What small camera to take skiing?!

chris321

chris321

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Right, I'm in a bit of a state of confusion! I've just booked a skiing holiday, and I want to take a camera, but have no idea what to take! My skiing ability is ...erm....well it's poor, and there's a reasonable chance I'll be spending a bit of time on my face/in snowdrifts etc. :D

However, I'll go crazy if I can't take a camera up the mountains, the scenery will be amazing and there we're going in a big group, so there will be plenty of opportunity for nice shots of a really good group of my friends.

However, I recently bought a Panasonic TZ65, and while it was really nice, I broke the rear screen in about a month (I was so gutted, put my hard hat through it while on a summer internship :'( ).

Which has got me thinking. What I'd really like is a Canon G10 (can't afford the G11, but want a wider lens than the G9 has), or the Panasonic LX3, but I'm worried I'll break them if I have a fall. Alternatively, there are some extra tough point-and-shoots, but they seem to be lacking manual control! What do I do?!

Do the either of the canon or panasonic range have any specialised fall-proof cases or anything? I want the manual controls, but if I break the thing it'll be no good anyway! Sorry it's been such a long post, please help?!

Chris
 
I've used a variety from basic compacts, through slr-like compacts (Fuji) to my DSLR. I've got great shots from them all, even from the basic stuff with limited controls (in fact one of my top photos on Flickr came from one of my Fuji compacts rather than the SLR). The conditions are just so great it's hard to mess up.

Though there are issues with camera meters getting confused by all the white by I've found with Fuji and Nikon at least, I've had few problems. There are tricks also by under or overexposing (I forget which is recommended), or you can just adjust in post processing if the exposure isn't quite right. Usually they underexpose in my experience.

What I've learnt about carrying them is get a backpack (or one of those water bladder things but with enough space for a camera) with suitable padding and stuff the camera in there. If you're a skier you are less likely to be falling on your back. Usually you fall on your side or occasionally on your front.

I take the SLR most of the time now just in the backpack. Though if I fall it's mostly in deep powder these days as I'm keen on off piste and don't often fall on the piste (discounting the accident last year where I think I cracked my ribs with a high speed fall :D. Still didn't break the camera though).

For compacts I'd just get a small padded bag and maybe some padding around it in the bag you put it in. I think it's more likely to suffer damage if it's stuffed in a jacket pocket, but still I find falling on snow, even hard snow, with all the padding you have in jackets, bags, etc, doesn't cause damage to cameras.

One note though with backpacks. Take them off when you get onto a chair lift! You have to practice this a bit to sling it round to your front and do it without dropping your ski poles, gloves or the bag, and be sure no straps are dangling. People have been known to be dangling from a chair lift from a bag that got caught somewhere!

Oh, and often there's advice to stick the camera inside a zip lock plastic bag when you come into the warm to prevent moisture build up as it warms up. I've not bothered and never had a problem, though you should give it a while before using it indoors anyway.

P.S. Batteries. Look for a camera with lithium batteries. AA batteries will run out fast in the cold and you'll be changing them frequently. Lithiums do suffer from cold as well but I find they last a longer. A DSLR will generally last longer on battery as they aren't using a powered viewscreen (except the newer ones that do of course ;), but you can just use the optical viewfinder and save power).
 
I found the best way to carry a camera when skiing / boarding was in a bumbag worn on the front. Never broke one yet and I have tried*




*got taken off the slopes by stretcher but the camera was OK :D
 
deadkenny said:
I've used a variety from basic compacts......
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Thanks so much for taking the time to write that, it's much appreciated and has given me a lot to think about!



AtominoTalk said:
Its always a question of quality. A D40 plus 18-55 give a better quality than any compact. http://joergvetter.oyla.de/cgi-bin/hpm_homepage.cgi If a prime will be selected, e.g. 35/1.8 is becomes realy small. Atomino
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Don't get me wrong, I'd love to take my DSLR, 70-200, an ultra wide angle, walkabout, some polarising filters, the whole lot, but it's just not possible! I've been looking at the Canon sx2000, and getting a hard case for it as I'm still learning to ski and a friend of mine broke his back when he wet skiing with a rucksack on!

My criteria for the new compact are a reasonable focal range for landscapes and telephoto stuff, manual controls and exposure compensation! Robust would be good, if not then i'll invest in a good small hard case! Thanks a lot!

Chris
 
mrgubby said:
I found the best way to carry a camera when skiing / boarding was in a bumbag worn on the front. Never broke one yet and I have tried*



*got taken off the slopes by stretcher but the camera was OK :D
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Thanks, I'll bear that in mind, but hopefully the stretcher won't be required!!! :gag:
 
I take my 18-200 VR lens generally. No lens changing and big clunky lenses to carry. It's not the best of lenses, but it does for light travel.

Though I'd like to do a proper ski-photo trip (I've posted another thread about this), taking the whole gear and do it all properly :D.
 
once you've decided what to take, wear a RUCKSACK with it in, pad out one of the compartments or in a hard case wrapped in a fleece etc! a skiing backpack (dakine etc) will not encourage injuries (you sound like your friends broken back was helped by the fact he was wearing his rucksack) most of them are actually designed to HELP support your back in event of an accident! where are you skiing, if Verbier, Switzerland PM me, i know some stunning spots!
 
I took my Fuji F30 a couple of years ago and was very pleased with the result , no way would i take my DSLR as im not a good enough skier
 
deadkenny said:
I take my 18-200 VR lens generally. No lens changing and big clunky lenses to carry. It's not the best of lenses, but it does for light travel.
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As I said, I'd love to take my entire kit, but it's a skiing holiday above all, and I would almost certainly break a dslr, I want something nice and small and flat that can be protected easily!


c_robinson said:
once you've decided what to take, wear a RUCKSACK with it in, pad out one of the compartments or in a hard case wrapped in a fleece etc! a skiing backpack (dakine etc) will not encourage injuries (you sound like your friends broken back was helped by the fact he was wearing his rucksack) most of them are actually designed to HELP support your back in event of an accident! where are you skiing, if Verbier, Switzerland PM me, i know some stunning spots!
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Thanks, accessibility is also an issue, I'm going to be in a group whop probably won't appreciate it if I'm stopping every 30 seconds, getting the backback off etc, I'd prefer something I can just whip out and use. I'm going to Les Deux Alpes, but I'll be spending most of the time on baby slopes, so scenery won't be as extreme as it could be!


Steve2 said:
I took my Fuji F30 a couple of years ago and was very pleased with the result , no way would i take my DSLR as im not a good enough skier
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I'm in a similar position, the DSLR will be snuggled up in it's bag all safe and warm!
 
I have used the PowerShot S45, and more recently the S80, on ski-touring trips over the last 8 years, so would expect the new S90 to be very good, even though it doesn't have a viewfinder. It is less expensive than the G10, smaller and lighter. Prints from my S80 compare well with prints from my Nikon D90.
 
This year I'll be taking my IXUS 85, it's nice & slim and takes videos :D
 
Thats the thing about holidays, you want to take your kit to take photos yet participate in activities.
 
Sigma DP1 would be my choice, it's the only compact with a DSLR sensor , same size as the one in the D300, fixed 28mm equiv lens , i've just bought one and from the few snaps i've taken with it i'm impressed, it's very sharp £250 should buy a secondhand one with a few extras, one just sold on ebay for that amount with a viewfinder and grip worth about £120 included

should be tough as it has a metal body, if you buy for the right money and it comes back in one piece :D you'll sell it for what you paid
 
Ok - here's an off-the-wall suggestion.

The Olympus XA.

It's tiny (fits easily in jeans pocket), robust and has a great, fixed 35mm lens. You can get one for around £40 on eBay.

Did I mention it's a film camera?

But just think, add a few rolls of good film - maybe even some Kodachrome for the blue skies and sunny peaks - and even with the development / scanning costs it'll all come to under £100.

Call me crazy, but I've started shooting film recently and it's so much fun...

But the real reason it came to mind is that the XA offers top image quality in a small, affordable package.
 
I've given up trying to protect an SLR or my LX3 when hiking / biking, so i've just bought a shock and water proof panasonic compact (FT1) that i shouldnt have to worry about.

theres much less control than the lx3 or an slr, but it's so much nicer not having to worry about it and just keeping it in a normal pocket!

I've only had it a few days, but so far I'm quite impressed with the pics too.
 
artHarris said:
... would expect the new S90 to be very good, even though it doesn't have a viewfinder. It is less expensive than the G10, smaller and lighter
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I really, really like the look of the S90, but it's currently about £100 more than the G10 (if the g10's are still in stock at argos, otherwise the G10 is still about £50 less)!


mrgubby said:
This year I'll be taking my IXUS 85, it's nice & slim and takes videos :D
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If only it had manual controls!!


godaz said:
Thats the thing about holidays, you want to take your kit to take photos yet participate in activities.
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Agreed, if I was going to photograph friends on the slopes, I'd take the lot, but it's principally a skiing holiday, and the photos are an added bonus!


wack61 said:
Sigma DP1 would be my choice...
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It looks good, but I guess it's a case of whether I could find one!


Albedo said:
Ok - here's an off-the-wall suggestion...
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That is a bit off the wall! I've never used film in earnest (got an Oly OM10 in the cupboard at home I keep meaning to have a play with though), I think it might be a bit too much to be concentrating on when I'm up a mountain with planks on my feet


mikeyt said:
I've given up trying to protect an SLR or my LX3 when hiking / biking, so i've just bought a shock and water proof panasonic compact (FT1) that i shouldnt have to worry about.
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If only it had manual controls I'd have bought one in a flash, but I'd like the have a bit more creativity than an ordinary point and shoot. Using my tz65 was really frustrating when it was getting the settings wrong and there was nothing I could do about it!!

I might put up a wanted ad and see what I can get!
 
chris321 said:
If only it had manual controls I'd have bought one in a flash, but I'd like the have a bit more creativity than an ordinary point and shoot. Using my tz65 was really frustrating when it was getting the settings wrong and there was nothing I could do about it!!

I might put up a wanted ad and see what I can get!
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it has very easy under / over expose settings and auto bracketing, so i figured it has enough exposure control, even though it's not great. Accessing the controls for stuff like that is about the same as using an LX3.

You're going to get almost infinite d.o.f. anyway because of the tiny lens..
 
I went on my first ever skiing holiday (2 weeks) in January this year to Bulgaria. Total novice (so fell over a fair bit). I bought an Olympus mju 850 waterproof/shockproof compact for the slopes, but took along a Canon 5D + 24-105L for potential landscapes/scenery. After first day because of the scenery, I ended up taking the DSLR in a small backpack (liberally wrapped in neoprene from an old wetsuit and a fleece ) and despite falling several times, it survived with no problem.
Although not great in comparison to many of the photos posted on this site, I have no doubt the pics here are much better than I would have got from the compact.
By the end of the holiday I even managed a couple of black runs (with DSLR in backpack) mainly to do with the fact that on week 2, by chance I ended up with 1 to 1 coaching with a rather lovely young female Bulgarian ski instructor.... but that's another story. :)
 
Have to say that DSLRs are surprisingly robust and will take a lot of knocks. Or at least my D70 does :D. Has to be in a backpack though due to the bulk of it.
 
+ 1 for the film idea, 35mm is 24 on your 450d so nice and wide......

I'd take a zenit 12 (ttl metered) and a 24mm or a 35mm prime.....
 
Take your entire kit.

I go all the time with a full backpack, never had a problem with lifts.

I have been to les deux alpes and it is a huge resort (it is a party resort). it sounds like you are a beginner so don't worry about your camera gear. They have a blue run glacier 3000+ metres (cable car all the way from the bottom) which is where they do beginners stuff. The views are stunning.

If you can do your lesson in the morning , leave your kit in the room, then take it out in the afternoon when you can get around at your own pace (or vice versa). If the snow allows you can ski down europes longest green run (very easy) right down to the resort about a 10km run.

I went in March and the light was fantastic but if you go a little earlier you may find photo opportunities limited as you will be doing lessons/learning to ski yourself/apres skiing/recovering from the night before, the light fades very quickly.

Don't forget, you go can go from the top to the bottom all on cable car/funnicular without taking your back pack off or even putting your skis on. It is a pedestrian mountain, many people go up without skiing, just sighseeing or walking.

Hope this helps.
 
If only it had manual controls!!
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CHDK :thumbs: Google it, its not ideal but it works pritty well and you can do cool stuff like automatic lightning detection.
 
Just a couple of things to think about,

I hated wearing a backpack wheni learnt to ski and will still go to great lengths to avoid it and i know a lot of people are the same.

I also know a lot of people who ha lost thier cameras on the slopes and none who have brocken them. Ive always taken my Casio P&S and its a cracking camera and never lost it, but so often people leave their pockets open and ski off to catch upwith the group, its all compounded when learning as you have to thinking about the skiing more until it becomes natural.

As i say i have never lossed mine but im OCD about these things, its just a couple of things to think about as you dont want to ruin your holiday.
What ever you do dont take the DSLR and not the P&S, if you take the slr just through in the P&S just in case you hate carrying a backpack.
 
Have you thought about getting a ski camera that you can attach to your helmet or goggles or even on the end of your ski's, so you can record as you go down the slopes?

This site has got a great range of ski cameras at a variety of prices.

One thing I would definitely recommend is taking lithium batteries, as the usual ones are near useless in the cold but the lithium ones are not affected by it.
 
Alison_486 said:
Have you thought about getting a ski camera that you can attach to your helmet or goggles or even on the end of your ski's, so you can record as you go down the slopes?

This site has got a great range of ski cameras at a variety of prices.

One thing I would definitely recommend is taking lithium batteries, as the usual ones are near useless in the cold but the lithium ones are not affected by it.
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Are you a trader per chance?????????
 
Thanks a lot guys, you've given me a lot to think about! I'll go away and have a think about what I can afford and what will be practical from all these suggestions! Thanks a lot,

Chris
 
I used to recommend the Olympus Mju ***SW range as being rugged and waterproof but in June, my 770 decided that it wasn't going to be waterproof anymore. :(

It's now been replaced by a Canon D10 which has yet to be tested under snorkelling conditions and by the time it HAS been, it'll be too late for the OP.

Whatever is decided on, here's a vote for extra batteries - almost all of them perform less well when they get cold, so keep some spares in inside pockets so they stay nice and warm and swap them when performance drops. When they warm up again, they should work well again - until they cool down once more. DON'T let them freeze - that'll kill them and can (so I understand) cause even bigger problems should you try to charge them.
 
I've had no complaints with my Olympus Mju 725 over the years - it's shock and waterproof but obviously doesn't have all the manual controls you are looking for.

I get that you don't want to take your kit for fear of damage but if you are going to splash out on a new compact why not buy and older, second hand DSLR? You could always sell it on again afterwards assuming it survives the trip... or keep it as a back up body.
 
Another vote for the Lumix FT1.
I got mine after watching a friends canon compact hit a table, into a puddle of beer, slide across and drop to the concrete floor. (apres ski!)
end result €200 wasted on a broken compact.
I got mine to take places I would want to take my D700, and for that its great.
 
What about the canon SX200 IS, currently £218 at Amazon in red or £230 'ish else wear. 28-336mm lens, manual control, has had some great reviews, problems (maybe low light mixed), or Macro work, pop up flash caused some gripes but not a problem and only digital zoom for the HD video, but most reviewers like it, not a bad camera as my old man's just bought one, only gripe, is a square rather than a focus point and currently canon are offering a £40 cash back.

If your not phased with manual control, then the Panasonic TZ6 / 7 aren't bad buy's either.
 
I'm very tempted by that SX200, I've looked at it before, but was lusting after the S90, but at £218 and then £40 cashback it might be too good to miss!

It's going to replace the TZ65, which is a great camera but I don't like having to select scene modes! Thanks for all the great advice people!

Chris
 
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