Camera advice for Alaska Cruise/Tour
 

My wife and I have an Alaska cruise tour scheduled in August and we think that we probably need a better camera than the ones on our phones. We have Samsung A13 5G phones which take fantastic pictures, but when you try to zoom in the shots become pixelated. Our daughter (who is going with us) has a Samsung S21 and the camera is better, but I'm not sure if it is good enough.

Do any of you have suggestions about what type of camera we should buy? Will a point and shoot be good enough or should we get a DSLR? I really hate the idea of paying a lot of money for a camera that will likely go in the box wih my 40 year old Nikon 35mm camera to never be used again, but Amazon has Canon Rebel camera kits for $400 which is cheaper than what I am paying for most of the excursions that we will be taking in Alaska.

I have ordered one of the monoculars which can attach to your phone and used as a zoom lense, so that might solve the problem. I'll test it tomorrow when it arrives from Amazon.

Your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

I have taken an Alaska cruise with just an iphone and agree with your assessment. One of the other passengers had a camera and lens that probably cost as much as the cruise itself. I wish I had done what you are doing now.

Still, even without the best pictures the trip was fantastic. The memories alone are worth the price.

Not sure your budget but you could buy the latest canon rebel and use the rest of your money on a telephoto lens like the canon 55-250mm. It's versatile and doesn't break the bank. Also, there are 3rd party lenses that work well such as Tamron and Sigma. Now, if money is not an issue, the sky is the limit! lol

I agree that the Rebel is a nice camera as I used one for years. I would look at getting a telephoto that would go from roughly 25 to 200 as that you give you the flexibility to get the wide angle shots as well as zooming up closer. Since you are not an avid photographer (yet), buying a used lens from a reputable place would get more bang for the buck. One lens that I have used for 25 years is a Tamron 18-250. It is light and works very well. I am sure that there are other choices as well.

A quick search on google found

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or

Amazon.com

Make sure that you have a Canon mount on the lens.

Also, take time to learn some of the features on your new camera. Being able to quickly switch to motor drive will enable you to get the perfect shot of whales coming to the surface. Also, learning how to adjust the light balance will be helpful. Or you just go with AWB (automatic white balance.)

Finally, buy a large memory card or two. I currently use 32 GB cards when I travel. You don't want to be editing pictures on the fly. That can lead to accidently eliminating pictures you really want to keep.

Most importantly, have fun.

You can also copy your photos from the camera or memory card to the cloud. I use my Google drive for storage of important files. Anyone who has a Google account has a Google drive with up to 15 gb of free data storage. Most people don't even know they have it. Go to drive.google.com. FYI, a 32 gb memory card will hold thousands of photos.

What do you plan on doing with your photos once taken? Most of mine are never to been seen again once posted to social media. So I wouldn’t invest too much in a big system, especially if the old one is collecting dust. Besides, do you really want to lug around all kinds of equipment (camera, multiple lenses, cases and chargers)?

Why not break out the old 35mm and see if it brings you new joy?

Another option; if you just want photos and don’t want to be a “Proud Photographer” would be to buddy up with a shipmate and buy a few of their choice photos.

If you’re still wanting a new camera after all that, get a point and shoot. Don’t need lots of equipment, they’re small, lightweight and easy to use. Keep in mind the basics ; big aperture, good zoom (if you want to shoot wildlife vs landscape) and decent amount of megapixels (10-20 max). Your budget will determine the rest.

Best of luck.

I'm not sure what a "point and shoot" camera is exactly, but is it any better than a smart phone?

Unless you plan on enlarging your photos for wall decoration, I should stick with something light and easy to carry - whether that's just your phone or a decent "point and shoot".

Enjoy the views while you are there, rather than lugging around a large camera and taking ages to set up the perfect shot, by which time it may have disappeared.

I have gone both routes but invariably travel "light" these days.

The Rebel with the Tamron lens I described is fairly compact. A 40 year old film camera will never compare to a Rebel in terms of capabiity, ease of use, cost per picture (film and developing is costly on a per picture basis), and you don't have to carry around film cannisters. The digital SLR camera of today has so much more capability than a phone camera. To be clear, I do use my phone camera whenever I don't have my DSLR. I just realize what limitations are there.

While I am not a professional photographer, I am an avid amateur. I started with an Olympus OM1 in the seventies, had a first generation Canon EOS, moved to a Canon Rebel, and now my wife and I have Canon 80D and Canon 5D Mark 3. While we have a variety of lenses, I still use the Tamron 18-250 lens I bought 20+years ago in many situations.

It is true that people have taken some great pictures with a phone camera. However, a Rebel with the appropriate lens will dramatically increase your odds of getting that great picture.

Finally, the most important part of taking a great picture is the gray matter between your ears.

Good Luck

I like the Sony Alpha Mirrorless camera line but whatever you get, be sure to use it before the cruse so you know how to use it.

Sure, I hope you have a sense of humor because here's my thought and hope it's appreciated.

Take me along to Alaska and I'll take my 35mm and take along the photos you want. :thumbup:

Just kidding!

There is an app for everything!
 

Go to play store and look at apps for professional pictures or cameras. Teenagers I know use these apps to take better selfies. The pictures I have seen using these apps are crystal clear and quite professional looking. Add the app to your phone and practice taking photos before you go on your cruise. Just a suggestion. Hope it works!

Here ya go for under $500. 25-250 mm lens. 20 MP.

Panasonic LUMIX ZS100.:

Small, lightweight and easy to use.

Google best point and shoot cameras for more options if this isn’t what you had in mind.

Photos better than an “Smart Phone”? Probably…but too many phones and too many cameras to make a broad statement. Gotta compare specifics models to specific models….it all has to do with sensor size, aperture and telephoto capabilities.

Thanks to everyone for you suggestions and comments.

The monocular is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and I'll try it out on my phone to see if it can work, but I'm not optimistic that it will.

Since I don't see us using the camera much in the future, my options appear to be either point and shoot along the lines of a Sony cyber-Shot that has a zoom greater than 30x and 16 mp or greater. Or an older used DSLR like the Canon Rebel XSI or the Nikon D3200.

As I said before, I do appreciate everyone's input.

MichaelG: I do appreciate your generous offer, but since the cruise, hotels, and excursions have already been booked I'm afraid it is a little to late. Maybe next trip.

After you've tried it out for awhile, do let us know how the monocular works with the cell phone !