So You Wanna be a Ski Photographer?

A lot of cameras these days take video, too, so you can make some sweet videos to post up right here on Biglines. So, it’s time to release your inner photo-nerd and check out the tools you can use to get the shot.

Let’s start small. These cameras are the ones you can stick comfortably in your pocket or in a pouch on your backpack and grab at a moment’s notice with minimal setup time. They take video and high-quality still photos and won’t weigh you down, either:

*all photos of camera models from dpreview.com

Point-and-Shoot Cameras

Panasonic LX3

The LX3 is the camera that all Canadian Press photographers carry when they don't want to haul their huge digital SLRs with them. It has a high-quality Leica lens, shoots super wide-angle shots (so you can photograph the whole mountain range you're skiing in,) and it takes HD video. The best part is that it's slim enough to keep in your jacket pocket and it won't bother you too much as you're riding pow and dropping cliffs. Downside- doesn't have the best zoom. Read the review at dpreview.com.

Canon G11

The Canon G11 point-and-shoot camera has almost all of the manual functions of a big digital SLR but it's much smaller and doesn't have removeable lenses. You can get a fisheye lens to place on top of the existing lens, however, if you want more variety in the shots you're taking. The G11 now comes with a swivel viewfinder on the back of the camera,unlike the G10 that mountain-shredder extraordinaire Lee Lau uses. If you can't afford the G11, find the G10 or G9 on Ebay. You can control ISO, Exposure compensation, shutter speed and aperture using dials on the outside of the camera without having to navigate an annoying and confusing menu like most small digital cameras have. This is a burly little guy and he can take whatever you throw at him. Fun camera and the video quality isn't too shabby either. The best feature is the click dial on the back of the camera- it's easy to operate with gloves on. Downside- on cloudy days when you shoot above ISO 80 you will notice noise/grain in your shots. Read the review.

Mid-Size Cameras

Size-wise, the next step up is a four-thirds or a rangefinder camera. It's a camera with interchangeable lenses but it's not nearly as big as a conventional SLR camera. This isn't the kind of camera that can be thrown into a jacket pocket when skiing, but it will fit easily into a daypack.

Panasonic Lumix GF1

The GF1 is a camera with interchangeable lenses, and it takes decent video. There's no stereo sound or anything, but you'll probably put music on your ski and snowboard videos anyway, so no biggie. The reason this camera is so much smaller than an SLR is because you either use an external viewfinder that you attach to the hotshoe mount on top of the camera, or you just view and compose shots using the viewfinder screen on the back of the camera. Not shabby. Another comparable camera to this is the Olympus EP-1. Read the GF1 review.

Leica M9

The Leica M9 is a badass digital rangefinder camera. The M9 makes you do most of the work because you have to manually focus and choose the aperture too. This is good, however, because you can pre-focus on the spot your buddy is skiing or snowboarding through and it will be easier to get the shot. The viewfinder is bright and clear, and you know the photo is focused when the edges of what you're shooting line up in the glowing square in the viewfinder. This is a great camera for taking lifestyle shots of your buddies as they contemplate the line they're about to shred. This camera is not for the lazy, however, so think long and hard about it before you take the plunge. The M9 is pretty pricey, so start saving now. Read the review.

Digital SLRs

This is the type of camera you want to use if you're really serious about getting the best possible photo while you're out there in the mountains. There are a ton of options out there but here are some of the cool ones.

Nikon D90

This is a really decent camera that takes high-quality HD video. Here's an example of some video that Jordan Manley took with his D90. It's not too expensive or too heavy and takes great photos. You can also use live-view on the viewfinder screen on the back for when you don't feel like composing a shot through the actual viewfinder. Cool. Read the review.

Canon EOS 7D

The 7D was only introduced by Canon last week and already people are on waiting lists to purchase the camera. The camera has weather-sealing like the Canon 1D series cameras (the big kahunas of sport photography) so it can handle poor weather like blizzards and rainstorms. Don't go purposefully drowning your new camera, however, because you'll need underwater housing for that. It also takes video and when you're in the middle of shooting footage you can still press the shutter button to take a still photo. Read the review.

There a lot more cameras out there to choose from, including the Canon 1Ds Mark III and the Nikon D3, which are the best cameras out there for action-sports photographers. The Canon 5D Mark II is also a good option, and it takes video, too. They cost a lot, however, and so do the lenses that go on them. They're also really bulky and heavy to carry on your back when you're skinning or bootpacking up a peak to go ski.  dpreview.com is pretty much the best site for camera reviews and they review every camera that comes out.

Here at Biglines we look forward to seeing your photos, trip reports, and videos, so get out there, buy a sweet new camera and start submitting content!