Best Cameras To Bring To The Parks??

[dad24]

+1 for the gopro. not sure you can use the pole anymore... but a great way to get action shots while on the rides.

link to our short movie

 

[Lucky_Buckeye]

I am debating on dslr or not. Not sure if I want to carry such weight around. Might just buy photo package and use iPhone?

 

[kleph]

I am debating on dslr or not. Not sure if I want to carry such weight around. Might just buy photo package and use iPhone?

You can always rent a camera for a day or two to try it out. I've done this through specialty camera stores in the past but now there are online services such as Lumoid.

 

[Shrfleen]

I just got a Nikon L840 this week to use to video our trip in a couple of weeks. We did this in March too, and I am in editing them to upload to our Youtube channel. It's very light and small and does well in lowlight. I've also heard good things about the Canon G7X I believe it is. I know several "vloggers" that use that camera.

I use my L840 too! I like it better than my DSLR because I don't have to bring multiple lens and the zoom on the L840 is fantastic !

 

[scottandtisha]

A few things:

1) I'm a professional photographer. On three of my trips I hauled around pretty much an entire kit (2 bodies, 4 lenses). It wasn't a lot of fun.

2) As many have said, cell phones can do a really good job. If you know how to use Photoshop, they can probably capture about everything you need, and you'll have the advantage of being able to see what you're shooting as you shoot it.

3) Photopass/Memory Maker is also a fairly good option. It's expensive (to me, at least) but it keeps you from having to carry equipment around, and it lets everyone be in the shot. The two problems I've encountered with them are a) a lack of Disney photographers when I need one, and b) when I want to get a shot that Disney doesn't imagine anyone will want...so again, no photographers around.

4) If you do want to buy and haul a camera/system around, there are two big things I would pay attention to, a) manual exposure controls (and learning how to use them properly) and b) lens interchangeability, or the lack thereof. The first requires practice to get good at. The second will determine what shots you can get annd what shots you can't. Most cameras with fixed (i.e., non-interchangeable) lens will go moderately wide to moderately long, and will capture most of what you want to capture. Test that theory before you go, however, and you can learn how to use manual exposure at the same time.

5) If you want interchangeable lens, you're looking at a system, which tends to add weight and bulk. One good option is to look at mirrorless cameras, which tend to be smaller and lighter weight. Of my many cameras, the most used is a Canon 5D Mark III; I have two friends who use Panasonic mirrorless cameras who call my Canon the boat anchor, because they can fit a body in three lenses in less space and with less weight than my Canon body alone.

This is a great, thorough response and really covers all the bases anyone should consider when deciding what to bring to the park.

I have a mirrorless Olympus EM-5 and I STILL consider it too much to lug around the park on most days. Memory maker + cell phone works best for us.