Welcome to the OuterShores Photography Blog!
Come here often to read helpful tips on getting the most from camera on your OuterShores Expedition. We will cover gear, technique, digital processing, composition, and more.
What camera should I bring on my upcoming OuterShores trip?
So you’ve taken the plunge and booked yourself on one of our exciting OuterShores Expeditions. Congratulations! But what’s the best camera with which to capture some of the special moments on your trip? A quick search on the internet yields a potentially overwhelming number of choices and brands, but how to choose? Don’t despair – you can make great images with just about any camera out there but here a few things to consider when making your camera choice.
The best camera is the one that’s in your hand. It sounds rather simplistic, but you can’t make that image of a lifetime if you’re not holding a camera when the magic moment happens. Many of us carry smartphones which have a built in camera. These tiny lenses and sensors can produce wonderful people and landscape shots in the right setting (more on this in subsequent posts!) which print well up to 8×10 size.
Point and shoot. These “shirt pocket” miracles of miniaturization can be tiny, giving them the same advantages as smartphones – you’re likely to have it in a pocket somewhere whenever the photographic urge strikes you. A little more featured than smartphones, these cameras come in waterproof varieties and are also typically capable of shooting high definition video.
Superzooms. Still mostly small, light and therefore portable, these cameras sport zoom lenses that often cover a wide focal range. This gives you the flexibility to shoot wide angle portraits one minute but then zoom in on the whale that decided to breach into your carefully composed tranquil landscape scene the next. These are very popular travel cameras and are capable of producing excellent quality images.
Mirrorless interchangable lens cameras. These cameras are the hot ticket these days among pros and advanced amateurs who want a small, light weight travel kit but who don’t want to relinquish the luxury of choosing the best lens for the job. Capable of producing image quality that rivals their much bulkier DSLR cousins, these cameras however are more costly than the superzooms and require that you carry around a selection of lenses.
DSLR (digital single light reflex) cameras. Incredible image quality, lightening fast autofocus, high frame rates, and a weatherproof robust build are just some of the features of this incredibly versatile class of cameras. Look along the sidelines of any major sporting event and you’ll see a huge array of these cameras attached to all kinds of lenses. Wide angle scenics, super-telephoto portraits of wildlife, night scenes, underwater photography…these cameras can do it all. The major drawbacks? Expense and bulk. You invest in a camera system with these cameras and while the lenses may give stunning image quality, they’re heavy and bulky. Remember that first point above – if it’s too much of a chore to carry, you likely won’t have that fancy camera with you a lot of the time no matter how great it is!
Which camera or cameras is right for you on your trip? It all depends on your budget, shooting preferences, your tolerance for lugging around camera gear and how you plan to share your images. Whichever you choose, you’re sure to return from your OuterShores experience with some amazing shots and memories that will last a lifetime. Bon voyage!
PS: OuterShores is not promoting one particular brand or type of camera – the pictures are purely for illustration purposes only.
