What Camera to Bring?

[mollydog]

Not too much mention of how important "post production" is now with photography. So much can be done with processing; Photo Shop, Light Room and lots of other applications can transform "average" pics to notable.

Most of my pics here have been shot with various Panasonic Lumix "point & shoot" cameras with Zero digital processing. I just can't be bothered. I'm not selling my pics.

If you are a Pro and make a living with your pics ... then have at it. If you just want decent travel documentation ...then less post processing the better as it's very time consuming. As always, YMMV.

I've heard recently both Sony and Leica mirror-less cameras are really good. Both make fairly small cameras ... neither are inexpensive. Don't know how rugged. My Panasonic Lumix cameras have been quite rugged.

I had 4 Canon's .... they ALL BROKE (numerous times). Never again. Traveling by bike is tough on cameras. Some bring two cameras or plan to buy something on the road to replace a broken one. Thing is ... keep shooting!

The Panasonic, Sony and Leica all have above average lenses. But many other brands will do the job too ... and for less ... although Lumix are quite inexpensive. Sony and Leica ... not so much.

I've owned 4 Lumix, one lost, one given to buddy and I still have two. I'm due for an upgrade. Probably go mirror less. I've never been a Sony fan ... too complicated, too many features I will never use, to hard to do BASIC stuff. But maybe they are better now? Dunno? ALL need PhotoShop to be really good.

More and more travelers just shooting everything on a Phone. New iPhone, pretty impressive results and many have everything on a GoPro, which also makes good sense.

I started out with Nikon film cameras, traveled 7 years with 3 lenses. A PITA.

Switched to digital in the 90's. I'm not good at all the post processing work and editing apps, so still try to get a decent shot to start off with, "the old fashion way", good light, shadow and composition.

Simple basics as taught to me by Ridley Scott, Vitorrio Storaro, Bill Fraker, Fred Elmes and John Toll, just a few of the GREAT Cameramen I worked with over the years. (movies)

Some digi cams are not great in low light. (like my Lumix cameras) I miss Film in this regard. Latitude. To get this in Digital you'll have to do it in post production processing ... which is quite amazing if you know how.
Main thing is ... have fun with it as you learn. You can only get better!

[AnTyx]

Originally Posted by Wanderlost Moto

I have little experience in photography so need something easy to use, and I need it to withstand traveling on a motorcycle.

With that said what are you guys using? I'm looking at mid to high end point and shoots vs DSLR's for compactness and ease of use.

Honestly, at that level I would say just get a high-end cellphone and use its camera.

I've just recently gone through this - replacing my old Olympus TZ-1, which at the time I bought it, was an outstanding compact camera, with its 1-inch sensor offering significantly better quality than just about every pocket camera, nevermind phones. Then a year ago I figured out that my phone - a OnePlus 3, itself not the newest model at that time - had caught up, if not surpassed it.

The truth is that the quality of processing algorithms used by phone cameras is so high these days, that to get photos which are meaningfully better, you need to go for an advantage based on pure physics. That means: the physical size of the sensor (not the megapixel count!), and the physical size of the lens (and as a part of it, the ability to have genuine optical zoom).

In a truly compact camera these days, you are looking at a 1-inch sensor like my old Olympus; one step up from that is a Micro Four Thirds sensor, and one step up from that is an APS-C sensor. Above those are big DSLRs. Micro Four Thirds and APS-C sensors are also in mirrorless cameras - they have interchangeable lenses like DSLRs, but are physically smaller because there is less stuff inside the body. One advantage DSLR has over mirrorless is that the mirror protects the sensor while you are changing lenses - safer on the road and in dusty conditions.

What I ended up with is a Sony A5100, the entry-level mirrorless camera. It was cheap - under 500 euros with two lenses and an SD card, when ordered from America via a friend. It makes better photos than my phone, but anything below it would not. If I was choosing a model now, I would go slightly above in models - get something like the Sony A6300, for some extra features like a microphone input for video.

----

So realistically, if you don't want to just use your phone, you want a mirrorless APS-C or smaller DSLR camera with a wide-angle lens (from around 16-18mm up to about 50-60mm) and a telephoto lens (e.g. mine is 55mm-210mm), plus maybe a really good night-time lens, which will usually not have a zoom at all (both Nikon and Canon have cheap 50mm f1.8 lenses for this; for my Sony there is a slightly more expensive but very well-reviewed Sigma f1.4 35mm lens). If you go with a DSLR, your choice is Canon or Nikon - the difference between them is really just personal preference, I think Canon has slightly better availability/support around the world. If you go mirrorless, Sony's a5000-a6000 series cameras are the best cheap option.

[AnTyx]

Originally Posted by Wanderlost Moto

If I had a dslr I’d probably just take that with me but they are generally above my camera budget.

I've seen an entry-level Canon DSLR with a kit lens on sale in big electronics shops in Germany for as little as 300 euros. New.

Yes, to get the most out of a DSLR you need to play with it and learn about the different modes and functions. But a DSLR in "automatic" mode used the same as a point-and-shoot, will still produce better pictures than a phone or pocket point-and-shoot would, just due to the advantage in sensor size and lens.

[Samy]

Originally Posted by arbr0972

To touch on OPs question, I am really looking at bringing the Sony a7Rii with me on a multi year trip. Like OP I really want a camera that will do the sights and scenery justice. Ill be packing as a minimalist and riding an XR650L on a multi year/continent trip...
Is it incredibly impractical to bring such a high end camera+ one or two lenses with me?

Im quite sure Ill have the room for it and will be able to protect it from the elements, but it scares me to bring anything that expensive on such a trip. Just wondering what some thoughts on this might be.

You can save your A7RII and lenses with foams and foamy or thick pouches. Most important thing to consider is motorbike vibration especially at the top case. Better to keep your photo gear in the tnk case or rucksack. So no problem.

You can easily find them on ebay..

[Samy]

If you are a serious amateur or really into photography nothing beats the DSLR. You talk about budget so we can forget DSLRs, but a second hand 6000 series Sony mirrorless can fit in with extra batteries. Then you should find a good zoom.

I have a Canon DSLR with 14 lenses

But for long trips mostly I take Sony RX100 II with me and quite happy with the results.

So my two other advices are :

https://www.sony.com/electronics/cyb...as/dsc-rx100m5

https://www.sony.com/pk/electronics/...ras/dsc-rx10m3

https://www.dpreview.com/news/041491...o-capabilities

RX10 III is more towards DSLR with a great zoom range.

If I would going to make a long trip I would definitely buy RX10 if not have a mirrorless ...

[AnTyx]

Originally Posted by Samy

If I would going to make a long trip I would definitely buy RX10 if not have a mirrorless ...

I tested a friend's RX10 on a weekend trip before getting my little a5100... it's a great bridge camera, but it doesn't quite have the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.

[Wanderlost Moto]

Originally Posted by mollydog

Not too much mention of how important "post production" is now with photography. So much can be done with processing; Photo Shop, Light Room and lots of other applications can transform "average" pics to notable.

Most of my pics here have been shot with various Panasonic Lumix "point & shoot" cameras with Zero digital processing. I just can't be bothered. I'm not selling my pics.

If you are a Pro and make a living with your pics ... then have at it. If you just want decent travel documentation ...then less post processing the better as it's very time consuming. As always, YMMV.

I've heard recently both Sony and Leica mirror-less cameras are really good. Both make fairly small cameras ... neither are inexpensive. Don't know how rugged. My Panasonic Lumix cameras have been quite rugged.

I had 4 Canon's .... they ALL BROKE (numerous times). Never again. Traveling by bike is tough on cameras. Some bring two cameras or plan to buy something on the road to replace a broken one. Thing is ... keep shooting!

The Panasonic, Sony and Leica all have above average lenses. But many other brands will do the job too ... and for less ... although Lumix are quite inexpensive. Sony and Leica ... not so much.

I've owned 4 Lumix, one lost, one given to buddy and I still have two. I'm due for an upgrade. Probably go mirror less. I've never been a Sony fan ... too complicated, too many features I will never use, to hard to do BASIC stuff. But maybe they are better now? Dunno? ALL need PhotoShop to be really good.

More and more travelers just shooting everything on a Phone. New iPhone, pretty impressive results and many have everything on a GoPro, which also makes good sense.

I started out with Nikon film cameras, traveled 7 years with 3 lenses. A PITA.

Switched to digital in the 90's. I'm not good at all the post processing work and editing apps, so still try to get a decent shot to start off with, "the old fashion way", good light, shadow and composition.

Simple basics as taught to me by Ridley Scott, Vitorrio Storaro, Bill Fraker, Fred Elmes and John Toll, just a few of the GREAT Cameramen I worked with over the years. (movies)

Some digi cams are not great in low light. (like my Lumix cameras) I miss Film in this regard. Latitude. To get this in Digital you'll have to do it in post production processing ... which is quite amazing if you know how.
Main thing is ... have fun with it as you learn. You can only get better!

Thanks (again) for the helpful advice Mollydog.

I am far from dreaming of being a professional photographer but mostly just want to be able to capture my journey with as much clarity as possible, but on top of that I would like to gain some photograph skills through my experiences.

I have a tendency while preparing for this trip to want to make sure I get the best things possible to enhance my trip but have to keep myself in check and understand the “things” don’t make the trip and my trip won’t suffer because I don’t have top of the line (fill in the blank).

That being said I do want a camera that I’ll be able to grow/experiment with past the basics. So I do appreciate your input! I’ll take a look at the lumix series as that sounds like it’s treating you well over the years!

Als want to thank you for such a thorough and thoughtful response. I appreciate how much care and information you’re patient enough to pass along!!

[Wanderlost Moto]

Originally Posted by AnTyx

Honestly, at that level I would say just get a high-end cellphone and use its camera.

I've just recently gone through this - replacing my old Olympus TZ-1, which at the time I bought it, was an outstanding compact camera, with its 1-inch sensor offering significantly better quality than just about every pocket camera, nevermind phones. Then a year ago I figured out that my phone - a OnePlus 3, itself not the newest model at that time - had caught up, if not surpassed it.

The truth is that the quality of processing algorithms used by phone cameras is so high these days, that to get photos which are meaningfully better, you need to go for an advantage based on pure physics. That means: the physical size of the sensor (not the megapixel count!), and the physical size of the lens (and as a part of it, the ability to have genuine optical zoom).

In a truly compact camera these days, you are looking at a 1-inch sensor like my old Olympus; one step up from that is a Micro Four Thirds sensor, and one step up from that is an APS-C sensor. Above those are big DSLRs. Micro Four Thirds and APS-C sensors are also in mirrorless cameras - they have interchangeable lenses like DSLRs, but are physically smaller because there is less stuff inside the body. One advantage DSLR has over mirrorless is that the mirror protects the sensor while you are changing lenses - safer on the road and in dusty conditions.

What I ended up with is a Sony A5100, the entry-level mirrorless camera. It was cheap - under 500 euros with two lenses and an SD card, when ordered from America via a friend. It makes better photos than my phone, but anything below it would not. If I was choosing a model now, I would go slightly above in models - get something like the Sony A6300, for some extra features like a microphone input for video.

----

So realistically, if you don't want to just use your phone, you want a mirrorless APS-C or smaller DSLR camera with a wide-angle lens (from around 16-18mm up to about 50-60mm) and a telephoto lens (e.g. mine is 55mm-210mm), plus maybe a really good night-time lens, which will usually not have a zoom at all (both Nikon and Canon have cheap 50mm f1.8 lenses for this; for my Sony there is a slightly more expensive but very well-reviewed Sigma f1.4 35mm lens). If you go with a DSLR, your choice is Canon or Nikon - the difference between them is really just personal preference, I think Canon has slightly better availability/support around the world. If you go mirrorless, Sony's a5000-a6000 series cameras are the best cheap option.

This is extremely helpful to know. I have an iPhone 7 that I’ll be bringing with me for general internet connectivity when needed, gps usage and quick pic/vid taking but still want to have a camera that will give me more options and tools to play with.

I’ve been looking at the Sony A6000 but am on the fence as to whether I’d want I drop $800 on a camera and lenses. Maybe something in the A5000’s would serve me just fine as well.

Hmmm, if only money grew on trees.

[Wanderlost Moto]

Originally Posted by AnTyx

I've seen an entry-level Canon DSLR with a kit lens on sale in big electronics shops in Germany for as little as 300 euros. New.

Yes, to get the most out of a DSLR you need to play with it and learn about the different modes and functions. But a DSLR in "automatic" mode used the same as a point-and-shoot, will still produce better pictures than a phone or pocket point-and-shoot would, just due to the advantage in sensor size and lens.

Oh wow. That’s much cheaper than the cameras I’ve been looking at. Haha.

I have a couple amateur photographer friends whom all seem to be fans of Canon that I was thinking about asking if they had any dslr’s they would be willing to part with also. Just a thought.

[mollydog]

https://www.dpreview.com

dp review is my favorite US based Photo review site. I've used them before and they make filtering through dozens of cameras easier for me.

Here is my Next camera! (will be released in a week or two)

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pan...mc-zs200-tz200

Yes, another Lumix. I really looked at the Sony's ... but the Lumix has more Zoom range, a 1" sensor and more. Plus, I know the Lumix and trust it. That said, I will still pay extra for an extended warranty.

This one is not cheap but should be a nice step up from what I have now.
It's about $800. (really not bad in grand scheme)

Good shopping!

[AnTyx]

Originally Posted by Wanderlost Moto

I have a couple amateur photographer friends whom all seem to be fans of Canon that I was thinking about asking if they had any dslr’s they would be willing to part with also. Just a thought.

That is definitely a good thought.

Established brands like Canon and Nikon have a very long back catalog of lenses, because the mount has stayed the same. Photographers often change up to a new body because it works with their old lenses, and offers some incremental improvement that they really care about. But those incremental improvements are not as big as the jump from a phone/pocket cam to a DSLR/mirrorless, and it is an absolutely legitimate path to buy something like a three-year-old DSLR body in good condition. You might even get a kit lens thrown in with it.

Also, for example: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...l_t6_dslr.html It's technology from DSLRs a few generations old, put into a small body, and it comes with a close-range lens and a really far-reaching zoom lens (so you can photograph rice paddies from across the mountain valley). And it's cheap. Serious photographers will gripe, but this will take meaningfully better photos than an iPhone.

[AnTyx]

Originally Posted by mollydog

Here is my Next camera! (will be released in a week or two)

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pan...mc-zs200-tz200

That's a whole lotta zoom in your pocket! Not sure I would recommend something like that to the OP, but you seem like you know exactly why you're after it, and I can definitely see the appeal.

One thing to mention. I do press photography occasionally (e.g. Gallery: Nostalgia for summer at the Tallinn Motor Show 2018 - Estonian World), and I've found in the past that while my pocket 1" Olympus definitely made photos that were good enough for Web use, I just wasn't getting the same level of respect with it. Now with my A5100 and a big lens on it, I can push my way to the front and tell people to get out of the shot, and they listen!

[mollydog]

As I mentioned, I used Nikon film cameras for years, a few years ago bought a big Canon DSLR. Great camera for the pros ... but for me traveling, useless.

Way too big, takes up TOO MUCH room in luggage with two lenses, too easily damaged and a big Theft magnet in certain environments. You pull out that BIG GUN ... and everybody stops ... and looks at you! I hate that!

I am not impressed with the Zoom quality of this latest Lumix and don't really need the 350mm reach it has. It's way slow when zoomed out, but I rarely use it that way and have used them before. It is quite good up to about 150mm or so
and 24mm is wide enough for casual travel use. (pros always carry a 14mm or 18mm super wide lens ... BIG MONEY)

Low light work is not great on these Lumix big zoom cameras, but as a small pocket travel camera that is always there and ready, it's not a bad choice.

Some spend $3000 to $5000 usd on cameras and lenses ... and it only takes one good drop and you've got nothing! Most pros carry a nice, small 2nd camera along. You have to be quite vigilant about where you leave your camera bag as well, so you always end up lugging it with. With my pocket camera, it's never a bother to bring along.

Me? For back up I sometimes carry my old Lumix, just in case the main one gets damaged. It's so small, no big deal. I put it in a little hard case and forget about it.

But it's all very personal and there are no bad choices really. One thing I love about ALL my Lumix cameras is how well they do Video. Amazing!

[Wanderlost Moto]

So after shopping around and comparing and contrasting I ended up picking up a Sony A6000 while I was up in Portland last week! Got it for the cheapest price I could find it online but without the sales tax and shipping.

I appreciate all the feedback and guidance on this subject and can't wait to get to begin figuring out this camera over the next few months.

Thanks!

[mollydog]

Great camera! What lens (lenses) did you get with it?

The B&H Photo Kit prices have good 2 lens deals ... but man, some of those Sony lens are pricey!

Let us know how it's working for you! I decided to wait a bit on the new Lumix and see how the reviews start stacking up. I may end up with one of the Sony cameras as well.