London, United Kingdom (PressExposure) May 24, 2010 -- Beach:
Fuji FinePix Z33WP Waterproof Digital Camera - £119
Waterproof up to depths of three meters and scratch resistant against sand, this compact digital cameras will fit into your beach bag easily. On board face detection makes photographing people quick and easy and it can also record movies with the touch of a button. A 2GB card will give you 30 minutes of high quality footage.
Jamie's Top Tip - "Using a waterproof camera like the Fuji lets you photograph underwater, giving you a whole new environment to capture. As water absorbs the light try and take your photos in a well illuminated area. On the beach, sand can reflect light so your images may appear slightly underexposed, to remedy this just use the fill-in flash or increase the exposure a pip or two, even the most basic cameras have these functions now."
Skiing:
Olympus Mju Tough 3000 Digital Camera - £199.95
A real tough cookie, this digital camera can be used underwater to depths of 3m, so it is no problem if it is dropped in the snow. Shockproof to 1.5m it can take knocks from any action sport and it is able to operate in temperature of -10C.You can also tap the camera to take a picture, a great feature when you are wearing thick gloves. In camera panaroma lets you capture the views from the top of the piste and face detection makes it quick and easy to capture your people shots. You can also record HD movies.
Jamie's Top Tip - "When taking photographs in the snow the camera can be fooled about how much light there really is due to the reflection, to combat this use a fill-in flash for your portrait and perhaps increase the exposure a little for your landscapes if they are coming out dark. In the cold weather your battery will not be as efficient, so carry a spare or make sure it's fully charged before you venture out. Try and capture the brightly coloured clothing of the skiers against the backdrop of white and select a fast shutter speed to capture the fast moving action. Use a panoramic function to stitch together a series of images to capture the views from the mountains."
Action:
Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens - £499.95
This 12.3 megapixel camera with HD movie mode will capture the action as it happens. 11 focus areas keep track of moving subjects and 3D AF tracking makes it possible to keep off centre subjects sharp. A Variangle monitor enables low or high angle shooting; you can flip, tilt or turn the monitor to take shots from above, below, to the side, or self portraits. A high ISO sensitivity enables faster shutter speeds, which significantly reduces the risk of blurred images when you shoot fast-moving subjects or take pictures in low light.
Jamie's Top Tip - "Using a DSLR camera is a real advantage here. The response and focusing are quicker and normally the maximum shutter speed will be faster. Select a fast shutter speed to freeze the action for sharp images or select a slower shutter speed for a more artistic feel. You could even add in a little flash to freeze the action and a slower shutter speed for a creative blur. Another technique you could use is to pan with your subject at a shutter speed that will record the moving subject sharp and blur the background; this technique takes a little practice to perfect but produces some fantastic results. Try getting down low to make you images more dramatic."
Safari:
Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm IS Lens - £749
With a super quality 18 megapixel sensor, this camera allows you to take pictures that can be blown up to large prints for your home. The camera can also shoot full HD 1080p videos for super high quality movies and a standard movie mode to capture any action. An array of lenses are available, you could add the 70-300mm to get you closer to your subjects. You can also take pictures using Live View with a 3inch Clear View LCD screen, so you are still able to keep one eye on the wildlife.
Jamie's Top Tip - "A long lens is important here, so pack the longest you have but at least a 200-300mm. This will enable you to get closer to the action with the subject being larger in the frame. Try to keep your lens changes to a minimum to reduce the risk of getting dust on the camera's sensor and make sure you pack spare memory cards as these will soon begin to fill with images once the photography starts. Using a large aperture will create an attractive soft focus background."
Hiking:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Digital Camera - £334
Small and lightweight, the Panasonic Lumix is packed with features for great looking photos even in low light conditions. A high quality wide angle Leica lens is perfect for taking photos of scenery. The high-resolution three-inch LCD screen allows you to view images or compose your shots from different angles. It can also record HD video clips.
Jamie's Top Tip - "Packing light is essential when hiking so a camera with a wide-angle lens is a good choice, letting you capture the sweeping landscapes. In your landscape pictures try and include a human element for scale, perhaps another hiker or dog walker. Try to include something in the foreground of your wider shots, like a wall, gate or line of trees to lead the eye of the viewer to the main subject. Don't just shoot on sunny days as an approaching storm could produce a moody atmospheric image; though if the sky is just grey and overcast try to shoot your scene without including it, perhaps concentrating on some detail."