Over in the Travel blog I’ve been writing a lot about where to experience fall’s spectacular explosion of seasonal colors. As a result, I thought it only fitting to expand upon the subject of fall foliage in the Photography blog as well.
This time of year if you visit a local park or drive to a lakeside retreat and you are bound to have multiple opportunities to capture a frame-worthy shot of nature’s most vibrant reds, yellows and oranges set against a cloudless cobalt blue sky. If you are still taking film to the great outdoors, you might consider going digital instead (at least for one season). Digital cameras make great hiking companions. They’re generally lightweight, compact, and easy to use. Not to mention, most digital cameras are also durable and water-resistant.
If you go digital make sure your camera has a zoom lens that allows you to take up close shots of wildflowers and wild animals. The Nikon Coolpix 900 is a great camera for beginners and provides excellent resolution and it has a zoom lens. What’s more, the entire camera weighs less than a pound.
Here are a few more digital cameras you might want to try out on your next leaf-peeping adventure:
The Olympus C-50 is not only compact (it fits in the palm of your hand) it also offers a 5-megapixel image for less than $600. It also features a durable all-metal body, a 3X/12X optical/digital zoom and six auto-shooting modes, which come in handy when you go from shooting inside a dense grove of trees to a panoramic horizon shot over water.
Nikon’s Coolpix 3500. This camera offers 3.2-megapixels in one of the most compact (though not so much so it is no longer user friendly) bodies on store shelves. At about $380, the Coolpix 3500’s price is also quite friendly. Amateur shutterbugs will also appreciate the camera’s 12 automatic shooting modes, and a 3X optical telephoto zoom lens (12X digital). Basically, this camera is easy to use and you’ll be happy with the results.
Nikon Coolpix 4300. The Coolpix 4300 is slightly more expensive than the 3500 (it retails for about $500), but it offers 4-megapixels and a lens typically found on more expensive cameras. It also has a 3X/4X optical/digital lens and 12 auto shooting modes.
What’s your favorite outdoor camera?
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