??Trip Camera??

[WarrenRoos]

I’m about to take a trip with one of my sons. If possible I only want to take a one camera/one lens with me. My carry round right now is the Canon 5d w/ the 16-35 on it.

I just got a Sony A900 with the Ziess 16-35 on it to try and like it a whole lot but it’s too heavy and tends to have poor balance with the lens. So that will stay home. It’s temping (the lens bests the Canon) but it could be too much to wear on long days. Not sure one battery could last all day. Want to avoid a big bag.

I’m open and hoping for suggestions as what to take. Want to travel light but don’t want to sacrifice image quality. Flash is not important, decent hight ISO is.

TIA

[degrub]

not sure what you mean by "sacrifice image quality"......
The Panasonic GH2 might be a fit  -

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/panasonic_gh2_revisited.shtml

[sojournerphoto]

I’m about to take a trip with one of my sons. If possible I only want to take a one camera/one lens with me. My carry round right now is the Canon 5d w/ the 16-35 on it.

I just got a Sony A900 with the Ziess 16-35 on it to try and like it a whole lot but it’s too heavy and tends to have poor balance with the lens. So that will stay home. It’s temping (the lens bests the Canon) but it could be too much to wear on long days. Not sure one battery could last all day. Want to avoid a big bag.

I’m open and hoping for suggestions as what to take. Want to travel light but don’t want to sacrifice image quality. Flash is not important, decent hight ISO is.

TIA

I'd like to say Leica M9 and 35mm summicron, but I suspect that the fuji x100 would do most of what you want with better high iso?

[feppe]

The recently announced Panasonic G3 Micro Four Thirds should fit. There's only JPEG samples out there now, but the high-ISO results are nothing short of amazing.

Knowing Panasonic, we'll be able to get our hands on it in the fall, if we're lucky.

[k bennett]

Depending on your favorite focal lengths, you might buy a Canon 35/2 and carry it on your 5D. That might be the least expensive choice, too.

I happen to like that general focal length, so my trip camera is a GF1 with the 20/1.7 -- great images and less than half the size. But I also like wide angles, so I have the 14, and the 7-14 zoom is on the wish list.

[feppe]

Depending on your favorite focal lengths, you might buy a Canon 35/2 and carry it on your 5D. That might be the least expensive choice, too.

I happen to like that general focal length, so my trip camera is a GF1 with the 20/1.7 -- great images and less than half the size. But I also like wide angles, so I have the 14, and the 7-14 zoom is on the wish list.

I have the 7-14mm Panny, and it is an exceptional lens in all aspects - but it's not at all small (by MFT standards).

[brianrybolt]

Sony A55 (Better high ISO characteristics and Much lighter than A900) with Tokina 11-16mm f2.8 - a fabulous lens.

Good luck,
Brian

[Paulo Bizarro]

I’m about to take a trip with one of my sons. If possible I only want to take a one camera/one lens with me. My carry round right now is the Canon 5d w/ the 16-35 on it.
I

I am assuming you are ruling out the option you already have, which is the 5D plus 16-35? I think that if you already have two systems, you should not consider a third one... the 5D is actually not that big, it is actually not that heavy. Maybe the 16-35 is "too much" for this trip of yours, especially if it is the MkII (82mm filter diameter, it's a big beast).

It sounds like a good trip, and spending time with your son and getting good memories of it are your key objectives. In this regard, I would either take the zoom, or get a couple of light primes, like a pair 24mm/50mm, or 35mm/85mm, or whatever fits your preference.

[WarrenRoos]

All great comments. Esp. the one about time with number one son. Thanks. I'll shoot RAW (no jpegs) and no flash so that's why good high ISO performance is a must. I know I can take the Canon w/ lens but I want something smaller/lighter if possible but with similar image quality.  I'm very very tempted by the Leica but it's a lot of scratch for no AF that I may struggle with in low light with my fifty plus year old eyes. That would also require multi lenses. (cha Ching!).

What I'm really trying to avoid is carting around a lot of gear in a bag all day long.

I know if my body goes down I'm kaput. For what I shoot (I often tend to go wide) it's about the evocative content and not sharpness. Except I hate soft edges..If the edge is soft it's because I made it that way.. not the lens..

Sony Image..
http://www.roosphoto.com/roosblogWP/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/DSC00225-.jpg
Canon Image...
http://www.roosphoto.com/roosblogWP/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/afteryou.jpg
Iphone image...
http://www.roosphoto.com/roosblogWP/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Screen-shot-2011-03-01-at-8.48.54-PM.png

So what right? Nothing..but what's the right compromise?

[feppe]

I am assuming you are ruling out the option you already have, which is the 5D plus 16-35? I think that if you already have two systems, you should not consider a third one... the 5D is actually not that big, it is actually not that heavy. Maybe the 16-35 is "too much" for this trip of yours, especially if it is the MkII (82mm filter diameter, it's a big beast).

It sounds like a good trip, and spending time with your son and getting good memories of it are your key objectives. In this regard, I would either take the zoom, or get a couple of light primes, like a pair 24mm/50mm, or 35mm/85mm, or whatever fits your preference.

I agree with your note about buying a third system possibly being overkill and primes being better for travel. But 5D really is "that" big and heavy, and the difference between a 5D+lens, MFT/NEX/A55+lens is considerable.

When I went backpacking in Central America for three weeks I didn't even consider bringing my Canon APS-C kit, same for motorcycle trips. My E-PL1 rivals the IQ of Canon 550D up to at least 13"x19" for my shooting (base ISO). I can fit my entire MFT kit (body and 4 lenses) in a bag the size of a smallish lunch box, and it weighs probably the same as 5D and a single L zoom. Even with a tripod and ball head the kit fits in standard carry-on luggage, including clothes, gym gear and toiletries for 5 days. Good luck trying that with any DSLR kit.

[degrub]

So what right? Nothing..but what's the right compromise?

Maybe a lighter body like the Rebel T3i ?

i think unless you print very large, many of the smaller sensor cameras will likely do a good enough job and will be much less to deal with on the road. Buy the best performing lens available.

[JeanMichel]

My 2 Cdn cents worth:
Why bother with another camera since you already have the 5D and a preferred zoom lens?

To help you carry it all day you might consider an UpStrap ( http://www.upstrap-pro.com ). With my film Leicas I was most happy with the thin leather straps wrapped around my wrist, the Canon strap was basically just a piece of advertising always slipping off my shoulder. The UpStrap sure changed all of that -- the camera hangs securely of my shoulder and is but invisible until I bring it up.

I have a 5D2 (got tired of cleaning the sensor, plus the 'upgrade' deal was too good to miss). I travel with it and a 24-105 as well as with tiny 20 and 50 Voigtlander lenses. Both the VC lenses fit in vest or jacket pockets -- neither are auto focus so that may be an issue).

Check your metadata and see what focal length you use most often and pick a fixed focal length lens accordingly.

For backup I just have a Canon G10. Lots of other choices there.

A Leica M9 would be ideal for me since I have lenses but $7k is a lot. But for you, unless you like and know how to work with a rangefinder, testing that on an important trip may not be the best thing to do.

Plus, you have a son: load him up with the gear -- what are kids for anyway!

Enjoy your trip,

Jean-Michel

[WarrenRoos]

My kid will be taking his own gear. Here that kid.

A lot of the smaller cameras don't shoot RAW.  So they are out.  Also for the price I know the optics will not be much. My problem is that as a pro I know at some point there is no substitution for Horse power. I know what I want what does not exist.....a mini 5D or A900 or such.  In the studio I use a name brand MF system. I would never travel with that.

I used a Leica for years. That's temping.  Bit of a steal me worry. Also no quick pointing and shooting there.

I have checked. Looks like I'm a 16-28 ish kind of guy. I never pine for a long lens. 

And yes a better no slip strap would help. 

I'm no 97 lb weakling but the A900 and lens is a brick. My hips could be bruised.

The Sony NEX looks Interesting.

[feppe]

I have checked. Looks like I'm a 16-28 ish kind of guy. I never pine for a long lens. 

And yes a better no slip strap would help. 

I'm no 97 lb weakling but the A900 and lens is a brick. My hips could be bruised.

The Sony NEX looks Interesting.

Don't know what NEX lenses are available, but the 7-14mm Panasonic MFT lens is a gem, and fits your focal range perfectly. Plenty of cameras to choose from in the format, and many are smaller than NEXs with equivalent focal length lenses.

[k bennett]

A "mini 5D" does exist, the Panny GH2 with the 7-14 would give you a much smaller version of your current setup and still provide excellent raw files.

[AFairley]

It really depends on what your objective is -- if all you want are memories of your trip, even a Canon 95 would give you fine RAW files as long as the light was not too bad.  A step up would be some flavor of m4/3 which will complete very well with any cropped sensor camera, as other posters have mentioned.

One question is, do you reall want to be doing "serious" photography on a trip to spend time your son?  When I vacation with my wife, I leave the serious gear at home and take the Canon 90, which will capture all the memories I need, and print them large enough for that purpose.  If I am in "photographing" mode, all my attention focused on my surroundings and how they would translate into images and I ignore her -- and the whole point of our trip is for us to spend time together.  I may miss that random "once in a lifetime" shot -- but I've already missed so many of those it doesn't bother me any more. 

[WarrenRoos]

I try to do serious photos all the time. But that can be done with the iPhone.  
to.com/roosblogWP/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/IMG_0702.jpg

B & H has the 7-14mm lens but no bodies in stock. What to do?

The Leica will cost more than the trip.

[degrub]

call arlington camera in Dallas

http://arlingtoncamera.reachlocal.net/shop/index.php?p=catalog&mode=manufacturer&parent=0&mid=331&search_in=all&search_str=&pg=2

they have 3 bodies in stock open til 6 pm CST

[marcmccalmont]

I'm super happy and very impressed with my Pentax K5 superb IQ and build quality
Marc

[WarrenRoos]

Seems like the Pentax has better weather sealing over the panasonic?  Both systems wide zooms are f4. Hard to pick one over the other with out having both in hand....no way to test.