I don’t think I’ve ever really had a decent camera, but it’d probably be a shame to go out to the mountains without one.
Update: Canon S95
After much reviewing of cameras and my bank balance, I settled for a Canon S95. It’s a good combination of size and price (£260 at the time at Amazon). No way as powerful as the G12 above, but having handled one over the weekend, I don’t think I’ll be needing the slightly longer zoom or the extra features. I will have to up my game to make up for the lack of long range panoramic shots though, but looking at it from that point of view, I don’t think I could do mountain shots any justice with anything less than Canon 5D and a massive lens.
Crap, I just saw that S100 has just been released, but wow … it costs even more than the G12 …
Afterthoughts:
Feel free to check out the results out at Flickr.
For specs and whatnot, check out DP Review.
The camera didn’t seem to have any problems with the cold, and everyone suggested keeping the batteries warm inside jacket pockets and sleeping bags to prolong their capacity. I had two spare batteries, but there wasn’t any point where the batteries actually ran out.
The lack of wide angle or telescopic lens meant the variety of shots taken was quite limited, but acceptable, given the convenience and weight saved.
I only had a single 32gb memory card, but I recommend taking a few, and using them alternately. This way, if you lose the camera for any reason, you’ll still have some photos.
If you want to take pictures on the move, try to get a camera with a fast response (quick save to memory and power on/off times) so you don’t miss opportunities or fall behind the group.