Could anyone reccomend a excellent "big shirt pocket" digital camera. It will be used mostly in extreme cold weather conditions(battery type?) Would want all the optical zoom I could use without a tripod. Thanks in advance.

I can only brag on what I have. I have an Olympus Camedia C-720 Ultra Zoom. It has an 8X optical zoom and a 24X optical & digital. Megapixel 3.0. Mine is about two years old. No doubt there is something bigger and better. I'm not a camera junky but have been using it a lot lately getting ready for a sheep hunt. I've been amazed at some of the photos I've taken getting comfortable with the zoom. I've never used a tripod at 24X and don't see the need for one.

I sat on a porch last weekend and took some beautiful shots from about 20 to 30 meters of a lizard in a tree, birds, a dragonfly on a flower, anything to check how quick I could zoom and snap something, with the result being a sharp photo. The results were very high quality. I also took some at about 500 meters and 700 meters that impressed me.

I don't know about cold weather. Not much of that around here.

Before I bought I looked at Canon and Olympus. The Olympus had everything I wanted. I use Sony at work. It didn't interest me enough to spend my own money on one.

Your options are very few I am afraid if you want a long zoom.

I would recommend the Canon A1 IS. It has a 10X zoom and a stabilizer.

The Olympus C770 is also great, but no image stabilizer.

You can see review of both on this site.

Review page

It's best, all things being equal, to pick a camera that uses standard size batteries such as AA. You can then get spares and a charger from Walmart.

Most often used now days are NiMH and they go flat quickly in cold weather. They don't then return to life if they are warmed, they need to be recharged.

The three choices you have are to keep your camera inside your coat until you are ready to use it, buy an external battery pack that stays inside your coat and connects by a wire to your camera's AC adapter jack if it has one, or get a set of batteries that are more cold tolerant such as Li-on.

Kensco...Saeed...CaptJack...KThirtyOne....thanks for all the info....now just to choose the "right" camera

Oldguns.. If you don't want to have problems in cold weather ,(I hate to say it) stay away from digital and batteries .. pick up a good used Nikon FM2 35mm. the small batteries only run the light meter, and IF they freeze out on you the camera still works and you can guess the light close enough to get good photos .. everything else is mechanical, and it will work at 50 below or 110..you can get good lenses (not auto focus) that will never let you down. As a professional photographer for more than 25 yers, believe me, All this hi-tech stuff is great if you are close to home and have access to warm rooms, dry air and electricity .. but if you are camping in the wilderness you are screwed .. I was with a group making photos of a ski resort .. the warmest it got all day was 4 below zero.. I was the only one that could work for more than a half hour .. all my cameras are mechanical ..and they kept on clickin'.. Good luck, Mark

I just bought the Canon S1 IS, and am extremely happy with it.

Here are two photos I took at maximum zoom - 10X - of one of our babies.

Also, the movie mode is fantastic. But, you do need a high capacity memory card for videos.

Each Gig of memory will hold about 8 minutes of video. Also, the camera cannot support longer video clips than 1 Gig for each clip.

This means that if you have a large memory card, and wish to use it for videos, you can take several clips, as long as none is longer than 1 Gig.

In practice, this does not matter really.

Enjoy the photos.

Hi Saeed!

Great pictures!

I am on the verge of buying the very camera you mention above because of its image stabilization, but I have an important question to which I cannot find the answer on Canon's webpage.

According to Canon's website, the camera will focus to 10cm/3.9 inches. However, what I really need to know is the dimensions of the field of view in exteme close-ups.

If your cheetah co-operated, could you fill the frame with an area the size of nostrils-to-eyes? One eye?

In addition to the image stabilization, I am particularly interested in the macro capabilities. However, coming from the 35mm SLR world, Canon telling me the camera will focus to 10cm with a 3.8mm lens isn't so helpful to me.

cheers,

jpb

Great shots Saeed! How old are your "Babies" ?

We have 5 altogether.

1 is eight, one is 6, and 3 are just over 4.

Our little 20 month old daughter absolutely adores them. She loves to stroke their heads.

Last week, we found a guinea fowl in our house.

No one has any idea where it came from. Walter calls them spotted chickens, so we called this one a spotted chicken.

My daughter just started to say some words, and "potted chicken" is one.

The guinea fowl is quite tame, and decided to make a home in our car port. We have put some food and water for here there.

Now we are thinking of buying a few more so she does not feel too lonely.

Saeed if you keep this up your going to need a tractor

and cover all's and a few cow's. it sound's to me like your about ready to start farming.....



Saeed your Sooo lucky . a young daughter..

Children are such a gift .. mine are all grown and gone

ever time i see a couple with kid's ? well it's a bit late for me but i still miss youngster's running around the house

It's all new to them ...



You get to be the greatest guide in her life....



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Before i forget.!1 get a few car cover's .. or you going to find little bird mine's as it were ..on your car's hood