The “great outdoors” can provide spectacular photo opportunities, so it’s definitely worth considering a digital camera for hiking.

But what to buy? The answer depends to some degree on the type of hiking you do - day hikes or longer treks - and whether you want to take just scenic shots or also pictures of the wildlife, including birds.

Weight and size are always factors when hiking, so in most cases a compact digital camera that is comfortable to carry and easily accessible will be the answer.

If you want to take pictures of wildlife, then you’ll need a longer or more powerful lens, which means more weight and bulk.

But for most scenic photography, a lightweight, compact digital camera in the four-to-six megapixel range should be fine. You want something that can be carried in a jacket pocket or held in a small case attached to your belt.

Features to Look Out For

There’s a huge assortment within this category, so here are four features that are recommended when choosing a digital camera for hiking:

1. 3x Optical zoom lens
This provides wide angle to short telephoto - roughly equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm amera. The 35mm semi-wide angle will allow you to capture expansive vistas, while the 105mm will allow you to zoom in on more specific subjects, including your hiking companions.

2. Camera with an optical viewfinder
Many compact digitals don’t have a viewfinder, so you have to use the LCD screen on the back of the camera when composing and shooting.

In bright light it can be a problem seeing your subject clearly in the LCD, particularly if the sun is behind you. It’s also more difficult keeping a camera steady when holding it away from your body than holding it snugly against your cheek. Using the viewfinder instead of the LCD will also save battery power, something you want to conserve when out in the backwoods.

3. Image-stabilized lens
Although this is not essential and is more important on digital cameras with ultra-zoom lenses, it’s a nice addition to have on your camera when hiking.

If you’re even slightly out of breath or panting when you pause to take that marvellous shot of the valley below, you’re going to attle to hold a camera perfectly steady. An image-stabilized lens will eliminate camera shake and ensure a crisp, sharp picture, rather than the blurry ones caused by unsteady hands.

Certainly if you choose a camera without a viewfinder, then an image stabilizer becomes more crucial. It’s difficult enough keeping a camera steady when holding it away from you to frame your shot and this is even more so if you’re carrying a heavy backpack or standing on rough, sloping terrain.

4. Macro mode
Most compact digital cameras will have some form of macro mode, some better than others. Macro is useful to have when outdoors as ou’ll occasionally want to take close-ups of flowers, plants, and insects.

Here are a few suggestions for compact cameras that are suitable for hiking, selected because they have some or all of the features above, and also because they’ve received positive reviews:

* Canon PowerShot SD600 Digital Camera - 6MP, 35-105mm lens, stainless steel body, slim profile, weighs 4.9oz

* Canon PowerShot SD700 IS - similar to SD600, but has a 35-140mm lens with image stabilizer.

* Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T9 - 6MP, 39-114mm lens. Less than an inch thick, will fit comfortably in your pocket. No optical viewfinder, but has SteadyShot image stabilization, weighs 5.6oz.

* Casio Exilim EX-Z850 - 8MP, 38-114mm lens, feature-rich, slim profile, weighs 4.6oz

* Ricoh Caplio R3 - 5mp, 28-200mm lens, no viewfinder but excellent zoom range plus image stabilizer, small and light, 1cm macro mode, weighs 4.8oz

If you’re interested in getting shots of wildlife and birds while on trail, then one of the digital “ultra zooms” is your best bet, although they’re heavier and bulkier than compacts. Again, there are many to choose from, but the Panasonic Lumix range is recommended, as are ultra zooms from Canon, Olympus, and Sony.

Digital SLR

For highest quality photos, you’ll need a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Although these have come down in size and price, they’re still larger than fixed-lens cameras, and more expensive.

With a digital SLR you have the option of carrying additional lenses, which is great for getting the very best shots, but comes at the cost of extra weight, bulk, and the care required in protecting lenses from knocks, dust and moisture.

If you do carry extra lenses, take extreme care when changing lenses in the field as dust can settle on the camera’s sensor, something you want to avoid if at all possible.

An option is to take your digital SLR with just one lens, like a zoom in the 28-105mm category, rather than a selection of lenses. Whether you opt for this, or take a body and selection of lenses, you’ll need a way of carrying the gear.

A camera hanging round your neck, swinging about as you walk, is okay for short distances but not recommended for hikes longer than a ouple of hours. A traditional camera bag slung over the shoulder is also not ideal for hiking, so you’ll want to look at a camera backpack if you’re carrying an SLR body plus lenses.

These are ideal for the photo enthusiast, but not much use if you need also to carry essentials like food and clothing in a normal backpack.

Bad Packing Mistake

If you do store any camera gear in your conventional backpack, don’t make the mistake I once did. I was carrying an Olympus OM1 35mm camera with standard lens and stowed it mid-way down my pack.

As we were about to set off - it was still early and chilly - I was allocated some communal foodstuffs to carry. This, including a tub of margarine, I foolishly stowed at the very top of the pack. Of course once it became hotter the margarine melted, tipped over and seeped its way downward, soiling everything and wrecking my camera.

If you’re going to be overnighting or on trail for a couple of days, make sure you have enough camera memory. Also, try to avoid looking too ofen at your masterpieces on the LCD, as this will rapidly drain your battery.

A digital camera for your hiking trips is certainly not an essential, but you’ll seldom find better opportunities for taking memorable pictures than those presented by Nature as her rich tapestry of colors, textures and patterns unfolds before you.

See also Digital Camera 10x Zoom for more about compact cameras with powerful 10x zoom lenses

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