Picking a Camera for Adventure Travel

[sper]

I'm planning some hiking and mountain bike trips for the coming year. I used to do this when I was younger with my parents but now my girlfriend and I are striking out on our own and getting back to it.

I was wondering if anybody had some camera recommendations for me. I have a lot of considerations and practicalities to cover.

Here is what's available to me:
1. 5DII and Voigtlander 40 & 20mm lenses.
2. Bessa R4a w/ 21mm f4, 28mm f2, and 50mm 1.5.
3. Nikon P7000
4. Toyo 4x5 (already ruled this out for weight concerns).

My image considerations are basically good resolution for landscape photography. My practical considerations are battery life, storage, and durability.

I think all these choices are tough enough. Ideally it would be my 5DII because of it's high resolution, plus it's a totally reasonable size with the Voigtlander lenses. But...battery life? How do I deal with this?

The next best thing would be my Bessa but I'm concerned about resolution. I could shoot Velvia but it's slow and light is not always something I can rely on. A tripod might be too big to pack.

My P7000 will come, it's small and fun for time lapse, video, and snapshots.

I could rent or buy a medium format rangefinder, I'm considering the GF670 but I don't know if it's worth it, same with a Mamiya 7. My 5DII pretty much covers medium format for me these days. Ideally I could bring my Toyo but at this point in life I can't quite afford a sherpa. 🙂

What do you bring with you, fellow adventure travelers? Post some pictures and talk about your experiences.

 

[venchka]

No reason at all to rulle out the Toyo.
What you need are air and water tight containers. Try outdoor shops. Maybe camera stores. Riverrunning dry bags come to mind. Hit the trails. Have fun.
Being the only guy in town with large format images of way off the beaten track places will be PRICELESS! There are folks who backpack with 8x10 cameras.

Spare batteries. Solar chargers. Take the 4x5. Batteries not included. Batteries not required.

Lenses for the 5dII are crap compared to medium format. The Mamiya 7 lenses are lightyears ahead of anything made for 35mm AND the negatives are HUGE. Relatively speaking. The Toyo trumps all of them.

 

[venchka]

Holy Cross Wilderness

Holy Cross Wilderness

Or, what would become the Holy Cross Wilderness, Colorado. Circa 1975. Pentax 6x7. 2-3 days away from the end of the road.

Read the fine print.........

You can do anything you set your mind to.

 

[BillBingham2]

I would recomend you pick up a Bessa T and get a CV Metal Brightline finder for the 28 and leave the rest behind. Coupled rangefinder, M mount, built in meter (no AE sorry, but you will live) and a solid but light weight camera.

If you really want to go hog wild pick up the smaller 75/2.5 with finder that you can find from time to time used, but nothing more body/lens-wise.

Get two soft releases of your preference (mine is Nikon AR-9, MSR from Tom A rock too), a good (read very flexible) cable release and a small light weight table top tri-pod (my favorite but hard to find is the old Minolta TR-1 but Leitz are great too) and an camera wrap (Domke is what I have) to have a pad for resting the camera on a rock or a wet tree, and four gallon sized ziplock bags (for rain and a back up or three).

If you want to go digital I would say the P7000 long before the Canon (Size) get a small low cost back up and stick it into your pack wrapped in an Otter box.

Enjoy and share the results when you get back!

B2 (;->

 

[keytarjunkie]

In response to the above 6x7 post...I did some light hiking with the Pentax 6x7 this summer and wouldn't recommend it. I was extremely happy with the images and felt like my digital couldn't really deliver the same results...but the thing weighs a ton. If you can get a Mamiya 7 I think you should definitely consider shooting medium format. Otherwise the 5Dii is extremely capable, especially with those two lenses, and all you really have to do is buy another battery or two and the thing will last you a week.

I would imagine you being pretty happy with the R4a setup too, it's hard to make a wrong choice here.

 

[skibeerr]

From what you have I would take the Bessa + 21 and 50 for B&W and the Nikon P7000 for color.

Wim

 

[Matus]

I did a few one day hiking trips with 4x5 and many with TLR:

fighting wind at 2000 m elevation - something much easier with smaller formats. All 3 (!) shots from this trip were useless (wind, clouds)


Hiking:
1) if you plan 1 day hiking trips:
a) if you girlfriend is willing to spend 15 - 20 minutes every time you want to take a picture
b) If your Toyo is light enough AND so is your tripod/head
c) if you are in a good shape to handle a) and b) and the hiking 😀
-> take the Toyo and the digital P&S

2) more than 1 day hiking
a) as above
b) as above
c) if you are REALLY in a good shape
-> same as (1), otherwise take the Canon with 2 lenses and whatever camera you can just take out of your pocket for a shot without getting your Canon from the backpack.
- do not forget some kind of tiny table-top tripod that you can put on a stone for those late sunset shots (the metal Manfrotto 709 is great for that - will handle the Canon with ease)

Cycling:
- I guess you will have a hard time to find enough space on the bike for 4x5. I did cca 10 day long bicycle trip with my ex-girlfriend (now wife 😉 ) and can not image how I would fit 4x5 on top what we already had. You want to keep you back free of backpacks !


So..
____________
The Canon can certainly give you nice A3 (or even bigger) prints and if you want to get better than that you need at least 6x4.5 (think of Fuji GA645 or GA645w - about 800g, AF, sharp lenses, or even Bronica RF645) or better 6x6, 6x7 (Mamiya 6, 7) or 6x9 (Fuji GW690, GSW690).

The new GF670 is supposedly a great camera, but Mamiya 7 sounds more reasonable to me - I would take more than 1 lens if possible.

IF you decide on some sort of MF camera - think twice before you take BOTH - MF and 5DII - the weight will get you and every time you will be deciding which camera to use. It is much easier to concentrate on the same camera with all your "serious" shots.

If you decide on the 4x5 - just be sure you will use metering method you are confident with. For packing the lenses take a look at cases from www.photobackpacker.com - very light and durable.

For the small camera - take whatever you like to use and is fast to use (think of it as a documentation camera) - you can get nice shots but 35mm cameras are (to me) not really a landscape cameras (if you like detailed and clean A3 or larger prints). Digital would probably be faster to use.

Whatever gear you take be sure to have some of those thin "roll-the-top-and-close) dry bags should a heavy rain come and you get wet down to underwear. Take two smaller ones for exposed and unexposed film. Pack your gear in some kind of wraps (the blue Novoflex ones are great) - dedicated bags are usually too big and heavy. For the DLSR/MF make some simple hand strap (I did one for my Mamiya - see HERE - I find it better than a neck strap to carry around).


My experience ...
____________
While camping (with a car) in the New Zealand I had 4x5 Tachi, Rolleiflex AND Olympus XA along. Sometimes the 4x5 was just too much time (weight was not an issue - only 1 day or shorter trips). As much as I enjoyed shooting the 4x5, it was too much and often too slow. On top of that I did NOT take along my DLSR which I often used as a light meter - I took rather new to me Digisix - and underexposed many of the shots I have taken with 4x5 and 6x6... :bang:
I learned a lesson and got this year a Mamiya 6 with 50, 75 and 150 lenses and that is now my main serious travel camera.

I use 4x5 when time is not an issue or when I go alone (or with a friend who is willing to wait).

In the mean time I sold the Rolleiflex (to fund the Mamiya) and the XA (did not like the results). I may get some "better" compact (m4/3 or such) digital camera someday to accomplish the MF (or 4x5) cameras on the trip, but that is just me (I like film).

____________
Just remember - you BOTH want to enjoy this trip. Good luck and have fun. Post some images then.

 

[filmfan]

Personally, I would bring just the digital point and shoot with a lot of batteries.

 

[raid]

The before last posting is a really useful contribution here.
For me: In a nutshell: travel light.

 

[Bingley]

I second Bill's recommendation. My camera of choice for backpacking and hiking is a Bessa T. It's light, rugged enough, can use M or LTM mount lenses, and has a nice lightmeter built in. For lens choice, it depends on where you're going, but I usually take the CV Skopar 28/3.5 and either a 40 or a 50. Last summer, I used a CV Skopar 50/2.5 extensively in the Sierra Nevadas, as well as the 28. Great kit, and didn't miss not having any other focal length.

I've also used a Barnack Leica and Oly XA in the past, but the T has the right combination of features, all mechanical operation, metering, and light weight.

 

[sojournerphoto]

Decide how important the photography is to the trip and use htat as your guide. Your girlfriend may mean it's less important than you think as she has to wait while you make pictures.

When I'm on a mountain bike (or road bike) or running I'll only take a point and shoot. It's relatively unimpportant if they get damaged and photography isn't the main purpose. Walking I'll take whatever I want and am happy to lug - remember a dslr, lenses and tripod weigh heavy, but may well be more bump proof than an rf.

Weight can spoil a nice walk.

Mike

 

[MartinP]

Maybe it sounds crazy, but in transportable high-quality bangs per currency-unit at least look at a Rolleiflex/Rolleicord ?

 

[oftheherd]

Some 7 or 8 years ago, either here or at PopPhoto, there was a 16 year old or so kid who backpacked with an 8x10. Got some nice shots. I think he backpacked alone, at least not with a girlfriend. You have to be sure what ever your gear, that your girlfriend will truly be content to wait for you to stop and take photos. That has always been the biggest problem with my wife. She likes a lot of my photos, but hates waiting for me to get them.

Amongst your selection, consider a single camera and lens. Or, a FFL RF. Yashicas, Canons and Yashicas come to mind. A TLR or even a MF folder with a hand held meter might be a good idea as well. No reason to worry about batteries then.

Good luck with your choices.

 

[sper]

Wow, what a great set of responses! I'm glad to hear there are some hiking 4x5'rs out there. Patient as she is, I doubt she, or the group (we're thinking of an REI adventure travel trip) would wait for the 4x5.

Based on some of your answers and some things I've been seeing online I do the the 6x7 is the best all rounder for travel. Too bad I don't own one! If I can budget it this year I think I'll try and invest in a GF670. I've handled one at work and they're delightful. Plus I know I could only afford one lens for the Mamiya anyway. And since it folds flat-ish, it's a bit easier to pack.

I forgot to mention I also have a Bessa L, which is a home for my 21mm Color Skopar. The R4A/Bessa L combo make for a great combo. I love a 21mm dedicated finder.

Assuming I can't afford the GF670, I'd like to bring my 5DII, however I always want to shoot some film where ever I go so I'd bring my Bessa's too, problem is I always end up favoring one over the other... I like digital but it's easy to ignore my film cameras when I have it available. But then I've packed a small SLR system, and two rangefinders.... I need one of those Sherpas!

Here's what I'm thinking might be the best compromise:

5DII for general color photography.
R4A loaded with FP4 for B&W...Tri-X for evenings.
Bessa-L loaded with Velvia 100.
P7000 for time lapse.

My girlfriend likes photography so I might just let her carry and use the 5DII while I use the film cameras, until there is something I feel like I need to do with digital.

 

[sper]

The Bessa T is a nice camera but I'm not sure why it would be so different than my R4a? Longer RF base, but I don't need that too much. Plus I'd have to get finders for 50 and 28mm, which aren't that cheap. Is it really small or something?

 

[FrankS]

The original folding Bessa I or II 6x9 camera is light and compact. I'd take that for medium format quality B+W negs of landscapes, and the digi P+S for snaps of the trip along the way.

 

[segedi]

My last travel kit was:
Bronica RF645 with 65mm and 45mm (really only used the 65mm)
Bessa R4A with 35mm f/2.5
Used the Bronica with 65mm 80% of the time

What I would recommend:
Bessa R4A with 25mm, the pancake lens is really small (find 21mm to be too wide and 28mm not enough) - and
Bessa R3A with 50mm or 40mm
Can load one with color, one with b&w

 

[Rogier]

The cool thing about the Nikon is that it has a build in GPS so the coordinates are stored in the EXIF data. Its light and easy to shoot with.
If you really want to shoot film and capture the landscapes consider taking a Zero 69 pinhole (6x9) with you.
The Canon 5D is wayyy to heavy for hiking, and the large format is to heavy (tripod and other stuff needed), and mainly cumbersome to be fun during a hiking trip.

 

[Bingley]

The Bessa T is a nice camera but I'm not sure why it would be so different than my R4a? Longer RF base, but I don't need that too much. Plus I'd have to get finders for 50 and 28mm, which aren't that cheap. Is it really small or something?

Yes, it's smaller than an R4A. It's all mechanical, so even if the battery dies (which powers the meter) you can still shoot w/ it. And I think you need to worry less about the rangefinder getting knocked out of alignment than w/ the R4A; if it does, however, adjusting it on the T is a fairly simple operation. Not so on the Bessa R[2-4]*.

 

[Matus]

I think you are moving to a right direction 🙂 so I would only add one comment:

About the batteries - they weight next to nothing so just take 2 sets of every type you need and you are done.

Only digital cameras are true battery eaters so think how to get them recharged. But just do not worry about the batteries for your film cameras.

GF670 sounds great - just make sure that normal lens is all you need.