Best camera in your flight case
Best camera in your flight case
Fleet Manager
Joined: Apr 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 7,447
Likes: 310
From: various places .....
If you are concerned about
(a) portability and stuffing the camera in the navbag, a small compact - but usually too wide to be of great use in long range shooting.
(b) flexibility, you need a good zoom lens. I use a Canon D10 and swear by it. Changing lenses gives you all the flexibility you need and, for cockpit use, a decent zoom is all you need. However, there are a half dozen similar capability cameras in the marketplace - take your pick.
As always, most things are a compromise in decision making.
(a) portability and stuffing the camera in the navbag, a small compact - but usually too wide to be of great use in long range shooting.
(b) flexibility, you need a good zoom lens. I use a Canon D10 and swear by it. Changing lenses gives you all the flexibility you need and, for cockpit use, a decent zoom is all you need. However, there are a half dozen similar capability cameras in the marketplace - take your pick.
As always, most things are a compromise in decision making.
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 242
Likes: 0
From: East end.
Digital SLR's are nice and offer good quality but are bulky and expensive.
I like the Nikon Coolpix 4800. Not as compact as some models but small given it's capabilities. IMO smaller, more functions, and a better zoom than many if not all digital zoom cameras currently available.
But I'm not an expert...
I like the Nikon Coolpix 4800. Not as compact as some models but small given it's capabilities. IMO smaller, more functions, and a better zoom than many if not all digital zoom cameras currently available.
But I'm not an expert...
Fleet Manager
Joined: Apr 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 7,447
Likes: 310
From: various places .....
.. concur to the extent that the Coolpix range is a good place to start for a happy snap compact.
We use the D10 for serious work - macro (the lens cost more than the body) and general technical photography around busted parts on the aircraft.
Can't recall which Coolpix model I bought as I don't generally use it myself but it gives a great photo for point and click work and is useful for borescope work.
We use the D10 for serious work - macro (the lens cost more than the body) and general technical photography around busted parts on the aircraft.
Can't recall which Coolpix model I bought as I don't generally use it myself but it gives a great photo for point and click work and is useful for borescope work.
Last edited by john_tullamarine; 20th June 2005 at 09:58.
Moderator
Joined: Feb 2000
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 14,480
Likes: 178
From: UK
I've had and used a few.
The main thing you want is chunky controls, the ability to operate it with one hand, and a good optical zoom (digital zoom is a waste of time). For decent resolution, you want at-least 3MPix. For simplicity, you need the ability to just turn it on, point and press.
I had a Kodak LS443 (now discontinued 4Mpix job), with a 3x optical zoom, that worked rather well - until it broke beyond economic repair at about 2 years old. I briefly dallied with a 5Mpix BenQ digital, but it was too small and fiddly to operate in a cockpit, and frankly unreliable (I did buy it very cheap second hand).
I've just bought a Yakumo MegaImage 410, which I'm just starting to play with - so far I'm quite impressed - 4Mpix, a big chunky handgrip on one side, and an 8x optical zoom. It also takes AA batteries (the biggest headache with the Kodak was the oddball NP60 battery, which was impossible to charge or replace away from home). So far the only thing I'm not all that happy with is the lack of an optical viewfinder, but that's common to many digicams now and hard to avoid. This is the beastie (second from bottom of page) if you want to take a look - not a bad price (I paid £110). (But I reserve the right after a couple of months to say I hate it
).
(And from an Engineering photography viewpoint, it's got a macro function down to 100mm, which combined with the equivalent of a 300ish mm SLR lens, is good enough around an aeroplane and lab, but not sure it'd tie up to a boro ).
G
The main thing you want is chunky controls, the ability to operate it with one hand, and a good optical zoom (digital zoom is a waste of time). For decent resolution, you want at-least 3MPix. For simplicity, you need the ability to just turn it on, point and press.
I had a Kodak LS443 (now discontinued 4Mpix job), with a 3x optical zoom, that worked rather well - until it broke beyond economic repair at about 2 years old. I briefly dallied with a 5Mpix BenQ digital, but it was too small and fiddly to operate in a cockpit, and frankly unreliable (I did buy it very cheap second hand).
I've just bought a Yakumo MegaImage 410, which I'm just starting to play with - so far I'm quite impressed - 4Mpix, a big chunky handgrip on one side, and an 8x optical zoom. It also takes AA batteries (the biggest headache with the Kodak was the oddball NP60 battery, which was impossible to charge or replace away from home). So far the only thing I'm not all that happy with is the lack of an optical viewfinder, but that's common to many digicams now and hard to avoid. This is the beastie (second from bottom of page) if you want to take a look - not a bad price (I paid £110). (But I reserve the right after a couple of months to say I hate it
).(And from an Engineering photography viewpoint, it's got a macro function down to 100mm, which combined with the equivalent of a 300ish mm SLR lens, is good enough around an aeroplane and lab, but not sure it'd tie up to a boro ).
G
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: AUS
dont be afraid of the d-slr +good wide lens setup.
some of the entry level dslrs are quite compact and can offer far better results due to greater versatility and better sensor types they have.
(also have far more buttons - pilots like that sort of stuff......)
some of the entry level dslrs are quite compact and can offer far better results due to greater versatility and better sensor types they have.
(also have far more buttons - pilots like that sort of stuff......)
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 31
Likes: 0
From: UK
I have the 300D and Kit Lens, even though its a kit lens, the images produced with its 6.30 MP sensor, and cheap wide angle lens, are all SHARP.
its a entry level DSLR camera, and its cheap. So it doesnt mean to say a Expensive 'Canon L Lense' is needed for sharp images, surely it would have better results, but the kit lens does the same job, and is sharp alot of the time.
But if you had the money, and the sky is the limit, i'd go for the Canon 1Ds Mark II, with a sweet Canon L Lense.
if you want to view pictures produced by certain cameras visit www.photosig.com -> photos -> filter by camera type -> select the camera model you want
Heres some pictures i've took with the 300d
http://www.base51.com/images/123_2360-1.jpg
http://www.base51.com/images/123_2362.jpg
Before you buy a camera, be sure you read alot of reviews and see if anyone has experienced any problems with them.
its a entry level DSLR camera, and its cheap. So it doesnt mean to say a Expensive 'Canon L Lense' is needed for sharp images, surely it would have better results, but the kit lens does the same job, and is sharp alot of the time.
But if you had the money, and the sky is the limit, i'd go for the Canon 1Ds Mark II, with a sweet Canon L Lense.
if you want to view pictures produced by certain cameras visit www.photosig.com -> photos -> filter by camera type -> select the camera model you want
Heres some pictures i've took with the 300d
http://www.base51.com/images/123_2360-1.jpg
http://www.base51.com/images/123_2362.jpg
Before you buy a camera, be sure you read alot of reviews and see if anyone has experienced any problems with them.
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: HK via Italy
I find the Canon IXUS40 range upwards is very easy to use. 1Gb card takes heaps of pictures along with a huge amount of video.
3*Optical zoom, 5*digital zoom. 3Mpix.
It's small, can be operated by one hand and fits very nicely into a pocket, flightbag. A little bigger than a credit card.
Would like to see Canon go up to a 5-10 optical zoom.
3*Optical zoom, 5*digital zoom. 3Mpix.
It's small, can be operated by one hand and fits very nicely into a pocket, flightbag. A little bigger than a credit card.
Would like to see Canon go up to a 5-10 optical zoom.
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 250
Likes: 0
From: USA
I have one of the Casio Exilims. It is incredibly small. I can keep it in my shirt pocket and forget that it is there. It also has a 'rapid on' feature, which means that from being off, it can turn on and take a picture in less than quarter of a second or something. That has come in handy a few times when I have seen a cool plane or something and need to take a picture quick. The resolution and zoom are not the best. But they are more than good enough for anything I have needed to take.
