paul_brenner1 Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>Will be hiking in the Sierra end of August, five days with no electricity, so need to take enough charged batteries. Also need to travel light.Want a zoom range of 24/28 - 120/140.<br>My current Canon Cameras have drawbacks:<br>S100 - want better quality<br>EOS-M - not the right lenses available; EFS lenses with adapter add a lot of weight<br>T4i - too heavy<br>__________<br>Don't need APS quality but would like more than S-100 and similar cameras. The G1-X Mk II seems perfect, but 3rd party NB-12L batteries not available; not going to pay $55 per for four additional batteries.<br>I'm partial to Canon; should I consider G1-X Mk I? G16 even though same sensor as S-100 class?<br>Is another make/model so compelling I should consider it?<br> Maybe I should rent something like the G1-X Mk I, then buy four batteries for $10 each from Wasabi...<br>I know I've thrown a lot here; would love thoughts.<br>Thanks,<br>Paul</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phule Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>[[EOS-M - not the right lenses available;]]</p> <p>EF-M 11-22, 18-55 are available now. <br /> The EF-M 55-200 should be available shortly.</p> <p>Otherwise, the SL1 maybe? </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>Check out the Nikon V1. The 10-30 and/or 30-110 kit zooms are the best values (2.7x factor, so 10mm is equivalent to 27mm at the widest end). The 6.7-13mm zoom (18-35mm equivalent) is expensive.</p> <p>The EN-EL15 batteries and clones last pretty long if you use the EVF rather than the rear LCD. Compact kit with good optical stabilization in the lens. Keep the ISO under 400 for best results.</p> <p>Add the Flipbac G4 stick-on rubber grip doodad and it's easy to handle one-handed too. I usually use my thumb on the generously sized shutter release button for one-handed use, horizontal or vertical, with my little finger tucked under for stabilization. I made a quick adjust wrist/neck lanyard from paracord that loops through only the right side strap loop. Very handy when I want one hand free for my walking cane.</p> <p>The V1 is a bit quirky, though probably no worse than the EOS M, and the AF is much quicker. V1 is very rugged too.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>Thanks!<br> Rob, I actually have those two EOS-M lenses (11-22 gray market, spectacular lens). But 55 not long enough.<br> Lex, while I'm a Canon guy, I will look into the V1.<br> <br />Paul</p> <div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 8, 2014 Author Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>One more pic with 11-22mm (smaller file size).</p><div></div> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric_arnold Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>i'd think about a Sony RX100 or the G1x. full-featured all-in-one compacts make a lot of sense for hiking or anything where weight is as important a concern as image quality. Sony seems to have eked more goodness out of the 1" sensor than Nikon 1, especially at high-ISO. the G1x mkII's faster lens is a lot more appealing than its predecessor, but neither has great autofucus and the mk1 is considerably less expensive.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lex_jenkins Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>Yeah, the Sony RX100 models and RX10 are definitely worth considering, depending on your budget. The original RX100 is a really good value now. Sony used its own sensor rather than the Aptina sensor used by Nikon. The Nikon 1 system's strength is sheer speed, not IQ. If you don't need that edge in speed, you may get better results from the Sony.</p> <p>The EOS-M IQ is so good in such a small package I'd be tempted to try to make it work. The V1 can't touch it at ISO 1600 or higher - although the V1 can autofocus in really dim lighting.</p> <p>I got the Fuji X-A1 a few months ago for the excellent IQ in a reasonably compact package, but it does burn through the batteries much more quickly than the V1 - I can't get through an entire daylong session with the X-A1 and only one battery. I bought a couple of Wasabi spares with charger for $26 and they seem to work just fine.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r22eng Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 The Fuji X Series is a contender depending on your budget. I would consider taking the X20 and four spare batteries. The X20 can give 250 Raw pictures per battery. The upper limit on the zoom is 118. The other option is a film camera and ten rolls of 36 exposure slide/film. This gets you 360 pictures. The problem with a Mamiya 7 is you won't even come close to the tele range you are looking for. Enjoy the hiking! Ricky Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phule Posted July 8, 2014 Share Posted July 8, 2014 <p>[[. But 55 not long enough.]</p> <p>Which is why Canon is releasing the EF-M 55-200mm this month.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 <p>Thanks all! Rob, good point. Was hoping to have one lens with adequate (for me) zoom range; but maybe the best answer is EOS-M with two lenses. Otherwise, maybe will rent the G1-X Mk I for a week and pop for extra Wasabi batteries. But will also look further into Sony and Fuji.<br> Paul</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthings Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 Paul, where did you get the 11-22 for EOS-M? I don't think this or the soon to be released 55-200 are being sold in the US which just makes me gnash my teeth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phule Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 <p>[[Was hoping to have one lens with adequate (for me) zoom range]]<br> Panasonic FZ1000? </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 9, 2014 Author Share Posted July 9, 2014 <p>Bought it "gray market" from a dealer on ebay. Check out my two pics in this thread if you haven't already; both taken at 11mm. Not appropriate for many scenes, but for the right ones...and the lens is incredibly sharp.<br> <br />Paul</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justthings Posted July 9, 2014 Share Posted July 9, 2014 <p>Ah, all the sellers on ebay appear to all be overseas, but that might have to be the direction i go if i want a UWA. I have the 22mm and love that. I'm not sure how good a camera the EOS-M is for an extended backpacking trip though, it eats batteries like crazy.. i can get about half a day of shooting out of one, that would be my biggest concern. I wonder if a solar charger would be an option.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 10, 2014 Author Share Posted July 10, 2014 <p>I'm not concerned about batteries for the EOS-M: I have several spares (Wasabi) and would get several more, as cheap as they are. Have had good experience with Wasabi's. Will not be photographing continuously.<br> Maybe the answer is the EOS-M with the 18-55 and 55-200 (if I can find the latter gray market at a decent price. Not being released in the U.S. (GRRR!)</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted July 13, 2014 Share Posted July 13, 2014 <p>I have fancy eos and large format lenses and cameras, but Canon's G series is my go-to for hiking and travel. (9,12, 1x). Yes the optical finders are cr*ppy, but the batteries go on forever if I keep the lcd screen off, and the simplicity of not having to change lenses and light weight outweighs the slight increase in image quality with the larger systems. </p> <p>I also find a small Manfrotto table top tripod with small ball head invaluable, mine is 209.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 14, 2014 Author Share Posted July 14, 2014 <p>WT, your post really resonated: I also have EOS AND large format cameras and lenses; but also had a G9 which I loved (and gave to my son) and as you can see from this chain, am intrigued by the G1X. Which model do you have, Mk I or II? Strengths/weaknesses?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
w_t1 Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 <p>Paul, I have the Mk1. I bought a couple of months ago from B&H. If I buy new digital cams, I tend to buy them at the end of their life cycle. I was aware of all the shortcomings of this camera when I bought it. I'm normally a scenic/static type photographer with my g series, but use them a lot with kids and sports grab shots. Since I've had the G1x I haven't picked up the g12 or g9 other than to take the memory cards out to use elsewhere....if I was a smart man I'd put them on ebay, as the wife says...Bott om line is I'm very happy with the g1x. I am not a pixel peeper, and probably have "lower" standards than some here.</p> <p>I will say the only drawback I've noticed was last weekend was doing some grab video at one of my kids swim meets, on the pool deck, my son and another kid were talking, and zoomed at the widest it wasn't focused on the kids, I was way too close, like a head was filling the frame....anyway lesson learned and I had forgotten about the limited close focus. I did buy a +5 or something diopter when I bought the cam for macro shots. I do miss the extended zoom of the g9, but it's not a deal breaker. Tom</p> <p> </p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_brenner1 Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 <p>Tom, thanks for the detailed comments.<br> Everyone, FYI,after all my research and the great help here, I'm coming around to the G16 (unless the G1-X Mk ii batteries become available from Wasabi and still might go with the G16). Considerations:<br> Satisfactory image quality<br> Satisfactory zoom range<br> Good max apertures<br> Ability to use filters<br> Size/weight<br> Digic 6 processor<br> Rudimentary viewfinder as a fall-back (and I'm well familiar with its shortcomings, having had a G9!)<br> Wasabi batteries available<br> None of these characteristics are unique, but as everything is a compromise, this seems to be the best for my purposes.<br />Paul</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now