The perfect ovcerlander's compact?
 

Hi All,
I had been in the market for a new compact for a while: my new requirements had been sturdy, adequate zoom, but with a wide angle.
Enter the Panasonic DMC-FT2 with a 28mm wide angle Leica lens, just under 5x optical zoom, waterproof to 3m, dust and shock proof and good to -10 celsius (perfect for Estonia!)
Only gripes are no optical view finder and few manual overrides but I have used the latter only fleetingly in recent years!
NOrmally they have been selling for £275. I once spotted them at £250 but sold out.
But now: £215-219 depeding on the colour!! Mine is ordered.
LUMIX DMC-FT2

HTH

I've been using a Leica lens Lumix (Don't know the model without looking) for the last two years and as you say, pretty close to the perfect travel camera. Think it was reccomended by someone on here.

There again, I like my 195? Ensign roll film travellers camera too. It's just over £1 a shot though these days and definately not the perfect overland camera!!

Andy

We use the Pentax W90. Pretty good camera for bouncing around on the bikes. waterproof to 10m, shock/dustproof. Can't complain

We also have a Canon G12, that although not anything proof, is rugged as hell and takes great shots

How do you define "perfect"? A fellow overlander likes to zoom in with her 10-times zoom, wheras I couldn't care less about zoom range. Wideangle is more important for me.

The G series from Canon are nice, BUT they have one problem: the lens hood mechanism is dangerously close to the lens. On my old G10 I've scratched the lens just by leaving it inside the tank-bag whilst riding. Same happened to a travel buddy just 3 weeks after he bought the G11 in Ciudad del Este/Paraguay. Panasonic LX3/LX5 have a 'proper' (sturdy) lens hood.

Then again – the Panasonic aren't perfect either... small zoom range.

Hence why the title is a question, not a statement.
For me "perfect" will inevitably be a compromise and hence impossible! However, the closest I'll get is a camera that ticks off as many of my "must have" features. In the FT2 I find many.

The FT2's 28mm wideangle, and its considerable toughness should be quite attractive, then...

Make up your mind!!! :innocent:

My choice of weapon is the Olympus Stylus Tough 8010. Water proof, shock proof and uses regular SD cards.

I bought one of these in Almaty to replace a Pentax W60 that was stolen in Mongolia. One feature I like vs. the Pentax is the metal door that covers the lens when the camera is shut off. Keeps the lens clean and scratch-free. I also like that it can be charged from a wall socket, or by being attached to the computer via USB cable.
In the meantime it has been a very good camera.:thumbup1:

Be Warned
 

Hi, you're right it's a fantastic camera, if the predecessor is anything to go by. I was using it as my sole camera on my Africa trip that I've just got back from.

Two flaws that they seem to have remedied since the TS1/TF1 is the mechanical switches, the zoom and the mode dial were vulnerable to getting small particles underneath e.g. sand and dust. Which caused jamming.

However, I did managed to crack my (sacrificial?) lens in Zambia going through a grade 5 rapid on a body-board in the Zambezi.... it happens! (I guess it helps that the rapid was called Oblivion).

My word of warning is, regardless of me wanting to pay to have the camera repaired, Panasonic wont seem to give you any support, even if you're under warranty, they just send you in loops of calling different repair centres who send you back to Panasonic. It's all on the basis of it being waterproof, only Panasonic can repair it (according to the 3rd party repair centres), however Panasonic disagree.
http://neils.in/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/TS1.jpg

I would recommend if you're into photography, you'll need something else as well. I was a little gutted that I was limited to this camera, despite it taking fabulous photos and being always something I could carry in the pocket. I would recommend a Micro 4/3s camera like the Olympus EPL2 or the Panasonic GF2 if you have the money and not the space... equivalent to a DSLR but smaller.

There are alot of good choices,
but for me it is important that the lens closes,it must be small,
and not to expensive,
i hate to take stuff with me that is very expensive becouse
i do not want to be thinking every minute about where i put it ,
or worry about loosing it.
But i know a lot of people that do not worry about taking
expensive things with them on a trip......everyone is different.

Saludos.

Good to know on the G series. I have a retro looking rugged leather case that protects the lens and camera when not used, I'll be sure to use it

mind the advert, just pulled the photo offline. :smiliex:
http://www.1powerstore.com/images/2011010408.jpg

I'm on the hunt as well but it must have AA batteries :(

Cheers
Pete

I enjoy this one
Oympus U-Tough 8000 12 megapix, waterproof to 10 meters- can be used under water too :smiliex:

Frankly Li-ion batteries (although people do believe this is a subjective debate) are better.

Size vs battery life, vs charging time off the bike vs environmental impact of disposal of all the AA you'll get through.

Good luck with your search! :D

Another vote for Panasonic Lumix here, mines done around 14,000 miles in my tankbag. I've also recently bought a Nikon P100, obviously not a compact camera but fairly small and very easy to use. And the Blackberry of course, excellent photo's, always to hand and also easy to use.
By the way, if you're planning on putting the SD card into your DVD Players slot, make sure the DVD can handle the memory. I bought a 4gb Sandisk SD card with the Nikon and the DVD player could'nt read it. 2gb max, so they tell me.

Rechargeable AA's Charge on the bike or via mains. I think Pete's argument is that the same batteries can be used in many devices... That's what I do.

Cheers,
John

The dude hits the nail firmly on the head :clap: and only one charger to carry.

My vote is for the Lumix LX3.

Yes I would like more zoom sometimes, but I'd never change a single mm of the 24mm wide angle or its lumminosity to have more zoom.

I didn't had this opinion before the LX3, but now I am wide-angle converted.


It's also easy and not that expensive to use filters and other gadgets with it.


It has been in my pocket for the last 2 1/2 years without a single fault.


Does very decent videos too.

Of course, the perfect digi compact is very specific to the user. For me, used to the easy, knobbly controls and high build quality of pro-SLRs (I used to do it for a living, for my sins) I couldn't find anything (at the time) that came close to the quality and easy useability of the Canon G10. It's got a nice wide lens and is completely user adjustable. I like to tell the camera what aperture/shutter speed etc to use, not the other way round! I've used it loads and got some really stonking results. In fact, I reckon I get better results with it while on the road than I used to with my DSLR simply because I always have it with me! :)


Matt :)

Just got the new Canon Elph 300.

One of the most appealing things about this camera is its 24mm wide angle lens (wider than your standard 28mm on compacts). Perfect for the moto travel shots I like to take.

And extremely small, 5x optical zoom, 1080 HD video, 12.1 CMOS sensor. Yeah, it's good. And the battery charger is tiny, plugs into socket, no cord. :smiliex:

Amazon.com: Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Silver): Camera & Photo

EDIT eight months later: I can't recommend this Canon Elph 300 because of poor image quality. The very small size is great, but the photos are subpar. Not nearly as good as I was getting from an older, less expensive Canon point and shoot (AS1000). Maybe it's a CMOS vs. CCD processor issue. The older CCDs seem better at capturing crisp, vibrant photos ... with this Canon Elph and its CMOS processor, many pics were smudgy, washed out, erratic.

My choice
 

I am a "two camera" man ... and along with my DSLR in the tank bag, I like to have a compact in the jacket pocket. I have just updated by pocket compact camera, and have gone a similar way but with a different outcome to the OP.

I also wanted a waterproof, dustproof, dropproof, freeze resistant compact, that can shoot 720p video. For me two major critera were NO AA batteries (which have proved to be a huge waste of time and effort in the past for me, with very poor battery life) and NO pop out zoom lens (they all failed on me while on the road ... dust gets in the mechanism and the auto lens covers on them jam up and fail.

The Panasonic Lumix in the OP meets these criteria, but I went with the Sony product (TX5) ... because of the manual slide up lens cover. The Sony is already considerably lighter and thinner, but the excellent lens cover means there is no need for any case ... merely a screen protector for the 3 inch screen. With many of the very compact cameras, a protective case doubles the size and bulk of the camera. It has a 4x zoom, 25-100mm equivalent.

Sony CyberShot DSC TX5 – World Smallest And Thinnest Waterproof Digital Camera | The Cool Gadgets

But I think this and the OPs camera are pretty much where I want to be for a overlanding compact.

Wow, I'd forgotten this thread was around. As it happens I got a good deal on a camera that I like: the Lumix DMC-FT2. Had I know about the Sony, it might well have got a look in too.

Waterproof, freezeproof, dust and shockproof (untested!!). Zoom is adequate, metering good. HD movies too.

I like it. I wish it had more manual overrides such as manual zoom, and the exposure priorities, (some sort of clip on lenscap would have been nice, too) but apart from that it does the trick!
:thumbup1:

Ive bought a lumix dmc-ts3

its 14mp picture
1080p video
12 meters waterproof
6 feet shock proof
dustproof and well build.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1101/...e_TS3d-001.jpg

i have the Panasonic DMC-TS1

have had it a year love it, it replaced a camera that smashed when it fell out of my shirt pocket.

I am really happy with photo and video and as for the lense yeah a cover would be nice but mine has stayed scratch free so far.

I paid £170 from a spanish retailer which was a good price and still is I think as they seem to go for £270

its also nice that i can let my baby play with it and not worry about breakages.

my other camera is an older nikon coolpix which has also been great

the one that broke was an olypus and I wouldnt touch one again very slow, 1 good feature was the panaromic

My vote goes for Canon G series and for me the best is G10 with 14.7 MPs.

I am happy with it. Have housing for underwater.
No AA batteries but have chargeable battery.
Needs a good pouch IMHO

i use a Panasonic DMC-TZ7 , i was amazed at the pictures you can take with it... small enough and fantastic zoom. pictures are clear and clean, some great features too...

The new Canon S100 is probably the best premium compact to travel with..fits in your shirt pockets and produces images at a quality par with SLRs...


P.S : My first post in HUBB after years..Yaay. I think I have fallen back into the vortex of RTW dreams!!

Canon D20 is all you need for overlanding.

I use a Nikon coolpix. It is a 10.1 mp compact with 5X zoom and can record good videos as well . It has an effective built-in microphone and runs on AA batteries . I use the batteries both for the camera and the other gadgets.

Another thumbs up for the ft2 which I've had a year or so, and a general thumbs up for the whole Lumix range over the competition, mostly because they go for <28 wide angle over zoom.
Considering the ft2 lens is tiny, the pic quality can be brilliant, even on full zoom as long as theres enough light. A mate bought another and filming in tandem we shot a pretty good youtube vid on a remote river last year.
Also filming, I've killed a cheap Lumix tz6? with an exposed zooming lens in a fortnight in the desert. Even then, it was worth it for the movie.
The ft looks so crumby so I thought i needed a better quality + manual option Lumix. I got an LX5 plus the screw on cylinder + filter to protect the extending (short) zoom from dust. Its very nice to use but is now bulky and for my basic needs the quality is not night and day over the slimmer ft2 which now comes on all trips and rarely disappoints.

Ch

Another LUMIX fan here, like Chris I killed a DMC-ZX1 in the WS. I'd had the camera for 3 years and loved it. Replaced it with a cheap Nikon Coolpix S2550 which has surprised me but I miss the LUMIX

I picked up a 2nd hand Leica D-Lux 3 last year before going to West Africa. It has been great in the last 12 months. I have shot loads with it even filming whilst riding my mountain bike. Im not afraid to get it scratched etc and its produced some excellent results.

Wide angle lens, metal construction etc. not 'proof' but pretty sturdy.

G

is that a badge engineered panasonic lumix?

How about the Nikon AW100..?

A rival for the Panasonic FT4 with a few more megapixels.

I still can't decide if a rugged camera is really necessary, you get a lot more for your money with a regular camera.

Then again, I am hopelessly clumsy..:(

I was out last week in the snow and rain with my FT2. It's such a relief not to worry about it getting wet or faffing with waterproof bags. Just stick it in any pocket or let it hang round the neck, wipe the lens and shoot.
I looked into other rugged compacts a month or two ago when I thought my FT2 was on the blink (now OK). All bulkier or less battery or added gimmicks like GPS. Got another used FT2 off ebay for £60 as back up.

Chris

I get the compact camera option, but
 

Personal choice:
Panasonic GX1 with
Panasonic 14mm f2.5 (equivalent 28mm) mounted on camera.
Panasonic 20mm f1.7 (equivalent 40mm)
Olympus 45mm f1.8 (equivalent 90mm)
Olympus 9-18 zoom (equivalent 18-36mm zoom)
Although the X zoom 14-42 (28mm- 84mm) power zoom is totally a travellers lens and a perfect match for the camera.

and I have a pick of Canon EOS 1 and 5 series cameras an L lenses to hand, which simply aren't feasible to take on a motorbike tour
My take is that if you are going to the most exotic places in the world, you need to be able to take the best images that you can, because its unlikely you will be there again.

On the subject its only when you print pictures out A4 sized that you really get to see the quality, one of the primary sins of digital is cooping images up in computers, and one of the most impressive aspects is the explosion of images in self published book format

G

Mine also for some 3 or so years now. excellent. Note that the zoom range increases if you lower the pixels a little.

I've gone for one of these: WB150F 14.2 MP Smart Camera - OVERVIEW | SAMSUNG

Ok, it's not a tough camera, but it was on offer for £119.00. Pretty good for the spec. Also, it can transfer pics via wi-fi and charge directly from the bike via mini usb.

Another £30.00 got me a guaranteed replacement should it suffer from any mishaps in the next 3 years.

So it might not be rugged but I'll get a new one if it breaks. I'm pretty happy with that. :D

I just picked up a new Canon G-15, and with the little bit of playing around I've done with it, I quite like it.... Has anyone tried the telephoto adapter lenses on the G series cameras? Are they a worthwhile purchase?

I also own a G12 and for adventure motorcycling trips it's the best you can buy.

Having said that, it's NOT a dslr so you'll have to live with that fact, but you can film (guite good actually) and take your pics, all on manual mode, which is what you need if you know how to take a picture.

For those of you who will attend the HUBB UK meeting, I will be giving a travel photography workshop, based on camera's like the G12 to prove that one can make great pics with a small camera!

@ Island Hopper: no, haven't tested it. Just go loser to whatever you want to shoot... :cool4:
But one piece of equipment you want to buy is the Hähnel remote control for the G series. The only add-on that I bought for the G12 and I am more than happy I've done this.

I have had Canon G9, G10, G12, S100, S110

Now I have Sony RX100 and I will not touch the others anymore ;)

:thumbup1:

I do encounter a good number of bears in my riding and the odd one will allow you to take photos... The getting closer thing doesn't appeal that much to me so I ordered a 4.5 tele lens and adapter to try out...

I'm a huge fan of the Lumix camera's. 3 years ago I was looking for a high quality small camera that would take sharp accurate shots but I could carry with me all the time. I wanted something that was robust and tough, but with a superb lens, and that would take RAW files. I bought a new Lumix LX-5, and it's been in my pocket and on multiple bike trips and family holidays ever since. It's superb. In fact, it's do good that I NEVER use my DSLR these days except when I need to photograph something with a big telephoto lens on it.
The LX-5 has an all metal body, a crisp Leica lens that is very wide and very fast, (F2 at max aperture) and zooms from 24-90mm. The images I get are fabulous.
The only down side is the maximum zoom of 90mm is not great, but as a travel camera that easily fits into a pocket, its a compromise I feel is worth it.

They are now onto the LX-7, but plenty of LX-5 and 3 models can be found 2nd hand.
Video is pretty good on it too.

Cheers,

Julian

checkout the Panasonic lumix fz 200 2.8
not super compact.but a great landscape, wildlife camera

no need to advertise the brands and models...
no need to talk much...
just check the comparisons pls... :

Sony RX100 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 - Cameras Specs Comparison

LX7 vs RX100 on the streets of Philly: Panasonic Compact Camera Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3238485]Lx7 vs Lx5 vs RX100 JPEG Engine compared!!!: Panasonic Compact Camera Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[url=http://thelightweightphotographer.com/2013/01/18/sony-rx100-a-good-question/]Sony RX100 – A Good Question

Similar story here. RX100 uses a fairly large sensor which gives a high res picture with less noise. I moved to this camera as the G series Canons are bulky enough so as to not be easily carried in your pocket. the RX100 gives what I'd consider better image quality in a smaller body. Get a grip for it though as the front of the body doesn't have any place to grip and being such a small camera it can easily slip. Sony have a stick on grip that is perfect and there are also underwater housings available if you want to take it snorkelling, kayaking etc. The G series canons do feel better in my hand as they feel more rugged, however this counts for nothing when you scratch the lens while doing a macro shot doh. RX100 also great for night shots due to low noise at high ISO

DPreview.com has plenty of info on this camera. The Mk 2 and 3 versions are just as good but increase their bulk slightly for the sake of a foldout screen in MK2 and an optical viewfinder in Mk3

I recently purchased the Fujifilm XQ2 for £220 at the duty free shop at Gatwick airport.

http://www.fujifilm.eu/typo3temp/pic...1390089128.jpg

It's a cracking little camera. I have previously owned a Panasonic LX3 and a micro four thirds Panasonic GX1 but found that I never took them out with me as they were too big for the jeans pocket. The XQ2 has changed all this as it will slip into the jeans pocket without too much fuss (hipsters in skinny jeans may struggle here).

The low light performance was one of my main criteria and the camera delivers in this regard. It can also shoot in RAW which help get a bit more detail out of the photos when post processing.

Another bonus is that it charges via USB. Very handy for being on the bike.

From what I read, the Sony RX100 cameras are slightly better but they are not quite as pocketable and are much, much more expensive. Overall, I highly recommend the Fuji XQ2. :thumbup1:

since this thread is all about digitals i would like to recommend some film cameras:

1. Olympus mju II (stylus epic in some countries)
perfect point and shoot, reliable, sharp lens, slightly waterproof and really good handling

2. Yashica T4/T5
pretty similar to the olympus. a little bigger, zeiss lens (the "eagle eye")

3. Canon F1 + 24mm + 50mm
the only thing that needs a battery is the light meter and aperture times slower than 1/60s. other than that it works completely mechanical. the FD mount is not used anymore on digital cameras so you can get high quality lenses for quite cheap.

i lost my faith in digital cameras a few times on the road when the battery died in the most beautiful parts of the journey or the gears of the pop out lens became crunchy. i had the ricoh gr and the fuji X20 and both are too fragile for my style of travelling. the use of film requires more space in the luggage but the results are totally worth it. image quality when scanned with a proper scanner is a lot better then any digital non SLRs.