Posted: 10/29/2010 8:39:45 AM EDT
| What is a good inexpensive camera with good battery life for backpacking/camping? Something with replaceable batteries or that will last at least 7 days. |
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What is a good inexpensive camera with good battery life for backpacking/camping? Something with replaceable batteries or that will last at least 7 days. Doesn't sound like what you had in mind....but I usually use a film camera with no batteries. If you try it, you might like the results. |
| I use a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. Fits in my pocket, had great battery life and actually takes really good pictures for a point and shoot. Oh it also has 720p HD video capability. Now bear in mind that it does have a proprietary battery (NB-4L) but I've found them fairly cheap online and they hold a charge for weeks without use. |
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These days I'm using a Sanyo AA battery. It takes great pics and has held up now for a couple years of field use. Its only shortfall really is a regular color LCD back screen so I've had to be careful not to damage that, but if you use a case, you won't.
I'm not an advocate at all of the built in rechargeable battery models. They require a charging source. I use a small carrying case for the camera which has space for spare batteries and for that matter memory cards. If I can change mags out in a gun, I can batteries in a camera. Utimately my goal has always been in this application, smaller and lighter the better, because cameras are like guns. If you don't have it on you when you need it, its useless. A camera you can wear on your belt, throw in a pack, or stick in a pocket is very handy. BTW, Just as a note, cameras aren't magic. Like all things electrical, the motors use the most power. The bigger the optical zoom, the more the lens will hunt and find to take pictures, the faster your batteries wear out. The way to save battery life is by far foremost realize these aren't 35 mm cameras and don't apply that thinking. These are made so anyone can crop and resize pictures. You don't need the perfect picture just the perfect picture within the picture and one can do an amazing amount of zooming and cropping on a 12 megapixel image. Tj |
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Whatever you choose be sure to buy several extra batteries and possibly a solar charger if you do want a camera to last 7 days. When you do buy something test the battery life right away because you don't want to be out on the trail and have no battery life in two days. |
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Some good answers here. The size of display vs. battery drain is something worth considering. If the camera offers an optical window (with insets showing the exact framing of the pic as focal length is changed), this might save some power. Obviously, water-resistance is a must, both for your camera and its' solar charger.
We have a camera Forum here, in the general area, perhaps posing the same question there might profit you. |