[suspenceful]

Originally Posted by ScottSinger

^^^ Yep. That's a good photograph.

Originally Posted by dcstep

Nice shot Jacob. What was lighting the ice so nicely?

Most people won't notice the geometric distortion, particularly since the buildings are relatively small, but with nice proportion. As long as you don't print it too large, it'll show well.

Dave

Originally Posted by allachie9

Thanks everyone, some interesting responses regarding your travelling kit.
Yes, I agree about your Chicago shot Jacob, a great shot.

Thanks everyone. I was standing on a dock that ran across the whole shore. It was covered with large street lights every couple of feet. I'd love to go back now and re-take the photo with new equipment and knowledge, but don't think I'll ever get the same environment. It was pretty unique.

Great content in this thread. Enjoy the conversation.

[allachie9]

Yosemite - now there's a place I'd love to go to . . . and take all my gear !

I agree with all the comments made here, I'm pleased that we have started such a good discussion.
We go over to the West Coast of Scotland a couple of times a year, and for those trips it's a 'pack it all in the car and take everything' time. I usually manage to get out on my own for a couple of sunset evenings and often find myself miles from anywhere and nobody else about. Times like that, if you need a person in your shot, even a radio remote can be useful, so I never leave anything at home.
Here's an example from last June, taken at Camusdarach, near Arisaig, looking over towards the islands of Eigg and Rum. I'm the model

Waiting for The Light_3183 by Alan Butterfield, on Flickr

But for our trips abroad, it has to be my Canon G1X, and travel light.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Oh yeah. No traveling light when I do Yosemite, I take my van with a pelican case full of gear. I usually go with a couple of buddies who are also there to shoot. We all shoot primarily Canon, so we can trade and borrow gear that each other don't have.

Still, I got a pano head for the tripod at Christmas, and want to try it out with the Fuji (and of course the 5d3). I want to get a good prime for the XT before I go.

Well, there's another strange coincidence.

I was out with a couple of friends on Monday evening and one of them mentioned she is selling her XT-1 with kit lens.
She's only had it for about 6 months and rarely used it, so I was intrigued as to why she wants to sell it. Her answer 'I just can't get on with it' !
As others on here are, I am a confirmed Canon shooter, but I must admit I've been reading some rave reviews about the Fuji, so I'm a little bit tempted.

[M_Six]

^^^Great shot, Alan. And top notch idea putting yourself in the image. It *totally* changes the scale. I would have envisioned those "cliffs" as towering, when in fact they're much less so.

I toyed with idea of an XT-1 myself. I even played around with one at B&H in NYC a couple of weeks ago. I'm intrigued by the EVF capabilities and I've seen some impressive images from it. But I also know of a number of Canon users whose work I respect who went over to the Fuji for a brief period and then sold it and went back to Canon or moved to the Sony A series. Ed here is one of the few I know who has kept both systems. I ended up going with a refurb SL1. It's also tiny and lightweight and doesn't require a major investment in new lenses, although I have added a few of the impressive STM line (10-18mm, 24mm, 55-250mm). But those are all very inexpensive lenses, so no big deal.

[druu]

I went from carrying everything and the kitchen sink with canon to leaving the 5d3s at home and bringing everything and the kitchen sink with fuji, two bodies and lots of primes and all, which after all is said and done saves maybe 1/3 of the weight and still makes me look ridiculous at times. I need to get myself an rx100 III and actually pack light.

[druu]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Oh yeah. No traveling light when I do Yosemite, I take my van with a pelican case full of gear. I usually go with a couple of buddies who are also there to shoot. We all shoot primarily Canon, so we can trade and borrow gear that each other don't have.

Still, I got a pano head for the tripod at Christmas, and want to try it out with the Fuji (and of course the 5d3). I want to get a good prime for the XT before I go.

I can't say enough good things about the 56mm f/1.2R. The 18mm f/2 is growing on me for light weight use. useful focal length given the crop and good enough quality, but the size and price makes it so appealing.

[dcstep]

Alan, the new G3X is looking really good to me. At a list price of $999, I'd need to plan on some serious usage to take the plunge, but the street price will probably quickly move toward $850. They're claiming 600mm optical equivalent focal length. I'd like to see if I could hand hold it.

How is shutter latency with the G1X? That's a problem that I couldn't live with, but maybe they've solved it by now.

Dave

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Alan, the new G3X is looking really good to me. At a list price of $999, I'd need to plan on some serious usage to take the plunge, but the street price will probably quickly move toward $850. They're claiming 600mm optical equivalent focal length. I'd like to see if I could hand hold it.

How is shutter latency with the G1X? That's a problem that I couldn't live with, but maybe they've solved it by now.

Dave

Until you posted this Dave, I had honestly never heard of the G3X, so I've just been doing some reading.
Over here the price, to pre-order, is £799 and I suspect, like you that the street price will move down from there. How much it moves is, I suppose dependent on it's popularity.
The spec is certainly impressive, with a 1" 20.2mp sensor and Digic 6 processor. Up to 5.9fps (for jpegs) but dropping to 1fps for RAW.
The lens - wow - 25x optical zoom, image stabilised, equivalent 24-600mm !

No viewfinder, but optional electronic one available, but can't see a price for that.
I can see why you, as a wildlife photographer, would be interested in the long zoom. Like you, I would want to handle it before putting my hand in my pocket !

Shutter latency on the G1X, probably about 0.5 sec ! But as my type of travel photography can cope with that, I personally don't have a problem with it. Your hummingbirds might ! !

It will be interesting to see what the 'experts' write about the G3X.

[dcstep]

Any latency, no EVF and only 1-fps rule it out for action or wildlife. Still, for travel, assuming decent IQ, you could leave all other kit home. Long as I'm still strong, I'll probably continue to carry a significant kit slung over my shoulder.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Any latency, no EVF and only 1-fps rule it out for action or wildlife. Still, for travel, assuming decent IQ, you could leave all other kit home. Long as I'm still strong, I'll probably continue to carry a significant kit slung over my shoulder.

If the IQ is as good as I get from my little G1X, I don't think anyone would be disappointed.

Colours of Buda by Alan Butterfield, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

If the IQ is as good as I get from my little G1X, I don't think anyone would be disappointed.

Nice colors and detail. I think that 1" is a nice compromise sensor size.

[C5driver]

Canon is doing great things with the compacts, but I like DOF and Bokeh too much to leave the 70-200 f2.8II at home.

[goodNIGHT]

I feel like the Sony A7 option is still compact to travel..Ive taken that camera everywhere with me along with the Rx-100.

But that G1X camera looks really good. You guys are taking great shots with it..
And I feel like FF is really only good if you're into printing..otherwise web photos and digital media all the resolutions are so small that you don't need FF anymore

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by goodNIGHT

But that G1X camera looks really good. You guys are taking great shots with it..
And I feel like FF is really only good if you're into printing..otherwise web photos and digital media all the resolutions are so small that you don't need FF anymore

I don't have one yet, but I plan to buy a 4k TV in the next year or so (probably a 55" version) and look forward to seeing my images full-screen.

I never know before hand what I'll print. Why would you say to yourself that you're never going to print a 50" print? They're stunning. Also, if you sell stock images (why not), you get paid more, the larger the file.

Haven't decided yet, but I'm seriously considering a 5Dsr for my landscape shooting.

Dave

[goodNIGHT]

^^ Exactly, thats why I'll keep on shooting with my A7 - Even if there is a small weight/size penalty to cameras like the G1X. But the advantages are so much more - I can use 'L' lenses or pancake lenses, fire multiple flashes, add microphones, High DR and low noise benefits.

But anyway, I love these compact, fixed lens cameras. The images on this thread are awesome. When it comes to web media, these cameras definitely hold their own

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by goodNIGHT

^^ Exactly, thats why I'll keep on shooting with my A7 - Even if there is a small weight/size penalty to cameras like the G1X. But the advantages are so much more - I can use 'L' lenses or pancake lenses, fire multiple flashes, add microphones, High DR and low noise benefits.

But anyway, I love these compact, fixed lens cameras. The images on this thread are awesome. When it comes to web media, these cameras definitely hold their own

I think you're absolutely right when you have the versatility and all the advantages that your A7 gives you (especially with Canon lenses ! ). But like most things in life, sometimes it's about compromises and having to make choices. As I said earlier in this thread there's no way I would ever sacrifice my FF DSLRs for the times when I go out just to shoot something special. Talking of printing however, I love printing my images up to A3+ and am looking at one on my study wall now, printed up to that size, and taken on my Canon G12, which preceded the G1X. It's a good quality print too, but probably as big as it will go.

[allachie9]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Haven't decided yet, but I'm seriously considering a 5Dsr for my landscape shooting.

Dave

. . . . bbbut have you seen the price of that thing ?

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

. . . . bbbut have you seen the price of that thing ?

Yeah, and all the lenses that I'm considering are in the $2k to $3k range. Some choices will need to be made.

I seldom go on landscape-only adventures, so maybe I'll rent that body next time I go some place like the grand canyon.

Dave

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by allachie9

I think you're absolutely right when you have the versatility and all the advantages that your A7 gives you (especially with Canon lenses ! ). But like most things in life, sometimes it's about compromises and having to make choices. As I said earlier in this thread there's no way I would ever sacrifice my FF DSLRs for the times when I go out just to shoot something special. Talking of printing however, I love printing my images up to A3+ and am looking at one on my study wall now, printed up to that size, and taken on my Canon G12, which preceded the G1X. It's a good quality print too, but probably as big as it will go.

The X-series signaled a major sensor improvement. I had a G7 and a G9 and I too have a nice print above my desk made with one of them, but we printed it as large as possible and that was A3 and not enough native pixels to go larger. Color, contrast, etc. is great, but you just run out of pixels. The X-series is a full APS-C sensor. That's not full-frame, but way bigger than the old Gx series sensors.