Lightweight Gear

[rpcrowe]

I am getting old and my body is providing me with feedback that I can no longer carry as much photo gear as I could previously.

When I shot Canon, my primary camera was the Canon 7D with the 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens. I really liked that focal range and when I switched to Sony, I was hoping to find a lightweight mid-range zoom with a constant f/2.8 aperture that would complement my A6600 APSC camera. It was not an easy task but, it doesn’t seem logical to use a small camera with a large and heavy lens mounted. The problem with APSC gear is that zoom lenses have not, until now matched the size and weight of the cameras. The exception, of course is the 16-50mm Sony kit lens but, the image quality of that lens leaves a lot to be desired.

it seems like I have finally been successful in my search for a lens to match the A6600. I just received a tiny Sigma 18-50mm lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture that is perfect for the small A6600. It is very close in focal range to the Canon lens that I loved but, the camera/lens package weighs about half as much as did the Canon package. The A6600 and Sigma 18-50mm (27-75mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens weighs a mere 793 grams.

The image quality of the little lens is great (as per usual with recent Sigma lenses) and the auto focus is snap-on. It doesn't have image stabilization but, the A6600 has IBIS which is fine for shooting stills. The light weight of that lens will allow me to use it on the gimbal I used with the A6600 and kit lens...

It will be the one camera and one lens outfit that I will carry on my forthcoming Honor Flight trip to Washington DC. The nice thing about a trip is that it gives me an excuse to buy a bit more kit!

[Manfred M]

More and more people that I know are ditching their cameras and doing 100% of their photography with their cell phones. I have seen some stunning phone images. These folks were strong photographers to begin with and their framing / composition skills are there regardless of the camera that they use.

In the past, I traveled with a backup camera. That is now my phone.

If I weren't a print maker, I might consider that path too. I've seen some pretty decent 8-1/2" x 11" prints made from Android and Apple phones. Unfortunately, I tend to print larger formats and the phone image quality is not there.

[pnodrog]

I'm also looking carefully at the weight of gear. Particularly a suitable general walk around combo. Be interested on feedback if anyone has gone the Fujifilm way. The new Fujifilm X-H2 with the 16-80 f4 or 16-55 f2.8 lens looks as if it may fit the bill.

At this point I am still waiting to see what cameras Nikon is going to release this year. Hopefully a Z 6 iii at 30+mp. The Nikon S 24-200mm lens has had good reviews for use as a general purpose lens. The combo would be a bit heavier than the Fujifilm option but the body with the FTZ adapter would be fully compatible with my other lenses. A Z 7iii or a Z 8 would probably a bit of an overkill for what I do but if they appear I'm not ruling them out. My wife's helping hand with the budget maybe a deciding factor.

[William W]

. . . Be interested on feedback if anyone has gone the Fujifilm way. . .

Hiya Paul -trust you are well.

Understand this is a little tangential in so far as the comment diverging from interchangeable lens systems - I use my Fuji X100s all the time.

My DSLR gear sits. It is a shame, perhaps?

Can't say that I am at the "camera 'phone" stage yet.

There is a stimulation using a fixed focal length lens camera - it makes me think and sometimes miss opportunities, but hey, it is light, quirky and really easy to use.

WW

[pnodrog]

Hi Bill - I thought any camera would be easy for you to use...

The reality is that something like your X100 would do most of what I want to do. However there is always that little voice in the back of my head that tells me just how upset I would be if I blew a chance of a earth shattering shot because my camera wasn't up to it. Be prepared even if I have no reason to be.

[William W]

. . . At this point I am still waiting to see what cameras Nikon is going to release this year. Hopefully a Z 6 iii at 30+mp. The Nikon S 24-200mm lens has had good reviews for use as a general purpose lens. The combo would be a bit heavier than the Fujifilm option but the body with the FTZ adapter would be fully compatible with my other lenses. A Z 7iii or a Z 8 would probably a bit of an overkill for what I do but if they appear I'm not ruling them out. My wife's helping hand with the budget maybe a deciding factor.

I don't so much look at "what at I do" but rather what I do with the results of what I shoot - i.e. the end result.

I use the X100s all the time for "memory shots" for "creative shots" for "my shots" - I have a truckload of gear for professional work which comes along from time to time - this gear is 5 years + old, but it still is as good as it was then, so therefore can still turn out quality and value for money.

The end results of my X100s output are "give-away" images, hardly ever printed, residing on wall screens, computer wallpaper and family and friend's digital albums - I can't see any need to carry a bag full of gear for that.

Occasionally I get the bug and bring out the tripod, etc, to fuel the creative juices - but not often.

I think it all really depends on what one does with the images - and also how important is the procedure. I understand if the procedure is an important factor to one's joy, then the choice of gear will probably be very important - however if the end result is the main aim, and that end result is reasonable quality images, for memories, then a camera 'phone can provide that outcome - though I really like the "feel" of a camera.

WW

[William W]

Hi Bill - I thought any camera would be easy for you to use...

That's nice - thank you.

The reality is that something like your X100 would do most of what I want to do. However there is always that little doubt in the back of my mind that tells me just how upset I would be if I blew a chance of a earth shattering shot because my camera wasn't up to it. Be prepared even if I have no reason to be.

I understand - completely, absolutely.

I too am still looking for that shot.

WW

[William W]

. . .

Then again - mostly all of the truly brilliant shots in the last 100 years are simply perceiving it, seeing it, being there and then timing it - not the gear

[DanK]

indeed. I've been mulling this over for months. As much as I love my Canon FF gear, it seems to get heavier every year. I can put it off for now, as I recently had shoulder surgery that will preclude anything but one-handed photography for a few more months.

I've been mulling over three options:

1. Easing into the change by buying the new APS-C Canon R7, which would allow me to use my current EF lenses as long as I want. The main drawback, which may be a deal-breaker, is that there are as yet no high end RF-S (designed for APS-C) lenses, and Canon just pulled the plug on third-party manufacturers of R-mount lenses. Using lenses designed for FF half-defeats the purpose; one gets the weight savings from shorter FL but not from smaller-diameter glass.

2. A Fuji system. The main drawback is that I am wedded to Adobe's products--I've spent an enormous amount of time learning to use them well and don't want to start over--and Lightroom/ACR reportedly has some problems with X-trans files.

3. The new OM systems OM-1. This is the lightest system, and the OM-1 is by all accounts a truly remarkable camera. However, nothing's perfect. The drawbacks are that it's only 20 MP, which is occasionally an issue when cropping, and it's only 12-bit. From what I've read (and I think this is consistent with something Manfred posted), this is often not an issue, but it can be if you have to pull shadows up a lot. Also, the OM-1 is more expensive than the Fuji XT-4.

I'd welcome any suggestions. I have plenty of time to dither about this. It's a distraction from things like the war in Ukraine.

Dan

[rpcrowe]

Here is a weight comparison of camera/lens combinations with which I have had experience and with which I was satisfied... All of these combinations have approximately the same equivalent focal range and all the lenses are a constant f/2.8 aperture. I would be satisfied with the IQ of any of the following camera/lens combinations and for images up to about 16x20 inches, I doubt whether I could notice any great difference in image quality between any of these camera/lens combinations.

Canon crop-sensor 7D2 with Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 IS lens = 1.464 grams. I carried this camera/lens combination all over the world and was very happy with the results. The camera does not have IBIS but the lens did include IS. The weight of this combination is 1,464 grams. With the exception of the 7D2 and Tokina lens, this is the heaviest camera/lens combo for that equivalent focal range that I have used.

Canon crop-sensor 7D2 with Tokina 28-70mm f/2.6 (Angenieux design) lens. I absolutely loved this combination for studio shooting but the lens was a heavy brick and not conducive to walk around photography. Neither the camera nor lens had IS but, I could easily live with that for studio shooting. I don't remember the weight of this combination but, it was darn heavy!

Sony full-frame A7iii with Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 lens. This is a great combination that weighs 1190 grams. The lens doesn't have IS but the camera has IBIS. This combination will give great IQ.

Switching to the A6600 with this lens gives me a very nice people shooting combination weighing 1043 grams that has an equivalent 42-112.5mm focal range. The lens doesn't have IS but the camera has IBIS.

Sony crop-sensor A6600 with Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens. This is the lightest combination, at 793 grams total, which will provide excellent image quality. The lens doesn't have IS but the camera has IBIS. This combination is close to 400 grams lighter than the A7iii + Tamron kit. While 400 grams doesn't seem like much weight, it is quite an extra burden for an older guy with a bad back...

NOTE: The absolute lightest combination would be the A6600 with the Sony 16-50mm kit lens but, I don't like the variable aperture or total image quality of the kit lens.

I am quite happy that Sony has decided to become an open platform and will accept lenses from different manufacturers. Samyang, Sigma and Tamron are offering some excellent lenses for the Sony E-Mount cameras and there are other companies entering the market with lenses for Sony cameras.

I agree with Manfred that modern cell phones produce marvelous imagery for their size. My problem with a cell phone is that I detest viewing my shots on a LCD and far prefer eye level viewfinders. The cell phone is also not as easy for me to handle but, that could be inexperience.

[DanK]

by way of comparison, the OM-1 with the 12-40 (24-80 equiv.) f/2.8, with battery and card, weighs 971g. Without the battery, this combination weighs 893 g, compared to 1595 for my 5D IV with a 24-105 f/4, so a 44% reduction.

[rpcrowe]

I wish that there were an APSC lightweight, small footprint 70-200mm or even 70-150mm tele zoom lens with a constant f/4 aperture which would be a good companion to the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 lens. Combine these two with the 12mm f/2.0 AF Samyang lens and you would have a great trio of lenses at a very low weight.

Come to think of it, my Sony 85mm f/1.8 only weighs 371 grams, That is pretty lightweight for a 127.5mm equivalent f/1.8 lens. Since, I already own one - it might be worthwhile to toss it into my travel kit. Although it is a full frame lens, it does a great for portraits on an APSC camera.

Here is my first shot using the 18-50mm Sigma. Sasha my Rough Coated Jack Russell Terrier...

[loosecanon]

I have a fishing trolly, designed for fishermen who have the same gear aquisation problem of photographers.
No help on hills, but does take the weight of camera, lenses and tripod, also provides a seat for the rest period whilst waiting for the light.

[Chataignier]

I'm also looking carefully at the weight of gear. Particularly a suitable general walk around combo. Be interested on feedback if anyone has gone the Fujifilm way. The new Fujifilm X-H2 with the 16-80 f4 or 16-55 f2.8 lens looks as if it may fit the bill.

At this point I am still waiting to see what cameras Nikon is going to release this year. Hopefully a Z 6 iii at 30+mp. The Nikon S 24-200mm lens has had good reviews for use as a general purpose lens. The combo would be a bit heavier than the Fujifilm option but the body with the FTZ adapter would be fully compatible with my other lenses. A Z 7iii or a Z 8 would probably a bit of an overkill for what I do but if they appear I'm not ruling them out. My wife's helping hand with the budget maybe a deciding factor.

With around 2 yrs experience now, I'm delighted with the Fuji system. I have a wide range of lenses but when wanting to travel light I carry the 16-80 f4 and the 70-300 f4-5.6. With these two I rarely miss an opportunity and the weight is negligible compared to the Canon full frame equivalents that I used to lug around. The 55-200 f3.5-4.8 is even lighter and a superb lens. Not such a fan of the 16-55 f2.8, it's heavy and for the sake of one stop, not worth the weight or price in my view.
I regularly shoot at ISO1600 and even 3200 is capable of producing splendid results and this is with an X-T3, the later models are even better.
No regrets at selling the Canon gear.

[pnodrog]

With around 2 yrs experience now, I'm delighted with the Fuji system. I have a wide range of lenses but when wanting to travel light I carry the 16-80 f4 and the 70-300 f4-5.6. With these two I rarely miss an opportunity and the weight is negligible compared to the Canon full frame equivalents that I used to lug around. The 55-200 f3.5-4.8 is even lighter and a superb lens. Not such a fan of the 16-55 f2.8, it's heavy and for the sake of one stop, not worth the weight or price in my view.
I regularly shoot at ISO1600 and even 3200 is capable of producing splendid results and this is with an X-T3, the later models are even better.
No regrets at selling the Canon gear.

David

Thank you for that info. It is just the sort of comment I was hoping for, especially as it is backed up by the fine images you post. (Was the girl with the horse taken with the X-T3?)

[DanK]

https://fabienb.blog/2020/04/sharpen...-in-lightroom/

With around 2 yrs experience now, I'm delighted with the Fuji system. I have a wide range of lenses but when wanting to travel light I carry the 16-80 f4 and the 70-300 f4-5.6. With these two I rarely miss an opportunity and the weight is negligible compared to the Canon full frame equivalents that I used to lug around. The 55-200 f3.5-4.8 is even lighter and a superb lens. Not such a fan of the 16-55 f2.8, it's heavy and for the sake of one stop, not worth the weight or price in my view.
I regularly shoot at ISO1600 and even 3200 is capable of producing splendid results and this is with an X-T3, the later models are even better.
No regrets at selling the Canon gear.

Do you render the raws in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw, and if so, have you had problems with the "worm" problem from sharpening X-Trans files? E.g.,

https://fabienb.blog/2020/04/sharpen...-in-lightroom/

https://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotogr...raw-conversionhttps://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotogr...raw-conversion

The latter says (and I've read this elsewhere) that using "enhance details" largely solves the problem, but that takes an extra step and a bit of time and doubles file size.

This is the primary thing holding me back from going with Fuji. Apparently, it's fine with Capture One, but I don't want to start afresh with new software.

[jkshyt]

I currently carry about 10lbs of gear, a7iv body, LA-EA5, 24-70mm 2.8, 70-300mm, 50mm 1.4, 20mm 2.8, manfrotto mini tripod in an onn. small back pack. plus a few filters. Total wt not too bad

[rpcrowe]

I have a fishing trolly, designed for fishermen who have the same gear aquisation problem of photographers.
No help on hills, but does take the weight of camera, lenses and tripod, also provides a seat for the rest period whilst waiting for the light.

Regarding help for the carrying of equipment etc. I found this walker on craigslist.com which was advertised locally.


I bought it used for about $25 USD and, is quite sturdy and easily fits in my Subaru Forrester's luggage compartment. It allows me to carry a bit of gear and can travel over reasonably rough paths (but not up and down hills with no paths). The seat allows me a place to sit while I am waiting for photo opportunities, or on some occasions while I am actually shooting.

[Chataignier]

David

Thank you for that info. It is just the sort of comment I was hoping for, especially as it is backed up by the fine images you post. (Was the girl with the horse taken with the X-T3?)

Yes, it was. and from quite a way away. 300mm, f4, 1/500s ISA1250.

[Chataignier]

https://fabienb.blog/2020/04/sharpen...-in-lightroom/

Do you render the raws in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw, and if so, have you had problems with the "worm" problem from sharpening X-Trans files? E.g.,

https://fabienb.blog/2020/04/sharpen...-in-lightroom/

https://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotogr...raw-conversionhttps://blog.thomasfitzgeraldphotogr...raw-conversion

The latter says (and I've read this elsewhere) that using "enhance details" largely solves the problem, but that takes an extra step and a bit of time and doubles file size.

This is the primary thing holding me back from going with Fuji. Apparently, it's fine with Capture One, but I don't want to start afresh with new software.

All done with LR. Yes if you push the sharpening you see worms, but it's not a problem in reality. When I'm faced with trying to recover something useful from an image taken at ISO 12800 there is always Pure RAW to fall back on but that's not a common occurrence.

PS, I've tried Capture 1 and the difference (compared to LR) seemed to me to be very small.