"Camera at Disney World" advice needed

[Mosca]

Should I bring the DSLR (Canon 40D or 7D) along with the P&S (Canon G9)? When you're in the parks, do you really take that many pictures where you'd need the extra features of the DSLR, or do you just set an "f8 and be there", "sunny 16", or "P", and shoot memories and snapshots? I'm thinking the only time I'd need a 7D with an IS lens is if I wanted to take night shots of the parades, or maybe the electric light show in the lagoon at night, or maybe the fireworks. I'm thinking a Gorillapod instead of a tripod, maybe find a nice railing to wrap it around. But I'm also thinking, leave the big camera in the room safe during the day when we're in the parks; almost everything is going to be bright sun and deep field, and it will be hot in June.

I'm brand spankin' new here, so I can't post any shots. 10 posts and I'll share some stuff. I'm not special, just another guy catching light. But some captures came out OK.

 

[ukcatfan]

I doubt that you would need the 7D over the 40D in very many situations. If you are worried about taking your best gear, then I would say to stick with the 40D. I do believe you will regret not taking one of them though.

 

[ukcatfan]

Oh, and welcome to the DIS!!!

 

[kchughes]

I leave my DSLR in the room most of the time and carry my P&S for day to day touring. I will take my DSLR into AK for the safari, sometimes and if we are going to a nighttime parade or fireworks. I find it cumbersome to carry and mess with when I can get decent snap shots with my Nikon P&S and great family pics via Photopass.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Welcome to the board, Mosca. You can get great fireworks shots with your G9, because those are usually taken at low ISO with long shutter speeds. Of course, you'll need to find someplace sturdy to mount that gorillapod.

As for the rest of the day, it's a matter of personal preference. Some people on here are zealots that drag not just a DSLR, but extra lenses, an external flash and who knows what else into the park. Some people are happy with a point and shoot. With the P&S, you won't get shots inside many rides because there isn't enough light. You won't get anything but wide shots of indoor shows for the same reason. You won't be able to get shallow DOF shots of your family/friends either. Is that worth not having to lug around a bulky camera and possibly a camera bag? That's a question that only you can answer.

 

[Mosca]

Thanks for the quick answers, they fit pretty much with what I was thinking. ukcatfan (sorry for your loss, but it looks like the ladies are doing well right now, up by 7), I'd probably bring the 7D, but I love that 40D so much. That's the only reason I'd take it.

MarkBarbieri, IMO, inside ride shots and indoor show shots, to me they just aren't really that interesting as photographs; a seat in the crowd is a great place to watch a show, but a photo from there is just a shot of a show that you should be watching. I have enough shots of Beauty and the Beast, enough shots of Pocahontas. I'd be looking for the slice of life stuff, sort of like NYC street photography but in the bold colors of Florida theme parks. And of course the electric parades! The fireworks, I have a place in mind at the resorts across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom. I can wrap the pod around a railing there, I scoped it out last trip. It will work.

No, I absolutely don't want to lug a DSLR around. I actually have a rule that I go by, I formulated it for air shows (I LOVE air shows, and I am very very bummed that Flying Tigers left Kissimmee, I've done Warbird Adventures 3 times but probably never again since they had the accident, RIP but still) it goes like this:

You can go to the air show to see a great show, and get some nice pictures. Or you can go to the air show to get great photographs, and see some nice airplanes. But you can't do both, you have to pick one. You're either there to see the show, or there to take photographs.

I'm not sure why I was thinking about violating my rule, thanks for the shot of common sense. Considering the investment in a Disney vacation, I'm taking the G9, and leaving the DSLR at home.

Hmmm. Maybe she won't notice if I upgrade it to a G11....

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

Welcome Mosca! You've come to the right place. I agree with Mark, its a personal choice as to the gear you carry. My luck has always been that the piece of equipment I need to take a shot that I've stumbled across, is back in the room. I have terrible luck! Fortunately, my DW also shoots with a DSLR, so I am able to split the equipment between two backpacks. I usually have my 28-70 f2.8 on the camera. I have my 50mm 1.4 and my 70-200 f2.8 with exernal flash in the bag. I also carry a lightweight (2.5 lb) tripod. My DW will have her 18-55 AL II lens on her camera and a 55-200 in her bag with her external flash. Her equipment is very light. I will bring out the 100-300 f4 only for special situations,ie, the safari ride at AK.

Again, welcome to this forum. You will find that this is one of, if not the, friendliest and helpful forums.

 

[WebmasterMike]

I used the snot out of my Canon SX1 IS on our last couple of trips. But I also took a bunch of interior shots with my DSLR. The next trip I will be exercising both again but my 7D and 10-22 Sigma are going to get a workout.

and Welcome to the DIS boards!

 

[ukcatfan]

ukcatfan (sorry for your loss, but it looks like the ladies are doing well right now, up by 7)

Thanks. They had a great year and after going to the NIT last year it was a successful season. That game proved that Wall cannot win a game all by himself. The Lady Cats pulled off the upset, so we have hope there

 

[boBQuincy]

Apart from having almost twice as many pixels a 7D falls slightly behind a 40D in signal/noise ratio, dynamic range, and color sensitivity (DxoMark). The extra pixels appear to come at a cost so if resolution is not the driving factor the 40D might be a better choice.

As for a choice between the SLR and the P&S, I have a Canon G11 and for most photography I would choose the SLR every time, it is that much better.

 

[Mosca]

Apart from having almost twice as many pixels a 7D falls slightly behind a 40D in signal/noise ratio, dynamic range, and color sensitivity (DxoMark). The extra pixels appear to come at a cost so if resolution is not the driving factor the 40D might be a better choice.

As for a choice between the SLR and the P&S, I have a Canon G11 and for most photography I would choose the SLR every time, it is that much better.

Thanks, BQ! Actually, measurements aside, the eyes say that both are great tools, each surpassing the other in some ways. My eyes prefer the shots from the 7D, but the 40D took great pictures last year, and nothing changed since then. I'm one of those people who believe that the "sweet spot" for megapixels is around 10-12; I find 17mp a bit cumbersome. But the improved AF system alone makes the 7D a tool that gets more keepers to work with. But again; I didn't sell the 40D.

Yes, for pure photography I never, ever take the G9. My reservation about taking the DSLR to Disney is if it will be a distraction from the enjoyment of the parks, and will I wind up getting neither the experience of the parks nor the photographs that I could, that due to competing desires I will wind up satisfying neither. I'm going to stick with Mosca's Law and leave the DSLR at home.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I think that you should take the P&S and a DSLR setup. Leave the DSLR in the safe of your hotel room. If, after the first day, you find that you are missing too many shots, try the DSLR the next day. Another option is to use the P&S to take pics of your family and not worry about the other pictures. For those, just use the pictures that people post here. There are also some threads on the scrapbook forum where people share pictures. Its hard to imagine lugging a DSLR setup around the parks all day, but if others are going to do it, why not benefit from their work?

 

[Mosca]

I think that you should take the P&S and a DSLR setup. Leave the DSLR in the safe of your hotel room. If, after the first day, you find that you are missing too many shots, try the DSLR the next day. Another option is to use the P&S to take pics of your family and not worry about the other pictures. For those, just use the pictures that people post here. There are also some threads on the scrapbook forum where people share pictures. Its hard to imagine lugging a DSLR setup around the parks all day, but if others are going to do it, why not benefit from their work?

Now THAT is a pretty doggone good idea!

The only reason I would take photographs rather than snapshots is for artsy fartsy reasons; I took up photography a few years ago as a way to keep my mind sharp as I got older, and so that my daughter would have something to look back on after I'm gone, to see how I saw the world and to see what I thought was beautiful and the way I saw its beauty. Because I don't always feel like being artistic, I'm not always highly motivated to shoot photographs. In order to get motivated to shoot at Disney, I would have to spend some concentration. I don't want to be concentrated while on vacation!

 

[bdtracey]

I know where you're coming from Mosca! I'm caught between getting a new lens or a G11. Our next trip isn't until May 2011. DS will almost be 3 and DD will be just over 1. That being said, I might not have enough arms, time or patience to be playing around with my DSLR. I'll likely bring it but leave it at the hotel and use it when we're back there in the afternoons or evenings. I definitely wouldn't leave it at home as I know I'd want it at some point.

 

[handicap18]

I've been to Disney 5 times. Each time I brought my slr (Nikon N70, Nikon D50 and Nikon D300 depending on the trip). One trip (2nd trip) I brought my PnS and SLR. I used the PnS much much more than the SLR (the N70 film slr). I think I took 3 rolls of film on that trip. When I got back and looked through the pics I wished I had taken more with the N70 and less with the PnS. The pictures came out so much better with the slr. In the 3 trips since that one, I have only gone with my dSLR.

I have always (except for that one Disney trip) taken my slr with me on my vacations. In the early to mid 90's I worked for a travel company and was always traveling around the world. So taking my slr has been the norm for me anyway so a PnS wouldn't cut it for my needs.

 

[Rob_Drebel]

I guess it also depends on if you are also bringing video. I am going on 4 weeks and am deciding between P&S and AVCHD Camcorder or DSLR and AVCHD Camcorder.
I feel that with the family that it might be less of a distractions if I shoot w/P&S and do mostly video. I just cannot imagine carrying 5 lbs of camera equipment for even 1/2 day...but knowing how I am I will probably bring all 3 (P&S, DSLR and Camcorder after everything is said).
If you have smaller kids with at least 1 stroller it might not be to bad either (i do not). That way you have somewhere to put the weight on for a few hours.