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Post by cheaptentguy on Nov 19, 2019 16:18:43 GMT -8
I'm trying to decide on a camera to use for backpacking and possibly doing some basic vlogging. I'm looking to upgrade over my phone for a variety of reasons, so not really interested in people's phone setups. (but not judging either: HYOH.)
If you bring a dedicated camera for photo and video:
1. What camera do you bring? 2. What gear do you bring along with it? 3. How do you carry it so that it's reasonably easy to access and shoot?
I'm interested in all different approaches, but this is what I'm considering: 1. Sony a6000 (if you're using this, would love to hear about your experiences) 2. Pedco Ultralight tripod and as to be determined case or bag. Would need to research more on needed memory cards, batteries, etc. 3. I'm considering some kind of shoulder strap pouch or fanny pack.
Also, I posted a couple of years ago about the Sony A5100. Never got it. Still searching for a camera.
And if anyone is interested, these are a few of my desires: good zoom for things far away, good video/sound (1080 is fine), ability to be a solid all purpose camera should I decide I want to grow as a photographer.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2019 17:34:08 GMT -8
Yes, I carry a camera. Panasonic G7 (will upgrade to G9 soon) Micro four thirds format. Smaller and much lighter than full frame, and yes they do have a smaller sensor, but I get great photos out of it. High quality 4k video as well with the new software upgrade. 2 lenses - 14-140 and an older 11-22 lens with an adapter. I kind of gravitate toward the wide angle view of the world. tripod (can't remember the name right now) - its a small aluminum one that weighs around 2 lbs. and a couple of filters that I rarely use. 2 extra batteries and a small cleaning kit. All in a Lowe camera case that I clip to my shoulder straps so its right in front of me all the time. One of the main reasons why I've backpacked for years is just to shoot photos, so I do carry some gear! The entire kit weighs in at about 6 lbs.
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Post by JRinGeorgia on Nov 19, 2019 18:51:27 GMT -8
I carry a Panasonic Lumix point-and-shoot. It's the kind that's a step below the mirrorless, but it still has a decent sensor for the size and price and a Leica lens. It also has a long zoom, which is one of the main attractions for me. It's also much lighter than any camera with an interchangable lens. Takes great pictures. I carry it in one of my hip belt pockets, inside of a "case" I made out of Reflectix, so it is protected from bumps and is at my fingertips. The only accessory I carry is a StickPic.
As cell phone cameras have gotten better I am sorely tempted to drop the dedicated camera and gain back the 8+ oz it weighs.
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texasbb
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Post by texasbb on Nov 19, 2019 19:51:16 GMT -8
Panasonic LX100. Worth its weight in gold because 99% of every function I'll ever need in the field is controllable with a knob, switch, button, or lens ring. No enslavement to a touchscreen. I can control everything with heavy gloves on. Excellent digital viewfinder--the only way to frame pictures. (Whoever came up with the idea of framing pictures at arm's length by looking at a 2-inch screen in bright sun was...well, I should be nice.)
My only gripes are relatively low resolution and so-so picture quality at high zoom for the price, but both are more than adequate for casual sharing online and the real controls are worth it.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Nov 19, 2019 21:03:28 GMT -8
For the Sony you might look at B&H Photo and Video reviews: that’s a knowledgable community. Various backpacker have also had good things to say about the a7. I’ve not used either as I use full frame Nikon dSLRs. For a long telephoto to really produce you’ll need some sort of support: a shorter tripod (a table top is going to be very limited, better one that’s at least maybe two feet tall or better so you can at least sit behind it)! can be sufficient as it won’t weigh as much but give you the sharp images. A lot of current cameras shoot a lot of images per battery pack so you can match memory cards to battery with a bit of math, taking into account you’re shooing rate on hikes. Lowepro makes useful drop in cases: easy access to your camera, size it to your body with the longest lens. www.bhphotovideo.com/I carry mine uncovered from straps on my pack harness, in rain it’s in the case. Currently my goto case is a Think Tank digital holster, nicely fits either Nikon with a 24-300 mm zoom mounted. They also make stuff for mirrorless cameras. www.thinktankphoto.com/pages/shoulder-bags
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Post by ukpacker on Nov 20, 2019 4:15:24 GMT -8
1. What camera do you bring? 2. What gear do you bring along with it? 3. How do you carry it so that it's reasonably easy to access and shoot? I'm interested in all different approaches, but this is what I'm considering: 1. Sony a6000 (if you're using this, would love to hear about your experiences) 2. Pedco Ultralight tripod and as to be determined case or bag. Would need to research more on needed memory cards, batteries, etc. 3. I'm considering some kind of shoulder strap pouch or fanny pack. Also, I posted a couple of years ago about the Sony A5100. Never got it. Still searching for a camera. And if anyone is interested, these are a few of my desires: good zoom for things far away, good video/sound (1080 is fine), ability to be a solid all purpose camera should I decide I want to grow as a photographer. I use a Sony a6000 and a 35mm lens with image stabilization, I have carried a tripod in the past but I think photos hand held at 15th second are fine so I probably won't bother with it in future, though with a longer lens (or any lens) you need to do tests to ascertain the slowest speed you can hand hold but image stabilization lenses are a god send. There are several updates of the a6000 I believe but I do not know any thing about them. I have not carried a zoom ( on the a6000, my avatar picture was taken with a standard zoom 28-70 on a Sony A7rii full frame which really helped with framing or maybe they make it easy to be lazy and not move around!) but I do at times miss a longer focal length on the small camera, but I prefer the quality of prime lenses so I may get a short telephoto if an image stabilized one is available. When taking landscape pictures out doors then I think the quality of images at higher iso's around 400-800 is important because few backpackers want to carry a tripod so if I were after a new camera today I would be inclined to compare cameras with the same sensor size for iso performance up to 800, I think the best photos are often found in the worst light. I have not yet managed to find somewhere to carry the a6000 where it is easily accessible yet does not get in the way when I am walking, which is a bit frustrating at times.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2019 6:41:57 GMT -8
My wife carries a camera. The camera is in a leather case that I made. The case is made from split grain with the split grain on the inside of the case to prevent accidental slip out. The camera case is open at the top for easy access. The camera is hooked to a DCF cord attached to the backpack, in case it falls from the case but has not, yet.
We found, if the camera is not very easy to get access to, then there will be many shots missed.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Nov 20, 2019 8:35:23 GMT -8
Sony RX100. Nice and compact, decent photos, really impressive battery life. Pretty rugged -- it survived in my pants thigh pocket while I slid down rock slides in the Grand Canyon on my butt. It fits easily in my pants pocket -- which means I actually use it often.
This is just my opinion but for blogs/computer use, I just don't see the need for an elaborate setup. I would understand if you want frameable poster-sized photos. But, then, I'm just a point-and-shoot picture taker for mementos.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Nov 20, 2019 9:06:08 GMT -8
Another Sony RX100. We just upgraded to this year’s model, which has a 24-200 zoom. It has an excellent lens and large sensor so handles low light well. With the optional grip thingie it weighs 10.9 oz. Each battery weighs .9 oz (for backpacking battery weight matters, as you’ll need anywhere from one to 4 spares depending on length of trip). Note that this is not a cheap camera—I upgraded from the Panasonic Lumix, which cost 1/3 to 1/2 as much. I was getting fed up with poor results in low light. Both cameras have good viewfinders with diopter adjustments (absolutely essential, as texasbb notes, especially for those of us who have aging eyes and can’t focus closer than a few inches past the ends of our arms), but while the Panasonic viewfinder doesn’t stay at the diopter setting you choose, the Sony hides that where you can’t bump it. My BiL, who’s at least semi-pro (one of his photos has just been reproduced to cover about 3 stories of a high-rise in Calgary (See here)) no longer carries a tripod. He says that the cameras and image stabilization are good enough that he almost never needed or used it. I have been thinking of getting one of these, if only to make it easier to set up timed shots. Read his thoughts on travel cameras Here(Note: I guess this is kind of close to advertising one’s own stuff, since he’s kin. But he also has some helpful info, and sharing the bit about his photo on the high rise is pure familial pride and boasting :D) My husband uses the Sony RX10, which only costs a bunch more, and weighs 2 1/2 pounds (plus batteries). OTOH, it has a 24-600 zoom, which actually allows for some wildlife/bird photography. He carries his in a chest-mounted camera bag. I have typically carried my camera in a butt pack (worn in front) for easy access, with the shoulder strap for the camera laced through the sternum strap of my pack. As I found in August 2018, that’s not a great place when you take a misstep and end up in a creek up to your chest. I’v actually been experimenting with carrying this camera in my shirt pocket, though I don’t care much for that, either. I may experiment with a bag mounted on the shoulder strap, but there isn’t much real estate there.
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davesenesac
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Post by davesenesac on Nov 20, 2019 11:46:44 GMT -8
Although I've been using the A6000 for 6 years now since it came out, very few if any are using it like I do. Read Rebecca's post and then research online, especially at dpreview dot com. I use the A6000 at lowest ISOs on a manual panoramic head with a big tripod and then use sophisticated post processing programs almost no others have figured out as I use them. Thus am able to stitch blend multi column and row images that are also focus stack blended at sharpest apertures like F5.6 in order to create really large composite images sharp edge to edge that are larger than that of the most expensive DSLR's single shot images. Some of my images are created from over 100 individual shots. By sometime next year I expect to possibly be the first photographer that will be publicly exhibiting on the next generation of large 8k displays. Your interest doesn't need such.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2019 15:05:01 GMT -8
Rebeccad - before you spring for one of those gorillapods, read several reviews. There's a lot of them that talk about sudden breakage of the legs. I was looking at one but think I'll stick with my tripod of nearly 10 years (Velbon UltraMax F 33.50 oz. with a Slik ball head). I'm surprised about your low light issues with the Lumix cameras. The G7 handles low light pretty well. G9 is a lot better. Just waiting to get my hands on one. And the Panasonic and Olympus Micro Four Thirds system has some terrific lenses. I know most landscape photographers prefer the larger sensors, I'm really happy with the results I get with this system.
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Post by tallgrass on Nov 20, 2019 19:05:53 GMT -8
Yes, I carry a camera. Panasonic G7 (will upgrade to G9 soon) Micro four thirds format. Smaller and much lighter than full frame, and yes they do have a smaller sensor, but I get great photos out of it. High quality 4k video as well with the new software upgrade. The entire kit weighs in at about 6 lbs. I've had the G9 for about 18months. LOVE IT. I love that thing so much. Beast of a machine. Just messing around with version 2.0 firmware, the animal tracking is legit. Works really well.
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Post by bradmacmt on Nov 21, 2019 7:20:03 GMT -8
Sony RX100
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Post by ukpacker on Nov 23, 2019 3:14:36 GMT -8
Although I've been using the A6000 for 6 years now since it came out, very few if any are using it like I do. Read Rebecca's post and then research online, especially at dpreview dot com. I use the A6000 at lowest ISOs on a manual panoramic head with a big tripod and then use sophisticated post processing programs almost no others have figured out as I use them. Thus am able to stitch blend multi column and row images that are also focus stack blended at sharpest apertures like F5.6 in order to create really large composite images sharp edge to edge that are larger than that of the most expensive DSLR's single shot images. Some of my images are created from over 100 individual shots. By sometime next year I expect to possibly be the first photographer that will be publicly exhibiting on the next generation of large 8k displays. Your interest doesn't need such.
I think the technique outlined by davesenesac above is the future of landscape photography.
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Post by cheaptentguy on Dec 4, 2019 15:14:38 GMT -8
Opted for a used Sony a6300 with a single 18-135mm lens. Just got it today, so I'll try to report back in the future hiking/backpacking experiences with it if anyone is interested.
I thought a lot about a super zoom point and shoot because they're so much more compact, but decided the 6300 would be a more versatile tool for me, and most of my trips are fairly short, so the weight/size penalty will be modest. It had a few features over the 6000 that I liked (4K video and an external mic port), and it wasn't too much of a difference in cost used.
Thanks, as usual, for everyone's comments.
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