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Travel kit with A7rII

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Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
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That's a great combo! I've been using the 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 70-200/4 for travel, but like you, I tend to use the 70-200 mostly at the low end, so I'm likely to swap in the 85/1.8 when it arrives.

The one addition I might suggest would be to toss in a small travel tripod like a Manfrotto PIXI Mini Table Top Tripod.
 
My general deployment with my A7r is:

21mm Oly 3.5 OM

28/2 Nikon AIS

50/2 Zeiss m-mount

105/1.8 Nikon AIS

I sometimes go with just the 50 and 21. I have the sony 24-70/f4 but I just don't like it and the AF is terrible in anything other than bright light. I may try the upcoming Zeiss 25 in place of both the 28 and 21. Personally I just don't think the sony zooms are good enough for the asking price but YMMV.

--
www.flickr.com/photos/brudy
 
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My thought for "LITE" travel would be to get a M4/3 as a 2nd camera. Olympus makes a 75mm which is 150mm eqivalent and is one of their best lenses, and they make a decent 140-300mm zoom that is quite compact and is equivalent of a 300mm-600mm lens. In daylight a 16mp M4/3 camera produces excellent results, and allows you to travel with a full kit that is extremely light weight.
 
Zenjitsuman said:
My thought for "LITE" travel would be to get a M4/3 as a 2nd camera. Olympus makes a 75mm which is 150mm eqivalent and is one of their best lenses, and they make a decent 140-300mm zoom that is quite compact and is equivalent of a 300mm-600mm lens. In daylight a 16mp M4/3 camera produces excellent results, and allows you to travel with a full kit that is extremely light weight.
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Then you need different batteries and chargers, and lenses that aren't compatible.
 
Mordi said:
DigitalPlatonist said:
How about this: A7rII + 25/2 + 55/1.8 and use crop mode to get 37.5 and 82.5 @ 18.5 Mpix. And an RX100m3 or RX100m4 for backup.
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I have been traveling with the A7 and an NEX-6 for backup.

My reasoning: Why spend all that money for E mount lenses, and be unable to use them on your backup camera if it fails, or gets dropped or stolen?

The NEX-6 body isn't very much heavier or larger, takes the same batteries as well as lenses, and its sensor is a "real" semi-pro. ...
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Hard to argue with that, especially considering that an A6000 body is half the price of an RX100m4. With the above lenses, you'd have 25, 37.5, and 82.5 with no lens changes required.

But the RX is hard to leave behind: it's great when you want to be discreet - tiny and completely silent - and the flip-up screen makes it easy to get yourself into the picture, with a GorillaPod Micro permanently attached.
 
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Zenjitsuman said:
My thought for "LITE" travel would be to get a M4/3 as a 2nd camera. Olympus makes a 75mm which is 150mm eqivalent and is one of their best lenses, and they make a decent 140-300mm zoom that is quite compact and is equivalent of a 300mm-600mm lens. In daylight a 16mp M4/3 camera produces excellent results, and allows you to travel with a full kit that is extremely light weight.
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I agree with carlgorski: Why would you take a second body that can't accept your first-body lenses, or batteries - and isn't smaller or lighter than an NEX-6 or A6000? See http://camerasize.com/compare/#289,535 for a comparison.

And as all the internationally experienced forum members have noted, one needs wide - not telephoto - lenses for most city and landscape shots.

There's nothing wrong with a travel kit totally based on M4/3 - two bodies and lenses that could be used interchangeably. And if you mostly shoot for web or small print size, M4/3rds is an excellent choice.

But adding M4/3 to an A7 kit, as the OP needs, makes little sense to me.
 
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Brian_Smith said:
Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
That's a great combo! I've been using the 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 70-200/4 for travel, but like you, I tend to use the 70-200 mostly at the low end, so I'm likely to swap in the 85/1.8 when it arrives.

The one addition I might suggest would be to toss in a small travel tripod like a Manfrotto PIXI Mini Table Top Tripod.

--
Brian Smith
Sony Artisan of Imagery
Brian Smith Pictures
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Brian - how does that PIXI handle an A7 with a longish lens? I worry that such tabletop tripods will easily tip - especially since I rarely have a tabletop for a shooting platform (more commonly a rock or wall)

I tend to agree about travel and long lenses. On a recent 3-week tour of Spain and Portugal, I used a FF 70-210 exactly once. However, I did use the 55-210 APS-C constantly on the NEX-6. I modified the dividers in this Domke bag so I could put the 28-70mm, Canon FD 135mm f2.8 and 55-210 in the lower side-access section, and the A7 with mounted 35mm f2.8, Voigtlander 15mm Series III and NEX-6 with mounted 16-50 in the upper section.

Once I took the A7 out, and typically attached the 15mm, I could mount the 55-210 on the NEX-6 body and store it ready for use in the upper slot where the A7 had rested. Whether strolling through the Alhambra or Lisbon's Se cathedral, that case and camera/lens configuration enabled easy switching cameras and lenses. I use PacSafe slash-resistant straps on my A7 and Domke, and an Opteka hand strap on the NEX-6. Even with the 55-210 on the NEX-6, I can zip the case closed - and with the aggressive/noisy velcro cover engaged, no one can sneak a lens out of the case while I'm absorbed shooting in crowded areas.
 
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When traveling I like to keep kit light. So I'd take a short telephoto, 85-105 with max aperture f2 or 1.8 and a small wa, a 24 mm probably.

If I want more then a 135 or 200 with max fstop of f4. A 24-70 might be ideal, but I'm not sure about size and weight.
 
Hello,

Though personally not a fan of the optical quality of the FE 28mm, it would be a perfect travel lens partner to the FE 55mm, as both are small and light and complement each other's focal lengths.

When traveling, the FE 55mm can conveniently be used as a semi portrait lens, and will cover the 85mm focal length by just getting a little closer with your feet. When you need to go wider, just reach for the FE 28mm.

Just get a small "Matin" (search on EBay) single lens belt clip pouch for easy lens swap convenience. Keep one lens on the camera body (around your neck), the other lens in the pouch on your belt. Both lenses are the same size, so either will fit into the pouch.

The Batis 85mm looks to be a great lens, but IMO not essential if you have the FE 55mm. Also consider the A7rii has in built stabilisation, so you'll benefit from it when using the FE 55mm and FE 28mm.

J
 
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For a recent 2 week trip around Europe I ended up taking a Domke small shoulder bag setup with 3 compartments with the 1670z on one side, the 55210 on the other, and the A6000 facing down with the 1018 attached in the middle section. I took this around every day and eventually left the 55210 in the luggage to save some weight as I was not using it.

That was my kit after considering my X-T1 and various lenses like the 1024 and 18135 or my A7II with the 1635, 2470, 70200 based in the end on weight, what fit in the bag, and image quality.

While it would have been nice to have the A7II for a few indoor shots like at Notre Dame I certainly did not miss carrying the extra weight and was very happy with he A6000 performance on the trip.
 
Mordi said:
Zenjitsuman said:
My thought for "LITE" travel would be to get a M4/3 as a 2nd camera. Olympus makes a 75mm which is 150mm eqivalent and is one of their best lenses, and they make a decent 140-300mm zoom that is quite compact and is equivalent of a 300mm-600mm lens. In daylight a 16mp M4/3 camera produces excellent results, and allows you to travel with a full kit that is extremely light weight.
Click to expand...
I agree with carlgorski: Why would you take a second body that can't accept your first-body lenses, or batteries - and isn't smaller or lighter than an NEX-6 or A6000? See http://camerasize.com/compare/#289,535 for a comparison.

And as all the internationally experienced forum members have noted, one needs wide - not telephoto - lenses for most city and landscape shots.

There's nothing wrong with a travel kit totally based on M4/3 - two bodies and lenses that could be used interchangeably. And if you mostly shoot for web or small print size, M4/3rds is an excellent choice.

But adding M4/3 to an A7 kit, as the OP needs, makes little sense to me.
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M43 makes total sense to me. My Panasonic GM5 complements my A7S very well during travel. I use a Panasonic GM5 + Leica Summilux 15/1.7 for times during a vacation when I do NOT want to carry anything on my shoulders or hand, as it fits inside my shorts pocket. Great for general shooting. Also used for food pics as the lens has a short MFD. VERY small setup.

GM5 vs A6000

Cheers,
 
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Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
I am schlepping around Europe right now with an A7R, the FE 16-35, and the FE 24-70mm. I find that kit meets my needs for 90+% of my shooting. I wish I could make do with one lens but I need to go wider than 24mm too often. Personally, I don't really "see" photos much longer than 70mm. I also brought the FE 35mm F2.8 in case I want to do casual street photography but I have yet to use it. For me my FE 55mm F1.8 is my least used lens. I'm not focused on bokeh and I find that the FE 24-70mm is nearly as sharp at F5.6 or F8 as the FE 55mm and the image stabilization more than makes up for the smaller aperture.

I pack that gear in an Tamrac Apache 4 Camera/Tablet Bag which I highly recommend. It fits the A7R with two zooms perfectly and has a front pocket for accessories, two side pockets for a water bottle and sunglasses, and in inside pocket for an iPad if you are feeling robust enough to carry the extra weight.

Obviously, if you need DOF control or great Bokeh then the primes are your only choice but I think the image quality of the zooms is exceptional just make sure you get a good copy of the lens.
 
Brian_Smith said:
Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
That's a great combo! I've been using the 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 70-200/4 for travel, but like you, I tend to use the 70-200 mostly at the low end, so I'm likely to swap in the 85/1.8 when it arrives.

The one addition I might suggest would be to toss in a small travel tripod like a Manfrotto PIXI Mini Table Top Tripod.
Click to expand...
 
Since I started the original thread, I can tell you a bit about my experience with the A7rII and various lenses I take with me when I am travelling, since I got them back in August 2015.

I always have FE 16-35/4 in the bag and it is absolutely great for landscapes, cityscapes and interiors. Another lens I always have with me is the 55/1.8. It is compact, light and incredibly sharp wide open. My third lens I usually have with me is the Batis 85. Not overly heavy and large, but very sharp and works great for portraits, landscapes and anything else where 55mm is not enough.

If I am going somewhere I know I will have to shoot macro, I replace the Batis 85 with FE 90/2.8 Macro. It is sharper, but also heavier and not as fast, so I only take it with me when I really know a macro is a must.

Then there are few lenses that I only take with me occasionally

24-70/2.8GM is a great lens, but it is heavy and large and I usually find myself wanting to go wider than 24mm. So I no longer take it with when travelling and only use it when shooting locally.

70-200/2.8GM is another great lens, but I only take it with me when travelling, if I know I will be able to leave it hotel most of the days and only take it with me when I need the reach. I am considering to get either the new FE 100-400GM or the FE 70-300G for travel. 70-200 is just not well suited for travel. At the short end Batis 85 is better and lighter, and the long end ... is usually just not long enough.

35/1.4Z is amazing for street and environmental portraits and has unique rendering, but it is also large and heavy. I wish there was a more travel friendly FE 35/2 ;)
 
Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
Totally agree with your choice - in fact, that is my very own travel kit :) Except I replaced the 16-35 zoom with the Loxia 21 - which is the wisest I need. And if I need wider, I just take multiple images and stitch.

I also added the FE28/2 - at that price, there is no reason why not. It is plenty of sharp and gives something inbetween the Loxia and the FE55.

In Summary: Loxia 21 - FE28/2 - FE55/1.8 - Batis 85. When I travel, I usually pick two or three out of these, and for a single day outing sometimes just one. I don't feel I am missing anything.
 
BBQue said:
Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
Totally agree with your choice - in fact, that is my very own travel kit :) Except I replaced the 16-35 zoom with the Loxia 21 - which is the wisest I need. And if I need wider, I just take multiple images and stitch.

I also added the FE28/2 - at that price, there is no reason why not. It is plenty of sharp and gives something inbetween the Loxia and the FE55.

In Summary: Loxia 21 - FE28/2 - FE55/1.8 - Batis 85. When I travel, I usually pick two or three out of these, and for a single day outing sometimes just one. I don't feel I am missing anything.
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I'm trying to decide to sell my excellent copy of 16-35 for Loxia 21. It's sharp, wide open at the 35 end. I had L21 at one point but returned it. The main issue is that it's super tight, and it will be inconvenient to take off during trips. Nevertheless, I have 55, 16-35, 35/2.8. I want to go super small. That's why I got the Sony.
 
sxw88 said:
BBQue said:
Jekabs said:
I am considering to add A7rII with few lenses for travel, landscape and portrait photography on top of my A-mount kit.

For the travel kit I am thinking about 16-35/4, 55/1.8 and 85/1.8. That would save A LOT of weight compared to F2.8 zooms I use on A-mount. I would love to take 70-200 with me, but my Lightroom catalog suggests that I mostly use it at around 70-135mm, and for that Batis 85/1.8 seems to be excellent light weight alternative... I will take my 70-200/2.8 on LA-EA3 for trips involving wildlife, however.

What would You add or change for the lenses used on trips abroad, involving air travel and hiking?
Click to expand...
Totally agree with your choice - in fact, that is my very own travel kit :) Except I replaced the 16-35 zoom with the Loxia 21 - which is the widest I need. And if I need wider, I just take multiple images and stitch.

I also added the FE28/2 - at that price, there is no reason why not. It is plenty of sharp and gives something inbetween the Loxia and the FE55.

In Summary: Loxia 21 - FE28/2 - FE55/1.8 - Batis 85. When I travel, I usually pick two or three out of these, and for a single day outing sometimes just one. I don't feel I am missing anything.
Click to expand...
I'm trying to decide to sell my excellent copy of 16-35 for Loxia 21. It's sharp, wide open at the 35 end. I had L21 at one point but returned it. The main issue is that it's super tight, and it will be inconvenient to take off during trips. Nevertheless, I have 55, 16-35, 35/2.8. I want to go super small. That's why I got the Sony.

--
https://500px.com/sean1216
Click to expand...
My 16-35 was not so sharp from 25 to 35mm, so you probably got a very good copy and may want to keep it.

The Loxia is tight only to begin with, after a while it loosens up quite a bit and is easy to take off/on.

I also really like the FE28/2 - but I am hoping for a Loxia 28 eventually.
 
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Jekabs said:
Since I started the original thread, I can tell you a bit about my experience with the A7rII and various lenses I take with me when I am travelling, since I got them back in August 2015.

70-200/2.8GM is another great lens, but I only take it with me when travelling, if I know I will be able to leave it hotel most of the days and only take it with me when I need the reach. I am considering to get either the new FE 100-400GM or the FE 70-300G for travel.
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What is the weight of the FE 100-400?
Jekabs said:
70-200 is just not well suited for travel. At the short end Batis 85 is better and lighter, and the long end ... is usually just not long enough.

35/1.4Z is amazing for street and environmental portraits and has unique rendering, but it is also large and heavy. I wish there was a more travel friendly FE 35/2 ;)
Click to expand...
 
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