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Author Topic: best compact cameras for landscape  (Read 18542 times)

spacevoid8

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best compact cameras for landscape
« on: June 17, 2009, 02:19:41 am »

in insane category [price doesn`t matter] and in common sense category [optimal for money].Your opinions?
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Luis Argerich

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #1 on: June 17, 2009, 02:43:09 am »

I like the Canon G10 for landscape work. With enough light the image quality is great, 15mpx, super compact size and the DOF is just what you usually need in a landscape.

Luigi

spacevoid8

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #2 on: June 17, 2009, 07:34:23 am »

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Denis K

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2009, 08:31:20 am »

Quote from: spacevoid8
in insane category [price doesn`t matter] and in common sense category [optimal for money].Your opinions?

Best landscape usually means large format with movements.  A more compact offering here might be the Sinar arTec which should be excellent for urban landscapes.  Better bring money!

Denis K
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spacevoid8

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #4 on: June 17, 2009, 09:15:03 am »

Quote from: Denis K
Best landscape usually means large format with movements.  A more compact offering here might be the Sinar arTec which should be excellent for urban landscapes.  Better bring money!

Denis K
portable...for travel... i`dont have car or a slave to carry my stuff!
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tived

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2009, 09:19:33 am »

Quote from: spacevoid8
portable...for travel... i`dont have car or a slave to carry my stuff!

as you can tell from the replies, "compact" is a very relative term :-) You would probably need to supply a bit more information, then imagination and unlimited cost :-)

hope you find what you are looking for

Henrik
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dalethorn

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #6 on: June 17, 2009, 04:40:31 pm »

G10 would be a reasonable choice, but you need good light.  Leica M8 with short lens may be a possibility, but slightly larger than the G10 (i.e. not pocket size). One of the large-sensor compacts might be a good way to go, if you can live with the other limitations of those cameras.
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250swb

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #7 on: June 17, 2009, 05:02:04 pm »

I would guess that the Olympus E-P1 will be blowing all other 'compacts' out of the water as soon as it is released. It offers full DSLR controls with use of a wide range of Olympus 4/3 and m4/3 lenses plus mounts for many other 35mm lenses. It is far more than a P&S, such as a G10 or LX3, could ever be. Additionally it will directly accept the new tiny and superb Panasonic m4/3 lenses that include a 7-14mm (14-28mm), 45-200mm (90-400mm) and 14-150mm (28-300mm). If you had three pockets to carry three lenses in you would cover everything from macro to very wide to very long and not come away with a bad back.

Steve

jasonrandolph

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #8 on: June 17, 2009, 06:58:10 pm »

The Olympus E-P1 with a 17mm f/2.8 plus OVF sounds like a pretty sweet setup for landscapes.  It will never replace a DSLR, but for a compact, I think the options are pretty good.

MarkL

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #9 on: June 18, 2009, 07:12:41 am »

The M8 fits pretty well in the 'insane' category
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tedmna

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2009, 04:35:27 pm »

Quote from: spacevoid8
in insane category [price doesn`t matter] and in common sense category [optimal for money].Your opinions?

Along with the Olympus E-P1 you might consider the Panasonic G1.  It offers essentially the same options as the E-P1 plus it has a tilt and swivel LCD which can be useful in certain situations.  

A long shot might be the Sigma DP1, which is more portable than the G1, but has a fixed 28mm (35mm eq.) lens.  It's slow, but speed isn't as critical for landscape, and the image quality up to and including 400 ISO is very high, higher than any other P & S.
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Plekto

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2009, 07:15:02 pm »

I'd suggest one of the portable large format cameras, myself, and a scanner.  But I'm funny that way  

But seriously - 4X5 scanned at even a sub-standard 1200dpi(which everyone here would agree is far, far below normal scanning/the point where grain starts to be an issue) nets a massive 29MP or so file.

Another option would be a medium format 6x9 camera and the same setup.  Big film may be old-school, but it gets you big pictures for a lot less money than a DB or professional setup.

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bill t.

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #12 on: June 18, 2009, 08:53:23 pm »

A camera with raw format files and lots of dynamic range.  Nothing puts a strain on dynamic range like landscapes.  Also nice to have a camera with well implemented bracketing, sublte HDR and exposure blending techniques do wonders for landscapes unless you like blown out skies and black hole shadows.  I would look at low end dslr's, and possibly the Sony A900.  I am currently headed towards buying a Nikon D5000 to replace a D2X (for landscape panoramas only).

If you want hi reso files, stitch, it works so well these days.
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Paul Sumi

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #13 on: June 18, 2009, 09:09:24 pm »

Quote from: MarkL
The M8 fits pretty well in the 'insane' category

Actually, I know someone who shoots landcape with this camera and it works out pretty well.

Paul
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Anders_HK

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #14 on: June 19, 2009, 01:35:51 pm »

Quote from: MarkL
The M8 fits pretty well in the 'insane' category

I agree on M8, in the digital category. Light, small and very high image quality.

In film, I would say Mamiya 7ii + Velvia 50.

Anders
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bgos

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2009, 01:56:10 pm »

The Sigma dp1 (equivalent 28mm focal lens) or dp 2 (I think like a 50mm) are quite compact. The image quality is very good. The dynamic range is amazing IMO. The size of the image is limited.
I own the dp1. I have owned the Leica in the past, loved the image quality, but it's not as compact as the Sigmas and very very expensive with Leica lenses. Also it seemed like a risky investment.
Wasn't very good at high ISOs, but that shouldn't be an issue with landscape photography. The Sigmas only have really good image quality at ISO50 and 100, which is probably fine for landscape.

Bert
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Plekto

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2009, 02:10:07 pm »

http://www.lensbaby.com/

Or a tilt-shift lens.  The only reason 4x5 cameras are great for landscape is because of the ability to correct the geometry before you take the picture.  Of course software does a good job now as well...

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JohnBrew

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #17 on: July 04, 2009, 05:48:15 pm »

Quote from: Anders_HK
I agree on M8, in the digital category. Light, small and very high image quality.

In film, I would say Mamiya 7ii + Velvia 50.

Anders

I shoot landscapes with an M8.

www.johnbrewton.zenfolio.com

sergio

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #18 on: July 06, 2009, 01:55:03 pm »

Unless you are shooting big time, all the time, with a full commitment to make a living out of landscape photography, it will probably be more sensible pricewise to shoot film, especially if you develop it yourself, which is a hassle but can be done very well. BW is almost a must to be developed by oneself.

And don't underestimate the cost of electronic archiving. Film technology is pretty unbeatable in this aspect. That will go into the economic equation as well. We are really blinded by all those shiny mirrors that are being waved in our faces these last decades, but we underestimate the value of simple technologies as paper itself. The aspects of image permanence in its electronic form and the costs in money and effort to keep your images thru your lifetime are the weak points of digital photography. Analog technologies are way better in this regard.
« Last Edit: July 06, 2009, 01:56:04 pm by sergio »
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250swb

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best compact cameras for landscape
« Reply #19 on: July 06, 2009, 05:24:12 pm »

Quote from: sergio
And don't underestimate the cost of electronic archiving. Film technology is pretty unbeatable in this aspect.

Hmmm, I'm not so sure. For around £80 the last time I looked you could buy a separate hard drive that would save 12,000 or so (on average) scanned medium format or digital images. So for £160 you could have that AND do a full backup on a separate drive. What is the cost of doing a full backup of 12,000 film images, in which you should add the time to scan them if not the cost to copy them?

Steve
« Last Edit: July 06, 2009, 05:24:46 pm by 250swb »
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