Digital Snapshot Camera Suggestions

[swordds]

I am looking for a digital snapshot type of camera that I can carry on my motorcycle and use with my gloves on. Something better than a smartphone camera but not super expensive (say less than ~$300) and fairly weather resistant so I can carry it where I can get to it so that I can pull off the road, take a picture, then keep on going without stopping and taking off my gloves or getting off my bike.  I  just want to capture some of the views as seen from my motorcycle but I don't care for videos. Suggestions?

[Gliderjohn]

Just got a Nikon Coolpix for my wife for Christmas for about $160 on sale at Best Buy. Very compact, take great shots. Easily fit in a shirt pocket.
GliderJohn

[ponti_33609]

FWIW - I have taken better pictures with newer smartphones than I ever did with older and quite expensive digital cameras.  Some of the cameras on the phones are pretty good IMO.

[Gary]

Olympus TG-4 was named "Best Rugged Camera" in Imaging Resource's 2015 Camera of the Year Awards for good reason. It is not just incredibly rugged and solidly-built, but it is capable of capturing impressive images. The TG-4 also includes a wide array of features that make it an excellent value, too. About $350. See Amazon link below. Don't know how well it works with gloves though.

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Waterproof-Digital-Camera-3-Inch/dp/B00UKV5D4C?psc=1&SubscriptionId=AKIAJBX6LJVII7QNQNYQ&tag=imgr-coty-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B00UKV5D4C

[rocker59]

I like Nikon products.  Have several.

For a $300 budget, I'd recommend

S9900.  Great point and shoot digital.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-s9900.html

AW130, if you really need all-weather use.
http://www.nikonusa.com/en/nikon-products/product/compact-digital-cameras/coolpix-aw130.html

[Wayne Orwig]

Don't rule out the right smartphone.
Click this link and zoom in on this smartphone snapshot.

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee208/worwig/publicshare/20141215_143808.jpg

[Triple Jim]

Nikon customer service has been excellent for me.  My point-and-shoot Nikon had a shutter button fail, so I phoned Nikon customer service and they sent a free replacement under warranty.  I was a little amazed that I was able to get parts, rather than being told the whole camera needed to be replaced.

Their Best Shot Selector feature is unique, too.  With that feature turned on you can take up to 10 shots in rapid succession by holding down the shutter button.  The camera then selects the one with the sharpest image and saves only that one.  Using "BSS" I've been able to get decent hand held photos that really should have needed a tripod.  As far as I know, only Nikon offers it.

[Daniel Kalal]

...so that I can pull off the road, take a picture, then keep on going without stopping and taking off my gloves or getting off my bike...

In all my years I've never found the best shot to be from the seat of my motorcycle on the side of the road. Go ahead and add just a few seconds to your trip; the camera won't make any difference if the shot isn't right.

There are lots of really nice less-than-$300 cameras out there; there may not be any that are bad.

[LowRyter]

I'd listen to Rocker and Deke.

Those guys take first class photos and have a real talent for it.

The only thing I would add, before you buy the camera make sure you have an intuitive feel how the camera works.  Play around with it in the store before you buy it and get comfortable with the features, menus, and controls.  I think the Sony cameras are best for me. 

[Scud]

I have a Nikon SLR and a few lenses, but I rarely use it. I've had several small cameras (including some coolpix) and they've been very good. However, the cameras on many phones are as good or better than many cameras. A coolpix (or whatever brand you choose) will have a better zoom and enable you to bring the backgrounds closer to the subjects - instead of them getting lost with the wide angle lens on most phones.

The best camera is the one you use, and I use my phone the most. My iPhone 6 can be used as you describe, because you can press external buttons to take a picture, without needing to use the touch-screen (gloves on).

Case in point, I took this picture last weekend with my iPhone 6. I confess that I took my gloves off, because I also soaked in the view for a few minutes. But I could have taken this photo with my gloves on.



FYI - Sunrise Highway (S1) overlooking Anza Borrego Desert.

[PJPR01]

Man...if a Scura ever comes up for sale, I would love to have one like that in the garage...just a work of art!

[Scud]

It's my favorite bike of all time and I did quite a bit of extra darkening. She's even prettier with her belly pan on.



Back on topic, this photo also taken with iPhone 6. Lighting and composition are more important than the camera. It's still possible to take horrible pictures with expensive cameras.

[rocker59]

It's still possible to take horrible pictures with expensive cameras.

Yes.  A camera is just a tool.  There are many professionals who use point & shoot cameras alongside their SLRs.

Spending $5000 on a DSLR and pro lens will not guarantee results, if you don't have an eye for photography and a basic understanding of how the camera works.

[rocker59]

The only thing I would add, before you buy the camera make sure you have an intuitive feel how the camera works.  Play around with it in the store before you buy it and get comfortable with the features, menus, and controls.  I think the Sony cameras are best for me.

I agree with this.  My old Nikon 5700 P&S was great to use with a gloved hand, and even while rolling.  Very ergonomic and easy to access the buttons with one hand.

My newer 7000 is a better camera, but not easy to use while riding, or with a gloved hand, which is a bummer, because I like to shoot while rolling.

[Lcarlson]

I just got a Nikon Coolpix L840 with case, strap and SD card for $180 from Costco. It's not a shirt pocket camera, but it is compact and has many useful features, including an amazing 38x zoom lens. Google it and see if it meets your needs.

[steven c]

 I always like the Canon Elf line rugged and good color.

[PJPR01]

Similar situation...a few months ago I bought a Canon PowerShot SX 410 IS so I could get some better pictures than the Iphone, I use them interchangeably.  A friend who is a semi-pro photographer has been using the Canon since 2006 and gave me the recommendation.  I keep it in the tank bag all the time now and love it.  Very nice fit in one hand, easy to use even with gloves, has a great zoom...cost was $200 bucks on Amazon.

[atavar]

I love my Nikon AW120.  It is shirt pocket sized, has a tripod mount to use with handlebar adapters, is waterproof and ruggedized for a six foot drop on to concrete.  16 megapixels and a real glass lens make for great pictures.  plenty of zoom and options.  It takes SD cards so you will have plenty of pictures for a coast to coast trip.  MSRP is well within your range and you can usually find good deals on these. 

[Mark West]

In all my years I've never found the best shot to be from the seat of my motorcycle on the side of the road. Go ahead and add just a few seconds to your trip; the camera won't make any difference if the shot isn't right.

There are lots of really nice less-than-$300 cameras out there; there may not be any that are bad.

Definitely true. Out of the thousands of pics I've taken on rides, very few good ones were taken from the saddle and many of the best required walking up an embankment or a short hike from the road.

I would also say, I never was able to shoot with gloves on regardless of the camera. Not that it can't be done, it just felt so awkward I found it easier to take the gloves off...or at least one.

[not-fishing]

Sony Cybershot DSCW800, 20.1 megapixel, 5x optical 10x digital, $90 now

Karl Zeiss Lense

I use it with a neck cord because I don't want to risk breaking my Leica D-Lux.

I picked the Sony because Lenses do matter.  it's a red suspenders thing dating back to my film camera days with a Leica

[Scud]

mmmm.... nice pic.  I love riding near Hollister.

[swordds]

This response is great, thanks!  Here are my problems with using my smart phone (iPhone 6+) - I use my phone to navigate so I keep it securely mounted on the handlebars and also plugged in for charging while riding. So also using it as a camera creates the hassle of unplugging it, exiting my "ridewithgps" navigation app (I will start a separate thread on that soon) then taking the picture then reconnecting the phone and restarting the app. Too much bother, so I started using my iPod camera, easy to carry and use but I can rarely see what I am trying to photograph on the screen so mostly I just hold it pointing in the general direction and hope for the best. Also, lots of times I am trying to photograph something out in a field or off in the distance so some zoom ability would be nice. I have a Cannon PowerShot SX40HS but it is too cumbersome and expensive and complex IMO for motorcycle road trip shots. My problem with the Nikon CoolPix cameras has always been the complexity of their names vs their specs. I mean, how do you select which camera to buy?  Their prices are all over the map, there must be several dozen different models all called CoolPix, their model numbering nomenclature seems to me to have no basis for comparison and I guess to select one I will need to study them and create some comparison matrix which I have been too lazy to do.  I think I might go with the AW120 because I won't have to worry about it being exposed in the rain and I can use it without concern on my boat and on the beach. 

BTW-those smartphone photos are great.

[Triple Jim]

...I guess to select one I will need to study them and create some comparison matrix which I have been too lazy to do.

It's been a while, but the last couple times I wanted to select the right Nikon for my use, their site let me choose several I was interested in, and build a comparison chart.

[John Ulrich]

A lot of the new cameras have "touch" screens vs the button/toggle. 

[Zinfan]

As I like to call it "the last photo I took with my LX-100" since the water killed it shortly after that.  Now I use a Olympus TG-4 which has some weather proofing to it.  It takes great pictures but I don't think you can use it very well with gloves on as the shutter button is pretty small.  One thing that really bothers me about the TG-4 is that it doesn't use a typical USB cable for charging, instead it has a A/V to USB cable so I have to keep track of this special cable when traveling instead of having a bunch of standard USB-microUSB cables to power up my stuff.

[charlie b]

I've taken hundreds of pictures from a moving bike with a camera like this one
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp90/

Why that one?  I just looked around for a camera that was water, dust, and shock resistant.  Then I tried them out with my LEFT hand and gloves on.  The Fuji was one I could pick up, turn it on, point and shoot with my left hand and still be able to point it in the direction I wanted.  Burst mode and sport settings would allow most shots to come out.

To carry it I stuck some Velcro to the front of the camera and put a 3ft tether on it.  Tied to the tank bag and a strip of Velcro was on the tank bag.  So, it was always at hand and the lens was downward.

Now, having said that, I never carry it anymore.  I found that I didn't really care if I had pictures of where I had been.

[ITSec]

As someone who still has a mess of Zeiss lenses and Contax/Yashica 35mm bodies, remember it's the lens that takes the picture (and as Ansel Adams said, your eye).

Cameras with Zeiss and Leica lenses are always a good choice, and among the in-house companies that make both lenses and cameras, Canon and Olympus are top notch.

I currently use an Olympus Pen series because I love the interchangeability of micro 4/3 format; I'll soon be adding an OM-D body to the kit. However, you want something smaller and lighter. Among the weatherproof single-lens cameras, Olympus gets great reviews - but again as others have said, it's about what works well for you, both in terms of the controls and the usability. None of these cameras are so big that they'll take over your tank bag.

[swordds]

I've taken hundreds of pictures from a moving bike with a camera like this one
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp90/

Why that one?  I just looked around for a camera that was water, dust, and shock resistant.  Then I tried them out with my LEFT hand and gloves on.  The Fuji was one I could pick up, turn it on, point and shoot with my left hand and still be able to point it in the direction I wanted.  Burst mode and sport settings would allow most shots to come out.

To carry it I stuck some Velcro to the front of the camera and put a 3ft tether on it.  Tied to the tank bag and a strip of Velcro was on the tank bag.  So, it was always at hand and the lens was downward.

Now, having said that, I never carry it anymore.  I found that I didn't really care if I had pictures of where I had been.

You are right, I should have read this before impatiently ordering the Nikon AW130.  For the most part I don't care for pictures of where I have been but every now and then I like to show someone how beautiful the country is around here, though my pictures rarely do justice. I like the thought of velcro attaching the camera to my tank which will solve my quick and easy accessability issue and since the Nikon location and date stamps the photos I can use it to keep a log of my travels if I  ever care to and since it can apparently communicate the pictures to my iPhone with an app I can use it to let others know where I am when I am in someplace particularly scenic. Anyway, $270 well spent or not time will tell.

[swordds]

One more question, probably very stupid but this highlights my concern/complaint regarding Nikon camera naming system. I  assume the AW120 stands for All Weather (?) but what does the 130 imply?

[Triple Jim]

Now, having said that, I never carry it anymore.  I found that I didn't really care if I had pictures of where I had been.

Funny, I kinda feel the same way.  Friends who like to make videos of their rides don't understand why I don't do the same.  I find that it changes the feel of a ride completely when I try to document it by stills or video.  I do like to take an occasional photo when something particularly interesting comes up.