Canon 500D (Rebel T1i, Kiss X3)

[Mosca]

I'm a "take the small camera" guy. I wouldn't even consider taking the DSLR to the parks, it's too much weight... FOR ME. And carrying it onto the plane, schlepping it through the airport, in addition to the laptop, and all the power cords, and other carryon stuff? Nope.

In the past, I've been very satisfied with the shots from my Canon G9. This year I took an Olympus E-P1 (micro 4/3), and I was also very satisfied with it. The most limiting factor of the G9 is the low light/high ISO performance; the G11 is better at that specifically, so you'll be OK if that's what you decide to shoot with.

But, I'm not you. All I can tell you is that the shots from the G series are pretty doggone good, certainly good enough for vacation memories. If you want those nice shallow shots with lots of bokeh, take the T1i or Photoshop in the bokeh.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I'm a "take the small camera" guy. I wouldn't even consider taking the DSLR to the parks, it's too much weight... FOR ME. And carrying it onto the plane, schlepping it through the airport, in addition to the laptop, and all the power cords, and other carryon stuff? Nope.

In the past, I've been very satisfied with the shots from my Canon G9. This year I took an Olympus E-P1 (micro 4/3), and I was also very satisfied with it. The most limiting factor of the G9 is the low light/high ISO performance; the G11 is better at that specifically, so you'll be OK if that's what you decide to shoot with.

But, I'm not you. All I can tell you is that the shots from the G series are pretty doggone good, certainly good enough for vacation memories. If you want those nice shallow shots with lots of bokeh, take the T1i or Photoshop in the bokeh.

Good points.... mmmm.... I've never had a good "smaller" camera to use, so I always took my SLR/DSLR. I'm not the greatest photographer anyways, so I'm always just trying to learn. I don't know what to do.... I think I'll keep playing with the G11 for now and maybe decide before I go. I just find the big camera bag a pain to carry around the parks with me, and this time I'm taking the laptop to upload the pictures as I've just started shooting in RAW (although I still don't know how that benefits me at this point, as I don't do much post-processing)...

Thanks for your input as well!

 

[boBQuincy]

I have a G11 and a Xsi, there is no comparison. The G11 is a good camera but the small sensor takes it's toll in low light performance and dynamic range. The dynamic range is possibly the biggest issue since it is even an issue in good light.

Because of this it takes more care with the G11 than it does with the dSLR to get a really good exposure, it must be exposed to the right (but avoid clipping) and the RAW file has to be processed carefully. Taking HDR sets helps a lot with the G11's limitations and I try to do this as much as possible.

In the end, it depends on how much you want to carry and how much you want the dynamic range. I feel the Xsi is not that much heavier than the G11 (although it is much bulkier) and I use the G11 as my "bicycle" camera mostly.

 

[bentos]

My friend has a G11 and I would say it has pretty good quality even at low-light situations. I guess it would be because of it's f/2.8 lens. But ideally, you will still get better quality and composition with your DSLR because you can change lenses and the camera sensor is way bigger(and that really makes a big difference).

But also we should always remember that talent is behind the camera. It is really not about the equipment. I've seen phenomenal shots just with point-and-shoot cameras. So my answer for your question would be: For the convenience of bringing a smaller camera go for the G11. But ultimately I would suggest you bring the DSLR just in case you would need to use a zoom lens. You just might regret it in the end if you don't bring your DSLR.

 

[bentos]

My friend has a G11 and I would say it has pretty good quality even at low-light situations. I guess it would be because of it's f/2.8 lens. But ideally, you will still get better quality and composition with your DSLR because you can change lenses and the camera sensor is way bigger(and that really makes a big difference).

But also we should always remember that talent is behind the camera. It is really not about the equipment. I've seen phenomenal shots just with point-and-shoot cameras. So my answer for your question would be: For the convenience of bringing a smaller camera go for the G11. But ultimately I would suggest you bring the DSLR just in case you would need to use a zoom lens. You just might regret it in the end if you don't bring your DSLR.

 

[DisneyFreak06]

I guess what I'll do is take both cameras and see how I feel each day. I may end up taking the G11 for the days and then the DSLR for evenings, especially fireworks etc. I really like the zoom for the shows too. Guess I'll stick with what I feel like each day.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[weHEARTmickey]

Can't believe I'm just NOW remembering to ask these things I just bought this camera last month for a VERY important reason. My Mom has Stage 4 breast cancer & I'm taking her on her #1 Bucket List request NEXT week--whale watching. I have the 18-55mm lens & the 75-300mm lens. ANY help you can offer would be AWESOME!

1) What settings do you recommend for a day of whale watching?
2) I will be in Monterey aboard a boat. What precautions should I take to protect my camera from the salty air/water?
3) What settings should I use at night to catch the San Francisco city lights?
4) Do I need to buy a lens filter? If so, where do I go, what do I get, & how much do they cost?

 

[VVFF]

Can't believe I'm just NOW remembering to ask these things I just bought this camera last month for a VERY important reason. My Mom has Stage 4 breast cancer & I'm taking her on her #1 Bucket List request NEXT week--whale watching. I have the 18-55mm lens & the 75-300mm lens. ANY help you can offer would be AWESOME!

1) What settings do you recommend for a day of whale watching?
2) I will be in Monterey aboard a boat. What precautions should I take to protect my camera from the salty air/water?
3) What settings should I use at night to catch the San Francisco city lights?
4) Do I need to buy a lens filter? If so, where do I go, what do I get, & how much do they cost?

Best thing you can do is learn what the lens settings do. There isn't one "universal" setting for all scenes. You should be able to know how to adjust on the fly based on your results.

You'll probably mostly want to use the 75-300 lens but I have to say this lens isn't Canon's best. It might be worthwhile to buy a 55-250mm which you should be able to find for $200-250 or so.

provided its very sunny, I would set the camera to ISO100-200 and keep it in Av mode probably around F4-F5.6.

For night pictures you'll need a tripod or a stable surface with the 18-55mm. Keep it on ISO 100 and you'll probably need 2-4 seconds or so to capture the lights. Aperture would be set to F5.6-7.1 or so and it'd be best to either use a remote shutter release or the timer on the camera.

I personally wouldn't worry too much about the water provided you aren't actually getting wet. Even then, a little water shouldn't kill a camera.

Again, read up on what these settings do, and play around with them before you go.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

a circular polerizer filter for your lens will help with glare off the water. I'd recomend one.

As for how to shoot, well, if you don't already know, i'd keep it in auto or learn quickly about your camera. I'd suggest Apature priority at f/8 to f/11. I'd also set your exposure to over expose by a stop if you have bright sun light in the picture. Also, try spot meetering and spot focus and learn out to use them.

 

[ukcatfan]

a circular polerizer filter for your lens will help with glare off the water. I'd recomend one.

As for how to shoot, well, if you don't already know, i'd keep it in auto or learn quickly about your camera. I'd suggest Apature priority at f/8 to f/11. I'd also set your exposure to over expose by a stop if you have bright sun light in the picture. Also, try spot meetering and spot focus and learn out to use them.

Sorry if I sound rude, because I do not mean to be, but you seriously could use a spell checker.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I am trying to decide on an sd card for my new canon t1i. I was going to go with Sandisk but noticed they're double the price of a Delkin. I am going with a class 10 but don't know if it'd be smarter to go with the sandisk. Anyone???

In 7 years, I've NEVER had a sandisk card fail. But of every other brand we've used at the office, we've seen failures. That to me is worth the price, especially if you've lost a memory card full of photos like I have!

why do you need a class 10 card? Class 6 should work well for the t1i unless you are really into continuous shooting ALOT.

I have a pair of 32G class 10 cards for my T2i's, but really, I can' tell the difference between that and my extreme III 16G cards, so not sure I would do it again.

A good alternative is the Transcend cards, I shoot with their 300x Compact Flash cards in my 50d. I've had one of the 600x cards fail, but never the 300x, so I'd consider them a good alternative.

But still, I usually shoot with sandisk cards.

 

[ukcatfan]

If the boat is moving slow, you should not have to worry about spray too much. If you get it on the lens or filter, do not wipe it off though. It needs to be removed with lens cleaning fluid because the salt can scratch the glass. I would put the camera away while you are moving because the spray could get bad.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

If the boat is moving slow, you should not have to worry about spray too much. If you get it on the lens or filter, do not wipe it off though. It needs to be removed with lens cleaning fluid because the salt can scratch the glass. I would put the camera away while you are moving because the spray could get bad.

LOL! Yeah, I can't spell. LOL!

Also, check these out if you are worried about getting your camera wet:

http://www.optechusa.com/product/detail/?PRODUCT_ID=73

They are like $5 / pair and I always keep a couple on hand. I have even used one once when I got caught in the rain, although I wouldn't want to make a habbit of it, it worked great!

 

[AlbertZeroK]

Sorry if I sound rude, because I do not mean to be, but you seriously could use a spell checker.

LOL! You'll have to do much better than that to offend me

 

[ukcatfan]

LOL! Yeah, I can't spell. LOL!

LOL! You'll have to do much better than that to offend me

Don't worry, I can't that well either. The computer does a lot of fixing for me. Firefox underlines them for me.

Being new, I wanted to make sure I didn't offend you. We pride ourselves as being one of the nicest boards on the DIS. Sure, we have our disagreements, but they very rarely get offensive or derogatory. Welcome!

 

[photo_chick]

A lesson from my experience with the canon 75-300 on a 35mm Rebel while on a dolphin cruise.... whatever you think you need for your shutter speed, add 1000 to it. If you think you need 1/500, use 1/1500.

Those boats are murder with the camera shake on that lens. Especially when you have it out to 300 as you lean over railing trying to get good shots of the marine life.

And spell check is great... you have no idea how many times it's caught me substituting an I for the U in shutter. I really think that's a subconscious thing on my part.

 

[ukcatfan]

And spell check is great... you have no idea how many times it's caught me substituting an I for the U in shutter. I really think that's a subconscious thing on my part.

OK, I can honestly say that I just laughed out loud on that one!

 

[disneyboy2003]

I did a whale-watching excursion in Alaska last year, and this is what I got:

1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800, 135mm

1/1000 sec, f/5.6, ISO 800, 135mm
​

For whale watching on a boat, you're dealing with both fast-action and motion of the boat. Because of this, you'll want faster shutter speeds, which may also mean larger apertures and higher ISOs.

It was an overcast / cloudy day, so I used a higher ISO. I had the 100-400mm f/4-5.6 lens, so I think f/5.6 was already the largest aperture I could use at this focal length. I figured that a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec was probably fast enough (1) to capture breaching whales and (2) combat the slowly bobbing motion of the boat. If the waters were rougher, I'd probably go with faster shutter speeds, like 1/1500 - 1/2000 sec.


For nighttime cityscape photos, you're dealing with low-light, non-moving subject. Since your subject (the city of San Francisco) isn't moving, you can afford to use very very slow shutter speeds (like anywhere between 2 - 10 seconds?) to capture more light into your camera. Because you're using slow shutter speeds, you'll need either a tripod or some firm surface for your camera.

I'd go with a moderate-sized aperture like f/8-f/11 to get enough depth of field for your landscape / cityscape photo. If you go with too small an aperture (ie. too large an f-number), then you might start running into the effects of diffraction, which may ironically make your photo slightly less sharp.

Since you're on a tripod (or firm, steady surface) with long shutter speed, you can also afford to go with a low ISO (like ISO 100-200) so that you get clean, noise-free night photos.


Hope that helps! Be sure to post some of your photos from your trip when you return.

 

[Pugrpooh]

Another tip -- use burst mode. As soon as you see whales, just hold the shutter button down. This way I was able to capture a whale breaching in Alaska last year from start to finish in 8 frames. Here are a few of them:

Here are a couple more.

I hope you have a great time! Best of luck to your mom. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and she was with us on our Alaska trip last year. We have some great memories.

 

[bob100]

Can't believe I'm just NOW remembering to ask these things I just bought this camera last month for a VERY important reason. My Mom has Stage 4 breast cancer & I'm taking her on her #1 Bucket List request NEXT week--whale watching. I have the 18-55mm lens & the 75-300mm lens. ANY help you can offer would be AWESOME!

1) What settings do you recommend for a day of whale watching?
2) I will be in Monterey aboard a boat. What precautions should I take to protect my camera from the salty air/water?
3) What settings should I use at night to catch the San Francisco city lights?
4) Do I need to buy a lens filter? If so, where do I go, what do I get, & how much do they cost?

all the above suggestions are good but I would also recommend getting the Canon 55-250IS. How did you end up with the 75-300mm ? that is one of the worst telephoto zooms! Hopefully you don't have the older 18-55mm lens and really have the newer 18-55IS