Digital Camera Suggestion

[KneesUp]

I carry one of iPhone 5, Pentax K-7 or Olympus OMD EM-M10. The iphone is alright, the Olympus is pretty impressive for it's size, but the battery doesn't last that long, and it always feels a little delicate. Rhe Pentax is a mixed bag - with the right lens and in good light it's terrific, and the battery last forever (relatively speaking). It's also built like a tank (titanium chassis) but that means it's heavy. And it low light it's not great.

I think if I were buying a compact to keep in a pannier, I'd get a Canon S90 or similar. It has an 'oversized' sensor - i.e. bigger than in most cameras of it's size, plus it gives you quick and easy ways to control the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. It's got a decent lens too. And because it's 8 years old, you can get them for about £40, so it's not a massive loss if it gets dropped, squashed or whatever.

https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/s90.htm

 

[Deleted member 26715]

That you all for your input & @Ffoeg for his offer, I think you've all opened my eyes to the fact it's not as simple as I first thought. The intention was to just get better images than from the phone, although they are 'ok' I felt they could be better, I thought the DSLR was the way forward, but now with all your suggestions & the amount of times I'm likely to use it if it's big & bulky I think a compact (if that's what they are called) is the way forward for me. But I think before jumping in, I'll let it mull a week just to see if I change my mind, once again thanks all, keep your suggestions coming tough, somebody else my gleam knowledge from it.

 

[Illaveago]

I carry one of iPhone 5, Pentax K-7 or Olympus OMD EM-M10. The iphone is alright, the Olympus is pretty impressive for it's size, but the battery doesn't last that long, and it always feels a little delicate. Rhe Pentax is a mixed bag - with the right lens and in good light it's terrific, and the battery last forever (relatively speaking). It's also built like a tank (titanium chassis) but that means it's heavy. And it low light it's not great.

I think if I were buying a compact to keep in a pannier, I'd get a Canon S90 or similar. It has an 'oversized' sensor - i.e. bigger than in most cameras of it's size, plus it gives you quick and easy ways to control the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. It's got a decent lens too. And because it's 8 years old, you can get them for about £40, so it's not a massive loss if it gets dropped, squashed or whatever.

https://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/s90.htm

I agree with the Pentax. I have a K10D and the battery lasts for ages and will keep firing as long as there's memory left.
A bit cumbersome for the bike unless you have got a saddle bag.
My wife has a slim Sony which is pocket size and used to take very good pictures, but the shutter lens protector on the outside jams at times and masks the picture.
I find compact cameras with a lens that pops out can be a pain if you want to take a quick picture, as you have to wait for it to complete it's cycle before you can take a picture.

 

[Salar]

"MrBeanz, post: 5541151, member: 82835"]

"Someday I'll get a real camera but for now, I'm having fun learning how to actually use the setting which make a big difference imo."

No need to go mad with expensive DSLR's in my opinion.
I use two ageing Nikons which only have 6MP, many want the latest 32MP and lots of fancy controls, but I bet you can't tell the difference up to 10 x 8. Stick with the K.I.S.S. principle.

Same with my film cameras, entry, mid level Nikons do everything I want.

 

[KneesUp]

I agree with the Pentax. I have a K10D and the battery lasts for ages and will keep firing as long as there's memory left.
A bit cumbersome for the bike unless you have got a saddle bag.
My wife has a slim Sony which is pocket size and used to take very good pictures, but the shutter lens protector on the outside jams at times and masks the picture.
I find compact cameras with a lens that pops out can be a pain if you want to take a quick picture, as you have to wait for it to complete it's cycle before you can take a picture.

I really liked my K10d, but it died a death when it got dropped once - the SD card slot id directly mounted to the PCB in such as way as a shock to it can wreck the PCB, or something - details are sketchy now. Anyway, the K-7 was an insurance replacement, as the K10 was discontinued by then. The reviews of it's low light performance weren't great when it was released, so compared to modern cameras it's pants. Shame my K10 didn't last until the K-5 came out, as that had much better contemporary reviews. I find the K-7 fits in the end pocket of my Carradice 'the cheap ones' pannier (Carradura?) with either a 35mm or 50mm lens, so it's easy to get out and has nothing to damage it.

 

[Illaveago]

I really liked my K10d, but it died a death when it got dropped once - the SD card slot id directly mounted to the PCB in such as way as a shock to it can wreck the PCB, or something - details are sketchy now. Anyway, the K-7 was an insurance replacement, as the K10 was discontinued by then. The reviews of it's low light performance weren't great when it was released, so compared to modern cameras it's pants. Shame my K10 didn't last until the K-5 came out, as that had much better contemporary reviews. I find the K-7 fits in the end pocket of my Carradice 'the cheap ones' pannier (Carradura?) with either a 35mm or 50mm lens, so it's easy to get out and has nothing to damage it.

I bought mine 2nd hand and it is a vast improvement over the istd. The focusing hunts a bit at times.

 

[Pale Rider]

I had a Lumix compact that I paid £200+ for.

It broke, a long time out of warranty, but with only light use.

Its replacement is a £90 Canon compact.

There's no doubt the pics from the Lumix were better, although it was slightly chunkier.

I would be curious to see the results from a top quality compact, but not curious enough to pay £500 to get one.

 

[MrBeanz]

"MrBeanz, post: 5541151, member: 82835"]

"Someday I'll get a real camera but for now, I'm having fun learning how to actually use the setting which make a big difference imo."

No need to go mad with expensive DSLR's in my opinion.
I use two ageing Nikons which only have 6MP, many want the latest 32MP and lots of fancy controls, but I bet you can't tell the difference up to 10 x 8. Stick with the K.I.S.S. principle.

Same with my film cameras, entry, mid level Nikons do everything I want.

YOU ARE EXACTLY CORRECT! I was thinking I needed a better more fancy expensive camera. Till I ran into some dude once just roaming around taking pics at a park. He showed some amazing pics to my wife and I using a cropped sensor T6. He said he actually preferred it and explained some reasons why.

I know some pro photographers, one into realty and a few into portraits. One lady was payed $250 to do some shots at a park of our family. I took my camera along just to snap a few candid shots. They came out better than the paid photographer's. My daughter was upset and showed a couple to the pro. She had no problem returning our money in full. I will say at the time of the shoot, I saw her camera and had camera envy. Some really cool expensive cameras out there!

Then a few other friends I have that take portraits, wedding pics, engagement pics, who I would not pay a dime. Matter of fact, one asked me if I could do the editing on the pics for her before she passed them back to the customer.

Since then I have learned full manual settings and in my opinion, my images have really improved. So I have less camera envy though I wish I had the t6 merely for the fact that the shutter runs with the wireless remotes. I use a wire now and no biggie but it would have been easier since I bought it at the time of sale after being lead astray but the camera dealer.

But yeah like bikes, it is not the bike, it's the person behind the camera and knowing how to use full manual settings to your advantage.

Oh, and I have a really cool looking granddaughter to practice shooting!

Yes, the bokeh was intentional with a 50 mm fixed 1.8 (not on that setting of course)