What is your daily driver?

baldmountain

If you are into racing you usually own two cars. (Well, at least two.) A racer and a daily driver. The racer is your baby and your daily driver is the one you take to the supermarket.

I find that I have the same pairing with cameras. I have a fancy DSLR as my racer and I have a daily driver. Usually the awful camera in my BlackBerry or iPhone. I'm thinking of upgrading my daily driver and I was wondering what other people carry around with them when they don't feel up to dragging around their DSLR.

What is your daily driver?

Moogle Pepper

What an odd analogy.

As I only have two cameras, 30D and 5D2, it is either DSLR or DSLR. I would like to get a Canon G9...

ziggy53

baldmountain wrote:

... I was wondering what other people carry around with them when they don't feel up to dragging around their DSLR.

What is your daily driver?

I am a bit more photo-obsessive than most and I have 2 cameras I take when I don't want to be encumbered with a dSLR:

Minolta DiMAGE A2 digicam
FujiFilm FinePix F30 p&s

The Minolta is light in weight but has a wonderful 28-200mm (equivalent) zoom lens with in-camera, chip based stabilization. The combination is very capable and, coupled with a flash for indoor work, I feel very empowered using it.

This was my first "serious" personal digital camera and I bought it mostly with a gift certificate I got from my employer after 30 years of employment.

It is still one of my favorite cameras, even though it has some quirks and serious deficiencies compared to a dSLR. For a couple of years this camera went with me everywhere. Some of my better images were captured with this camera.











The Fuji F30 was more of a whim purchase but, when I want to travel really light and inconspicuous, it has a great level of satisfaction with minimal effort. A true p&s it has no really advanced modes or features and lacks RAW file capability, but the JPG images have so much more dynamic range than any other p&s I have tried that the image correction ability in post is very gratifying. While I have yet to capture anything breathtaking with it I have gotten images that would have been difficult otherwise.

aj986s

I agree, there are occasions where a DSLR can be a bit cumbersome.....

I recently bought a G10 to have as a lightweight alternative. So far, I'm very happy with it. I'm a bit disappointed that there's virtually no info displayed in the viewfinder; you have to use the LCD to confirm settings. On the other hand, I do miss not having LiveView on my current DSLRs viewfinders (and yes.....I'm looking real hard at the 50D ). But it has a full range of manual to automatic settings. Plus I can use my Canon flashes TTL in the hotshoe (rare nowadays on a point & shoot). For years before the G10 I used a 3MP Olympus p&s, that worked well but had limited settings and resolution. However, I did get an affordable waterproof housing for it, so plan to keep it for the few and far between occassions where water is a factor (white water rafting, snorkeling, etc).

Cygnus Studios

I guess that I am one of the odd balls, as my daily driver is the same as my racer.
I originally kept my old D50 for a backup / run around camera, but never picked it up. I picked up a Coolpix, but again, never picked it up. The D3 can certainly be a pain in the butt to lug around all day long, and it is even tougher having both wrapped around the neck, but I can't seem to get comfortable with anything else these days.

Moogle Pepper

Cygnus Studios wrote:

I guess that I am one of the odd balls, as my daily driver is the same as my racer.
I originally kept my old D50 for a backup / run around camera, but never picked it up. I picked up a Coolpix, but again, never picked it up. The D3 can certainly be a pain in the butt to lug around all day long, and it is even tougher having both wrapped around the neck, but I can't seem to get comfortable with anything else these days.

Good to know I am not alone! Even though I only have DSLRs...

bauerman

I have a Canon A590IS that I bought to use for quick things around the house and for short trips or small occasions. I cannot STAND using the thing! Don't get me wrong, this is a nice little point and shoot to be sure, but the shutter lag, focusing speed, flash re-charge time and other things just kill the experience for me overall.

I would have to say that my 'daily driver' is in fact my DSLR......I am finding that I am willing to pack that thing almost anywhere now just to have that feature set / performance with me at all times

davemj98

Sony T 100
It is on my hip even to go to the grocery store.
I won't count my cell phone camera.
Dave

Harryb

My "racer" is my D3. When I want to go light I put the 18-200 VR on the D300.

Ric Grupe

I like to race all the time...even to the grocery store!

Toshido

I still have the two camera that got me started down this slippery slope.

We picked up a Canon S1 IS. We added an underwater housing to that camera which is why we still have it.
I was so happy with that camera we picked up the Canon S3 IS.

Like others though I find the jump back to a P&S to be painful do rarely use wither if these. The S1 obviously gets used in extreme weather, swimming pools, etc. The S3 mainly gets used by my 3 year old who loves to take pictures of mommy and the baby.

cdub

Canon 5DII is my Batman, and a Canon G9 is its Robin. Though my 5DII is rarely too cumbersome. Even on long walks, hikes, or the like. A sturdy, balanced camera backpack and a comfy, elastic SmugMug neoprene neck strap help make it even nicer to tour with. The G9 has been almost entirely relegated to underwater and otherwise inclement photography (in a housing of course).

Grainbelt

I keep an old Olympus Stylus 6mp point and shoot handy on dirt bike trips when I don't want to destroy my DSLR.

I'm hunting for an M40 2.8 pancake lens for my Pentax ME, should be not much bigger than the Olympus and offer all the advantages of film.

wholenewlight

Racer - Nikon D300 (but I drive my racer quite a bit)
Daily - Canon SD890 - bought to take on frequent business trips, delivers decent daily photos like this one:


Other - I just got an iPhone last week. My old samsung blackjack had a camera but I never used it. Now, I'm sort of liking the "Camera Bag" app that I stuck on my iPhone - the modern equivalent to a Holga film camera?

Tee Why

I use a Canon 5D when I really want to shoot stuff.

I tried various cameras for carrying it around all day for casual stuff, a small Canon dslr like a rebel XTi and even a small point and shoot. I couldn't take the point and shoots so I settled on an Olympus E 420 with a kit lens that I bought from Circuit city as they were going out of business for under $400. I wish it was a touch smaller but I prefer a viewfinder and the responsiveness of a dslr over a point and shoot. Plus with a point and shoot, the dof is too big and I didn't like that, not to mention the lower IQ with point and shoots.

Some shots with my new point and shoot'ish Oly dslr.

hgernhardtjr

Racer: 5DMKII
Go cart: 30D
Daily Driver: Still my trusty Sony F828 ... but a Sony T500 is always in my pocket — just in case!

rcliffor

I have a G9 that I can put in my pocket, or carry in my motorcycle tank bag. My brother recently gave me an XTI so I am just learning to use a digital SLR.

RBrogen

Racers: 5DMkII, 5D
putt putt: Rebel XTi and an iPhone

koush

dunno if I would call it a racer as such
but soon to have a d70 and my daily driver will
be my G10...although both will be in the bag:D

Elliot

How many of you have bloomin' 5D Mark IIs! There's about one person with one of these babies in Ireland. This board can make us non-US feel a bit gear-deprived.

For the record:
Racer: Canon 450D (Rebel XSi to you. See what I mean!)
Daily: Canon A630 (excellent P&S as it goes) and iPhone.

Cuong

My daily driver is the Canon SD700, inconspicuous and quick to the draw.

Cuong

salazar

The Canon PowerShot D10. I'm thinking of trying one of these as a special purpose camera once they are available in May. I'm not sure it will replace the 40D as my daily driver but I'm thinking it should be good around the sailboats where thing get splashed and banged around. Compact digital still camera with built-in flash, 3x Optical/4x Digital/12x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer System. Focal Length 6.2-18.6mm f/2.8-4.9 (35mm film equivalent: 35-105mm). ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 equivalent. Waterproof to 33 feet, cold resistant from 14-104°F and shockproof up to 4 feet.

That's when I don't want to endanger the 40D. I will miss the viewfinder though.

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=2590&modelid=18332#ModelTechSpecsAct

hgernhardtjr

Elliot wrote:

How many of you have bloomin' 5D Mark IIs! There's about one person with one of these babies in Ireland. This board can make us non-US feel a bit gear-deprived.

Actually, Elliot, they sell this little card thingy here:

baldmountain

Part of the reason I ask is our family goes through point and shoots like crazy. (And mobile phones.) The main culprit is my daughter. Our first Canon P&S lasted about 3 hours. I have a Nikon P60 the has a shadow across the top of the frame because my daughter dropped it. If you hold the lens down while you take a picture you can kind of get rid of the shadow. (Something is bent in the lens extend mechanism.) The last Canon P&S we had lasted a few days before it wouldn't open. A small plastic gear lost a few teeth in the lens extend mechanism. I know because I took the camera fully apart. (I was going to fix it but my curiosity got the best of me. I knew the camera was never going to function again so...)

We currently have a working Nikon P50. Mainly because my daughter isn't allowed to use it. I'm not really happy with it. Takes great snapshots, doesn't really focus on anything beyond about 20-30 feet.

I'm mostly interested in people's daily driver's in the interest of finding something durable that also takes a decent picture.

InsuredDisaster

I'm not sure why you keep giving your daughter cameras to break. Can't be cheap. I've got a D300 with 35mm lense that is my "daily driver." I had an 18-200mm on it, but eventually I got tired of the weight and size. Found that on my last trip I took twice as many photos with the 35mm than the 18-200, so go figure. I'll often carry around a D78 with 10-20 on it as well. I carry one or both in a low pro shoulder bag.

That being said, I've got an Olympus 1030SW which might be a good camera for your daughter, but I'm sure she could break it too. (How old is she anyway?) Image quality isn't all that good, and the lack of manual override controls is really annoying. I carry this one around most of the time too, for when the DSLRs are too obtrusive, or when I want other people to take my picture!

I think I'd like the G10, but the price is a little high right now.

jhelms

Interesting post!

For cars, my daily driver is a 1998 Chevy Blazer




The 'not driven as much' car is a modified 2002 Corvette Z06




For cameras, my best camera is a Nikon D200, but I treat it like a daily driver. I also have a Nikon P5100 P&S, and just picked up a GoPro motorsports camera that makes for a great convenient pocket video/still camera, but usually find myself carrying the D200 everywhere.

baldmountain

InsuredDisaster wrote:

I'm not sure why you keep giving your daughter cameras to break. Can't be cheap.

She's 15 and I don't give them to her to break, it just works out that way. She is just hard on her stuff. (At 4, when asked why she had just thrown a toy down a flight of cement steps, she replied, "I wanted to see how it worked inside. Plus, It's OK, daddy can fix it.")

So yes, cost is a factor.

Art Scott

If not carrying a DSLR then it is my Konica Minolta A2, like Ziggy53.....it was my 1st serious digital cam......the only deficiencies is low light performance.....it gets noisy after iso 200......but I most shoot it at iso64 and sometimes slip it to 100.........the highest selling pieces of my work have been shot on this camera.................

I am looking into Olympus's UPPER 3 digicams as a backup to the KM A2......nothing comes close to the A2 with a true floating focus point and the meter point will float also if one wants it to (floats with focus point).......

wholenewlight

baldmountain wrote:

Our first Canon P&S lasted about 3 hours. I have a Nikon P60 the has a shadow across the top of the frame because my daughter dropped it. If you hold the lens down while you take a picture you can kind of get rid of the shadow. (Something is bent in the lens extend mechanism.) .

Maybe something like this might help a bit

http://www.delkin.com/products/snugit/index.html?gclid=CMeYrbzdnZkCFQHHGgodGAlIDg

Elliot

hgernhardtjr wrote:

Actually, Elliot, they sell this little card thingy here:

That is EXCELLENT! !

kejago

The run around: Is my Canon G9 (was my do it all for a more than a year).
The luxury limo: My D700. (I have only had it a couple of weeks... I like!!)

The D700 is scary good!





The G9 does OK too:



So, for now, I am a happy chappy! :ivar