Help - Travelling - Few questions!

[The Hoff]

Right starting my 6 month trip in little over a week, so I need to buy some new kit to document it all. I have a DSLR, but am NOT taking it, too big, too heavy, and shouts "rob me!".

Questions:

- I'm looking for a good compact P&S with a decent optical zoom (10x ish), and that takes decent shots with little start-up. Budget, not one really, but £200-£250 to narrow the field. Samsung WB500/Panny TZ26(27) were possible from those I've seen.

- Also, what online service would you guys recommend for uploading my photo's to whilst on the move. I couldn't bare to lose my memory card, so plan to upload them as I go.

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[Revels]

Panasonic Lumix.

Photobucket + pro account.

Where you off to?

 

[Feirny]

Panasonic TZ7. Hands down IMO, I think many on here will agree. Might just get it in your budget too.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?t=454638

 

[The Hoff]

Doing 3 months in South America, 2 weeks in NZ, 1 month in Oz, 2 months doing S.E Asia... can't forking wait, shall pop some piccies/blog on here.

Will check the Panny out, gonna try and haggle a decent price on Tottenham Court road next week.

Any further suggestions?

 

[BenWall]

I'd take my DSLR if I was you... get some cracking shots. I'd just insure it before going. 50mm - 17-50mm and a small tripod.

 

[The Hoff]

Nah, going proper light mate. Just haven't got the room/inclination to carry it around for 6 months. If I need one I'll buy one out there, but P&S will be first choice.

 

[The Hoff]

Right, had a quick play today with a TZ7.

Good:
Zoom.
Big screen.
Video/Pics quality.
Quickish startup.
Zoom during video.
Face detection seemed good.

Bad:
Proprietary battery, £50. Allegedly poor battery.
The stupidly flimsy mode select wheel.
Mode selector, again.
Button placement, illogical.

Still not entirely sold and tbh if I could get a decently priced TZ5 I'd do that instead. As it is I need to try a Samsung WB500/550.

Can't understand why they'd flaw such a good camera by being anal over chipping the battery and putting a wheel with zero weighting, .5 of a cm next to the shutter release/zoom.

Was this demo one broken, or are they really that bad?

 

[GeordieClioDriver]

Not sure on the compact. I have a kodak Easyshare 12mp and its spot on, nice and easy to use.

As for hosting, Flickr + pro upgrade. I use both flickr and photobucket and don't trust photobucket one bit. My files were lost twice.

 

[The Hoff]

Well considered the Samsung WB550, the Sony DSC-H20, the Canon Ixus IS200 and the Lumix TZ7.

TZ7 won, arriving tomorrow from Camerabox, £317 with Samsonite case, spare (official) battery, 8GB SDHC HS, Gorillapod.

Look forward to shooting some HD video, and shall post up a review in a day or two. Hopefully the issues I raised in my earlier post will dissolve once I re-adjust from SLR to P&S.

 

[Mike_182]

Won't get anything now without a proprietary battery - the Ixus ones last forever though! Quality. The Panny does well too - got my boss to get one and he's made up with it.