What camera for Grand Canyon?

[MyOnly]

We're going in two weeks, so I need to buy a camera! My big issues are:

-color--Obviously this should be good. Is the color of the Kodak P850 so superior to the Fuji 5200 as to outweigh other fuji superiorities?

-shutter lag--Non-negotiable. I hate it. Played with a Fuji5200 in the store and it was fine. Canon S2IS was not fine. The camera much have unnoticable shutter lag so I can get spontaneous shots of my dd. Speedy startup is good too.

-size--Prefer something the weight and sizeof the Fuji 5200, but am open-minded.

-zoom--6X optical or more

So what do you think? Should I be looking at cameras like the Oly 8080 or the KM's as well as the usual ultrazooms (fuji 5200, panaonic, sony)?

Thanks!

[mtclimber]

The Natural Light Mode of the Fuji S-5200 produces color that is very much like the color of the Kodak P-850. The S-5200 boots a bit faster than the P-850 and has less shutter lag. In addition you have a higher ISO caspability on the S-5200. All of which I sincerely believe are pluses.

Because the S-5200 has a fixed in place lens that does not extend and retract, it front to back size is somewhat larger than the P-850. Please keep in mind that the Kodak P-850 does have IS. Both are excellent digital cameras and you will not go wrong with either of them.

Have a great trip and enjoy the Grand Canyon.

MT

[jdp]

I'm not going to suggest that the S2IS is the right camera for you but don't right it off on the experience you had in the shop. It has one off the best shutter response times in its class, I have an S2IS andshutter lag is not an issue,I alsousepro spec SLRs which provide the ultimate reference. I suspect that the lag you experienced in the shop was to do withthe camera settings at the time, I'd guess many people will have played with it. For example, a very long exposurecan give the impression of shutter lag especially with the shutter sound only being emitted at the end of the exposure. And if the 'safety shift' feature was set on then regardless of any shutter speed you selectit will be overridden to get a correct exposure.

Suggest you check out reviews on this site andotherswhich will give you an objective view on shutter lag for allmodels.

Now here is a little sales pitch for the S2. I've found the panoramic photo stitch facility just excellent, and havingbeen to the Grand CanyonI know thiswould be just perfect.

Good luck with the camera search and have a great holiday.

[Caelum]

Is there always a strong blue haze at the Grand Canyon, or does it depend on the weather / time of year? My own pictures felt washed out by this haze, unless I framed something near in the photo. I did a google image search and most of the images there have that heavy blue haze, unless they are sunrise/set photos.

[mtclimber]

MyOnly-

IMHO I truly think that the Fuji S-5200 is your digital camera. Go for it and enjoy. Bring back some fantastic Grand Canyon photos please. Thanks! Verified once again today-the Fuji S-9000 is a wonderful camera, but it certainly is a "tweaking" kind of digital camera.

MT

[slipe]

I would think for the Grand Canyon you would want to consider wide angle rather than telephoto. You might look at something like the Kodak P880.

You could hold the camera vertically and shoot several panorama shots. I find there is a lot less fiddling if you have a camera with a panorama mode.

The S2 has a slow cycle time with flash but is otherwise pretty quick. I haven't seen a good review for the S5200, but the S2 has better shutter lag than the S5100. 0.6 seconds throughout the range for a 12X zoom isn't bad.

Mechanical stabilization is a good feature in a long zoom camera.

[mtclimber]

Slipe-

I think you are singing quite loudly: "I wish upon a star..."

MT

[Steven R]

Slipe is on the right track, wide angle will be more useful than telephoto when you are there. When I first went to the Grand Canyon, I carried a 35mm SLR plus a digital P&S. However, I found that I shot mostly with the 35mm SLR using my 28mm wide angle lens.The telephoto lens rarely came out of the case. The digital was not a wide angle, and it was not used nearly as much as the SLR. I gotthe best shots with the film camera because of the lens.

When I go back, I will be taking my Olympus C8080. It's 28-140mm lens will be a great choice for the sweeping vistas of the Grand Canyon.

[mtclimber]

Steven-

You are exactly and precisely correct. Howvever, the probem is that thiswonderful lady can only purchase one digital camera.

Shall we attempt to FORCE her to purchase cameras that she cannot get delivered or afford? I don't think so!

Folks, it is time to let up a bit! Thanks for your forbearance.

MT