What camera do you RVer's use?

I recently purchased a very lightly used Canon 70D with an 18-135mm lense for $900 and am very happy with it. One real advantage to this camera is that it can be set up to transfer pictures to your cellphone automatically so that you can easily share the pictures while on the road. While not Canon's best it is still popular with professionals and is an excellent camera. In most cases it gives better pictures than my SX40 camera though the long lens and compact size on the SX40 does come in handy at times. The 70D really shines in low light and in pictures with a wide range in contrast. The 70D is more rugged than most people realize, I have seen professionals using them in all weather at outdoor events and they seem to be fine if you don't open them up. I do still use the SX40 and my cellphone with its excellent camera frequently. The only real drawback to the cellphone is the short range lens. I have a Nexus 6 and it has one of the better cameras available.

I use a digital SLR in fire investigations. I also use a "Pentax" which is now "Ricoh". See link below. I have dropped it in water, hard concrete and have stepped on it when it fell from my pocket in the dark. No problems at all. Excellent photos, great low light (flashes the flash multiple times if needed) and a great zoom. It will focus as close as something almost touching the lens and has a ring of LEDs around the lens for the macro/micro work. Several of us as well an engineers in the same field use these.


https://www.amazon.com/Ricoh-Waterproof-Underwater-WG-5-GPS/dp/B00W20RWTI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1481327366&sr=8-4&keywords=ricoh+camera

If I wish to shoot film I should have a very nice Minolta 35mm around here, Used to be my favorite "Gun" for hunting... I have some nice accessories and have used it many times..

however now days I'm most likely to use my Phone, I have like 50 Gig of storage that's vacant on the hard card (Micro SD card) and it can shoot movies, Or Stills,, I even can set it in a bracket and make it into a "Dash Cam" if I wish (Though I have a different DC fort the RV. That one holds lot more hours)

I use a Canon 6D DSLR with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens

A lot of good advice and I will add that for a lot of outdoor shooting you might want to consider a weather-proof camera. I use a Pentax K50 weather proof as I take a lot outdoor pictures in damp and dusty condition. These conditions have ruined some good cameras that were not up to that task.;)

Old thread, I know... and the OP has likely made a decision. But I wanted to add a few thoughts for anyone that uses the thread for research.

Two important variables (which have been mentioned).

The end product. I think those that are saying the phone or a point and shoot work great, may never view them on anything other than the phone, computer or tablet. I edit mine into home movies that are shown on a 14' screen with our projector. The iPhone photos are almost unusable blown up like that. You decide...may never be a concern for you.

What activity? I'm willing to sacrifice quality if the DSLR is going to be a real pain for the situation. That doesn't happen often, but it does. If I'm hiking anything under 4-5 hours, I'll carry the DSLR. We've been on a few strenuous things that it was easier to leave it behind and use the phone. Usually, when I'm editing at home, I kick myself for not using the DSLR.

Nikon/Canon: I was in the Nikon camp for 20 years. I switched to Canon 6 months ago. I've had (and still do) the Nikon D5500 (mentioned earlier). Fantastic camera for stills and lightweight. However, the AF motors in the lenses are far to loud for video. The AF is also not as fast as necessary for video. I'm currently shooting with a Canon 80d. It is maybe a hair less desirable for stills, but the AF and video are leaps beyond the Nikon.

I've heard many photographers say, the best camera is the one you have with you. That is true. Don't be a gear head and buy things that you will never use to capture the important moments. In outdoor adventures, the important moments are usually risky for expensive gear. I'm okay destroying my gear for a memory (its happened once in nearly a million photos). You may not be, in which case choose something else for your gear. Or better yet, get something nice and something else cheap.

SX60 canon and you will have enough left over for a good tripod, bag, couple xtra batteries, a couple filters and a flash to do better than the camera one installed. Will still be short of the $1000 budget and will cover from macro(very close up photography) thru over a 1000mm for wildlife(stay a bit away from that bear). You can shoot in RAW format if you want to do post processing and really get into photography or just shoot auto and JPG format more for the common guy. And it comes with a bunch of software although the Picasa(google photo program, free) does about all need and is a reasonable storage program as well.

LEN

Ditto on the Olympus. We have a TG-2 and I have plenty of photo and video from it that we'd never have because I was too scared to bring the more expensive equipment out to where it could get hurt. It can do quite a lot for a point and shoot. Certainly not a DSLR but convenient, and for me convenience gets the photos.

Now if I could only find an HD camcorder that can take a beating. I broke mine on the last trip dropping it into a stream :(

I have the Nikon D7100 & wife has the Nikon D3200 kit. We are happy & satisfied.

My Sony Nex-7 is a superb camera. Usually with the 35-80 equivalent zoom, but I also have the heavier zoom out to 200 equivalent. It's very good in low light situations.

My phone is the backup. Works well, but for me is fussier to use.