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Cameras when skiing

MissySki

Angel Diva
Does anyone use anything besides their cellphone to take pictures when skiing?? I’ve started to really enjoy documenting pretty scenery and notable trails and features at the mountains I ski, especially if I’m skiing solo. There are days when it’s more about the actual skiing and then there are days where I like to stop and smell the roses a bit, take everything in as an addition to actually skiing. However, what I don’t like is the feeling that I can’t ever really capture the beauty I’m seeing in person in my photographs. Things that look so majestic in person, somehow become diminutive in photos. I know part of this is learning some fundamentals in photography, but then I’m also thinking a “real” camera versus a cellphone camera is needed. Any amateur (or beyond) photographers here that like to especially focus on scenery and landscapes in the outdoors? Any tips on resources to develop some basic skills and on cameras that are more advanced but not overly large? I want more than a point and shoot, but also something I can carry around on my person skiing without needing to carry an additional bag if possible, etc. Does this exist?
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
I'd call myself an aspiring amateur when it comes to photography. I love it, and have a lot of fun with it, but I have a looooong way to go.

A few things to get you started down a path (hopefully it's the right path). Regardless of what type of camera you end up going with here are a few things to consider and look for in a camera:

Sensor size: The sensor is the part of the camera that captures the light, that creates the image. It's basically the film of a digital camera. Generally speaking, the larger the sensor, the more detail you'll be able to get in your photo, and the better the quality and sharpness of the photo. 1-inch sensors seem to be the "gold standard" for point and shoot cameras. Then you'll get a bigger sensor on DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.

Megapixels: More megapixels will keep your images looking sharp if you blow them up or crop them. 10 is probably great for printing normal 4" x 6" images,

RAW Format: If you want to process your images afterwards with Photoshop (or another photo editing program), it helps to be able to shoot in RAW. RAW format captures more data, and thus gives more options for exposure, color, contrast, etc. (it also creates a much larger file, so larger memory cards are helpful here).

Manual Focus: Here's one area that I haven't dove into much. But it definitely adds flexibility when shooting. You don't have to rely on the autofocus to pick up exactly what you want. It might not be something you play with short-term, but something to consider if you want to dive deeper into photography.

Size and Weight: Point and Shoots have come a long way, and are probably the only cameras that you can really pocket without the use of an additional bag. If you decide pocketing the camera is one of the most important aspects that you want in the camera, this will probably be the best way to go.

There are a ton of "Best Camera for XYZ" articles out there. Read reviews, get as much information as possible, and be prepared to enter a very expensive habit :becky:. As for learning about photography, there's a lot on the internet for basics, including tons of YouTube videos. There's also online courses you can take...although I haven't ventured down that path yet.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
There are some truly excellent compact point and shoots these days. It sounds to me like this would be perfect for you. It's really the only option for tucking in a pocket. The good ones will cost $500-$1100+. I lust after one of the higher ends ones myself (I used to have a Sony RX100 III but sadly left it in a rental car). There are a ton of sites that review them, like this (below). I think you would want one with good optical zoom.
https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-point-and-shoot-cameras

Things that look so majestic in person, somehow become diminutive in photos.

Your cell phone comes with a wide angle lens, so it makes landscapes look smaller. Any zoom on your phone is digital, which isn't really zoom. It's basically just cropping. What your eye sees is equivalent to 35mm-50mm on a camera with optical zoom. So essentially you need 35-50mm optical zoom to make mountains etc look life-sized. This is too big to ski with outside of a separate bag.

I took (non-credit) photography classes at my local community college. Your nearby camera stores probably have something. Those are nice because you can ask questions. But if you can't find anything local, there are some great classes on Creative Live. I've only taken classes from John Greengo, since he is a well-regarded Seattle guy that also teaches here (but not when I can do it). You might see if his Fundamentals of Photography sounds interesting.
https://www.creativelive.com/class/fundamentals-of-photography-john-greengo-2018

I took his Nature and Landscape Photography and it was outstanding, but it assumes you have a DSLR and know the basics.
https://www.creativelive.com/class/nature-and-landscape-photography-john-greengo?via=autocomplete

Knowing basic composition will be very useful, once you have a camera with zoom, for getting the kind of landscape shots you want. Photography is a real rabbit hole, though. So many shots that I see and take for granted (sunlight streaming through trees, flowers in foreground and mountains in background all in focus, etc) turn out to need special lenses and techniques. A lot of this was a real surprise to me as someone that had always used a point and shoot!
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If you want to be able to carry the camera in your pocket, look for a small point and shoot with manual settings. This way you can control the iso, shutter speed and F stop.
Not that you should get this camera (I just found it as an example), but an example would be the Canon PowerShot SX740. I'm sure most brands will offer something similar---Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Pentax etc.

Some small point and shoots are very basic and don't offer the ability to manually change the settings (they only offer portrait mode, landscape mode etc) but if you get one with manual settings it will last you a lot longer if you decide you want to get into photography. You want P (program mode), shutter priority mode (S or Tv on Canon) and aperture priority mode (A or Av). If it has full manual mode that is a bonus.

If you like to learn via book, I really like all of Bryan Peterson's books--I found Understanding Exposure and his Understanding Photography Field Guide to be 2 of my favorites, but I love all his books and refer to them constantly.
 

Divegirl

Angel Diva
Take a look at the Olympus TG series - they are waterproof to about 50 ft (w/o a housing) and are impact and wet resistant - good for the beach and such so should be good in the snow. They have a variety of settings both manual and pre-programmed along w/ video and a very cool micro macro setting for super close up photos. It is not a point shoot but a compact camera.
I use a TG-3 underwater (in a housing as I go below 50ft). I love it. It is now my go to camera for traveling - above and below the water. The TG-3 does not shoot RAW just JPEG but I think the TG-4 and up do. I use Lightroom to "fix" my photos. You're in MA - I have taken a couple classes through Hunt's Photo and Video - I know they're in Medford and Hanover not sure about other locations.
 

Jenny

Angel Diva
I don’t even know if you can get a small camera with a viewfinder anymore, so I find the big screen on mine helpful, in that I can pick out a feature that I want in the photo and that I can still see on the screen and then try and frame the pic the way I want from there. It’s super hard to see, sometimes, so having the extra megapixels is good in case you need to edit. But I seem to recall the camera guy telling me that once you get above 8, I think, then you have to blow them up pretty big (like, wall sized) for the human eye to be able to see the difference. But maybe it was 10, as @elemmac said, above. At any rate, there's a point of diminishing returns, I guess.

After I get a chance to compile the photos from Taos, I'll post some. Some were taken on DH's Samsung, which has an awesome camera, some on my old iPhone, which does not, and some on my camera.
 

mountainwest

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
My husband and I take a Nikon D750 with a 70-300mm lens with us while backcountry skiing. It’s in his backpack for the uphill and for the downhill we trade off carrying it by clipping a small camera bag to the chest strap of our backpacks so that it’s quick and easy to pull out. It’s big and heavy, but it takes great photos.
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I've moved from a Canon Digital Elph model that was ideal but quite old to a Panasonic Lumix ZS100. It is small but not as small as the Canon was. It does everything and more and has great video and way more zoom than the Canon, plus a large sensor. But, it is bigger and IT DOES NOT HAVE A "SNOW" SETTING. I thought, no biggie, I'll just program the custom setting for snow. But it's mid season and I'm still fooling around trying to get the additional exposure right and some other things. Why didn't I stay with a Canon you might ask? Because they didn't offer an actual viewfinder anymore in that type of camera. This is the camera that I'll be taking to Austria with me and not my "travel zoom" which I got for wildlife photography. It's just not as bulky and I figure I'll be mostly taking landscapes not needing that much zoom. The Panasonic does shoot RAW, but I'm currently saving in both formats as I shoot and not finding that I pick one format over the other consistently when I get home to do my "picture of the day". With the Canon it really was point and shoot. This requires me to think a lot more, not always consistent with a ski day. I carry it, along with snacks, etc. in a large fanny pack. I suppose I could sling it around my neck, but I have history with having a camera around my neck while skiing and I almost strangled myself in a fall so will never do that again.

By the way, almost all the images on my website are from that little Canon or a prior model. I only recently got a smartphone and don't really use it for photography.
 
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sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Picture taken with the Panasonic this week.
86430890_10157919779442488_1747242826871078912_o.jpg
 

SqueakySnow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Photography is a vast and deep ocean full of technical and artistic questions that need to be answered for every photo. And, for the most part, the photographer makes the photo, not the camera. However, there are 3 physical aspects of a camera that will make the photos you're interested in "better".

Lens Focal Length – get a quality zoom lens that gives you the flexibility to capture broad landscapes and crop into the details that really tell the story of your image.
Sensor Dynamic Range – this is especially important in a snowy setting. Higher dynamic range helps maintain detail in highlights and shadows (among other things). Generally, larger sensors capture more of this information and give properly exposed photos more depth.
RAW Format – shoot RAW instead of JPEG. This format maintains all the information your sensor can capture and allows more flexibility in processing in case exposure isn't perfect. JPEG is more concerned with file size and deletes valuable information.

Something like the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 VII would be pretty sweet and easy to tuck under a jacket. One thing to note here, if your camera is tucked into your jacket, when you take it out into the cold air, condensation can form on the lens making for a foggy image ;) Let the camera adjust to the temperature.

There are tons of other things that photographers argue over constantly, but these three will get the conversation started for you.

Also, for me, I only take my phone camera with me when skiing. It's very easy to get so wrapped up in capturing images that the actual joy of skiing is lost. Food for thought.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I have a Sony Cyber-shot, not sure the model, but it's old. I use it on trips. The Nikon DSLR is just too large for daily skiing. I do have the Lift-rider back pack to take it anywhere it I need it.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
Does anyone use anything besides their cellphone to take pictures when skiing??
I've been using variations of the Canon ELPH models for years. Would look for the previous year model on eBay when I felt like upgrading. Also useful to get a spare battery.

I often take pictures on the lift. Don't want to be handling my phone there.

If you want to be able to carry the camera in your pocket, look for a small point and shoot with manual settings. This way you can control the iso, shutter speed and F stop.
Not that you should get this camera (I just found it as an example), but an example would be the Canon PowerShot SX740. I'm sure most brands will offer something similar---Panasonic, Nikon, Sony, Pentax etc.

Some small point and shoots are very basic and don't offer the ability to manually change the settings (they only offer portrait mode, landscape mode etc) but if you get one with manual settings it will last you a lot longer if you decide you want to get into photography. You want P (program mode), shutter priority mode (S or Tv on Canon) and aperture priority mode (A or Av). If it has full manual mode that is a bonus.
Agree with these features are enough.

I grew up with 35mm film cameras, which often got left at home because they were heavy to carry. When the film "point and shoot" cameras were invented, that's what I wanted when traveling. My husband has a good digital camera with multiple lenses but I would never bring something that big on a ski lift.

I took a couple of photography classes in high school. You can learn landscape composition by taking pictures pretty much anywhere, even the local park that's only a few acres. Your eye automatically eliminates distracting items in a way that you don't realized until you try to take picture. While these days it's possible to edit photos, the closer the original composition is to what you want, the better. Although I tend to err on the side of including too much and then cropping later. Too hard to see exactly what's going to end up in the picture when shooting outdoors with a helmet and goggles.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes, it is challenging taking picture from ski lifts. I tend to take quite a few from the lift because often you see some great views. Trying to dig out your camera from your pocket while holding gloves in lap/under leg--and if you haven't sat on your poles then holding them in one hand as well. Wearing goggles makes seeing what is actually in the lcd screen a challenge as well, plus the lift is moving--so it sort of ends up being a ready, aim, fire and hope you get what you wanted approach.
Easier to take photos at the top of the lift once you're off or finding an uncrowded trail to stop and take photos from.
I use either my phone (usually not when on the lift, as I don't want to drop it) or my very simple point and shoot camera which has a wrist strap I can slide on. I would like to replace the point and shoot camera I am using because the one I have currently for skiing is the Pentax Optio W60 and it lacks the basic features I want (easy to change aperture, shutter, iso). The reason I bought it was not for skiing but as a waterproof camera option for snorkeling. It is definitely waterproof but the autofocus is extremely slow in many conditions compared to the better cameras (not compact) that I own so you often miss the moment when using it.
 

MissySki

Angel Diva
Has anyone heard of or have any experience with the Sony A6000 or A6300? I did a little crowd sourcing on the Ski The East Facebook group as well, and these specific models came up numerous times. People also say that they are small enough to carry with you, but hard to get a real sense of that without seeing in person. I am definitely still just in the research phase right now, and appreciate everything posted so far because I had absolutely no knowledge of what I was even looking for! Now I at least have some basics as a starting point. I will probably look to buy something when ski season ends and I have some more time, I figure then I can play with it over the summer on hikes and such, learning more to use for next season. Keep it coming ladies! :thumbsup:
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
People also say that they are small enough to carry with you, but hard to get a real sense of that without seeing in person.
To get a sense of what small digital point&shoot cameras feel like, stop by a Best Buy some time. They don't have a huge selection but always have a few of the smaller models available. Usually in the $100-300 range, depending on what's on sale.

The other cost will be for SD card(s). If you are only going to take basic still shots, don't need to have large capacity. If RAW format or video is of interest, that takes up a lot more storage space.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
I've been using variations of the Canon ELPH models for years.
Now that I think back, one reason I picked the ELPH years ago was because the range on the lens went farther for wide angle shots. For instance, the current ELPH 360HS goes from 4.5 (W) to 54.0 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 25-300mm). MSRP is around $200. I didn't want to deal with changeable lenses. Been there, done that . . . not interested while doing something active like hiking or road biking or skiing.

In comparison the base lens for the Sony A6000 is 15mm to 50mm, so the emphasis is on the telephoto capability. MRSP seems to be around $800 with that lens.
 

NewEnglandSkier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I am not specifically familiar with the Sony line up, but I went online to check it out. Both the A6000 and A6300 are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. (Mirrorless and DSLRs sort of compete---mirrorless technology is newer and the cameras tend to be lighter/a bit more compact on the whole). Without a lens attached they both seem like they would likely fit in a pocket. With a lens attached, it will likely be a tougher fit. I guess it depends on how large the pocket is and what lens you have attached.
I'd recommend heading to a camera store or big box shop like Best Buy like @marzNC mentioned to take a look at the sizing. If you go to a camera shop, the staff will be more helpful in answering questions you have than at the big box shops.
Need to decide whether portability in a pocket for skiing is top priority or if you want to be able to swap lenses.
Different types of camera definitely come in handy for different things.
For skiing I love having a small point and shoot. For travel other than skiing I use either my DSLR (Canon 77D) or my Panasonic FZ100. The FZ100 is a so called "bridge camera" as it bridges the gap between simple point and shoot and DSLR. Bridge cameras generally have full manual settings but you can't switch the lenses and they are a bit more compact than DSLRs.

I'd tend to pick a higher end compact point and shoot for skiing just because it's easy to carry, but if you want to get into photography it won't have as many options as an interchangeable lens camera. I think it's definitely easier to learn photography when you're not skiing and hanging off a chairlift or trying not to get run over by someone. Experiment just around the house or on a relaxed hike or trip is a great way to learn.

I'm far from a great photographer, but I found when I was getting started, it was easier to ignore most of the settings and focus on composition first. Then once you understand composition you want to get more involved with the settings so you can make changes. For example, the same photo taken at aperture f1.8 will look totally different taken at f22--and it's fun to be able to make these changes. And then switching up lenses and choosing lenses is a whole other thing to get into.

One website that I like for reviews etc is www.dpreview.com
 

SqueakySnow

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
If anyone is interested, I'd be happy to meet in person to discuss photography. There is certainly a lot to talk about when it comes to equipment, but we could also discuss image storytelling, composition, exposure, post-production, and how everything comes together to create an image. I just moved to Burlington, VT, so let me know if you're in the area and want to meet up... I'm happy to share what I know. I have experience in outdoor landscape, sports/action, street, and in studio with fashion and product photography. We could also talk about camera phone photography, point and shoot, crop-sensor DSLR, full-frame DSLR, medium format, and mirrorless cameras. Could be fun :smile:
 

sibhusky

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I just realized I said my Panasonic was a Z100. It is actually a ZS100 and I've asked for that post to be corrected. I also own the FZ200, which is the travel zoom I referred to that ultimately not only do I not ski with, but that I expect to leave home when I travel to Austria in the fall. It's fine for wildlife and things that require macro or long exposures or that need a wider aperture, but it is bulky. Not as bad as back in the day when I was carrying a raft of lenses, but not something you want to shove in your handbag.

Relative sizes:.... It's really frustrating to upload files here. I've had to reduce the files multiple times to upload them..

Altoid box--ZS100--FZ200
photo_1582407026509_1582407263913.jpg
photo_1582406967482_1582407295249.jpg
 

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