I need a camera recommendation

[Barnacle Bill]

What kind of digital cameras are being used and kept in your tackle box? I want one that is simple to use and has some zoom capabilities. Since I'll be keeping it in my tackle box, I don't want to spend a fortune on it. Not that I've ever lost anything over the side (LOL). I've been looking at a Kodak CX7310 and a cheap Nikon Coolpix 2200. Years ago, Nikon was THE camera to have, but I have gotten away from photography since I retired from the Navy 25 years ago. Any suggestions??

[tarfu]

howdy; i thought the same ended up spending about $300. for an Olympusstylus 300. it's rated as weatherproof. Not waterproof. but rain won't hurt it and a splash or two won't (shouldn't) hurt it. good luck hank

[Jerry Blake]

That's the camera I have for taking pictures for my website. I fell in the lake this summer with it in my pocket and it got some moisture in it but after a night in the toaster oven on the lowest setting it was fine.

[iamapt]

Every fisherman should have a small digital camera. Even the small cameras that can fit in your pocket have tremendous capacity for recording excellent pictures. Look for a digital camera with OPTICAL ZOOM capacity. A great many outdoor pictures need to be pulled in closer. A digital zoom is like looking at a photo with a magnifying glass. They tend to lose detail and become blurred. An optical zoom brings the object closer and leaves the subject in good focus. No film is needed and you can see your picture immediately. Most cameras now are simple point and shoot. One good photo can make a fishing season, prove to your buddies you did catch something, or just be able to remember friends.
Paul

[Shellback]

I don't know if this is still true or not, but a few years back I was looking for a weatherproof camera for hunting and fishing at a Ritz camera store. They are a chain, I'm not sure if they have them in your area. Anyhow the salesman told me that none of them were really waterproof and the ones stating weather resistant would leak. He recommended a standard camera and just buy their special warranty, the one that even covers your dumb mistakes! Drop it in the lake, if you can find it, bring it back and get a new one! Not sure if they offer that type warranty on digital cameras. The standard camera with the warranty was cheaper overall than buying the weather proof camera at that time.

[Don G]

What kind of digital cameras are being used and kept in your tackle box? I want one that is simple to use and has some zoom capabilities. Since I'll be keeping it in my tackle box, I don't want to spend a fortune on it. Not that I've ever lost anything over the side (LOL). I've been looking at a Kodak CX7310 and a cheap Nikon Coolpix 2200. Years ago, Nikon was THE camera to have, but I have gotten away from photography since I retired from the Navy 25 years ago. Any suggestions??

I would recommend a camera that you can reduce the pixel count via menu. I have a Kodak DX 3500 but it has only 2 menu settings for quality. Best is 1200 x 1800 and good is 600 x 900. With mine set in the good range the file or properties are too large to post on this website and all others I have tried. I have to crop and cut out a lot of the picture to get it it upload. You don't need a large pixel count for posting pictures.

I am also looking to upgrade with optical zoom and would also like to find a camera that has more than 2 settings for pixel count....I like the Kodak Easyshare software and would like to stay with Kodak if possible....

[Ranger375]

I have Polaroid (no longer made) cheap model that I keep in the boat all the time that produces excellant pictures. Before i retired went on business trip. Took the company expensive digital camera as well as mine. Could not get the company camera to work so used my camera. Got request from main office and several there want to know what kind of camera I used.

I also have a Kodak EasyShare 4330 that is even better. This camera is a lot easier to download onto computer.

Go with what you feel you can spend and get one with high pixel count. Be sure to get the zoom.

Ranger375

[rango]

I would recommend a camera that you can reduce the pixel count via menu. I have a Kodak DX 3500 but it has only 2 menu settings for quality. Best is 1200 x 1800 and good is 600 x 900. With mine set in the good range the file or properties are too large to post on this website and all others I have tried. I have to crop and cut out a lot of the picture to get it it upload. You don't need a large pixel count for posting pictures.

I am also looking to upgrade with optical zoom and would also like to find a camera that has more than 2 settings for pixel count....I like the Kodak Easyshare software and would like to stay with Kodak if possible....

on those large file photos, i print em out to a 4x6 size, scan em then save em to a file that will be acceptable to the websites. scanners will give you an option on what size file to save it as. works pretty good like that.

[rango]

for years we always took our photos of the catch after we got home instead of carrying a camera. now that i have a boat i can store a camera in safely and dry, i carry one with me most of the time i go. your best photos are made at the catch or soon thereafter. I havent gone to digital yet and not sure ill do so. I am a photographer and use film and the cameras i use are expensive so i seldom carried one with me untill i put a dry box on the boat. now we get great photos of the guys with their catch which i give to em when i get em developed. everyone should carry somekind of camera on the boat as you never know when youll want a pic of something special. the moment lost is lost forever.

[Kokomo Bob]

Not knowing anything about cameras, I wanted to buy my wife a digital for her birthday this month. I thought I wanted one with a lot of zoom. I went out and bought a 3.1mp with a big zoom thing on the front. A couple of pros who do a lot of photography on their computers told me to buy one with higher megapixels, then the picture could be blown up without losing the quality of the picture and would not need as much Zoom. I think they are right. Since they both recommended Sony I ended up taking the other one back and buying a pocket sized Sony DSC-P100, with a 5.1mp and 3X optical zoom lens, for $314. It was more more money than I wanted to spend but glad now that I did. I'm still going to keep the old polaroid on the boat.
No doubt there are several good manufacturers.
I would suggest buying the highest mp you can get for the amount you want to spend. And if you have the time, shop around. There are all kinds of prices out there for the same product.
Jerry Blake's pictures on his web site are very good. I think he is using a 4+mp camera.
Good Luck and good fishing
Bob