Archive for the 'Skiing' Category
Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
Casio Exilim EX-S10 “Card” Review - the ultimate “slim” camera?
I’m a digital photography junkie although I may not post here so often. I’ve always kept a well rounded portfolio of gadgets around including my Canon Rebel XT, a Sony HDR-SR7 HD video camcorder, and until now, I always used my Canon ELPH SD100 as my goto “pocket” camera that also did lightweight video recording just as many other consumer cameras do today. The SD100 had served quite a useful life and was an outstanding performer in all areas. However, a couple things were starting to create a need for an upgrade. First, the ELPH SD100 was the smallest, viable camera on the market when it came out but today, there were increasingly more “slim” and lightweight options being introduced on the market. Second, the 3 megapixels were ok, but when cropping, I could use a couple extra megapixels to play with. I was also hoping to find a new camera that boosted the “shutter speed” slightly so that I could get more instant shots. Finally, I was hoping to find a camera that had more water/freeze resistant features for added protection in skiing environments. I also did not want to spend more than $275 (arbitrary limit primarily set by what I could thought could “go under the radar” with my wife…).
Size (more specifically depth) was my greatest concern as I reviewed features. I could accept less than top tier performance in other categories, but I like to use this type of camera for skiing (drop it into a coat pocket), going out to bars (drop it in a pant/shirt pocket), and other places where I want its size to be no more than carrying a cell phone.
And so I began my research.
There were a few cameras that were easy candidates - the Canon SD1100 being the first. The SD1100 continued the ELPH SD100 tradition with portable size, a no-nonsense frame, and as expected a high quality Canon product. The SD1100 shutter speed only seemed slightly faster than my older SD100, boosted the megapixels to 8MP, widescreen pictures, and added Optical Image Stabilization (very nice). The SD1100 boasted a relatively small depth at 22mm. The price was definitely reasonable at ~$230.
I also looked at the Olympus Stylus SW line of cameras. The 850 was within my price limit, and boasted unique features such as shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof (great for skiers). The 850 was relatively slim at 21.3mm, however, almost every Olympus SW camera had received poor image quality results in reviews, and while slim, the camera was slightly wider/taller than other options. One other negative was that Olympus still uses its proprietary xD flash media which I just have a hard time buying into. The price was within reason at ~$260.
I was really hoping Nokia would offer me the perfect package. Nokia had two types of cameras that may have worked. First there was the 21mm slim S51, but I couldn’t get over the “cheap” feel of the camera. Then I noticed the super-slim 18mm depth, Nokia S210 which was also one of the cheapest options at a mere $175. This camera was the perfect size and on paper, had great features. I nearly hit the buy button to order it when I noticed the bad reviews on the internet. I was seriously bummed this one didn’t work out.
I checked a few others and then remembered Casio had its super-slim camera line. Casio was never known for high quality pictures, but was known for super-sexy looking cameras. And that’s when I found the Casio Exilim EX-S10 (commonly just referred to as the S10). This camera was launched in 2008 as the “world’s slimmest 10MP camera”. It just hit the store shelves a couple weeks ago at $250 but unfortunately NO ONE had done even a modestly decent review of the camera making a purchase decision difficult (and hence I’m sharing my experience now). I bought one anyway at a local Target planning to return it if I was disappointed. Since I bought it, I’ve noticed CNet UK has done a review here.
“World’s slimmest” turned out to mean 16mm slim, which … is very slim. Check out the pictures below with a Casio S10 next to my iPod Nano (3rd Generation).
The S10 is just “3 Nanos deep”. On size/portability, you can’t possibly beat the S10. The Exilim very easily fits into a shirt or jacket pocket. It has a great size LCD screen that works well in direct sunlight.
The EX-S10 picture quality was pretty decent (not a Canon, but nothing Photoshop can’t fix). Images can be taken at up to 10 Megapixels. It has 3x optical zoom, a standard flash and other features. There’s a one button movie record button which is nice. I did find it was having trouble in lower lighting conditions or very cloudy areas. Taking pictures is fairly simple and I actually found it “so easy” that it was somewhat difficult as a more advanced SLR user to get the shot to take the way I wanted. The integrated “Best Shots” feature proved to be very useful as is the face detection engine that follows the subject you’re shooting.
Here’s an example shot taken from near the mid point of Copper Mountain in Colorado recently (unedited, raw JPG, click for full 10MP version):
The Exilim is a great looking camera and packs only the features I really considered “necessary”. I personally don’t care about “in camera image editing” or other nonsensical things vendors seem to be packing into these small digicams today. There is a “YouTube upload” software package that is supposed to make uploading YouTube videos easy… whatever…
As for videos, I was surprised to see the Casio takes good videos and even does “Ultra HQ Widescreen” at 848×480 pixels.
The Casio uses an SD flash card slot which is great. It also has a proprietary battery which is not so great, but easily obtainable at $30 for a retail Casio battery (I found Casio to be the cheapest place online). Given this is a new battery, it may take some time for the super cheap options to show up on eBay. I did notice that the flash card “speed” can create a big difference in shoot time. I originally was using a slower TransFlash memory card in an SD converter, but when I switched to a SanDisk Extereme III SD card, the performance was noticeably faster.
The bottom line: if you’re looking for a slim camera that you can take anywhere and that takes relatively decent photos and videos, then this Casio is a great buy. I’ve never seriously considered a Casio and have always recommended Canon P&Ss to my friends and family, but that may change with the S10. Other Casios CANNOT be assumed to “be just as good” so be careful which one you buy.
If you want absolutely top performance in shooting and image quality, and are willing to sacrifice some size features, then the Canon SD950 or other models with OIS may be a better option although bulkier. If you need to shoot underwater, Olympus seems to be your only option without buying expensive waterproof housings. Unfortunately, Nikon’s consumer P&S line needs to catch up to its SLRs. I also looked at other vendors, but didn’t find any of them relevant to my particular needs.
UPDATE: Steve’s Digicams has posted a long review that I’d recommend looking at. There are sample pictures and videos too. http://www.steves-digicams.com/2008_reviews/casio_ex-s10_pg5.html
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
When you’re heading to Vail…
A severe winter storm warning is about as good as it gets ;-)
Check out this weather forecast
Wednesday, March 5th, 2008
Whistler: what an amazing place
Each year we seem to add a few more “should we really do that?” adventures to our days in Whistler (or Utah, or Colorado) and this year proved just as adventurous as the rest. We had a “narrow” experience hiking up to the glacier at Blackcomb where there is a 18″-24″ wide supposedly semi-official path next to a chute that drops for a few football fields of vertical. I don’t recall it being so narrow in past years I did the hike. For our group this is not entirely out of the ordinary… but this year Josh brought his girlfriend and she was with us at the time… and did I mention she’s a beginner? She survived and in retrospect I think it’s these experiences that help take people to the next level. She did quite well although I did stay with her at every turn preferring to give up an awesome run to ensure I didn’t feel guilty of leading her into a serious injury. Chris A fared less well accomplishing a near collision and a concussion (even with a helmet on). Other than that, there were no injuries to report which is a good sign on any ski trip.
This year we had 4 days of skiing. The first day was terrible (raining) until we finally found a good spot on Whistler that had new snow. After that it was 3 days of non-stop powder (Whistler was “Dump of the Week” on Ski Net this week). You simply can’t beat having 5-8 inches of fresh new snow each morning on Whistler’s peak. We did learn that Whistler’s snow tracking was a bit off (it’s odd to rationalize a snow report that says there’s just 3cm of new snow when it’s up past your ski boots…)
Once again, Cockalorum and Mondays were awesome (and relatively unknown to others - or too scary) offering the best snow and challenging terrain. A tip is to drop in off the shallow part of the cornice way to the left by aiming for the left-most orange/black “Cliff” warning sign and drop in about 5-10ft to the left of that sign. Piccolo’s face in hindsight had a much better drop in point than the rocks or cornice… try dropping in at the rightmost point. Everyone should check out the powder on Flute Bowl but be prepared to walk if you stay to the right. The Glacier was awesome except for the harrowing hike that could lead to a death this year if it stays in the same condition… hopefully not, but I was surprised it was not closed.
My Volkl Unlimited AC4 skis proved their worth again and again this year giving me outstanding control in the powder, edges on some of the sharper faces, and a strong base for some of the narrow hop turns. I would again recommend these skis to anyone looking for an expert level set of powder/resort “all mountain” skis. If you’re going backcountry, you may prefer the super fats, but the AC4s are perfect for any condition.
BTW, don’t go to Blackcomb this year - what a waste of time… at least while we were there - no snow over the 4 days and Whistler had daily snowfall…
All in all, a good time was had by all and we made it home safely. Next year we’re going to try heli-skiing - if you have any recommendations for a good outfit in the B.C./Whistler area that is reasonably priced, please please let me know.
Photo: Courtesy of Lisa C taken on 7th Heaven at Blackcomb (ok, there was a little snow!)
Thursday, February 28th, 2008
Heading off to Whistler - back next Wed
I’m heading off for a little vacation / skiing time in Whistler. If you recall last year I said I needed to go back and now I’m making good on fulfilling that need. My blog will probably be silent during my trip, but you can imagine me skiing down the side of something that would scare any health insurer. I tend to always play it safe and land well, so no need to
worry about me - I’ll be sporting a permanent smile for the next 4 days.
Wednesday, March 7th, 2007
What a view…. need to go back…
I was in Whistler on a ski trip since last Thurs - back now (could say unfortunately..).
This first shot is my favorite bowl found on Whistler peak accessing Monday’s and Cockalorum runs. What a view on the way down… double diamonds, so proceed with caution (if the cliff danger signs don’t say enough). This particular spot had a cornice drop in with about 6 inches of very nice powder once you got off the ledge. One of the only runs with perfect snow every day.
I have to give the guys at Volkl my highest praise for building the most phenomenal ski I’ve ever used - the Volkl Unlimited AC4 has no limits in the most extreme of conditions. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for a solid all mountain and powder ski. The Market iPT piston bindings are superb. I can’t say enough about the combo.
Click the image to enlarge and get a better sense of the view.
Here’s one sign to watch out for… avalanche debris can be “difficult” to ski on especially in near white out conditions ;-)
Thanks to Josh for remembering his camera.
Monday, March 5th, 2007
The things you learn on ski trips… Buffalo^8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo_buffalo
Flying home from Whistler tomorrow (booo…) - could move here and never leave. And to make the leave even more exciting, the forecast is for 30cm of new snow tomorrow…
Monday, February 19th, 2007
Skiing on the moon: yes says Astronaut (but without skis…)
but without skis it seems… here I was hoping to read this and find great ski terrain with huge bowls, but cheaper than Vail… here it’s just a recommendation for imitating X-country skiing.
Monday, February 12th, 2007
Snowbird gets 16″ of fresh powder…
Tahoe got about 2ft of *heavy* snow - almost cement like. Was a bit tough to ski through, very wet, and resulted in lift closures.
Should have gone to Snowbird:
Friday, February 2nd, 2007
Giddy like a kid on Christmas
This weekend I’m taking my new pair of these, here. Couldn’t be more excited (unless there were reports of 12″ of snow… that could help).
After a workshop in Santa Clara next week, I’ll spend a day in Tahoe skiing and then first week of March, I’ll be in Whistler. Plus I still have an open invite from a friend in CO for a weekend condo stay… The ski season is looking really good (albeit a bit later than planned).
Friday, January 19th, 2007
So excited: Skiing is finally possible in VT, new skis on the way, Whistler in site
Heading up to Killington this weekend (if you’re going to be in the area, let me know). Got a great deal on and ordered my new Volkl Unlimited AC4 skis (177s) and they will be here next week. Plus I finally locked in my flight for a Whistler trip March 1-6. If anyone is going to be in Whistler at that time, let me know.
It’s actually an odd thing buying skis these days. I started off with 184cm skis when learning, then went to 205cm K2 slalom skis back in college for ski team racing, then went to 187cm Volkl Vectris skis which I’ve had what seems like forever, and now I’m going back to the shortest ever with the 177s. Everyone’s told me to go that route, but we’ll see.
Until they arrive, I just have the pictures to look at in anticipation (click to enlarge):
Friday, January 5th, 2007
Denver goets more snow…
I’m clearly in the wrong location:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16484056/
Tuesday, January 2nd, 2007
40-50″ of Snow Meter
Look at the snow depth chart 2/3 way down the page. Look at how much area has 40-50″… my skis are drooling.
Wednesday, November 8th, 2006
Ski Resort Maps in 3D - Awesome use of technology
This is really cool for planning out your ski day - and check out resorts - without having to rely on the poorly scaled 2D maps most resorts have. Anyway, check it out. You’ll notice the most benefit is for orientation and especially helpful with multi-mountain resorts.
You can even ‘understand’ Vail’s layout finally without a topo map ;)
Tuesday, October 10th, 2006
Sooo Jealous: Montezuma Basin, CO
If I could instantly transport myself anywhere in the country…
http://www.wildsnow.com/?p=463
Thursday, October 5th, 2006
Must Have: Volkl Unlimited AC4 Titanium Skis
I must find a way to get a pair of these.… 82MM sidecut… If anyone knows of a good online retailer, I’d appreciate the “tip” - poor pun intended.
Thursday, March 16th, 2006
Snowbird… 5 FEET in 2 WEEKS
Damn…. for those going to Novell’s BrainShare - I’m absolutely jealous…
Tuesday, March 14th, 2006
Snowbird - 24″ with more on the way…
I’m stuck in NY and Snowbird is getting slammed with snow… I’ve never actually seen “widespread snow” as a condition… My Volkl’s are itching to hop on a plane..
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