What Camera Do You Use?

[stormdog]

I love the Canon G5, purchased mine around 2004, bit of a brick but still use it today. I know they still have a great reputation for reliability and are still in demand on auction sites. Mine is still on its original battery, and lasts for long periods between charge. Although only 5 mp has a great lens and produces excellent prints up to A4.

The camera has been used in pretty extreme conditions mountaineering, touring and mountain biking. Rain does not seem to bother it, and it fits easily into my bar bag. All round my ideal camera and I hope it continues to function for a good few years yet. I wonder how many of the present offerings would suffer the same level of abuse that my G5 has?

[George Hetrick]

I love the Canon G5, purchased mine around 2004, bit of a brick but still use it today.

I still have my G3 (but have replaced the battery). I don't take a lot of pictures, but having the zoom is really nice, and lets me get the picture I want.

[StuntPilot]

I agree that the Canon G9 and G series in general is an excellent choice for cycle touring. The Nikon P7800 is also very good and I took it on my tour last year. Compact, and quality photos. Also does 1080 video.

I recently researched a better quality camera for touring as I am looking more towards doing more movies, as well as still photography.

One camera that kept appearing as a recommendation was the Panasonic Lumix GH2. Its almost 7 years since it was launched, but can still be found second hand. Luckily I found one and the lens for a good price. Its a Micro 4/3rd system and mirrorless so is actually much more compact and much lighter than DSLR cameras. I have found the movie and still quality fantastic. Sharp, great tonal range, good lens with the 14 - 45mm (28 - 90mm in full frame equivalent).

Here is a cycle tour filmed exclusively on the Lumix GH2 ...

http://www.bikepacking.com/plog/megamoon/

It can also be 'hacked' to improve the recording quality with fantastic results. Here is a taster if you are into making movies with this camera ...

http://osgfilms.com/gh2-quickstart/

And a guide to hacking it ...

http://www.sam-mallery.com/2011/11/an-ez-guide-to-hacking-the-panasonic-gh2/

Of course, not everyone is into this stuff but thought I would post in case you were! A few more examples ...

https://vimeo.com/channels/gh2

 

[mickeg]

I still use the same cameras that I said I used above in September 2013, over four years ago.

[Pavel]

I find it odd that people always ask "what camera" rather than what I consider the more important question "which lenses".  Once that lens question is answered the system and body tend to fall into place quickly when weight, size and terrain are factored in.  Much like bicycles however, camera systems and lenses contain a strong N+1 factor.

The things I look for are good manual focus override, as in cycling I can't think of any reason to use autofocus - well, except maybe inside of a pub after a few good brews, and I like systems where I con't have too many filter sizes.  I always carry a polarizer and one or two ND filters.  I also tend to find minimum focus distance an important thing. Especially with a wide lens such as a 24 or 21 equivalent.  It makes for nicely forced perspective for things like flowers and coastline and the bike itself inside the scene, if you want to make it prominent.  If I carry two lenses it will always be either a 24 or 21 along with a 60 - preferably a macro.  On days with three, I struggle with either 21,24 and 60, or one of those wides along with the 60 and also either a 135 (or there abouts) or a 90.  I almost never carry a zoom, even though I've got plenty of them.  Somehow I value the light gathering of a primes as well as the more creative possibilities imparted by needing to use my feet.  Zooms make me lazy and the results tend to show it.  As for the brand?  Whichever has ergonomics that fit one's mind best.  It hardly matters other than that.

[PH]

I find it odd that people always ask "what camera" rather than what I consider the more important question "which lenses". 

I find that an odd place to start. 
Sensor size dictates the size of both body and lenses, which in turn dictates quality, performance, weight and usually cost.  It's here the compromise is made - how much you're prepared to carry Vs what quality you'll accept.  Once you've decided on that, the question is between fixed or changeable lens, if you go for the latter then all systems have roughly equivalent lenses. 
Micro 4/3 is the right compromise for me, I have two bodies, the diminutive GM1 and the chunkier GX80 (same sensor, different features) and three lenses, one prime and two zooms (I carry two at most)
Like with bikes there comes a point when the equipment is more capable than the user, this is the case for me with both, but it's nice to know the kit isn't holding me back.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phbike/
   

[Pavel]

I looked at your flickr site.  One thing you do well in some of those shots is to show just how steep the hills are. Many cyclists don't shoot those hills so that one can really feel it like that.  I can tell for sure - I'd be walking up.

[Fred A-M]

Back on the forum for the first time in 5 years out of necessity and interested to read the updates to this this thread and thought I'd add an update from a semi-professional photographer as Ive since done a fair bit of research into what constitutes the best and most versatile travel photography camera.  My interest was primarily want something compact and discrete but offering the highest possible quality - which needless to say is likely to suit the  more discerning ohotographer/cycle tourer. 

Having been a Canon disciple for many years, I owned and still own a 5DIII and various lenses and tripods, none of which was in any way suited to carrying on a bike - and in reply to someone raising the issue of lenses, yes they are very important, but again this very much boils down to your hopes and expectations.   

If you just want a reasonable and reliable point and shoot to have snapshots of your travels, there's plenty from all the main brands out there. If you are looking for something a little better there's a review of the Fuji X-T100 here (£500, but rest assured you won't get better quality for the price), which also lists some alternatives to look at : https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilm-x-t100/9   The only downside to this particular Fuji is its autofocus isn't great if you are wanting to use it for action pics, but will give you great affordable quality for pretty much anything else.

My personal all-purpose weapon of choice is the Fujx 100F, the latest in the Fuji100 series, and voted the best travel camera by those in the industry, and I use it as mentioned for street photography - it has a 35mm equivalent fixed lens, but if a zoom lens is a necessity the Fuji X-T20 is also well worth considering - similar quality in many ways to the X100F, but ultimately it depends how much of a camera purist you are and what you want it for - the X-T20 will ultimately be more versatile as you can change lenses and have one zoom to cover most needs - if budget is no issue, look at the X-T2, same spec as the X-T20 but with more features and video capability and is water-proofed.   

An updated selection of my own personal interest work here as the previous link provided in 2013 is now outdated:  https://www.picturethis-photo.co.uk/f66906644 

The street photography stuff is all Fuji (XT-10 (no longer available new) & X100f, where is the rest is all Canon - thanks for looking if you do!


     

[rafiki]

For my general photography I use a Canon EOS 5D MkIV and a 5DS R with a range of lenses. I've looked at ways of safely carrying one camera and a 70-200 mm zoom lens around with me on my daily rides in the countryside but I've not found a suitable solution. So, recently, I bought the new Sony RX100M6. It is tiny and has a 24- 200 mm equivalent zoom lens. Together with my Bresser lightweight binoculars the Sony has filled the gap for me. The quality is superb, the zoom range adequate. I found it a bit fiddly at first compared with the 5D cameras of course but it makes an ideal lightweight travel camera.

[John Saxby]

Brian, let me start with a disclaimer:  I take photos, but I wouldn't really describe myself as a photographer. Back in the Days of Film (around the same time as the Days of Steam, as I recall) I used a nice Pentax SLR, with several lenses.

I've had a couple of compact point-and-shoots, a Pentax and a Nikon.  Those have worked well for my limited purposes & capabilities.  Fur years ago, however, having equipped myself with a Raven-mit-SON-dynamo, I figured I'd better upgrade my camera to something that could accept a USB charging cable and give me a better wide-angle capability.  (I'd just finished a tour in Mittel Europa, and the architecture and street angles overwhelmed my P50 Nikon.)

Four years ago, I bought a Panasonic Lumix ZS40, which had all those features, and includes a digital viewfinder as well.  It wasn't cheap, Cdn$ 450 + sales tax, but it has performed very well in the years since.  Only problem was that the battery conked out almost immediately after I bought it, and it was so new that most Panasonic dealers didn't stock the batt; and, you could only use the specified Panasonic replacement, not some no-name after market item, thank you very much.  (I did finally get the original batt replaced under warranty, and bought another as backup--for $75, mind--which of course hasn't been used in the four years since...)

Some of controls are a little too closely placed for my fingers--I sometime touch the video button instead of the zoom/shutter button right beside it, for example.  But, the 22 - 200 zoom is great, the extra-wide-angle especially; ditto its compact-and-light size and weight; and the battery easily handles a day's photos at resolution one level below maximum.  On tour, I recharge the batt at night every 2-3 days, using my Anker power bank (refuelled by the SON dynamo).

The camera has a wifi capability, but I don't use that.

Hope that's useful.  I'd certainly buy the camera again.

Cheers,  John

[martinf]

I often take photos of insects and plants, so I like to have an articulated screen and a very close macro focus of 1 or 2 cm.

I happily used a Canon A610 for several years, until I lost it during survey work. The Canon had the bonus (for me) of using standard AA cells, so it was cheap to have spares for long trips away from home. Picture quality was pretty good considering the small sensor size.

When I lost the A610 a few years ago, the only relatively small camera that I could find with the two features I wanted was the Nikon P7700. This does everything I want but is a bit more sophisticated than I really need, and is a wee bit heavier and bulkier than I would like.

If buying now I would probably go for the Canon Powershot 730HS, this is a bit simpler, smaller and lighter.

[bikepacker]

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Fellows get together at the RPS where one of the discussions centred on if you could only have one of your digital cameras which one would it be. Without hesitation I said it would be my Panasonic LX100 as I deem it to be my best all-round camera. I do have a Fuji X100 with a great prime lens, a Nikon DSLR which is great for taking pictures of my daughter in running events and a couple of Canon compacts. But the LX100 is my go to if I ever want both quality and flexibility.

Just ordered the new LX100 ii.

[jags]

have you any pics of me on that camera Alan  .

anto.

[bikepacker]

You know I don't take many pictures on bike rides but I did get your backside going into Tipperary. 

[jags]

  hah i remember that hows things Alan.
im still off the bike i was told by a so called expert i have a trapped nevrve in my back and only cure is to stretch, i waited 3 years for this advice  .
i only use the bike the odd time to head up to pitch n putt club other side of town.


have you been on many tours since i seen you.

Anto