SLR or digital camera?

Can't make my mind up for the best camera for days out in the hills.

I've been lokking at a Canon EOS300 SLR, light and seems to have bags of features.

On the digital side I've been looking at a Nikon 2100.

What type of camera for glorious outdoor shots do people carry?

I use an old EOS 650 for general stuff, but I'm probably going to replace it with an EOS 300 as it's way too heavy, also tempted by the very light Minolta SLR because, well, it's very light.

For climbing / mountaineering I use a compact Ricoh R1 which I can slip in a pocket and actually use - the SLR generally sits in the pack or the tent. Good lens too, though not in the same league as the GR-1.

For digital - wurk - I have an Olympus C-4040 Zoom, which seems to do the job, though ideally I'd like something that gives the same image quality but in as water and shock-proof package.

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OutdoorsMagic Editor | jon@outdoorsmagic.com 

We've got a Nikon Coolpix 775 digital camera which I wouldn't be without on the hill. Much smaller and lighter than our Pentax SLR. And, I managed to drop the Nikon down Fan Y Big in the Brecon Beacons (in a small Lowe Pro case) and it survived without a mark. I've never run down a steep slope so fast in my life! I can't believe I caught it actually, but it was new and I couldn't bear to see my holiday photos (and lots of money) disappear down the hill.

I've also found that the Nikon copes with taking glorious scenery pictures really well. (IMHO)

If you want to see roughly what the quality is like, have a look at my website:

http://www.firth.org

The 'Chelsea 2003' section contains pictures from this years Chelsea Flower Show, most of which were taken on the Nikon Coolpix (some were taken on the SLR and scanned, so they're not as good)

The other choice you have to make in relation to cameras is what you want to do with the pitcures once you've got them. I like to view them onscreen, and print out a small selection - or get a camera shop to print them up properly. If you want to browse through lots of prints then you're probably better off with an SLR.

Cheers
Jane

Thanks for the info Jane/Jon.

The only problem I have with buying a digital camera is the lens.

From what I read you are lucky to get a lens 38mm equv. or less. Landscapes lend themselves to wide angle shots 28mm or less so thats the only thing really that stops me from going digital.

Anyone ever used a wide angle converter on a digital camera?

Well Ian, I "converted" completely from Pentax SLRs, with the equivilent load of lenses etc, to go completely digital.

I purchased a Fuji 4900 zoom which I have found more than adequate for my use. I tend to use my images for websites, so the convenience is one thing I was looking for, and you cannot get much more convenient than publishing some of the photos on the websites within hours of taking them!

I also like the further convenience of the fact that the Fuji is a self contained unit with a 6X optical and 10X digital zoom, so it not only replaces the two old Pentax SLR bodies, but a multitude of extra lenses too.
This particular camera also has a TTL type viewfinder which previews the shot in the viewfinder so that you know instantly if the shot is any good or not.

With regard to the wide angle bit, it is not really necessary this day and age with the multitude of software capable of "stitching" images seamlessly together.

Obviously, if you want to display huge posters or prints, then the cost of the digital equivilent of the film versions capable of giving good enough quality would be prohibitive. If on the other hand, you want quick access to reasonable quality prints and futher wish to publish to web, then remember that as most monitors are only capable of displaying at 72dpi, then anything taken over that resolution is a complete waste!!

I use a Canon Ixus 300, got it really cheap when they brought out the 330, and spent the money I saved on a really big memory card (256 Meg). This means I can take over 200 pics at maximum size and resolution. The lens I think is great, takes brilliant pictures, and the feature I find I use most is Photostitch, comes with the free software. Basically it's a panoramic feature, you take pics that roughly match up, download them to the pc, and the clever programme sticks them togetherto make a big picture, you can do a complete 360 degree picture while you stand on the summit of everest or wherever, solves the problem of lenses.
You ca also get a waterproof box from canon which lets you use the camera while underwater.
Top kit, and tiny.
Ive still got my old SLR, but it never gets used!