What photography gear do you use?

The Gear Shed
1

Good morning all.

I’m interested in what gear you all carry.

DSRL? Micro 4/3rds? Action cameras, etc…?
Which lenses?
What has and what hasn’t worked for you?
How do you protect and waterproof your kit?
What would you change?
Maybe, if you feel like it, what software for editing too?

And perhaps even reasoning.

I think let’s leave the obvious which is our phones, which is pretty much the case for most.

Thanks.
Carl.

2

Hi Carl
I have been through different equipment over the years. Sony first then Canon, but what has transformed by mountain photography is Olympus. At a certain point it stops being practical to carry a tripod, two lenses and a DSLR into the mountains on a multi-day hike. The extra weight really makes the trip tough. A one day hike, sure, which is generally the best for mountain shots, when you are aiming for a pre-known spot but on multiday hikes impossible
So why Olympus…specifically Olympus EM10-Mark3

  1. It has the top Steady-shot capability over all brands, so no tripod required even in low light
  2. It is ultra-sharp, superb kit lens
  3. It has the built in ability to take star trails - You can watch the image take shape…also great for light painting late at night… (with not overexposing continual light sources)
  4. It has top depth of field owing to th 4/3 format, creating possibility beyond other brands
  5. Most of all its really small, extremely compact and I can carry it in my raincoat pocket. So lighter than any alternative…Also you can pick up a second hand deal at a brilliant price
  6. Its 2xcrop factor built in, so a 300mm lens, the size of a coke can, becomes a 600mm f6 lens of high quality great for wildlife and birds if so inclined…and you can handhold it thanks to the steady shot. The lens only costs R8000
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3

Hi Tony. What is the weight of your Olympus camera and lens?

4

Hi Izak. The Olympus (EM10M3) is 520g with a 14-42 lens (think 28mm-84mm on fullframe). My Canon DSLR EOS200D (similar price range for Canon) with 18-55 lens (think 28-84) weighs 660g. The Canon is made of Solid plastic, and is noticeably bigger. Think inside rucksack rather then in pocket. The olympus is made of metal, with a solid build, and has all the features of the Canon + More…Its noticeably sharper, and has a built in 2x zoom switch without any quality loss. Very useful to push to 160mm on fullframe if needed and has 1x Macro capability if used carefully.

A more recent competition from Canon is the M50 Mirrorless. See comparison here
It does not have steadyshot though (so tripod often required) and lower battery use.

5

Like Tonygoy I too found my way to Olympus replacing Canon specifically because of the size for travelling with guests - also so as not to usurp them with their gear and big plus it all fits in as carry on luggage. Olympus OMD Em5 ii with a scattering of lenses

But I got to Olympus from a Panasonic GF1 which I brought specifically for Kilimanjaro together with the 14mm f 2.5 pancake (equivalent 28mm) 20mm f 1.7 Pancake (equivalent 40mm) and the collapsable Olympus 9-18mm zoom lens.
For me I wanted Publish grade optics and that setup certainly lived up to it.
Unfortunately Panasonic lost the direction after the GF1 with the GF range the GM5 is an attractive option too.

9 years later and Ive converted to Olympus love its 40-150 f2.8 Pro lens with 1.4 extender (equivalent 80-300) and that 75-300 zoom (equivalent 150-600). Their 45mm f1.8 (equivalent 90) is also a show stealing lens.
Samyang make a ridiculously small 7.5mm f3.5 manual focus fisheye lens (equivalent 15mm)
The 300mm f4 (equivalent 600) is on my list when I go to the OMD em1 mkiii

For ultralight weight Im using a Canon SX740 camera with 2 batteries - this lasts me a 6 day hike its 24-960mm lens is really useful. 4k is great and Image Stabilisation is actually useful.
The Panasonic FX80 is another good option that has a really useful 20mm wide angle and 1200mm long lens is actually very attractive for its larger size
But if I had no budget then the Sony RX100vii would be my mountain camera of choice. with its 24-200mm f2.8 - f4.5 lens and 1 inch 20MP sensor coupled to a magnificent autofocus system its worth its price (to some people). Most importantly its 4k video accepts a mic input.

One last thing the Canon and Olympus integrate really well with your mobile phone to control it via wifi and download images to share via WhatsApp quickly.

Ooohhh one last last thing - Olympus Live view (the multiple exposure stacking star trail mode) is the absolute bomb - not seen this integrated in a camera as well as Olympus.

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6

Lots of great ideas here.

7

I’ve been using a Canon 200D with 18-55mm kit lens for the last 6 years with great success. Small and light DSLR with amazing battery life and sufficient image quality for my needs.

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