For examples of the kinds of photos I will be taking, here's an article with a bunch of photos (click the hyperlinks to see the photos):.

Http://www.evergreensoaring.org/Pilchuck.HTM.

Thanks again in advance!!.

Noel..

Ergonomics are far more important than anything else. Go to the stores and find all the cameras that you can stow and still get to while in flight. You want someplace that can keep the camera in turbulence. Once you identify all the camera you can visualized stowed. Then pick up the cameras with one hand, turn them on with the same hand, press the shutter and then power down. Your short list would be all the cameras that you don't have to look at while doing the above...

You need wide angle as much as telephoto for that purpose IMO. You arent going to be able to frame panoramas very well with one hand while flying and you want the vistas..

You also need stabilization for your one handed shots when using telephoto..

Your best bet is the Panasonic TZ3. Its biggest disadvantage is noise at higher ISO and you wont encounter that with plenty of light. Beach camera is reliable and has it for $291 with free shipping. It is right on the edge of your price limitations but really is the camera you want. The TZ1 is just over two hundred from B&H if 5Mp and a smaller LCD is acceptable. It has the same lens..

If you have a friend traveling overseas soon you could have them pick up a Ricoh R6. It is smaller than the TZ3 with stabilization and wide angle with a decent zoom. Not sold in the US except through Ebay..

Thanks for the advice on the Panasonics! I looked at their review and was really impressed, but the outdoor photos and the following paragraph had me a bit concerned:.

"Looking at the overall image quality it's clear Panasonic has made some minor changes to the processing; the output is far less 'in your face' than the TZ1, with lower saturation and sharpening (not a bad thing, and the new 'vivid' setting is there if you want out of camera 'pop') and, I have to say, a slightly soft and 'flat' appearance (unless the subject is full of bright colors). There is a slight tendency to overexpose bright outdoor scenes, which combined with a rather muted response to blues can - using the default settings - lead to rather washed-out looking skies, even on a nice day. The answer is to use the AE compensation and boost the saturation a little in post processing (or if you like it, use the day-glo 'vivid' option).".

I'm going to be shooting dark evergreen trees and rocky hillsides on bright sunny summer days. This seems exactly wrong for a camera with the qualities described above... Am I misunderstanding or being overly critical?.

Any other thoughts or comments?.

Thanks a bunch, take care,.

Noel..

Dont drop the camera!  .

I really have no advice, just messing w/ ya..

I'm also looking forward to doing an aerial shoot this August. I hope this thread gets more responses..

Good luck on your shoot!..

There are over 700 shots here taken by people of various skills: http://www.pbase.com/cameras/panasonic/lumix_dmc_tz3 Try to find some scenery similar to what you will be taking. Some have been post processed and some taken poorly. But if you look through various TZ3 galleries you might get a good idea of what you will end up with..

Im not sure that shopping for a camera with default output that is exactly what you are looking for is the best approach. Most cameras have some level of output variation you can set. I prefer to shop for features and modify the output or adapt it in the computer..

You will find that much aerial photography requires post processing if you arent using a camera that can take haze and warming filters. A step I have seen referred to as defogging that uses a large radius and small amount in unsharp mask will act as a wonderful haze filter. And the extra blue you get with long shots can be easily dealt with. Many editors have one click fixes that work fine for that..

If you learn to use an image editor with actions you can bulk process very quickly and easily to get any output you want. I recommend you consider the CD-only version of Paint Shop Pro X or XI from Ebay. You can get X for twenty bucks and XI for thirty. They are legal copies and can be registered. Avoid Elements or any stunted program without actions...

Thanks for the advice!.

I pawed through the photos and maybe it's the quality of the shots or the post-processing, but I felt that the TZ3 photos were just a hair more "blurry" (less edge contrast / sharpness). I wonder if it is a result of the noise-filtering that is mentioned in the Venus III system (of course with JPEG format and the images being posted up to a website in reduced resolution format, it's anyone's guess)..

Any thoughts on how the L7Z stacks up? It doesn't have the zoom capabilities and the lens system is different - but the CCD and many of the features appear to be similar... I'm just hesitant to go spend $300 on a camera-brand that I've had no experience with. I'm much more familiar with Canon, Olympus, and Nikon (pre-digital 35mm models only)..

The TZ3 10x zoom looks very cool, but I wonder if a 6x zoom will be enough for me. Afterall, I won't have the time or the fine control to zoom WAY in on another aircraft in flight (while I'm also flying) and get a good, framed shot. My better bet is to take the highest-res shot I can at a medium zoom, leaving some border-space around the subject so that if it isn't centered or I want to "zoom in" during post-processing I can crop and do other effects. And for terrain shots I'll probably be zoomed out all the way for most of the time..

Lowering the zoom requirement lets in a few other models with stabilization that may be worth considering..

For example, are the compact / ultra-compact Nikons with IS any good?.

Much appreciated, take care,.

Noel..

It is hard to judge edge sharpness when you dont know where the camera is focused. Looking through Simons sample photos in the review on this site I agree with him that the lens is exceptional considering the zoom range on a small camera. Edge sharpness looks good to me, both in Simons review and in pbase photos where everything is at the same distance and in focus..

The LZ7 is a decent camera but doesnt have the Leica designed lens. It is a budget camera and will probably give you decent photos. It has a lower quality LCD. The biggest drawback is the lack of wide angle. For your purpose I think you want that..

Panasonic has been making non-DSLR cameras that are as good as anyones...

Argh....

I've found the A570IS for about $215, the A710IS for $226, and the TZ3 for $280..

Why couldn't there be something stabilized around $250 that has the wide-to-zoomed capabilities of the TZ3 with the color/noise-processing of the DIGIC 2 series? .

Ah, well. Thanks,.

Noel..