I entered my first rally and am in need of a camera, I haven't owned one in probably 10 yrs, I have used my ph, the last camera I had was 5 meg pix, my ph is 12, so the camera I think I'm getting is the nikkon coolpix S3700, I can get it free with my safety points through work, so if I don't like rallying then I'm out no money for the camera, the reason I picked it was because of the wifi and it's I think 20meg pix, but I'm curious, if I decide to do more rallies will this camera do the job in rallies like butt lite and what kind of cameras do most rally riders use.
Rally camera?
- Thread starter rodneyw71
- Start date
That looks like a pretty nice camera, I'm sure it will work fine. I would suggest handling that one your looking at with/without gloves and see if the controls are intuitive. For me thats most important. When I say controls, I don't mean the 100's of functions cameras have ... I mean on/off, zoom, shutter button placement while operating one-handed.
I use a cheapie Kodak EasyShare Sport C123, based on a few simple criteria:, no external moving lens, waterproof, replaceable AA batteries, and comfortable, secure, easy one-hand operation. For rally rides, it's 12MP is more than enough to meet photo criteria. Not having to worry about charging, dust/debris in the lens mechanism, and fiddling with it for a pic make it perfect for me.
I use a cheapie Kodak EasyShare Sport C123, based on a few simple criteria:, no external moving lens, waterproof, replaceable AA batteries, and comfortable, secure, easy one-hand operation. For rally rides, it's 12MP is more than enough to meet photo criteria. Not having to worry about charging, dust/debris in the lens mechanism, and fiddling with it for a pic make it perfect for me.
Big variables for a rally camera (many of these have been touched on):
- What kind of memory card does it use. Recommend SD cards as all rallies take them and they're cheap. Most rallies don't take micro-SD cards, even if you have a SD card adapter to plug it into.
- Does it use AAs or a proprietary battery. I personally prefer having a camera that uses AA batteries because if something goes wrong, you can buy them anywhere (my backup camera uses AAs). You will likely not find a replacement proprietary battery on short notice. Having said that, most proprietary batteries on a full charge will get you through the longest of rallies. The last two IBRs I've gone through with a single charge on my Canon's battery.
- How weather resistant is it? You will eventually have to take a picture in the rain.
- I also prefer a camera that allows you to adjust the ISO setting as this does provide some added capability to take some of the more challenging night photos
- If you plan on carrying a back-up camera, it should be the same brand and/or have very similar controls and settings.
How many megapixels is not that important in my opinion. Every camera has a resolution which is sufficient for rally photos. It used to be an issue that some newer cameras didn't have a resolution small enough to meet IBR requirements, but the IBR has recently starting allowing larger resolution photos.
- What kind of memory card does it use. Recommend SD cards as all rallies take them and they're cheap. Most rallies don't take micro-SD cards, even if you have a SD card adapter to plug it into.
- Does it use AAs or a proprietary battery. I personally prefer having a camera that uses AA batteries because if something goes wrong, you can buy them anywhere (my backup camera uses AAs). You will likely not find a replacement proprietary battery on short notice. Having said that, most proprietary batteries on a full charge will get you through the longest of rallies. The last two IBRs I've gone through with a single charge on my Canon's battery.
- How weather resistant is it? You will eventually have to take a picture in the rain.
- I also prefer a camera that allows you to adjust the ISO setting as this does provide some added capability to take some of the more challenging night photos
- If you plan on carrying a back-up camera, it should be the same brand and/or have very similar controls and settings.
How many megapixels is not that important in my opinion. Every camera has a resolution which is sufficient for rally photos. It used to be an issue that some newer cameras didn't have a resolution small enough to meet IBR requirements, but the IBR has recently starting allowing larger resolution photos.
Go with the SD card cameras as the cards are plentiful and inexpensive. AA batteries are good as you can have plenty of spares on hand. My old camera has a battery that requires disassembly and a source of electricity. Spare is an old one requiring 4 AA batteries. You don't need fancy just enough to get usable photos that don't exceed the particular requirements of the rally you're running. Amazon has a big selection of CHEAP cameras that will do the job and not cause angst when you drop it, lose it, or otherwise destroy it by banging around in your trunk or tankbag.
When my wife and I got into rallying one of the more experienced riders showed us his Olympus tough series camera. Waterproof, shockproof, and freeze resistant they have proven to be excellent cameras for motorcycle use. They use a standard SD card but do use a proprietary lithium ion battery. On a bright note though battery is removable and it's easy to carry a spare. They can also be recharged while still in the camera using a USB cable that comes with the camera.
Rodney,
Refer to my first post. Go to Amazon and buy 2 older new cameras for less than $100. Just get some that will take pictures at the specs for the rally you're entering. You don't need the latest and greatest. My old Fuji would still be working if I hadn't dropped it while dodging traffic on a narrow brick street in Cincinnati. I think I paid less than $50 for it and it was many rallies old.
I will get new ones as soon as I run out of XD cards. Talk about expensive, those cards pricey,
Refer to my first post. Go to Amazon and buy 2 older new cameras for less than $100. Just get some that will take pictures at the specs for the rally you're entering. You don't need the latest and greatest. My old Fuji would still be working if I hadn't dropped it while dodging traffic on a narrow brick street in Cincinnati. I think I paid less than $50 for it and it was many rallies old.
I will get new ones as soon as I run out of XD cards. Talk about expensive, those cards pricey,
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I started with just an old camera I had worked just fine, but as I did more I was getting to use on some fairly horrible days some years ago I invested in one of those waterproof cameras said it was good for up to 3 metres under water. not been concerned about it since its been used in some harsh conditions and I've not had to worry to much if its got a bit damp. Fuji z33 I think nice and small to
I have big expensive cameras and lenses I use for photographing sailboat racing (http://photoboat.us) but for ADV and distance riding, that gear is too big and expensive to lug around. I've gone through several inexpensive point and shoot digital cameras but life on the road is rough and they never seemed to last long. I used a Canon D10 underwater camera for several years but made the mistake of giving it to my daughter. The underwater cameras are dust sealed and the lens is enclosed inside the camera case. I bought an Olympus TG4 this year and have been impressed with how easy it is to use and with the quality of photos. It's more expensive than a cheap point and shoot but then you'll only have to buy one as it should last longer. About $350 on Amazon >> http://amzn.to/1KoSZ6m
How much is a great photo worth to you?
How much is a great photo worth to you?
I do not know why this seems to be standard. A potential reason why the IBR does not allow them is that they actually put an identifying mark on your data cards for each leg during the check-in process (there is a penalty for swapping one of those out with a replacement), maybe micro-SD cards are too small to mark??
I can barely operate a digital camera so this is just a bit that I remember.
The micro SD cards are added to the adapter. The photo is loaded to the SD adapter then reloaded to the micro, that violates the no modification rule. If I have that wrong I'm sure someone will correct me and you will get the right answer.
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The micro SD cards are added to the adapter. The photo is loaded to the SD adapter then reloaded to the micro, that violates the no modification rule. If I have that wrong I'm sure someone will correct me and you will get the right answer.
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