quality very rapidly if used in telephoto mode. Therefore I use both my mobile and camera for non-telephoto photography, and my camera with interchangeable lenses for everything else (landscapes, telephoto work etc).

The beauty of a mobile is that it slips in your pocket, and you can take it with you as you hunt to get all those opportunistic, fleeting, photos - as you're hunting along - plus those photos of your trophy/game in the immediate rush of the moment before the vehicle arrives with your camera. In situations where your game has been taken just prior to dusk - and the light fading fast - having a mobile in your pocket to take a succession of quick photos is invaluable: as they may prove to be the only ones able to taken including have a flash unit.

I use an Olympus OM-Mk.II with both standard and telephoto lenses. It's small, quite sturdy and has enough features and connectivity to do all that I presently need.

 

[Alaska Luke]

Couple ideas.

First do you want video? I wore a Gopro on my head when I shot my grizzly. Its nice having that for the memories. But to really get the most out of that you need to learn how to grab little bits of footage here and there so you can put it all together in a hunt video. Fun but it takes some time and there is a learning curve. If you won't do that you might not bother with a video camera.

Because of my backpacking background I have a fairly compact "travel camera." I think its a Panosonic Z50 or Z55. It's not the best but it was on sale. As cell phones get better the camera makers are stuffing bigger sensors and more zoom into smaller cameras to compete. My camera isn't really much better then a good quality phone BUT it had a 30x optical zoom. That is something a phone can't compete with. I can get nice pictures of critters a long ways off.

If size/weight isn't a big deal I would step up from "travel cameras" and get a decent DSLR. You will have even more zoom and a bigger sensor. And get a good tripod for it. This will help with trophy pics. But its also nice to be able to reach out and get pictures of distant critters. I know some hunters who use them for checking out game. They snap a picture of a moose or whatever and zoom in on the picture to really study whether its legal or a good trophy.