Best camera for bears - beginner needs advice

[table1349]

Designer eschews shrimp, lobster, clams, and oysters. And anything else that feeds on the bottom.

I assume you only eat meat then. You don't want to know what's in that fertilizer used to grow fruits and vegetables. Got to go now, there is a strawberry patch that needs my "imput."

Ah, yes, the ingredients in compost! Wonderful!

So you're saying that the debris found on the bottom of the ocean has been composted?

Manure that has been properly composted is supposedly safe for human consumption.

Which reminds me; Designer doesn't go out of his way to eat mushrooms, either.

Actually the debris at the bottom of the ocean has been processed organically by the critters that eat it to supply the needed proteins, carbs, nutrients etc. to sustain life. As for mushrooms, fungi is absolutely delicious and in some cases quite expensive.

Me thinks that Designer should stay in Iowa and not travel too far from home. You my friend would starve to death in most parts of the world.

"What is Reincarnation?"
A cowpoke asked his friend.
His pal replied, "It happens when
Yer life has reached its end.
They comb yer hair, and warsh yer neck,
And clean yer fingernails,
And lay you in a padded box
Away from life's travails."

"The box and you goes in a hole,
That's been dug into the ground.
Reincarnation starts in when
Yore planted 'neath a mound.
Them clods melt down, just like yer box,
And you who is inside.
And then yore just beginnin' on
Yer transformation ride."

"In a while, the grass'll grow
Upon yer rendered mound.
Till some day on yer moldered grave
A lonely flower is found.
And say a hoss should wander by
And graze upon this flower
That once wuz you, but now's become
Yer vegetative bower."

"The posy that the hoss done ate
Up, with his other feed,
Makes bone, and fat, and muscle
Essential to the steed,
But some is left that he can't use
And so it passes through,
And finally lays upon the ground
This thing, that once wuz you."

"Then say, by chance, I wanders by
And sees this upon the ground,
And I ponders, and I wonders at,
This object that I found.
I thinks of reincarnation,
Of life and death, and such,
And come away concludin': 'Slim,
You ain't changed, all that much.'"

Wallace McRae

 

[Overread]

Best camera for bears is a DJI Inspire 1 v.2

Actually on a serious note they are terrible for wildlife photography.

1) They make a LOT of noise and thus are very invasive to wildlife. Causing disturbance and potentially forcing wildlife off their normal behaviour patterns.

2) Continued use and tracking of species with a hover-camera like this can mean that whilst you're spending a few hours getting photos the animal is spending afew hours being scared and not getting food nor shelter that they require to survive.

3) Interestingly the USA has already banned these in their national parks - I wouldn't be surprsied if the UK follows suit as well.

In general a lot of th air based photos you see are done with balloons - quiet and higher up and less intrusive.
There's also a matter of scale; 1 wildlife team is small; but the public is a huge potential impact so even whilst one hover camera might not do any harm - but many of them by different people does.

 

[chuasam]

Designer eschews shrimp, lobster, clams, and oysters. And anything else that feeds on the bottom.

I assume you only eat meat then. You don't want to know what's in that fertilizer used to grow fruits and vegetables. Got to go now, there is a strawberry patch that needs my "imput."

Ah, yes, the ingredients in compost! Wonderful!

So you're saying that the debris found on the bottom of the ocean has been composted?

Manure that has been properly composted is supposedly safe for human consumption.

Which reminds me; Designer doesn't go out of his way to eat mushrooms, either.

Actually the debris at the bottom of the ocean has been processed organically by the critters that eat it to supply the needed proteins, carbs, nutrients etc. to sustain life. As for mushrooms, fungi is absolutely delicious and in some cases quite expensive.

Me thinks that Designer should stay in Iowa and not travel too far from home. You my friend would starve to death in most parts of the world.

Perhaps we can finally get the iconic photo of a bear crapping in the woods *LOL*
Mushrooms are delicious; as are many fungi.
I absolutely adore black summer truffles. I saw a bunch at Borough Market in London last year. It absolutely tore me apart that I could not buy them and bring them home with me to Canada.
Used to have morels growing my parent's firepit. I was hesitant to eat them as they had been burning rubbish in the pit.
King Oyster Mushroom if thinly sliced and sprinkled with seaweed flakes and soy sauce approximate bacon when grilled.

 

[table1349]

Clams and mussels are like chewing on pencil erasers. Conch is worse. And conch ceviche is the second-most disgusting thing I've ever eaten. I nearly barfed, and quit eating after the first bite. But Cajun catfish is really good, so not all bottom-feeders are eschew-worthy. And I once ate half an octopus sandwich at the foghorn at the end of the earth (Finisterre, Spain; the name means end of the earth, or land's end, because the Romans mistakenly believed it was the western-most point of land in Europe. There is a foghorn there, and a tapas bar.) The sandwich was really good, not tough or chewy at all, though the suckers were kind of creepy. I didn't finish the sandwich because it was huge. I gave the other half away. So that was another bottom-dweller that if prepared right is delicious. Spain has really good seafood.

You people don't know food
The chewy texture is the point.
Unfresh blood cockles (ark shell) is far more disgusting and smells like death.
Sea squirt is rather gnarly and I would add it to disgusting things. Too much iodine.
Bears taste ok but depends on what they eat. Bears that feed on berries are decent, bears that feed on garbage are rubbish.
Really fresh crab is delicious. Raw crab preserved in soy sauce or chilli paste is great on steamed rice.
Sri Lankan mud crab is awesome with black pepper or a chilli based paste.
Blue Crab is awesome boiled with Old Bay
Sea Urchin is so fricking amazing.
Alaskan King Crab isn't a crab but incredibly delicious.

Best camera for bears is a DJI Inspire 1 v.2

Ok, so where is there something but typical food in your list?
viande de cheval is wonderful, reminiscent of a beef/venison combination.
Bosintang and quite tasty.
Fried Grasshoppers, Giant water bugs, Crickets, Silk worms, & Bamboo worms are all nicely crunchy and many have a flavor that reminds me of popcorn.
Pizzle soup is a tasty dish with a unique delectable flavor.
You mentioned Bear. Bear is best smoked. A smoked black bear ham is some of the best eating you can find.
Blodplättar it in my opinion better than blood pudding.
Zazamushi and Hachinoko makes a wonderful sweet desert.

And yes, over they years I have eaten all of the above and a host of other things most in this part of the world would never get close too.

 

[daniel1948]

On mushrooms: I like the store-bought ones. But I had a friend, about four decades ago, who gathered and ate Amanita muscaria. I declined his offer to give me some. There are some mushrooms that go beyond a purely culinary experience. According to my understanding, based entirely on hearsay, if you eat Amanita muscaria you will get very sick, then barf your guts out, and then have a psychedelic experience.

On grasshoppers: When I was a kid we had a can of fried grasshoppers in the pantry. I don't know how it got there. We finally decided to try them. They tasted to me exactly like very burnt toast. I mean, burnt black all the way through, not just a little burnt.

On crickets: Supposedly, crickets are the most efficient way to produce animal protein. Being open-minded, I bought a cricket "energy" bar. It tasted absolutely dreadful. But it had so little cricket in it by weight, that I suspect the dreadful flavor had nothing to do with the crickets. In spite of their supposed efficiency, cricket powder is about the most expensive protein you can buy.

Somebody once offered a big prize to anyone who could invent a practical, mass-produceable, machine to harvest locusts from infested grain fields without excessive damage to the grain. Such a machine would save grain fields from locusts, and the locusts could be sold as food. I don't think anyone was ever able to claim the prize.

Balloons are fun. I once went up in a hot-air balloon. But for wildlife viewing I'd rather be on the ground. (Or in the case of polar bears, in a tundra buggy.) (Or in the case of whales, in a kayak.) For me, the photographs are an afterthought, which is why I want a cheap, simple camera. It's the experience of being face-to-face with nature that's really special.

Hiking at the Durrand Glacier chalet, near Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, the mountain goats often come right up close to have a look at us.

 

[chuasam]

Ok, so where is there something but typical food in your list?
viande de cheval is wonderful, reminiscent of a beef/venison combination.
Bosintang and quite tasty.
Fried Grasshoppers, Giant water bugs, Crickets, Silk worms, & Bamboo worms are all nicely crunchy and many have a flavor that reminds me of popcorn.
Pizzle soup is a tasty dish with a unique delectable flavor.
You mentioned Bear. Bear is best smoked. A smoked black bear ham is some of the best eating you can find.
Blodplättar it in my opinion better than blood pudding.
Zazamushi and Hachinoko makes a wonderful sweet desert.

And yes, over they years I have eaten all of the above and a host of other things most in this part of the world would never get close too.

Now that's much much better!
The comment was more directed at Designer.
I admit that I have a liking for horse.
The Italian restaurant I used to have it at has since closed when the owner retired
I'm looking for a place where I can get horse mane sashimi

I've not had the chance to eat dog.
I've heard of blodplättar but not tried it. How does it compare to Blood Tofu?
I didn't get black bear ham I had a hunk of it from a hunter friend. I think it was prepared as a jerky.
Not had a chance to try zazamushi and hachinonko but I really love fried cod milt or steamed as shirako. Haven't been able to find it in a while.
You do get to travel lots

Also on my list of foods I want to try:
Cuy, Gooseneck Barnacles, bee larvae, Hákarl, Mantis Shrimp.

 

[table1349]

Designer eschews shrimp, lobster, clams, and oysters. And anything else that feeds on the bottom.

I assume you only eat meat then. You don't want to know what's in that fertilizer used to grow fruits and vegetables. Got to go now, there is a strawberry patch that needs my "imput."

Ah, yes, the ingredients in compost! Wonderful!

So you're saying that the debris found on the bottom of the ocean has been composted?

Manure that has been properly composted is supposedly safe for human consumption.

Which reminds me; Designer doesn't go out of his way to eat mushrooms, either.

Actually the debris at the bottom of the ocean has been processed organically by the critters that eat it to supply the needed proteins, carbs, nutrients etc. to sustain life. As for mushrooms, fungi is absolutely delicious and in some cases quite expensive.

Me thinks that Designer should stay in Iowa and not travel too far from home. You my friend would starve to death in most parts of the world.

Perhaps we can finally get the iconic photo of a bear crapping in the woods *LOL*
Mushrooms are delicious; as are many fungi.
I absolutely adore black summer truffles. I saw a bunch at Borough Market in London last year. It absolutely tore me apart that I could not buy them and bring them home with me to Canada.
Used to have morels growing my parent's firepit. I was hesitant to eat them as they had been burning rubbish in the pit.
King Oyster Mushroom if thinly sliced and sprinkled with seaweed flakes and soy sauce approximate bacon when grilled.

Some was travel for fun, some was travel on Uncle Sam's "Suggestion." They can suggest pretty strong sometimes.
Plus my sister in law is Japanese and quite an accomplished Japanese cook.

 

[daniel1948]

So getting back to my original question, I took Designer's advice back in post #3, to contact the trip outfitter. He recommended the Canon PowerShot SX60HS. I also asked him about the PowerShot SX410IS, which I had been looking at. The 60 is $450 on Amazon and the 410 is $179. The 60 is double the weight, at 1.5 pounds, compared to 3/4 lb for the 410, which makes a difference if I decide to also use the camera for hiking. He explained that while the 60 had fewer pixels (16 mp, compared to 20 mp in the 410) that the processor quality is more important than the number of pixels. The 410 has the Digic 4+ processor, while the 60 has the Digic 6 processor. The 60 has a 65X optical zoom with a maximum focal length of 1365 mm and a minimum of 21 mm. I found a review which called the 60 poor in every category but when I clicked on their link to the cameras they like, they wanted me to spend $3,000. Heck, someone who spends $18,000 on a camera probably thinks the $3,000 camera is poor in all categories.

So now I have lots of information, and even less idea what I want to buy, but fortunately I have plenty of time to think about it.

 

[table1349]

Well since like most Newbies you didn't list you location I am just going to assume you are from Canada just for fun. As such I would suggest you go here: The Camera Store Take a look at what they offer, PLAY with with what interests you and make a decision. It is a simple fact that if you don't like the camera you buy you will not be inclined to use it where as if you do like it you will be inclined to use it often.


If by chance you are not near Calgary or in Canada then the advise is still the same only you pick the store you go to.

 

[jcdeboever]

So getting back to my original question, I took Designer's advice back in post #3, to contact the trip outfitter. He recommended the Canon PowerShot SX60HS. I also asked him about the PowerShot SX410IS, which I had been looking at. The 60 is $450 on Amazon and the 410 is $179. The 60 is double the weight, at 1.5 pounds, compared to 3/4 lb for the 410, which makes a difference if I decide to also use the camera for hiking. He explained that while the 60 had fewer pixels (16 mp, compared to 20 mp in the 410) that the processor quality is more important than the number of pixels. The 410 has the Digic 4+ processor, while the 60 has the Digic 6 processor. The 60 has a 65X optical zoom with a maximum focal length of 1365 mm and a minimum of 21 mm. I found a review which called the 60 poor in every category but when I clicked on their link to the cameras they like, they wanted me to spend $3,000. Heck, someone who spends $18,000 on a camera probably thinks the $3,000 camera is poor in all categories.

So now I have lots of information, and even less idea what I want to buy, but fortunately I have plenty of time to think about it.

I own one and it takes some good pics. It has the ability to do Manual. I just use Program Auto mostly, super easy with good results. It loves light. Low light, not so good but the built in flash works fantastic believe it or not. It has some serious reach too. Keep it under the digital zoom and it is usually pretty sharp. On a tripod the extra digital zoom works fine. Keep an eye out at Canon's furnished section of their website, one will turn up. I have to say, I have been pleasantly pleased with it for using it as a travel camera. I still have my Nikon D3300 DSLR which I use mainly. I did a lot of research on super zooms for someone else and this was to be their camera but she backed out after I ordered it for her. In the price range, this was the best one, it even read better than the P900. The new Nikon DL 24-500 zoom has a 1" sensor and that thing looks fantastic but it's a $1000.00. Some of the pics from it look super nice.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[daniel1948]

Well since like most Newbies you didn't list you location I am just going to assume you are from Canada just for fun. As such I would suggest you go here: The Camera Store Take a look at what they offer, PLAY with with what interests you and make a decision. It is a simple fact that if you don't like the camera you buy you will not be inclined to use it where as if you do like it you will be inclined to use it often.


If by chance you are not near Calgary or in Canada then the advise is still the same only you pick the store you go to.

Oops. No, I didn't give my location. I'm in Spokane.

I own one and it takes some good pics. <...snip...>

You never say which camera you're talking about. ???

 

[table1349]

Surely Spokane or the nearby area has a brick and mortar photography store. If not take a drive to Seattle. We can all give you ideas, but the best thing is to have it in you hands and try it out.

 

[jcdeboever]

Well since like most Newbies you didn't list you location I am just going to assume you are from Canada just for fun. As such I would suggest you go here: The Camera Store Take a look at what they offer, PLAY with with what interests you and make a decision. It is a simple fact that if you don't like the camera you buy you will not be inclined to use it where as if you do like it you will be inclined to use it often.


If by chance you are not near Calgary or in Canada then the advise is still the same only you pick the store you go to.

Oops. No, I didn't give my location. I'm in Spokane.

I own one and it takes some good pics. <...snip...>

You never say which camera you're talking about. ???

My bad, the Canon SX60HS

 

[daniel1948]

In looking over the specs for the cameras, the guy from the outfitter mentioned the size of the sensor as being an issue, which makes sense. Both the camera he recommended and the one I'd been looking at, as well as my little camera, once I was able to find the specs, which was not easy for two of the three, give the size of the sensor as 1/2.3 inch. That seems such an odd way to state it. Why don't they just say 10/23 inch? Or 11 mm? I'll bet most people cannot even wrap their minds around what 1/2.3 means.

I'm going to let this decision go for a while. The more I learn, the less I like either of them. The cheap one has a worse processor than even my little camera, though it has the zoom I wanted. And the expensive one is heavier than I wanted. In a few weeks, when I get back from my next trip, I'll visit a camera store as Gryphon suggested.

Maybe I'll forget the camera and just watch the bears with my pretty decent binoculars when they're too far away for my unaided eye.

 

[daniel1948]

My bad, the Canon SX60HS

Thanks! I'll consider it again when I get back from my upcoming trip. (This will be a hiking trip, so I won't want a 1.5-pound camera. I'll just use my 4.7-ounce elph 110.)