Travel camera

Hello Everyone!

I need a little help selecting a camera. This would be my first real camera (besides a point and shoot), but I have used my dad's quite a bit so I have a good knowledge of how cameras and general exposure work. I have been doing a lot of research on cameras and was previously going to get a DSLR but I am going to be riding my bike across the United States this summer and also plan on doing some long backpacking trips (AT, PCT) in the future. So you can see why I would like to move away from a DSLR simply because of its size.

I am looking to get into photography to really test the waters and see what I like also to document my trips that I take. I love landscapes and nature, but also want to expand on the little night photography that I did with my dad's camera. So I am probably going to need a good amount of gear other than just the camera (but that can always be purchased in the future).

I have narrowed it down to a mirror-less camera because of the size, but I still want to be able to change lenses so I have a system that I can grow into. I am a college student so I don't have the money to go out and buy an A7R and a couple Zeiss lenses, but I still want a nice camera that will take great pictures. I am currently thinking either a NEX (6 or A6000) or an Olympus (EM5,EM10,E-PM2) but would entertain other suggestions. Here are reasons of why I would choose each.

NEX 6/A6000: They have the larger sensor, and the nice small kit lens. The 6 is pretty cheap (I could get it for around $650 on Amazon with the kit lens) for a nice camera, especially one with a viewfinder). The A6000 is supposed to be nicer in a few aspects like AF speed and resolution, but I'm not sure its worth $150. I do not currently have the money to expand my lens lineup much past the kit lens but in the future would like to and I am not too pleased with the selection, price, and physical size (for backpacking) of the NEX lenses.

OMD EM5/EM10: First, they look awesome! They also seem to have the nicest set of features and controls (double wheels and programmable buttons). I never thought I would want a touch screen, but it looks like they implement it well. I like that the EM5 is weather sealed, but that kit lens is pretty big, especially if I want to keep the camera handy on a backpacking trip. I always use the viewfinder on my dad's camera, So I would expect to do the same with these cameras, but I don't know how much I will like the evf. I tried the NEX 6 in store and liked it quite a bit so I would probably use it. The EM10 is cheaper, and has some nice new features including the night and time-lapse modes. I'm not sure how important the slight difference in IBS would be because most of my photography would probably include a tripod. The problem with these two is the price, I am trying to keep everything under $1,000 if I can, so I wouldn't be able to get much gear other than the cameras. But if they are that good then I could get it and slowly add gear.

The odd-ball out E-PM2: I hadn't thought about this until recently because I figured I wanted the really nice cameras with all the features (and I definitely do) but this may have a couple that are enough to make me choose the "lesser camera." The price is nice, $400 for the body, kit lens, and 40-150. I hear everyone saying that nice lenses are more important than nice body's (at least to a point), so with the savings I could possibly get a nice prime or two. It is smaller and lighter, which would be great for the bike trip and backpacking. And if I decide that I want a different camera then I could just sell the body and keep the lenses and possibly come out close to even (in fact I'm thinking of selling the body and kit lens to my sister for her study abroad trip next year and then upgrade the body (EM10) if I feel like I need to).

Sorry for the really long post, but as you can see I could use some suggestions. I have only been able to get my hands on the NEX 6, so I do not know how the other's feel in the hands. I may be able to try them out when I go home from college as there is a shop that carries them there, but I would like to get one here soon to figure it out before my trip which is a week after I get home. Also the body feel may not matter that much to me because it will spend a lot of its time on a tripod (could you recommend a good tripod for backpacking).

There is a ton more I could ask, but I will stop now. Thanks in advance!

You have the right idea about trying cameras in you hands in a store before buying them. Your comfort level will help your photography in general, so take a bit of time.

As for camera gear that is part of a cycling kit, it seems a good idea to consider two things: (at least). One is size and weight, and the other is keeping it dry or buying a water resistant model. (I speak about water damage from experience.) If you devise a way to to keep your camera dry, you don't have to worry so much about having a water resistant one. I don't, but just a word to the wise.

My suggestion is a Panasonic GM1. It has the same image quality as the other cameras you mention for all practical purposes, but is small and does not weigh much. It can also take other lenses you may add. If that is too small, I suggest a GX7.

There have been good threads on gear for cycling, hiking and canoe trips. Take a look. Jeffharris usually has good ideas on this forum.

Enjoy your trips! And your photography.

F.

I'll second Frank's recommendation of a GM1 and toss in another option, which is a used Panasonic G3 you can beat up on your trip without feeling bad about every little scratch and ding. The G3 can be had for under $200 because it's considered "obsolete." It's a solid all-rounder with a good built-in viewfinder, decent battery life, and a fully articulated LCD. To go with it, I recommend Panasonic's highly-regarded 14-45 zoom, available used for around $175. I used this combo for travel & landscape work for a year and was always delighted with the results. You can see examples in the "recent work" section of my website. I've printed these images up to 16"x21" and they look great.

It makes sense to put your money into good lenses at this point - maybe add a 45-150 and a 20 - and get a better body in a year or two.

I, too, considered the Sony NEX/Alpha series when I was looking for a travel camera system, as my Canon pro bodies were just too big and heavy and obtrusive for walking all day on the dusty mountain roads of Central Asia. I chose Micro Four Thirds instead because the range of available lenses is both broader and deeper, reviews indicate higher average optical quality, and the lenses are generally much smaller. Also, I had Panasonic compact cameras for years (LX3, LX5 & LX7), and really like Panasonic's customizability and user interface. I liked my G3 and GX1 so much that I decided to upgrade to a G6 and GX7 for all my professional work.

(image reduced to 1200x1600 pixels)

Congratulations to the trips you are planning!

I have some experience with backpacking, hiking and bike tours, and I found, that the most important thing is to keep your gear small and light. In film camera times for me this meant a camera with standard macro lens and sometimes one wide angle lens.

Some ideas:

1. With some care I managed to keep my camera dry even in tropical climates like the rainy season in Costa Rica. A good bag is cheaper than a rainproof camera.

2. Start thinking with lenses: the Pana 1,7/20 or the Olympus 1,8/25 are small, have excellent IQ  and are quite fast. You could get a small body, like the GX7 or GM1 or the EM10 - and will get excellent pictures with just this combination. The EPL5 and EPM2 have s great sensor, but a crappy LCD, because the 4:3 pictures come out tiny on the 16:9 screen.

3. If you are content with one fixed focus lens and want even better IQ, you might consider the Fuji X100 or X100S or the Ricoh GR.

4. If you are prepared to sacrifice some IQ for flexibility, take one of the better kit zooms: the 12-32 with the GM1 is supposed to be quite good, also the 14-42II on the GX7 or the 14-42II on the Olympus cameras.

5. For traveling, I also would consider the Canon Powershot G1-X MkI or MkII: big sensor, good zoom lens.

6. Except for wildlife photography you don't need a tele lens. For casual animal pictures, the long end of the kit zooms is ok. But if you are really in for that, I would carry the 100-300.

Have a lot of fun on your trip!

Peter.

I would suggest the E-M10 with 14-42EZ. I do not have that combination but I frequently use the E-M5 with the Panasonic 14-42X (the Oly 14-42EZ was not yet in sight at the time I got the 14-42X). It makes for a light and small combination and the sample images I have seen are pretty good. (The images I'm getting with the 14-42X are also pretty good, bar the occasional purple fringing that comes from it being a Panasonic lens used on an Olympus body.)

Freemod makes the automatic X-Cap (cheaper than Olympus' automatic cap) and with such a cap the camera-lens combo becomes a point and shoot to the extent that you don't need to constantly try to not lose the lens cap.

The only problem is that when you get addicted to small you will not like the size and weight of the high quality lenses like the Oly 12-40 or that of telefocus lenses like the Oy 75-300 and Pana 100-300.

A couple of suggestions for you.

First, size and weight are critical in bike touring and backpacking.  You have to haul everything and every ounce matters a lot.  I ride a lot with the first version, the RX100, and it fits nicely in a rear jersey pocket -- this makes it immediately accessible for quick shots.

Second, you should consider having wi-fi as an essential criteria.  You will want to upload photos from obscure places and if you have wi-fi on the camera, you can transfer them quickly to your iPhone, do a quick edit in Snapseed, and them send on from the iPhone to family, friends, and social media.

You may want to consider the Sony RX100 Mark II, which is does not feature interchangeable lenses but which has wi-fi, an excellent sensor and image quality, and a tiltable LCD screen.  It will go in a jersey pocket.  (Note that it is not sealed and waterproof, so you will want to have a light case to protect from perspiration and the elements.)  The RX100 cameras have the same size lenses as the Nikon mirrorless camera bodies, and will take some fine photos for you.

Go light and get wi-fi; and good luck.  I love m43's but there are other good options to consider.

I meant the RX100 have the same size sensor as the Nikon mirrorless.  Also, the RX100 zooms from approximately 28-100mm equivalent, which gives you a good range of choice for composition.

Let's consider the major decisions first. You are going to buy into a system with future potential and are trying to work out the criteria on which to make it. You mentioned possible image quality advantage of the larger sensors compared with the m43.

In fact, I think the difference in quality are a very minor consideration. Any of the comparative tests will be fussing over pixel-peeping at noise levels at high ISO settings. Don't be distracted by that. It shouldn't really even come into consideration because it's such a minor factor.

In my opinion, the only important difference is system size. Your entire system is going to be much smaller and lighter using m43.

Next, you said you used the view finder on your dad's camera but are unsure about EVF. The newer types of EVF as used on the E-M10 is not only adequate, it has some significant benefits, such as magnification. It is better in low light and I would choose it over my old OVR anytime.

As for night shots, again the E-M10 also has a very interesting composite mode that builds the image up. And on a related note, Prime lenses are not just for the sake of artistic purity. They give you a very real and useful advantage over zooms lenses in low light.

For indoor, dusk, inside caves or dark forest, you will be able to hand hold in so many more situations before having to reach for the tripod. And they are usually the moments that you just don't have time to fuss with tripods. I suggest to get at least one standard focal length fast prime (probably 20mm or maybe 25mm)...but then, I like primes and I don't mind having to change lenses, so I am biased.

You have to choose whether you prefer lighting flexibility and range (primes) or compositional convenience (zoom).

Forgot to add...if it's on a tripod, you turn off the IS.

For travel, you can get really small ones just to keep the camera straight..also those interesting ones with the bendy legs (gorilla pod? something like that) that will attach to your bike. If you want one that extends a metre of more higher, it's going to take up a lot of space in your backpack

If you are doing exposures that are really long, then you will want to turn on the n oise reduction feature that subtracts a dark frame shot of the same exposure time.