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straightedgeteen
Apr 30, 2003, 12:34 AM
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What are your thoughts on the Digital elph for climbing use ?
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climbs4fun
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Apr 30, 2003, 12:44 AM
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I have used one and have been extremely happy with it and the pics. Just make sure you get a good case, the LCD scratches easily.
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dingus
Apr 30, 2003, 1:34 AM
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It's OK, but I bet you can do better now. I have the slightly older model than the current one. It has a terrible U/I, absolutely the worst imaginable. I, a computer professional, cannot not figure anything out on that U/I without reading the manual. Fails first muster right there. The new model was supposed to deal with that.
The buttons are too small, esp. if you wear gloves.
The delay between hitting the button and the thing taking a picture is glacial. I have not yet successfully captured an action photo at the point I intended, not once (and I take a lot of pictures).
There are a lot of other small digitals available now. I'd consider the pack very carefully, make em let you use one in the store or whatever. Take a few shots, download the pics to a PC and look at them. Look at the software you get with the camera too. Don't take their word for it. Those babies are pretty damned expensive and 'trust me' just doesn't quite get it.
DMT
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nthusiastj
Apr 30, 2003, 2:01 AM
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I have an older Canon s100 and I love it. It packs small and the pics are great. Of course, I am not a pro. I just take them to remember.
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maldaly
Apr 30, 2003, 2:02 AM
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I just got the Olympus Stylus 300 because it's tiny (think Olympus XA size), easy to use and WATER-RESISTANT. It works great, but still has that shutter lag that DMT mentions. BTW, all consumer cameras have this. On the Stylus, you can compensate by pre-focusing and holding the shutter half-way down, then depressing it fully when you want the pic. If you pre-plan correctly you can get 1 good shot instantly.
I also have a Nikon Coolpix 990 which I love for its flexibility but it's too big to carry climbing.
Olympus Stylus 400 (4MPix) will be available in May.
malcolm
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tradkelly
Apr 30, 2003, 2:08 AM
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It's not ideal, but it's a heckuva lot better than anything else I've tried. I'd look at the S400 for the 3x zoom instead of the S230 that I have, if money's not an object.
A partner in Boulder had one, we tried it out in Eldo and I was impressed; I got one and worked on figuring it out. Another friend up there got the same thing after a couple of days of playing with mine. Size is the key for me; the S45 my other friend got is just too large to put in any pocket, but the ELPH is super tiny. I've beat the living crap out of it climbing and skiing, and it just keeps ticking.
Here's a short review I did for it, for expedition use:
http://www.camp4.com/index.php?newsid=463
Good luck. Do your research and figure out what you want it for. I couldn't justify the cost of film and developing anymore, plus the pictures are better than I ever got from film.
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timstich
Apr 30, 2003, 3:12 AM
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A friend of mine gave a Canon Elph to his friend's wife for Christmas last year and it is already dead. I've had two Canon cameras die, so I consider them to be a poor brand now for electronics. Of course, our Olympus Epic Zoom went bonkers as well, so it seems to me that it's pretty tricky getting a good camera that has a lot of complex electronics. Durability just doesn't seem to be a design spec for these manufacturers.
Funny you should mention the Olympus XA, Malcomb. I just bought a used one and am already looking for a way to make the damn shutter button stick out more. Why did they make it flush with the case? Anyway, nice camera just the same. My first roll of film came out well, if not for a few poorly focused frames. The rangefinder viewer is hard to see.
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maldaly
Apr 30, 2003, 3:19 AM
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I think the XA shutter button is flat so it doesn't go off too easily. It only takes a slight push and it's a wrap. If I remember mine (It's been years) you could glue a small button or something to make the shutter release tactile.
Mal
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timstich
May 7, 2003, 1:51 AM
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Yeah Malcomb, that's what I was planning on doing. I have the glue selected already. I'll be carrying it on my next tall route.
-Tim
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naitch
May 7, 2003, 3:01 AM
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I have a S400 and love it. The user interface is easy compared to my Olympus E-10 and my previous Olympus 2020. The only drawback I've seen so far is that there really doesn't have manual, aperature, or shutter priority mode. It's basically an automatic with being able to bump the exposure up or down. However it does perform well generally in the auto mode. Just don't try do any 'special effects'. The size and rugged stainless case is great.
If you want a tiny regular 35mm camera, get a used Rollei 35s. The images can't be beat for a tiny camera. I think it is still one of the smallest 35s ever made.
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pbjosh
May 7, 2003, 4:16 AM
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For what it's worth I have an S100 that I bought when it was the cutting edge product and it's still ticking just fine. The view finder is so cruded up with crap you can barely see through it but the pictures are still great. I find the UI to be perhaps not as slick as the newer elphs but overall just fine. The small size and indestructability (relative) of this camera have made it a great choice. It's been immersed in water, dropped countless times, mud covered, lost in snow a few times, gummed with tree sap - you name it. A decent cleaning (including taking off the lens protector assembly and cleaning it out when it starts sticking) gets it back in shape every time. Granted it's worse for the wear but it's seen a lot.
I have several other Canon cameras and really like them. I personally cannot stand the slide-open-and-wait-for-eternity action of the Olympus cameras (not all of them, but all of the point and shoots I've seen). And then just slam the thing close and eventually the lens will scrape it's way back into the body? Blech.
I say go Canon or Nikon for camera quality or Sony if you're into the whole memory stick thing, my sister is and her DSC-somethingorother is pretty nice.
josh
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macreed
May 7, 2003, 1:24 PM
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Registered: May 7, 2003
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The elph is a great camera. You should go with a model that has at least 3 million pixels (S230 for example). You may also want to check into buying it from a Ritz or a Wolf Camera as they offer a damage protection plan that covers almost anything you could possibly do to the camera while climbing, short of losing it.
You can also buy it online through this company. However, I have heard that you may pay more for the warranty through the website.
The site is http://www.ritzcamera.com
Good Luck!
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jumaringjeff
May 7, 2003, 2:39 PM
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Registered: Nov 30, 2001
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I loved mine until I dropped the fuckah in the river. busted.
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bergo
May 7, 2003, 4:32 PM
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Registered: Apr 1, 2003
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I got my Nikon Coolpix 4300, a friend got his Sony Cybershot. We were hiking at the Antizana's glaciars and both batteries died 'casue of the cold, but the Sony died before. Other thing I do not like on digital cameras is that they are 2 slow, it takes 2 much to be ready for "the next photo" when you need to take an action picture.
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