Point and shoot cameras

[Calvin19 0]

SO, I am looking to upgrade my point and shoot camera. I currently use and have been using a Canon SD550 and have had 5 of them. (all bought used, I use my cameras hard for UE and BASE and they get wet/dropped a lot. Don't judge) I do not use it for freefall photography. The canons have the best manual setting I have found, but I am open to other brands. my best choice so far is the Canon SD940.

I am looking for recommendations for my needs:

1-point and shoot camera (small jeans-pocket-esque (obviously))
2-wide (28mm or shorter focal length [the 35mm equivalent])
3-manual settings for ISO and Shutter speed to at least 1600 and 15seconds, respectively. Bulb would be AWESOME.
4-at least 7MP sensor resolution
5-HD video recording. (720p or 1080p)
6-NO TOUCH SCREEN
7-if possible, quickly change from manual to auto mode.
thoughts?

I have found Canon does this stuff the best, but I do not like their new SD940 template button/menu interface. I found the SD550 had super fast easy switching between modes that I use a lot. the SD940 has only one setting for still pics, as opposed to the 550 that I can switch betweein manual mode and auto mode in a half second. in the SD940/960/980 it has to be done in menu and takes about 10 seconds.

-SPACE-

[Idgy 0]

The Canon S90 is a great new point and shoot - it has the same sensor as the G11, in a small compact body. I think it pretty much meets all your points. Only thing is that I dont think it has a 'finger off' continuos shoot mode, so you couldnt really use it for actual freefall pics.

[gowlerk 2,192]

Yes, check out the S90, 28mm eqivalant, f:2.0 lens. But not HD.
Read about it here.

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

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[Calvin19 0]

that looks like a killer camera, and I looked at it a while ago but it does not have HD. half of this is so I can bring my goproHD for helmet camera, and this point and shoot for handheld shooting on a jump or flight.

I think I might have to wait until the SD990 template becomes HD capable. (it's the same template as the SD550)

thanks! still open to other brands, but I am glad the recs are for Canon. Represent.

[antonija 0]

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

Put in your criteria and pick your favourite!

I understand the need for conformity. Without a concise set of rules to follow we would probably all have to resort to common sense. -David Thorne

[Mikki_ZH 0]

go for the hd gopro. only disadvantage you cannot look at the pic or vid on the camera, you need a laptop for that...

Michi (#1068)
hsbc/gba/sba
www.swissbaseassociation.ch
www.michibase.ch

[Calvin19 0]

Quote

go for the hd gopro. only disadvantage you cannot look at the pic or vid on the camera, you need a laptop for that...

I have two of the HD gopros.

I am looking for a point/shoot with manual settings for NON-pov photography.

[sdls 0]

I'd go for SX200IS with CHDK firmware:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/SX200IS

Anyway, with CHDK you can fulfill you requirement #2 on almost every Canon point and shoot cameras..

[Calvin19 0]

I don't really understand that website, what is special about it? I have been coming around to those SX200s.

forgive my ignorance, but is there ever a OS hack for point and shoot cameras? or any cameras?

I really really want a point and shoot camera I can do 1000sec exposures with. I hate lugging a SLR around just for night pictures.

-SPACE-

[sdls 0]

CHDK is 'hack' or alternative firmware for Canon Point-and-Shoot cameras.

It overrides few limitations of original firmware, to the limits of hardware (http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CameraFeatures).

I recommend you to check out CHDK FAQ:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ
It will probably give you answers to your first questions.

I have currently project on going on mounting SD800IS with CHDK on my helmet with USB remote(blow switch)..

[Idgy 0]

The CHDK looks interesting, thanks for sharing. Which USB blow switch are you using in your testing?

[PharmerPhil 0]

Quote

...I hate lugging a SLR around just for night pictures.

One disadvantage of P&S for night is small sensors which, all things being equal, equals noise—particularly at long exposures.

[Calvin19 0]

I hear ya, Even the crop sensor in my Canon 450d gets the noise issues. 35mm sensor in a Point and shoot camera would be pretty awesome. heavy optics for that though.

[JohnnyMarko 1]

do the GoPro cameras require any skill? im a new IAD student learning to freefall and was wondering if i could just slap one of these things to my helmet and shoot some POV video or should i treat these as a camera and shouldnt jump them till a few hundred jumps?

[monkycndo 0]

Wait for 200 like the FAQ sticky says.

50 donations so far. Give it a try.

You know you want to spank it
Jump an Infinity

[billvon 2,991]

>do the GoPro cameras require any skill?

Yes, they require just as much skill as using any other camera.

>im a new IAD student learning to freefall and was wondering if i could
>just slap one of these things to my helmet and shoot some POV video . . .

That would be a bad idea.

[DSE 5]

Quote

do the GoPro cameras require any skill? im a new IAD student learning to freefall and was wondering if i could just slap one of these things to my helmet and shoot some POV video or should i treat these as a camera and shouldnt jump them till a few hundred jumps?

Two true and recent stories related to GoPro;
1-Person with approx 80 jumps decides they can handle the camera. On the ride to altitude, a very experienced camera flyer asks newbie "What you gonna do if it snags?"
Newbie is befuddled. He explains to newbie that cameras are a serious distraction, and if newbie hasn't even thought about snags, then sure as hell newbie hasn't thought about the distraction factor. Newbie shines the experienced person on, and jumps with it anyway.
Then newbie explains on the ground that they forgot to put their goggles on "not because of the camera but because they were in a hurry to get out."

Duh.

'Nother newbie slaps a Contour on (just slightly larger than GoPro in length, smaller in profile).
Newbie does jump with another newbie. Both have less than 100 jumps.
Both wonder how they got below 2K before they deployed. Both have A licenses, meaning they should be opening 1500' higher. Both were shaken up. Both denied the camera had anything to do with their "oops" moment.

Both of these incidents occurred in the past 30 days. I'm sure there are many other stories like these, and we're just not yet hearing them.
I wonder how long it's gonna take before a "just gonna turn it on and shoot the sky" lowtime jumper hurts themselves or someone else. I hope it's a long, long time.

Please, get the experience and muscle memory before you toss any kind of camera on your head.
Please?

[velocityphoto 0]

All we can do is advise you not to jump with cameras until you have proper experience. If you get hurt or killed we did what we could to prevent it.
Always remember it don't matter who was right or wrong in the end when your dead!
Please take everyones advise on here very seriously, as your life depends on it! :)

A friend will bail you out of jail , a REAL friend will be sitting next to you in the cell slapping your hand saying "DUDE THAT WAS AWSUM " ................

[JohnnyMarko 1]

Thanks for all the advice guys! Im a young, naive student who needs to take it one step at a time...and I guess I need to read my SIM more

[crazycableguy 0]

let me start this post by saying that On a dirtbike I am completely friggin wreckless, Ill jump just about anything and sometimes I dont always do it gracefully. I have the confidence to do this because the most likely worst case scenario is a broken femur, maybe vertebrae. while that may sound severe it is not lethal. very few MX'ers die during their jumps.

On the other hand, I have a far greater respect for all safety aspects in skydiving. I constantly read the incident forum to try to learn from what others have made the ultimate sacrifice in an attempt to enjoy this great sport.

With that being said, I will wait a MINIMUM of 200 jumps before I slap a camera on my dome. but at this time I dont understand how simply having a small camera on your head can make you loose altitude awareness or cause any other related distractions, short of a line wrap. At my infantile age in the sport and very limited experience I dont see how that could be any more distracting than the new smiley face patch I sewed on my jumpsuit sleeve, or the new stickers I put on my helmet. How does the camera (when started in the plane and not touched again until on the ground) Steal you concentration and focus?

let me reiterate that I am not contesting the suggestion of the 200 jump minimum as legitimate or not. I will respectfully take notice, and follow the insight provided by people with a far greater understanding of things that I cannot comprehend.
Andy thank every single one of you for looking out for my safety, because if it was not for you and my instructors, its possible you would be reading about me and my new camera in the incidents forum. Thanks again!

[crazycableguy 0]

many times the search button on this site produces results far from what I am seeking, but this time I found it useful. the sticky in the camera section is somewhat helpful. but I still am too new to to realize the massive impact of a small camera. 200-300 jumps from now maybe I will understand.

[antonija 0]

Quote

How does the camera (when started in the plane and not touched again until on the ground) Steal you concentration and focus?

It's because you know it's there and your brain will keep track of that fact. You will try (consciously or subconsciously) try to frame the best shot and that _can_ make you loose your altitude awareness. It's not like every person with less than 200 jumps that straps on a camera dies. It's just much more likely something will go wrong if you do it too soon.

I understand the need for conformity. Without a concise set of rules to follow we would probably all have to resort to common sense. -David Thorne

[Skydivesg 7]

Remember that the 200 is just a base line number.

I know people with 2000 jumps that shoudn't jump a camera.......... ever.

Some people have it...........

Some people will never have it.

Be the canopy pilot you want that other guy to be.

[jimmytavino 16]

amen.....

jt

A 3914
D 12122

[ElyJs 0]

Installed the CHDK hack on my Canon 870IS. This is the shiz, everyone should do this! Maybe not so useful for skydiving, but loving the new found program for my camera.