Thoughts on Travel Photo Gear
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2023
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In this landscape photography video I'm getting ready to travel to northern Norway for a few days of photography with a friend who has very kindly invited me to lodge with him. He's not too far from Lofoten and we may drive down there, dependent on the weather conditions we encounter. And I will certainly be hiking and visiting some locations close to his home for some landscape photography.
But before I leave I wanted to share with you my thinking around the camera equipment and lens choices for this trip. I have spent some time considering whether to take my heavier pro gear, or stick with a lightweight travel set up. Join me in this video to find out what I have decided upon and why.
Link to my website with full res images from this video: dgriff.gallery/thoughts-on-tr...
My Facebook group "Mostly Micro 4/3 Landscape Photography": / m43landscapephotography
If you'd like to learn more about the Anglesey, Snowdonia/Eryri and North Wales places I visit for my landscape photography, you can see full details on my website in my Location Guides section at: dgriff.gallery/location-guides/
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I get asked a lot about the equipment I use. As I’ve typed up countless replies and links and lists for friends and viewers, I’ve now set it all out definitively here: dgriff.gallery/gear/
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Edited, mixed and produced with DaVinci Resolve 17.
Music by Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com)
Thank you David for visiting me. I had a great time. For the viewers: He made it!!! All the time I had with me my black suitcase with ekstra camera and lenses for an emergency. I never needed to open it!! I also learned a bit about sloooooowing down. Now I look forwards to seeing the final images from David. 🤠
Having seen a few so far on my big screen I'm very happy with the image quality I got with the gear, but it was always good to know I could have switched out if necessary. Whether I'd have made the same choice without that option, I'm not so sure ... 😊👍
I would say that it all depends upon what your travel gear is. And how your glass selection is. All my travel camera setup is 4/3 but the lens both zooms and prime lenses are great lens.
Thanks, David. You’ve added a useful twist on the photographic wisdom, “It’s all about the light.” “It’s all about the light weight” is my travel philosophy, too.
Ah yeah I guess so 😊👍🏻
Intersting point of view Dave, all the best for your trip. I'm looking forward to the images you capture
I used an em-5 with a manual 12 mm cine lens on a trip from Las Vegas to Denver. No other gear. It is a bit scary to think that every shot has to be manually focused but what a great challenge. I grew a lot on that trip. Zion, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, Aspen, Rocky Mtns.
I rarely use auto focus but since I learned photography before that was a thing it’s no problem. 😊👍🏻
Thanks! Have a nice trip!
Thanks! 😃
Fantastic. Thanks for doing this. It will be very interesting to see your photographs when you get back.
Hope I don’t cock it up!! 😊👍🏻
Have a great time Dave. I always travel light with my Panasonic camera gear. Looking forward to seeing seeing your images and videos. 📸😊👍
Have a great time Dave, you'll be blown away with the scenery
Can’t wait 😊👍🏻
have a great trip, long overdue. Thank you.
Thanks a lot Nicky 😊👍🏻
Safe travels. Looking forward to seeing your photos 😊
Cheers 😊👍🏻
Interesting to hear your decision process, especially as I'm going thru similar for a trip to the Yorkshire Dales. Have a great trip - looking fwd to seeing you photos!
Cheers, you too 😊👍🏻
Have a brilliant trip 👍📷
Thanks a lot Sue. End of day 2 and having a great time 😊👍
Good luck with the trip 📷👍
Thanks! 😀
Have a great trip David
Cheers 😊👍🏻
Have a great time away Dave .
Cheers 😊👍🏻
You don’t need to borrow my big bag then David!! Have a great trip, looking forward to the results.
I can certainly follow your reasoning, have a great trip.
Cheers mate 😊👍🏻
Good luck Dave! Glad you made the travel light choice! :D Rgds, Nick 🙂
Cheers mate - yes working out well so far. End of Day 2 😊👍
great video. I've been back and forth about whether or not to order the lumix 35-100 2.8 for my trip. But now you've got me wondering if I should make do with the much lighter 45-150 I already own.
Lots of good points here, thank you. Your point about the lens being weather sealed but not the body, particularly caught my attention. Weather sealing is a feature that would've swayed me to the OM-1 for a trip to Norway. All the best for a great trip!
You make a good point, but I'v just returned from a local beach here in rain and wind and the gear is fine. I always carry a lightweight trekking umbrella 😊👍
@@DGriffGallery All the best for a great trip!
Hi Dave, just picked up your video on camera gear, an interesting topic. We'll it's got to be the lightweight gear for a trip like that.... No Bainer! Good luck with the trip and look forward to see your results.
Hello Michael, sorry to be a bit slow responding but only just got back. And it turned out that my decision to travel light was definitely the right one! Very happy with my set of images, and it was a breeze to carry my gear 😊👍
I did a photo trip to NYC a few years ago with just my Pen-F and one zoom lens. Mind you it was the 12-100 F4 which isn't tiny, but it was a very manageable kit and I got great results.
Nice setup for high quality images though 😊👍🏻
Having choices also means having decisions to make. A dozen lenses and half dozen camera bodies can make things complicated. Sometimes I will just take a super zoom bridge camera with a tiny sensor.
I’m a big believer in whatever works for you 😊👍🏻
Thanks David, you will have an amazing time I am sure. For what it's worth I completely agree with your decision. We are just leaving Alaska after two weeks of amazing photography and have photographed subjects as wide ranging as coastal brown bears, mountain landscapes, to the northern lights. I have a full peli case of lenses - a sigma 60-600, 40mm art, and a zeiss 21mm. All have been fantastic but the trip would have been a lot more relaxing had I not continuously swapped lenses. I daresay my 40mm would have been great on its own. My R5 sensor would have been perfect for close cropping, and it would have been wide enough for some great aurora shots. Anyway, have a great time. You will love it
Cheers. Yep - end of day 2 and very pleased with travelling so light and convenient 😊👍
I was Travellink in Chile. And I haveolympus m10 mark IV, panasonic 25 mm f1,7, Olympus 12-40 mm f2,8 and olympus 40-150 mm with telconverter 1,4 in a 6 l peak shoulderbag. So fro 24-420 FF in smal light bag.
Wise decisions. I use my GX9 with a 12-32 Lumix lens, and 20mm Lumix f.7 as well as the 35-100 Lumix lens you have selected. Never felt the need for anything else on many travel adventures.
They're working out just fine so far - end of day 2 😊👍
I use the same lenses with a GX80. A perfect travel kit
Wow, that's an exciting trip, can't wait to see the vlogs and resulting images! I think you made the right gear choice, it's not the camera that will get you great images, after all. It's just a pity you don't have a decent hat to wear. Bon voyage!
My supplier let me down!! 🤣👍🏻
I've used that Lumix 35-100 f4-5.6 for a few years now. It is an exceptional lens.
Been loving it so far - end of Day 2 😊👍
I'm a FF shooter with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Rome coming up. I'll take my R5, R6, 14-35 F4 and 24-105 F4 and that's about it.
Blimey that’s still quite a load to lug 😊👍🏻
I'm looking forward to your visit. Hopefully, the weather will be ok and we can see the Aurora. You may use my camera and lenses if necessary, but I hope your plan turns out well. See you soon. ( For those who read this, David and I converted to Olympus at about the same time and for the same reasons.)
Boarding… 😊👍🏻
I hope you will do a follow up after the trip talking about how the gear you brought did - or didn't - satisfy. Thanks!
Yes I will certainly be discussing that 😊👍
When I want to go light, I take a 24MP FF Nikon Z, a 14-30mm and a 24-120mm lens (used to take their 24-200 but sold it). This at least allows me to capture what I want in most cases, and I'm not bogged down with gear. I'll then also take a travel tripod to go along with it, and really, this is all I need for travel and landscape. If I'm going somewhere special I might take my 24-70 for the ultimate in sharpness, but these two lenses and the camera body (aside from a spare that I bring but don't carry around every day) is all I need. I do try to travel light and if I'm doing travel photography like in a city, then it's usually just the 24-120 and one body (no bag, no tripod). Only if I think I'm going to be doing architecture will I bring a small bag and the wide angle, but usually is not the case unless it's planned (like it's rainining and I'm only doing indoor architecture).
Blimey compared to mine that lot sounds pretty heavy 😊👍🏻
Enjoy your time away
Thanks a lot 😊👍🏻
Having visted the Lofoten Islands, I would definitely take a weatherproof camera +Oly 7-14, 12-40 f2.8 & 40-150 f4 + 17mm f1.2.
Ah well too late to change my mind now, just boarded the flight 😊👍🏻
You said that lens was good on Eryri meet Dave. Can't wait to see the results.
I hadn't really tried it properly at the time. It's always a long range shot that tests the quality and I was genuinely shocked at the result. Albeit in good light, but I have real confidence in it now and it'll be with me every time I have a hike or a climb on the cards. And, of course, when travelling 😊👍
Interesting video David. Hope you have a good trip. My only thoughts would be how does the pen f cope if it chucks it down, no doubt you can shoot all day in rain with the OM
I rarely stand in the rain even with my OM-1 😊👍🏻
Good choices. I do think I'd take a weather-sealed m5 series body if you have one. In addition to the sealing is that more useful grip. I also wouldn't leave behind that 40-150 f4, although I understand your reasoning.
You make some great points and if I was sensible I'd agree with you. But I'm just at the end of day 2 and so far I'm very happy with the setup. Some wind and rain, but handled carefully I could still shoot 😊👍
@@DGriffGallery yes, it's just gear. You could also use the kit lenses and be fine
I also have the Panasonic 35-100mm and it is a really small, lightweight lens that for some reason seems to be off most peoples radar. It really is sharp and contrasty. I use it as a walkabout lens on my Pen F and I'll also carry my Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R for a very light and compact kit that has me covered from 28-200mm in FF terms. Very much looking forward to how you get on with your choices on your trip to Norway.
Never got on with the 14-42, too soft for my taste 😊👍🏻
@@DGriffGallery My copy is reasonably sharp from 14mm to 30mm but from 30mm to 42mm, not so much. Maybe the Panasonic 12-32mm is a better option for a lightweight pancake style lens.
I'm going to Iceland by bike and i'm taking my EP7, leica 9mm, leica 12-60, om 40-150, all fitting in the handlebar bag. I'll probably use the 12-60 the most
Oh I'll bet that'll be a fun trip. Nice. 😊👍
Have a great trip David - looking forward to seeing the results. Interesting that you chose the Pen F over the EM5 mk iii which is weather sealed, but guessing you may not have it anymore or you have another reason.
Possibly because he's taking non weather sealed lenses (the 20mm being the exception) so the weather sealing on the E-M5 would be negated. Just a guess on my part, though.
@@gaoldias good point 😆!
I sold my EM-5 a while back 😊👍🏻
Also I sold the EM-5 😊👍🏻
Whenever I go small and lightweight I usually take my e-m10 mark III and Olympus 12-100 f/4 along with the 25mm f1.8 and 45mm f1.8. That pretty much covers everything I could possibly want for lightweight travel. I've never been disappointed with the IQ from the em10 mark III. Enjoy your trip and look forward to seeing your results.
I find the 12-100 a bit bulky 😊👍🏻
I would bring the same lenses, but the OM5 (or em5iii) and not the PenF because of the weather sealing.
Yeah. I haven’t got either of those at the moment 😊👍🏻
EM5iii is also my choice in this situation. But making long treks in wilderness in Lapland last years I chosen weather sealed 14-45 pro zuiko as the only lens.
The Pen-F is not weather proofed, correct? That is why I love the E-M5 Series
What are your thoughts on the 33-100 over the 14-150 zuiko? Cant wait to see that video Dave, have a great trip.
Hi David, the 35-100 is way better. The issue with the 14-150 is being the FF equiv of 28-300 it suffers from how optics and light work. There's only so much that the glass they can shoe-horn into a light and small lens can do. To make it sharper would mean more elements and more weight and expense, and even then there would be compromises. It's a very handy focal range, but there's a reason that manufacturers settled on a 70-200 equiv for a medium telephoto range. Any longer focal range and the quality degrades due to the laws of physics. Seems to me that the whole point of an interchangeable lens system is to use the better optics and change the glass every now and then 😊👍
@@DGriffGallery so what would be a good intermediate priced lense to cover the longer focal ranges over 150mm?
@@davidrutledge1455 That's easy - MZ 75-300mm 😊👍
Hi David, just getting introduced to your channel. Great stuff! One question: why did you opt for the Pen-F over the E-P7 for your trip?
The F has an EVF and as it was possible the light would be intense I couldn’t take the chance 😊👍🏻
@@DGriffGallery I can respect that reason! LOL Thanks again for your videos.
Just come back from valencia and had the same issues ,do I take my xt5 with a couple of lenses or do I take a travel point and shoot sony rx100v, chose the latter and got some decent images I think ,I did regret it at one point as I would have loved a longer reach the sony only being 24-70 I believe. If your never going back its a tough call ,but I'm more inclined to travel light now,especially with air travel being what it is. Good luck Dave can't wait for the video.
To be honest my quandary wasn't about the option of going as portable as a compact camera. I also have and RX100 and only ever use it as a permanent webcam for business meetings! So it was an easier choice for me. I can understand why you would have gone that route, and you're braver than I in that respect! 😊👍
Very interesting, I'm toying with lightening up. I'm on a EM1-III and usually take 40-150, plus 12-40. bought the 12-100 also in an attempt to cover all, but I miss the better aperture. I stupidly sold the robust EM5-II. I do expeditions and climbing, but also wildlife. I think landscape photography on m43 really can be light, the rest, I'm not so sure. I'd be interested to know if you think you could leave the tripod at home with the OM1?
Hi Jamie, yes you could most certainly leave the tripod at home if all you're concerned about is camera stability. Unfortunately for me my tripod use is entirely to do with refining compositions, and, having set them up, then waiting for light and conditions. So I do still have to lug them about! 😊👍
I don't think there is one right answer here. I'd take the OM-1 for AF and Live ND, but I'd also take a telezoom for wildlife. As long as you're not interested in birds or animals you should be fine. Look forward to see what you get in Northern Norway.
I’m sure it’ll be fine 😊👍🏻
I am a novice. What about bright sunlight and no EVF? I would like the Pen for travel..
The PEN-F does have an EVF, although I never made much use of it, if I’m honest. You’ll see the results of my trip with this gear selection in a later video 😊👍🏻
Have you abandoned Your EP7? :)
Yes, a long time ago. When I mentioned it on video I hadn't found out that when bracketing the camera decides on the exposure values even in Manual. So that was no use to me at all. I have no use for a device which cannot be fully controlled in all circumstances. I had no need of the manufacturer deciding for me how to expose. A pity, as the image quality was excellent. But my switch to PEN-F has been very satisfactory 😊👍
@@DGriffGallery oh, i see. Yes, there is no option to set exposure time in bracketing mode. Options are ISO, aperture, exp. compensation. For my use case it works just fine and actually find it quite convenient 🙂
I am heavy enough 😂so light weight gear is good hope you have a great time look forward to seeing what images you get have a safe journey Burt
Thanks 👍