Seeking self timer camera advice!

[Gleason]

I realize basically all digital camera's have the capability/function of taking a still shot based on a timer..................

The advice I'm seeking is; which model or camera would you recommend for the outdoorsman/fisherman that may want 3-4 pictures in the field or on the water when your hands may be dirty, wet and slimy. The camera's I've previously purcased have all had timer selections, yet you have to basically press tiny buttons repeatedly on a tiny camera (perhaps in freezing temps or darkness) that does'nt balance well due too such small profile and your photos suffer in quality. I wish there were a camera that had a user friendly timer selection option and continually shot photos every couple seconds or so on it's own instead of having to re-select the timer options. I've heard that digital trail cameras can be used, yet I've never had one nor do I know anything about there close up photo qualities such as photoing a musky 4 feet away from the lens...........

[Esox_Magnum]

Set your camera on movie and select the stills you want when you get home. I have a small tri pod to keep the camera stable, little flexie thing that works pretty well. Mess with it in the boat to see what the best angles are, when you get a fish in the net get it set up, start the movie and record it all.

[Scoot]

I'd suggest something similar to what E_M suggested, but doing it this way will allow for a much higher quality picture-- two things: 1) get a good camera, 2) set the camera on "burst" mode and use the timer. Using the burst mode will allow you to take a bunch of pics in a very short window. My camera will take 10 pics in a second, and importantly, all in high resolution. Stealing a still pic from video or getting a pic from a burst mode that's in low resolution will give you a lower quality pic.

Regarding the camera, if you're a camera dummy, like me, look at the bridge cameras. Right now the cream of the crop is the Panasonic FZ-35. You can find it for under $300 and it's a wonderful camera. It's got a nice and easy timer and will simply take great pictures.

[bronzeback]

the video idea works great during the day, I've done it. But at night, unless you've got studio quality lights pointing at you in your boat then the video is just going to be black.

Best Buy carries a small tripod with bendable legs that can screw onto the bottom of just about all smaller/medium sized digital cameras. I attach mine everytime I go out, and I set it up so that it can latch onto the middle seat of my boat and wont fall over when I shift the weight to grab the fish out of the net(my boat is 12' so it moves quite a bit)

it's taken a lot of trial and error, and when I actually caught a biiiig fish on my own the pictures weren't "great" but they did it justice. I'd definitely reccomend picking one of those little tripods up though, you can even get ones with suction cups that you can attach to a spot in your boat so you can just unhook the fish, press a few buttons and away you go.

[jiggineye]

I have a Canon 450d that I use now for taking pictures while fishing. I usually take it with prime 50 1.8. I fish solo all the time use a remote to take the picture. I have it set on delay and press remote when ready to take a picture. Lift fish and snapping a few has worked good. I'd say any camera which a faster lens and timer will help take better pictures. Faster lens allows quicker focus and minimal lighting for good pictures.

Note, I have a small tripod and have the distance measured for the right photo I want. And with a decent camera/lens, cropping is still possible with good quality turn out. Just have to set the procedures in mind so you can snap a pix quick without taking the fish out of the water too long.

[Gleason]

Any other solo fisherman that have favorite cameras for capturing decent quality stills to say get an 8 x 10 enlargement if desired. I've got a point and shoot Canon Powershot A530 that you can adjust various settings on the self timer up to as long as 30 seconds prior to taking up to 10 continuous pictures but it has intermittent focus issues due to (I think) slow shutter speeds in it's auto functioning mode. Do you still like the Panasonic FZ-35 Scoot? Are these movie mode camera's capable of getting a quality still for an 8 x 10 photo? I'm still looking for a "cave man" friendly camera for under $300 or so that I can use for scenario' were it's often, one best photo out 5, of a 10-15 second timeframe while quickly releasing a fish from the net.

[JeremyCampbell]

I don't meen to take away from the original poster,I have some preschool questions but once I have a Digital cam set on a tripod and all the sudden I have my hands full with trying to pull in a fish I don't know how to take a picture without letting go of the rod.If you set a timer how are you going to know when your going to get a fish.I know it sounds like a child is posting this.Thanks

[JeremyCampbell]

Nevermind I figured it out,my wife showed me lol

[randy t]

I use my cell phone. Its a Galaxy 4 Active, waterproof, C amera has timer, voice control for pics or movie, take pic from movie, multiple pics and much more that I havent figured out. Bought cheap cell phone vent mount and put it on front pedestal. Works great. Better quality pics than my last camera. Then you can send pic of your musky to your buddies who stayed home.

[Gleason]

Have yet to come across a cell phone or any "still" captured off video that can compete with even the cheapest point and shoot for the capability of an 8 x 10 photo. I'm guess I'm seeking the advice of a "Hardcore" if you will, someone probably who is hesitant to post a response very often on the internet, someone with many hours of devotion, dedication and time tested fish under their belt to chime in and recommend a user friendly camera model for the lone wolf fisherman.............somebody that can relate to capturing quality 8 x 10 photos vs. cell phone pics, facebook, emails, etc.

[randy t]

You could always kill the fish and then take it to a photographer. Excuse me for being so naive to your

needs. Maybe you should try a photography forum.

[Gleason]

Randy T,

Hey seriously, by no means did I mean any disrespect..........and actually I have mentioned along the same lines a camera designed/marketed for the lone wolf fisherman in the photography forum previously. I've landed well over a thousand muskies up to 47 pounds and literally already have hundred's of 8 x 10 photo's of trophy class specimens photo'd and realeased amongst my walls;that stated, I still continue to search for a better or say, user friendly self timer camera........Rob Kimm, Jack Penny, anybody........not at all being an silly-me here, just seeking someone in teh know that could chime in on a camera model that takes quality pictures at a 3 foot distance along the lines of a self timer.

[Yooperguy]

My wife has a nikon than has a remote to take self pictures. I haven't used it for fish as I'm not touching her $2500 camera. I have a Kodak waterproof camera just a simple point and shoot that I put on a tripod. My tripod has a thing that screws into the camera and pops into the tripod. I set the camera for two self shots that go one picture ten seconds then a second ten seconds later. So I have twenty seconds to get the fish out of the net and get my picture. I have been pretty happy with the quality of my photos.

[smalliehunter]

i use a gopro mounted to my windsheild tuff to beat that. completly water proof and takes great photos or you can record and pick out the stills you want. i really like doing time laps videos. you have tons of options with the go pro once you learn how to use it.

[JPenny]

Hello Gleason, Thanks for your confidence in me to help solve your problem. And I wish I could be more help. But the facts are that I rarely fish alone. My wife Mary is a die hard angler too she handles the camera if I have a big one and vice versa. But I've spent some time thinking about this in the past. I like the idea of mounting a camera on the front pedestal with a remote control. Focused on a predetermined spot in the boat, it would seem fairly simple to get the grab & grin shots and release the fish quickly.

[graf703]

recommend a user friendly camera model for the lone wolf fisherman.............

I have a gopro hero 2. I haven't used it for musky fishing yet. But it has crystal clear optics, 1080p video, self timer shots etc

It wouldn't work well at night without a separate light source. But, you could capture video like EM says and pull images from that. If you watch the gopro promotional videos the image quality is pretty fantastic. And they are only a couple hundred bucks.