What is your expedition camera of choice if you could only choose one? Or two?

LilPoppa

Adventurer
My secondary/Backup camera (Panasonic GM5) has quickly taken over all the casual photo duties when I'm camping and hiking. It all packs up into a small easy to carry bag I can put on my belt. The weight is so small that adding it to a day pack is no problem. And it's versatile enough that I can use it for most photography in a pinch. The only time I have to haul out the heavy main camera is when I'm doing serious photography and all other considerations are secondary.

Did they discontinue this camera? Or is there a new model? I can't find it in stock anywhere.
 

Kerensky97

Xterra101
Did they discontinue this camera? Or is there a new model? I can't find it in stock anywhere.
Yeah its discontinued I had to get mine used. Everybody with a GM5 wants them to make an update, but instead they made GF8 and GX850 both are slightly larger and neither impressed me enough to want to upgrade.

There GM5 was shockingly small, to the point where you pick it up and think it's a joke. But it really works and has a good solid feel.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 

kojackJKU

Autism Family Travellers!
Have a look at my recommended Fuji X-S1. Big zoom, feels like a professional DSLR, no extra lenses needed. Takes AMAZING photos, and paired with this little brother the X10 I have a complete travel setup. Take the X10 with me around the city, and the X-S1 in the back country. Both cameras are set exactly the same and take the same photos.
 

Kerensky97

Xterra101
Do you have any thoughts about the RX100 M3 vs GM5? I've got the former, and wish I had interchangeable lenses (mostly for higher optical range), so the GM5 offering is intriguing.
I loved the The RX100 M3 I had before the GM5, I wouldn't have upgraded if it hadn't slipped out of my pocket and broken. The 3,4,5 versions are all great depending on which you can afford.

But I know what you say about wanting to change lenses. When there's some wildlife in the distance you just don't have the zoom capability to really get a good picture. You're limited to wide angle shots that work well from a scenic overlook, but you can't zoom in on any detail.

Plus the last two smalish cameras I had were ruined by things that could have been fixed on an interchangeable lens camera. The RX100m3 the lens assembly was damaged but the rest was still good, I could have just swapped out a new lens and kept the body. The camera before that got too much dust on the sensor and you have to completely dismantle these cameras to get access and clean it. On an interchangeable lens camera it's as easy as taking of the lens and blowing it out.

The GM5 fixes all those issues but it's just not quite a pocket camera anymore. To take it to a concert in my jeans pocket I have to split the lens and body and carry them separately. There is a loss in convenience but on the other hand I feel like it was a major increase in capabilities being able to swap out a tiny zoom lens onto the camera.
 

Frdmskr

Adventurer
I am curious and think this group may have an idea.I do like bridge cameras and used to have a Canon S3 that I loved. When I was liberated of that camera involuntarily, I got stuck with a crappy one that I am not a fan of. So currently in addition to hiking and traveling in the truck my son has taken up skiing and swimming. As a replacement for my old S3 I am looking at a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ300. It is waterproof does 4k video and its not priced so I have to sell my soul to afford. Anyone have thoughts on that camera as far as real world use (i.e. rugged and actually water/environment proof).

Thanks!
 

walkingdead

New member
Fuji x100 for casual snapshots and street photography. Sony A6000 with lenses for more serious photos. Samsung S6 phone for when I do not have anything else. Want to upgrade the A6000 to A7 one day. Fuji x100 is a keeper. Photos just pop.
 

ETR005

New member
I like to be as worry free as possible on trips and mostly use a Minolta SRT 101 35mm, I picked it up for $25 with a solid 50mm kit lens and the thing is a tank- solid brass body (black pro body) and fully mechanical - no batteries required. The price and nature of it is nice too when taking international trips to areas prone to pickpocketing/crime and places I wouldnt take my digital cameras. I shoot Kodak Ektar 100 out of it and have yet to be disappointed with quality of images. I also have a Ricohflex 120 TLR that ill drag along on some trips too that takes awesome landscapes; the max shutter speed of 60 makes it interesting to shoot with though...
 

lucky7

Adventurer
Paid $7 for this today, and I'm gonna take it everywhere. Who cares what happens to it??
36464764816_dd98e6a706_b.jpg
 

mtnbike28

Expedition Leader
I say as good a dSLR as you want and a kit lens for the focal length needed. For hiking, I leave all my prime lenses at home and carry a 18-105 and 70-300, the lenses are not super durable, but light and cheap enough to replace if needed. . I wanted to share one experience to explain my choice: I was flying to Yellowknife to photograph the Northern Lights, I carried one almost brand new body (5dmkII) and a point and shoot for grab shots. In the airport in Calgary I pulled out the camera and all I got was an ERR message, I googled it and everything said fatal send to back to Canon... crap! I left a just as new 1dmkIV at home.... I landed in Yellowknife at 9pm and was booked on a 8am bush plane out to a cabin for 4 days of quietness. I needed something to fit my Canon 17-35 for the flight, no camera shops, but at least Walmart had a Rebel body, I bought it at 7am and made my morning flight. There is always a big box store that will have lower end Nikon and Canon bodies, not so sure about other brands when desperate. I played with the 5dmkII everyday and oddly it started working the 3rd day, and never gave me another problem the whole time I owned it. Lesson learned - if you own 2 camera bodies and making a big trip- take both!
af384-031513podb.jpg
 

1v6pony

Adventurer
I know this everyone is going to laugh, but I had no idea you can still shoot film, I did not know anyone processes it anymore....I still have my trusty EOS A-2 body....
Paid $7 for this today, and I'm gonna take it everywhere. Who cares what happens to it??
36464764816_dd98e6a706_b.jpg
 

lucky7

Adventurer
I know this everyone is going to laugh, but I had no idea you can still shoot film, I did not know anyone processes it anymore....I still have my trusty EOS A-2 body....

I haven't had film developed in years, but I have a stack of exposed stuff that needs to be sent in. My dad gave me the camera his dad gave him in '82, but I didn't use it much until this year.
35223805733_e96684111f_b.jpg


The Minolta is just different having no AF and a split-screen micrprism to focus. I usually carry my 5d and XG-1, so I don't worry about developing it, I just pile it up. Honestly there's something very satisfying about the old Minolta, despite never seeing any photos. Lol.
 

rcharrette

Adventurer
About 15 years ago my wife and I went to Nepal and did a trek to Everest base camp. I carried a Pentax K1000 and shot 35 rolls of film over 2 weeks. I can't recall the exact bill when I picked all that up from developing but i remember my jaw dropping :) Thank goodness for DSLR's!
 

KG4NEL

Observer
I know this everyone is going to laugh, but I had no idea you can still shoot film, I did not know anyone processes it anymore....I still have my trusty EOS A-2 body....

The only thing that's truly dead is the K-14 process for Kodachrome - the last lab to process that stopped about 5 years ago, IIRC.

But regular slide film or color negs? Still common. Good labs will even run it through a neg scanner if you want and give you a USB stick with everything on it.
 

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