Who takes compact and SLR cameras with them?

[marvel]

I know we have quite a few budding and professional photographers on Oz Disboards, neither of which is me. But I do have a largish hybrid camera which is pretty big, and I used to take another compact camera with me when I couldnt be bothered with the big one.

Now, my question to the photographers is , do you always carry those huge cameras everywhere? Do you rely on iphones when you don't have a camera or do you travel with a compact as well?

We have already lost 2 compacts and would need to buy another one, and would prefer not to spend the money on another camera, if I can avoid it!

 

[PrincessInOz]

We take the lot.

Phone, compact and dSLR. I carry my dSLR everywhere. I do have a camera backpack that suits my back. DH/DS carry the compact.

 

[becpee]

We take the lot.

Phone, compact and dSLR. I carry my dSLR everywhere. I do have a camera backpack that suits my back. DH/DS carry the compact.

Same, we all have a camera, DH and I both have iPhone's and I have a DSLR.
I'll be getting a better backpack before we go next time

 

[WAMUMOF4]

The kids all take there cameras plus our SLR DH got a new backpack this year that the bottom half is for the camera top half for jumpers etc we love it.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

My DH also has a backpack designed for his DSLR and lens-fits in separate padded section at base and easy to get in and out and then separate compartment on top for wallet, phone, other stuff etc-we manage to stuff a lot in! I don' t know the brand. I carry a compact usually but have never had a good phone camera til my new phone this year-but the compact with variable zoom is still much better so imagine will still be taking it. When DD comes with us she has later version of my camera and takes that so I sometimes don't bother with mine as well.

 

[WanderlustNZ]

Zoom is one of the most important features in a camera to me, but I'm not really interested in an SLRs, both because of the bulk of carrying around the extra lense/s and the hassle of swapping them over and keeping them clean. So I've always bought a bridge camera instead and have been completely happy with the features of the camera and the pics I've been able to take.
I also own a very small digital camera that I bought solely because it's waterproof and can be taken under water and into pools etc. It's come in very handy.

 

[dabecs]

We took our DSLR (but only took one lens and had the camera set on auto about 80% of the time) and then used our iPhones as a compact camera.

Between hubby and I we always had the camera hanging around one of our necks so it was 'at the ready'.

We used our DSLR to take video of the girls Jedi training (the photopass photographer took stills) and I took a short video of the show in front of the castle. I think more video would be fun next time

 

[zanzibar138]

I also have a larger hybrid style camera, and I take both it and my waterproof, heatproof, freezeproof, dropproof compact camera on Disney holidays. Generally I use the compact during the day unless it's for something special. The big one comes out at night or in low-light when the little one starts to fail me.

I love taking the compact because it means it could be pouring down with rain and I can still take photos. It's also great for 'wet' rides like the river rapids or Splash Mountain

I also like having 2 just as a back-up in case one dies/gets lost or something.

 

[Som]

Do you find carrying a DSL everywhere annoying though due to the size, and I would assume you can't take the carry cases on the rides?

 

[Luisa]

I bought a Lowepro passport sling bag for mine, was comfortable and no problem going on rides with it. Best thing about being a sling bag was it was easy to get the camera in and out of the bag quickly.

 

[Royal Consort]

I take my DSLR everywhere because the quality of my photos matters to me most of all (as these really are the memories). After years of using a top end point and shoot and being terribly unhappy with its limitatoins, I bought a DSLR before our last trip and spent a good part of a year learning how to use it properly. I took two lenses for common scenarios (telephoto and pancake) and came home with pictures I'm really quite proud of. I used to think a good compact would do and that lugging a DSLR around would be cumbersome. It kinda is cumbersome but only for things like Space Mountain! At the same time though, after importing my photos into an editing suite and working on them a bit, I think they pretty much capture the magic of our time. I did take my point and shoot with me too though just in case and did use it on three occasions. I won't take a photo on my iPhone even though I have the phone in my pocket.

 

[Jade+3]

I take the lot - SLR (but need a comfy back pack), iPhone, P&S. Lens choice is my current issue.

 

[marvel]

Interesting that most also take a compact. My issue is that I am the camera guy, and also the major backpack wearer. The kids have been too small to carry things and I didnt want them weighed down. This means I have the backpack with water and the camera around my neck.

I like my big camera but find it annoying at times due to size, the iphones are pretty good for photos and even videos, so wondering if they may suffice. Having another camera to charge and carefor?? not sure.

Maybe if i was more confident with the hybrid camera i would love it more and not feel as burdened by the size and weight.

I just bought a new backpack, but wondering if I need another one for the camera and the lense, i plan to buy a bigger zoom one as well.

 

[Marlea98]

We've got a DSLR with extra lenses and a backpack for it that DH carries (it does get rather heavy after a while). We both have iphones plus I have an extra little point and shoot, and the kids have their own little cheap p&s cameras too.

I wouldn't not bring the DSLR because of the long lens and it's quality and as much as I love the other little point and shoots and would like to ditch mine in favour of the iphone solely, I wouldn't because of the battery life of the iphone. We filled 3 16gb, 4 gb and a couple of old smaller memory cards on our last trip. We couldn't have done that with the iphones only. We could go a few days between charging the camera batteries on the cameras but with my fondness for photographing everything, the iphone would be flat by morning tea

 

[alicia1506]

last trip, i took my lumix fh25 which was a great p&s, and with it i captured lots of awesome, stunning shots and some fairly nice ones. we also took a cheaper p&s as a backup that can take decent shots, but in low light or high contrast areas, it was dodgy as. we took small video shots on our cameras.

this trip, i'll be taking a micro 4/3 camera, carlo will have the lumix as a backup/second camera, plus i'll be taking a dedicated video camera. the smartphones will be used just as phones, as i prefer to use a proper lens & focus etc for my holiday memories. that way, less chance of 'auto focus' or 'auto settings' screwing up my capture of that 'only happens once' moment

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

This is the age old dilemma for me. On holidays I want to get away from carrying a heavy camera , but then I would die if I couldn't capture beautiful images. It's so hard to decide what is right, different for everyone.

With that said here is what I just did, and here is what I am going to do next time.

I never use my iphone for photos.

I took my DSLR with 2 lenses. A wide open prime that I used 95% of the time because when you are in those crowds, you can't back up to fit everything into the shot so this lens works a treat. I also took a 70-300 zoom which is great if I am far away but it's kind of heavy and a hassle to take around.

I also had my little Canon S95 which is a great little P&S. I highly recommend it. I use this for evening inside shots because it has a flash and my DSLR does not. I also use it for quick snaps and selfies with the kids as we wander around.

End result - I was frustrated with the small prime lenses when I was in a situation where I wanted to zoom in. I was often too lazy to carry the big lens with me. I used the P&S when I wanted to zoom but the quality isn't there.

Next trip - so I am going to buy a 24-105 zoom lens for this next trip and I will use that lens exclusively. I will definitely still take the S95 P&S because it's super duper handy and has the flash for evening inside stuff.

As I write this though, I'm thinking I may take the big zoom and just take it with us when I know we are going on scenic bus trips as I won't have to lug it all day but can whip it out when we stop somewhere with beautiful views and use it then.

Ugh, I really don't know hahahaha.

I carry the slr over my shoulder at all times. I hate having it around my neck.

 

[battymum]

After much research, I bought an olympus epl 2for my trip last time.

This is a micro 4/3 , with interchangeable lenses.
Basically it's a bit bigger than a p&s, but it has a much larger sensor, in fact the same as entry level dslr's, so the quality is there. I have a 20mm prime lens, that sits on it 95% of the time,. I carry it around my neck all day without any problems, (except the shame of looking like a tourist.
i have a small cross body bag that I carry a 40-150 zoom in, it's about the size of a tall thin jam jar, as well as my wallet and phone. I wouldn't mind another style of bag as I tend to put everything I accumulate throughout the day in there, I really should take more care about this.

As I was new to this style of camera on my last trip, I am not happy with a lot of the photos, I will be using auto mode mostly on my next trip. (It's not the cameras fault, it's capable of taking beautiful pics)

My biggest problem was not shooting in high res, so when I went to print, the quality was not there. ( don't be fooled thinking it all looks the same on the LCD screen!!)

I have since done a lot of reading on photography, so hopefully my skills will be better, but I find as soon as I get in the field, the constant transition between looking at the LCD or viewfinder and broad daylight gives me quite the headache, I struggle to change any settings or even see what I am shooting - so end up just shooting and hoping for the best!!!

 

[Jade+3]

Next trip - so I am going to buy a 24-105 zoom lens for this next trip and I will use that lens exclusively. I will definitely still take the S95 P&S because it's super duper handy and has the flash for evening inside stuff.

This is the lens I use, but my camera has a crop sensor so 24 is not quite wide enough. It is on the heavy side. My christmas present was a 10-22 so looking forward to trying that out. I will take a prime for low light, probably the 30mm f/1.4. I did have a 17-50mm lens which was a great walk-around lens. Unfortunately it did not like being dropped (not by me).

My P&S is the Canon S100.

 

[BecBennett]

Do you find carrying a DSL everywhere annoying though due to the size, and I would assume you can't take the carry cases on the rides?

I find the benefits outweigh the annoyance Plus every ride has somewhere you can store a bag or stuff, so that's not an issue.

I take my DSLR with my tamron 18-200mm lens as my walk around lens, then I've got an UWA for the days when I want to take lots of wider photos. Then I also take my P&S because it's waterproof, and DH likes to carry it around because he thinks I miss a heap of really great photos

 

[marvel]

I have the nex5 and it's great and I want to buy a bigger lens but wonder if it will become a burden. . But I loved my Lumix compact but it died so I will have to find a nice one to replace it. Lisa your s95 sounds good .