Thoughts on photography and camera selection for the Camino

[D.Matthew]

For those of us who love photography, the Camino presents a dilemma. Leaving behind the large print and low light capabilities of an SLR can be stressful. There's nothing worse than taking in the perfect sunset, only to have it rendered as a noisy mess on your point and shoot LCD. As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

As an alternative, there are two viable options. The first is to purchase a mirrorless camera with a compact prime. Second, I would suggest that you just use a smartphone and make the apps work for you. I used ProHDR and Camera+ for my iPhone and am really happy with the results.

I walked from St. Jean to Finisterre, you can see all of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewrobinson/sets/72157631571051507/

Message me if you would like any tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone camera.

 

[jirit]

These are great photos! It is especially cool what you can do with some the creative editing apps like Camera+ and others to fine tune and enhance your photos

I have been using a somewhat heavy Nikon D70 for the past few years. Obviously I in the market for a newer and lighter camera. Needless to say any photo I take normally goes through Photoshop, so I am trying to avoid this too.

I did consider using an iPhone and some of the apps you have mentioned. One of the big drawbacks for me is the iPhone's fixed lens. as you can see it works well for those long distance wide angle shots but not so great for close ups, etc.

I think given what I have seen so far and what I expect to see in the market place is something like the Panasonic Lumix GF3 or similar with hopefully an Android or Apple iOS operating system. (Nikon, Samsung and few other camera manufacturers have released Android cameras in recent days).

These types of cameras offer nearly all the flexibility and functionality of a digital SLR camera with interchangeable lens, plus the ability to load in editing apps like Camera+ and others to do in the field editing. Some of the newer models also include wifi, so you can easily upload images to your favourite social media/photo site, without having to transfer the images to a laptop first.

That to me represents a real evolution in camera technology

 

[Kitsambler]

One of the big drawbacks for me is the iPhone's fixed lens. as you can see it works well for those long distance wide angle shots but [not] so great for close ups, etc.

And then there's this nifty gizmo ..

http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/iphone-telephoto-lens/

 

[jirit]

One of the big drawbacks for me is the iPhone's fixed lens. as you can see it works well for those long distance wide angle shots but [not] so great for close ups, etc.

And then there's this nifty gizmo ..

http://photojojo.com/store/awesomeness/iphone-telephoto-lens/

Well that is certainly nifty ...

but I think I will stick to something like the Panasonic Lumix GF3, ideally with a zoom lens which I used a lot on the Nikon D70

 

[scruffy1]

It all depends on what you want to photograph of course. The only thing worse than your sunsetscenario is trying to take a picture inside a church without a flash. Most pictures come out a bottle yellow, blurred, or both. To get it right you need a large, heavy, cumbersome say Canon which will do the job but which is very heavy and even more attractive meaning sleep on it!

 

[zzotte]

As they say is not the camera is the photographer my hat is off to you D.some amazing photos and all that with your smart phone? I can't even take good photos with a regular camera wow! they really look great.

Zo

 

[wayfarer]

Fantastic photos D. It brought it all back, just want to go out and do it all again.
Thank you.
PS I have the Samsung Galaxy S3 so any tips would be appreciated. (Not the usual get an Iphone ones )

 

[jmcarp]

It all depends on what you want to photograph of course. The only thing worse than your sunsetscenario is trying to take a picture inside a church without a flash. Most pictures come out a bottle yellow, blurred, or both. To get it right you need a large, heavy, cumbersome say Canon which will do the job but which is very heavy and even more attractive meaning sleep on it!

For taking photos in low-light conditions, it helps if your camera has some degree of manual control; i.e., lets you get off the full-auto mode. While I generally shoot with a DSLR, I also have a couple of compact cameras that allow manual controls (Canon S100, Canon G10, and Canon A590). When I'm taking indoor photos with a compact camera, I set the camera on Aperture Priority mode, and set ISO as high as possible that will not introduce too much "noise" (usually around ISO 400 to ISO 800), turn off the flash, and use a Gorillapod (http://joby.com/gorillapod) to clamp the camera to a fixed object such as a rail, a post, a chair or pew back. I then set the 2-second auto timer, push the shutter button and wait for the camera to capture the image. Sometimes the capture may take a full second or even longer, since in aperture mode the camera selects the shutter speed, which is usually pretty long in such circumstances.

If your camera doesn't allow manual settings, place it in P mode and use the same procedure described above. The key is turning off the flash and using the natural light, even though it may be very dark and dim.

If you get too much noise (graininess) in the photo, you can use a freeware program such as Noiseware Community Edition to filter out the noise.

 

[skilsaw]

I chose a Canon that runs on 4 AA batteries.
Never had to worry about charging it up.

It is a bit bulky, but smaller than a DSLR.

Buen Camino,
David, Victoria, Canada.

 

[zzotte]

I was planning to use my Lumix LX7 sweet camera, but after reading and seeing the photos from D. I'm reallly having second thoughts.

Zo

 

[D.Matthew]

Thank you to everyone for the great feedback. jirit, I agree with you on the GF3 and other compact mirrorless systems. Once they're able to run iOS and/or Android, life for travel photographers will be a lot of fun.

wayfarer, the Samsung Galaxy S3 seems like a great smartphone for photography based on the specs. My travel advice for photography is pretty simple. First, focus on your images and composition. Exposure adjustments can be made later with post processing software. I use Lightroom and Photoshop. That being said, there are a few moments that require it being done right the first time. An HDR app can help with this. HDR takes photos with different exposures and meshes them into one image. On a DLSR, this is done manually with bracketing...but a smartphone will do all of the work for you. This is what I used for all of the morning and night landscape shots in my album. Finally, I have yet to find a solution to the problem mentioned before, the tricky night and indoor shots. Even with noise control in post processing, the images just don't look good. It's a sacrifice/tradeoff for a light and portable system. Every gram counts when you're walking 900km+!

Video is another feature to consider. The iPhone handled great here as well in my opinion. I used Premier Pro to put movies together, and didn't need any visual adjustments. It's not pro quality for sure, but they are nice watchable clips

Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP6ltEEv3Kg&feature=g-upl
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9bcSRi8Xo&feature=g-upl

 

[wayfarer]

Thanks D, I have downloaded the HDR app since I read you post and am thinking of upgrading to paid version. How did you get the ghost effect???

 

[D.Matthew]

wayfarer,

The ghost effect will take a little bit of practice with the ProHDR app. You just have to time up the image so that the first exposure captures the framing, and the second exposure captures your subject at the right time. One downside with this app is that you'll get unintentional ghosting when shooting landscapes with moving subjects. In these cases, I would use the Camera+ app. Once you get the ghosting effect down, it can make for some really great images

 

[wayfarer]

Many thanks D. Upgraded app tonight. Will play tomorrow.

 

[nismo4life]

I bought this for my camino.

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E-PL1-Int ... ywords=pl1


This camera is on par with a D200 if you check out the stats and comparison on dpreview.com. I'm leaving my D300 and my lenses behind. This baby takes absolutely beautiful shots, has full manual controls and a 14-42. Perfect camera imo.

full size link.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7993 ... 0028_k.jpg

 

[edandjoan]

Our son was pestering us to buy a camera like the one he has (Sony NEX-5) which takes amazing photos and video but I did not want to worry about a good camera while on the camino. We took my wife's Canon Powershot Elph 100hs with a pretty big sd card and it did great. It's small, with many features and our pictures and videos turned out great. We took some black and white photos also that look very artistic and professional. For just over 100 bucks on ebay it's the way to go.

 

[SkyWalker]

great camera work indeed, i was also undecided about what camera to bring. I did not want to spend big money on a larger sensor compact camera. So I got this off amazon for $230. Its a panasonic ZS20 p&s and I gotta say it, for your casual birthday party photogragher it's a hell of a camera. Also got a gorillapod video with the fluid head to record some panoramic clips..since im leaving in mid november im expecting gray skies and overcast weather, lets see how it turns out.

 

[eunjoopak]

your pictures came out awesome. its amazing what you can do with a smartphone with some apps. =D

 

[AmmieM]

I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC FT10 which will be going with me on my Camino. I have had it for over a year now but bought it for these reasons : it is fully waterproof and shockproof. It has a good zoom without a lens which moves. Past experience has shown that it is often the lens movement which fails first. Battery Has long life. Camera has a range of modes. It fits in your pocket. Weight is minimal. SD cards are very easy to use. Camera price is reasonable.
My large camera will be safe at home, as will my iPhone.
There are updated models out now but I love my little one.
Ammie

 

[unadara]

panasonic ZS20
skywalker recommends this, I endorse that recommendation, different model no in EU, they have a great lens and produce good quality, don't be too focused on zoom..if pic quality and exposure/focus right you can crop later on pc..much better than using big zoom and losing quality.

 

[malcolmrobert]

The Canon G12 worked marvelously for me. Excellent results. Used 16 meg cards. Changed them occasionally to preserve older pics in case the camera went missing containing a card with all my pics. Therefore would only loose most recent pics. Always a good idea to replace cards so as to only loose some pics if disaster strikes.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

I took a Canon G10 on my first Camino. Most recent Camino, I took an Olympus micro 4/3 camera...the EPL-1. LOVED IT!!! I also had my iPhone with me and took a lot of pics...some of them I have uploaded onto Instagram (same username as here). I haven't uploaded my pics from my regular camera yet, but I think I got some good ones. I had my Nikon D90 last year with me when I was a hospitalera, along with the Olympus and I only used it once.

I have Camera+ and a few other apps on my iPhone. Still figuring out how to use it but had a blast playing with it on the CP last month.

 

[Fostergn]

I brought my Nikon D5000 and it was perfectly fine. I ended up with a video like this

https://vimeo.com/56522540

had little difficulty, just make sure to bring enough SD cards.

 

[D.Matthew]

Gavin,

This is a great video! I saw it in the other post, but wanted to compliment you again. I really love the feel of this stop motion. I agree with what you said about the SD cards. With some of the higher MP cameras, the space fills up quick!

Drew

 

[tsetsgee]

Well I just brought myself a Panasonic FT4 Digital Camera. I can't wait to get it and have a play. I have hiked for the last 18 months with a nikon DSLR and have had enough of the bulk and the weight that comes with it. It seems with the new technology that us amateur photo takers can get some really great photos without too much expertise.

 

[ncali12]

Trying to choose a camera for the camino is really tough. D your iPhone photos are very inspiring.
I ended up taking the Leica x1. It cost a lot more than i wanted to spend and has a big disdvantage of having a fixed focal length lens but it is relatively small, has a good sensor and, and, for what it is, a decent lens. I have played around with other compact cameras and none of them produce the quality that the X1 produces. Unfortunately it is not ideal. But i did get great shots with it. By the time I am ready to walk again, i hope that there will be something out that is smaller and lighter.

 

[flmike]

I'm leaving my big Nikon at home and taking a super zoom bridge camera-- Lumix FZ 200, an upgrade for the Lumix FZ 150. The lens is good for closeup and distance and has a 2.8 f/stop across the entire zoom range--"fast glass." Shoots RAW and JPEG. And it is very light.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panason ... -dmc-fz200

 

[Dave Courtenay]

All my Nikon gear will be staying at home when i start my Camino in 2014, I am currently looking at getting a good compact and the Sony RX100 looks to fit the bill, with 20MP i better get some big SD cards to take along

Dave
http://www.wildlifeinfocus.com
http://www.davidcourtenayphotography.com

 

[D.Matthew]

All my Nikon gear will be staying at home when i start my Camino in 2014, I am currently looking at getting a good compact and the Sony RX100 looks to fit the bill, with 20MP i better get some big SD cards to take along

I think that's a great call. I've heard very good things about the Sony RX100. I don't think you'll miss your Nikon at all.

Drew

 

[Jonas]

For those of us who love photography, the Camino presents a dilemma. Leaving behind the large print and low light capabilities of an SLR can be stressful. There's nothing worse than taking in the perfect sunset, only to have it rendered as a noisy mess on your point and shoot LCD. As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

As an alternative, there are two viable options. The first is to purchase a mirrorless camera with a compact prime. Second, I would suggest that you just use a smartphone and make the apps work for you. I used ProHDR and Camera+ for my iPhone and am really happy with the results.

I walked from St. Jean to Finisterre, you can see all of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewrobinson/sets/72157631571051507/

Message me if you would like any tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone camera.

Thank you for sharing.
Just what I am planning. Leaving my 7D at home, and use iPhone for photo.
Pro HDR and Camera + are now installed.

 

[burritobear9]

I bought a small Sony point and shoot with wifi.
Along with my Kobo Arc it was fabulous
I was able to download pics and
Kept a blog and Facebook active

Buen Camino

Cheryl

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

I brought my Sony NEX-5N with 2 prime lenses 30 mm macro and 19 mm. Sometimes I really missed a bigger zoom but most of my pics are viewed digitally any way so i cropped them in some cases. I also brought my LG Nexus 4 and used that to post more quick & playful images to my followers at Instagram. I'm glad I didn't listen to all people saying that I should leave my camera at home because I'm so glad I have all the pics now. I just wish i had stopped some more for photos, when I walked with others some days I didn't stop to take pictures :-/ I had a great time there and then so that weights up the lac of memories in pics.

The weight of the camera equipment was:
1 Sony NEX-5N, SD-card, battery278
1 lens: 19 mm175
1 lens: 30mm/Macro157
1 camera bag190
Camera charger126
2 extra batteries och 3 SD-card121
Electronic view finder36
Flash28
IR Remote Control17
TOTAL: 1128 g

I could have left the EVF and Flash at home, didn't use them.

Pictures available at: https://plus.google.com/photos/+Béa...ms/5943648210816836433?authkey=COmOouLzq_PRfQ

 

[pattymo97206]

D. Your photos are absolutely beautiful. Now you've got me thinking about my Samsung Galaxy 2 and the HDR app. Lots to consider..between my Cannon S100 and the smart phone. Pros and Cons about both. Hmm! My S100 went with me in 2012 and I loved it. I have it on a fairly long cord around my neck and in a pocket so it's handy when I want to pull it out for a photo which is about every 10 minutes. And it's small and lightweight. Good think I have five months to think about it.

 

[JohnMcM]

For those of us who love photography, the Camino presents a dilemma. Leaving behind the large print and low light capabilities of an SLR can be stressful. There's nothing worse than taking in the perfect sunset, only to have it rendered as a noisy mess on your point and shoot LCD. As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

As an alternative, there are two viable options. The first is to purchase a mirrorless camera with a compact prime. Second, I would suggest that you just use a smartphone and make the apps work for you. I used ProHDR and Camera+ for my iPhone and am really happy with the results.

I walked from St. Jean to Finisterre, you can see all of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewrobinson/sets/72157631571051507/

Message me if you would like any tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone camera.

Ah! But we would need the skillful eye you have for a good photograph.

 

[november_moon]

As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

I want to thank-you for this post. I saw it originally, and wanted to comment then, but it slipped down among all of the other topics and I never got back to it. Now it is back, so I am taking the opportunity.

Your comments prompted a discussion about camera gear between my husband and I, who are walking the Camino together this summer. He is an avid photographer and it was basically a given that he was taking an SLR and some lenses on the Camino. He takes his gear everywhere. I was worried about the weight of this gear and the added responsibility of having to guard against theft if he takes expensive gear, but more importantly, like you said, the experience is different through the lens of a camera than without. Your focus is just different - I see the difference in him when he does and does not have his gear with him - and I think that he will have a better experience without the gear. We had a good discussion about the point of walking the Camino, the pros and cons of taking expensive gear (any expensive gear), etc. He has decided to not take his camera gear and rely solely on the camera on his phone if he wants to take pictures - sort of taking the perspective that any photographs he takes will be to document the experience rather than try to capture fabulous, artistic images.

So anyway, I wanted to let you know that your comments prompted a good discussion at my house and I think that the result will be a better experience on the Camino for my husband and I. Thanks

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

...
So anyway, I wanted to let you know that your comments prompted a good discussion at my house and I think that the result will be a better experience on the Camino for my husband and I. Thanks

As very interested in photography I would really have missed my camera. I took a lot of photos with the phone as well (documentary/instant pics) but I really treasure my photos with the camera. I have spent several hours editing and placing some of them on the map (the GPS stopped working for 300 ) and that made me relive the whole way again. I have beautiful pictures to show to friends. And I never felt like I was seeing it thru a view finder (as my camera doesn't have one ) I enjoyed to stop and compose a picture, writing a caption in my head.

There are phone pictures I wish I had taken with the camera instead. There are places and scenes I wish I had stopped to take photos of. Places that will fade in my memory.

 

[jimkaszynski]

I took 3 cameras with me plus a hand held audio recorder to record every emotion I went through. Yet, my favorite was my cheap one. The Kodak zi8 (around $100,) it's small light and really good for stills and video. Will take up to a 32g card. Battery's lasts a long time and are cheap. Check out my video which I used this camera.

 

[NicoZ]

, the experience is different through the lens of a camera than without.

Most photographers tend to see the final image even without the camera.

The real issue I see is what happens if you regret not having the camera with you?

It's one thing to leave your camera at home while walking around the block. If it's a once in a lifetime trip it's a different issue.

 

[Urban Trekker]

I have and took my old Casio 10MP with me on my Camino Ingles last year. Its a good solid camera, bomb prof, and with a good battery life. However its sloooow and I have missed some great shots. I have been thinking about a small DSLR camera like the Samsung nx300 but a good friend of mine who has been into photography for over 40 years has recommended the Panasonic Lumix TZ40/ZS30. After reading your posts I'm going the Panasonic.

 

[JALAN JAUH]

I brought my Sony NEX-5N with 2 prime lenses 30 mm macro and 19 mm. Sometimes I really missed a bigger zoom but most of my pics are viewed digitally any way so i cropped them in some cases. I also brought my LG Nexus 4 and used that to post more quick & playful images to my followers at Instagram. I'm glad I didn't listen to all people saying that I should leave my camera at home because I'm so glad I have all the pics now. I just wish i had stopped some more for photos, when I walked with others some days I didn't stop to take pictures :-/ I had a great time there and then so that weights up the lac of memories in pics.

The weight of the camera equipment was:
1 Sony NEX-5N, SD-card, battery278
1 lens: 19 mm175
1 lens: 30mm/Macro157
1 camera bag190
Camera charger126
2 extra batteries och 3 SD-card121
Electronic view finder36
Flash28
IR Remote Control17
TOTAL: 1128 g

I could have left the EVF and Flash at home, didn't use them.

Pictures available at: https://plus.google.com/photos/ BéatriceKarjalainen/albums/5943648210816836433?authkey=COmOouLzq_PRfQ

Excellent pictures. You could add this camera sling to your equipment as it could come in handy for carrying the cameras and does not add much more weight. This snap was snapped with my old Samsung phone which I usually slip in my pocket to take candid shots as they arise. Not exhibition quality photos but does show what it intends to show, no doubt quality with smartphone cameras will keep improving with advances in technology.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Excellent pictures. You could add this camera sling to your equipment as it could come in handy for carrying the cameras and does not add much more weight. This snap was snapped with my old Samsung phone which I usually slip in my pocket to take candid shots as they arise. Not exhibition quality photos but does show what it intends to show, no doubt quality with smartphone cameras will keep improving with advances in technology.

Thanks for the tips but I'm not interested in a sling. I hate things bumping on my hip. I'm happy with the setting I used. The bag didn't weight that much and I had the camera available in front of me. And I have had a camera unscrewed hanging in a sling once. So I don't trust that type of attachment.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We had a good free photo editing programme with our old XP computer, it won't work with Windows 8.1
We are not into much editing, so paying for a super high tec type programme isn't really what we need. The gimp however doesn't do what we want either.
Does anyone know of a simple free or really cheap editing programme please? All we really want is to maybe crop, resize (ie go down from 2mg to under 1mg) and occasionally clone out those pesky overhead cables. Do they still have them on DVD with magazines even as 'cut down' versions of the 'pro' type programmes.
Our cameras are only little compact types, nothing fancy, but all our photos on the forum and the blogs were taken with them and edited in the XP type editor. Thanks for any suggestions offered.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Try Picasa. Gimp would certainly do everything you mentioned, though.

 

[Tia Valeria]

We must be doing something wrong with Gimp, it doesn't pick up anything to clone over the problem bits. We'll have to try again, otherwise we might PM you for some help, or look at Picassa. Thank you

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Well, I mostly use Photoshop Elements, but I think the clone stamp should work in Gimp. Are you alt-clicking to tell it what to use? If you have a file with layers are you targeting a layer with something in it when you alt-click?

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Oops, I see that for gimp you need to ctrl-click, not alt-click:

http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tool-clone.html

 

[Tia Valeria]

Oops, I see that for gimp you need to ctrl-click, not alt-click:

http://docs.gimp.org/en/gimp-tool-clone.html

Thank you, you have probably solved our problem. Our old programme didn't need anything except a simple click, with the ctrl+click only to move to pick up a new section. We hadn't thought to try that for starting. I'll give it a try later

Edit:-
Thank you so much we can now work the programme OK. We'll check the web link for other things we need to learn too. Two happy pilgrims

 

[D.Matthew]

I brought my Sony NEX-5N with 2 prime lenses 30 mm macro and 19 mm. Sometimes I really missed a bigger zoom but most of my pics are viewed digitally any way so i cropped them in some cases. I also brought my LG Nexus 4 and used that to post more quick & playful images to my followers at Instagram. I'm glad I didn't listen to all people saying that I should leave my camera at home because I'm so glad I have all the pics now. I just wish i had stopped some more for photos, when I walked with others some days I didn't stop to take pictures :-/ I had a great time there and then so that weights up the lac of memories in pics.

The weight of the camera equipment was:
1 Sony NEX-5N, SD-card, battery278
1 lens: 19 mm175
1 lens: 30mm/Macro157
1 camera bag190
Camera charger126
2 extra batteries och 3 SD-card121
Electronic view finder36
Flash28
IR Remote Control17
TOTAL: 1128 g

I could have left the EVF and Flash at home, didn't use them.

Pictures available at: https://plus.google.com/photos/ BéatriceKarjalainen/albums/5943648210816836433?authkey=COmOouLzq_PRfQ

Thanks for sharing! It seems we have a similar taste for gear, I really like the Salomon Synapse as well! For my next Camino I want to get an NEX or Micro 4/3 camera. The new ones have GPS and soon will be capable of running apps. Noting quite like the post processing of Lightroom or Photoshop, but it will be nice to post things live that look decent.

I'm glad you mentioned the EVF and Flash, as I don't think I'd use them either. I see the Nex-6 and 7 have a built in EVF, but cost a bit more. The major problem with the photos on my phone is their terrible appearance for anything larger than 18x12. I wanted a couple 20x30 prints, but the quality just isn't there, especially for low light shots. Part of me wants to bring my DSLR, but I think the mirror-less camera is the way to go after viewing your album.

 

[jirit]

A camera on my short list to replace my old Nikon D70 is the Sony NEX 6. Value for money it is one of best "mirror less" full frame cameras on the market that not only competes well with most mid range DSLR cameras but is half the weight and size. A slight step up from the NEX 5 and better value for money as compared to the NEX 7

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

A camera on my short list to replace my old Nikon D70 is the Sony NEX 6. Value for money it is one of best "mirror less" full frame cameras on the market that not only competes well with most mid range DSLR cameras but is half the weight and size. A slight step up from the NEX 5 and better value for money as compared to the NEX 7

It is a really nice camera. It came out on the market just after I bought my 5 :-/

But none of the NEX:es are full frame. The only full frame mirror less from Sony are the Alpha A7 and A7R as far as I know.

My NEX was small enough to carry at the camino and I'm satisfied with the result.

 

[thetravellingpen]

GoPro Hero 3, Black Edition. Tiny little thing, matchbox size. But does amazing things, both still and video, with mounts too, so you can attach it to the front of your pack for some interesting on the move clips. Also great is their time lapse mode...
But... I'm taking a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 as all in phone phablet (phone and tablet) and it has a 13mp camera, pretty good. All same apps apply. And it's big enough to do daily blog posts. I'll need to be able to do that for half an hour in the evenings as I'll be raising money for charity on the walk and followers are expecting daily posts and pics.

 

[Jonas]

....... you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

Taking photographs ruins the memory, hmm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...tographs-ruins-the-memory-research-finds.html

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Taking photographs ruins the memory, hmm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...tographs-ruins-the-memory-research-finds.html

"A second study by thet eam replicated these findings, but it also presented an interesting twist: Taking a photograph of a specific detail on the object by zooming in on it with the camera seemed to preserve memory for the object, not just for the part that was zoomed in on but also for the part that was out of frame."

So thinking on composition and details might actually help the memory? I think mindless snap shots (I snapped it then I don't have to remember) and to much thinking of settings (takes away the focus from the moment) etc might disturb the memory. But I guess the pics will help you remember later on.

 

[D.Matthew]

It is a really nice camera. It came out on the market just after I bought my 5 :-/

But none of the NEX:es are full frame. The only full frame mirror less from Sony are the Alpha A7 and A7R as far as I know.

My NEX was small enough to carry at the camino and I'm satisfied with the result.

Your NEX shots came out great, and have really pushed me in that direction for my next purchase. You're right, the NEX has the APS-C sensor, which is the same size as the entry DSLR cameras and bigger than the mirrorless 4/3 (Panasonic and Olympus). The only other full frame compact camera I can think of is the Leica M Digital Rangefinder...but everyone in this thread could get an NEX-6 for less than the price of one of those!

 

[jirit]

It is a really nice camera. It came out on the market just after I bought my 5 :-/

But none of the NEX:es are full frame. The only full frame mirror less from Sony are the Alpha A7 and A7R as far as I know.

My NEX was small enough to carry at the camino and I'm satisfied with the result.

You are correct about the sensor size, but given the price points for the Alpha line I think the NEX 6 is really good value for the money

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

Your NEX shots came out great, and have really pushed me in that direction for my next purchase. You're right, the NEX has the APS-C sensor, which is the same size as the entry DSLR cameras and bigger than the mirrorless 4/3 (Panasonic and Olympus). The only other full frame compact camera I can think of is the Leica M Digital Rangefinder...but everyone in this thread could get an NEX-6 for less than the price of one of those!

If I win the lottery I would by me a Leica M

Good luck with camera purchase.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

You are correct about the sensor size, but given the price points for the Alpha line I think the NEX 6 is really good value for the money

It is. Some of my friends bought the NEX-6 and are really happy with it.

 

[Rambler]

Finding the right camera for long distance hikes has been on my Holy Grail list for years. I am still looking, but have set these as the main requirements:
#1 Lightweight
#2 Decent size lens for light capture
#3 Viewfinder
#4 AA batteries

3 and 4 are driven by the desire for light weight. A viewfinder minimizes the amount of power needed for the screen and the AA batteries (when lithium) are light ans can easily be purchased all along the Camino. I realize I am not a good enough photographer for carrying a heavy camera and I don't want something that will interest thieves.

To date, the best camera I can find to meet the weight and lens is an old Canon A720 IS. I was able to get about 7 days or pictures (~450) out of a set of lithium batteries. I found for the Camino this took very decent pictures. See some here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/savini-santiago/sets/72157619966784658/

Any other suggestions that meet the requirements above or reasons I should change my focus on weight and lens?

Thanks.
Rambler

 

[NicoZ]

I realize I am not a good enough photographer for carrying a heavy camera

Eh? I thought I'd heard all the arguments against heavy cameras but this is a new one .

Points 1 and 2 are in conflict. A fast low light lens will be bigger and heavier .

AA are nice because you can find them in any shop but I doubt they're any lighter then a similar power battery pack. OTOH if you're using disposables you don't need a charger.

Really it depends on what you like to photograph. How interested you are in photography. How much you want to spend.

There are plenty of smaller DSLR you can stick a fast 35mm on and be done. But it depends on what you want.

 

[newfydog]

I shoot in three modes, the phone, the travel zoom pocket camera, and the full on DSLR with various lenses. The results are distributed accordingly----some goods snapshot from the phone, some professional quality stuff from the DSLR. I won't say there is no overlap----Sometimes I shoot something great with the phone, often I shoot garbage with the big camera, but I pick the cameras according to what I hope for and how much effort I'm willing to put into it.

Here's three photos... the dog could be shot with any phone, the compressed field of the biker was possible with the pocket travel zoom, and the eagle, shot from my living room, required a professional quality 400 mm lens. I carry the camera which suits my photographic goals.

 

[dougfitz]

I guess we all have different priorities, and make different choices in line with those. After the CF in 2010, where I didn't get to take anywhere near as many images as I had expected or wanted because my camera was in the top of my bag, my priority .was to get something that I could carry in a pouch clipped onto the front of my pack harness. I also gave up on using AA batteries, although @Rambler's experience sounds better than mine in this regard. I also wanted a longer zoom (> x10) but wasn't too worried about pixel count, noting that almost everything on the market at the time could be enlarged to over A4 without difficulty, and all were more than enough for most screen resolutions as well.

Initially, I bought the Olympus u-9000, but have subsequently bought a SZ-16. In a case with a clip to attach it, it weighs about 325gm with a spare battery, lens cloth and extra SD cards. The charger and cord weigh about 127glm, although it can be charged using its USB transfer cable as well. All up just under 500gm.

Regards

 

[Monya]

I'm taking a Sony Cyber-Shot 18.2M 20x zoom camera. It has WiFi capability, and takes seamless panoramic shots.

Best thing? It weighs 166g (without the battery), which is about a 10th of my Sony A550, which I would need a mule for.

 

[jirit]

It is. Some of my friends bought the NEX-6 and are really happy with it.

I just bought the Sony NEX 6 and so far I am very pleased with it. It is a nice light weight camera with plenty of good useful features.

Sony is offering $200 dollar off the base model with the 16-50 ml lens as part of a Boxing Week special.

Just need to locate a pol filter kit for this model and I am set to go another camino with it.

 

[BeatriceKarjalainen]

@jirit nice! I really missed a ND-filter on my camino as I wanted to take some long exposure photos during the day. $200 off sounds like a really great prize, congratulations.

 

[Monya]

A view from a friend's place looking west towards Boulder and the mountains taken with the Sony NEX 6

View attachment 7581

Wow. That is a beautiful view! Nice panoramic.

 

[Robo]

Just one camera. And a phone.
Whilst we are not walking until 2015, preparations are well under way! Being a keen photographer and videographer we plan to make a video diary / documentary of our Camino. LOL. Like the World needs another one

But we are doing it for ourselves more than anyone else. Also we will be commentating in English and Thai. My wife is Thai, so we'll end up with 2 versions. Hopefully we can encourage a few more Thai pilgrims The aim will be to capture the emotions, the challenges and hopefully the changes we both go through. Who knows what we'll capture!

Anyway, to the gear. Because I will be almost 60 and not that fit, keeping everything light is a key priority. So whilst I own and use a DSLR, a prosumer video camera, pocket stills camera etc etc, I'll be carrying the lightest and my favourite.

The Kodak zi8 (good choice jimkaszynski) I use the zi8 all the time to shoot interviews and promo videos for my business.
It shoots HD video, (and 5MP stills) has great sound (using a simple external mic) and is super light. I'll be using a stickpic to attach the camera to a trekking pole for commentary as we walk and as a tripod, use 3 poles upended.

The total gear weight is fairly low.
zi8 camera. 173g
charger. 191g
shotgun mic. 84g
cable mic. 19g
cable mic extension cable. 50g

As a backup, (and for local communications) I'll use an iPhone4. They also shoot great video (and stills) with a choice of 2 camera resolutions.
And........you can get a tripod mount for them. It's called a glif.

iPhone 160g
glif tripod mount. (not sure of weight, but light)
Charger. 92g

Total weight, 2 cameras. 769g

My only remaining camera challenge, is how to fix the shotgun mic to the zi8 for interview shots. I'm thinking of gluing a hot shoe mount to the side of the zi8. (don't want the added weight of a tripod bracket) But any ideas most welcome

P.S. another great gadget I found a while back is a small adapter that fits an iPhone, so you can use a standard external mic! (the 3 ring iphone plug v the normal 2 ring plugs) The iphone has great video capability and with the external mic you get great sound too.

 

[susanawee]

Fantastic photos D. It brought it all back, just want to go out and do it all again.
Thank you.
PS I have the Samsung Galaxy S3 so any tips would be appreciated. (Not the usual get an Iphone ones )

I also have a Samsung Galaxy Camera and found it to be ecellent for my needs........it has a great zoom capability, can be used in Fully Automatic or Smart mode........the smart mode has many different settings, including an extremely good Macro setting. This camera is also comppletely internet enabled, WIfi ext and, with the inclusion of a SIM, can be used for Texting and a phone ap can also be downloaded......smiles.

 

[Robo]

Interesting. I am just 'out of contract' on my iPhone 4 and have been seriously thinking of switching to Samsung. Is the movie capability any good? I was thinking of the Samsung Note, as it would be very handy (with the larger screen) to use for browsing the internet. Booking Hotels etc. I just find the iphone screens too small for that.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

If you're looking for reviews on the Samsung 3, check out the website:
www.toomanyadapters.com

These guys specialize in travel tech. Lots of great advice.

If I were doing video on the Camino, I would get a GoPro.

 

[Robo]

Never tried a GoPro, but they look good. Also takes an external mic which is vital. Good sound on a video is more important than a good image IMHO.

 

[renegadepilgrim]

True. I believe you can connect an external mic to a GoPro. I might be wrong. I was looking at them for a future purchase to document my outdoor adventures.

If you do shoot video on your iPhone you can download iMovie to edit on your phone. FYI.

 

[Dave Courtenay]

Cameras seem to change daily, I have bought a Fujifilm XM1 for my camino, Gives great image quality and is nice and small, I have a think tank mirrorless mover 10 camera bag which fits nicely on my backpack waist strap, I cant help but want to take a Dslr and the Nikon D5300 with 18-140 looks very tempting, I start my Camino in April 2014 so plenty of time to make my final decision, You can see some examples of the image quality from the Fujifilm XM1 here
http://davescamino.blogspot.com/2013/11/count-down.html

Dave

 

[renegadepilgrim]

The best advice is to take all the stuff you plan to take, load it up and go for a 10 mile walk. You'll figure out soon enough what you really need.

 

[thetravellingpen]

Taking photographs ruins the memory, hmm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...tographs-ruins-the-memory-research-finds.html

Well, it's not like you'd have the camera out permanently so as 'viewing everything via the lens' as some are pointing out... but to take a few pics daily, when you stop to rest or see something special, means that you can share the experience with loved ones who don't have the opportunity to do the walk.

 

[Rambler]

Eh? I thought I'd heard all the arguments against heavy cameras but this is a new one .

Points 1 and 2 are in conflict. A fast low light lens will be bigger and heavier .

AA are nice because you can find them in any shop but I doubt they're any lighter then a similar power battery pack. OTOH if you're using disposables you don't need a charger.

Really it depends on what you like to photograph. How interested you are in photography. How much you want to spend.

There are plenty of smaller DSLR you can stick a fast 35mm on and be done. But it depends on what you want.

NicoZ:
A good photographer will take time to find the best perspective and alignment, determine the lighting and adjust his camera, put it on a tripod to assure the picture is stable and finally take five bracketed pictures to make sure he can get the best shot. A friend is a semi-professional photographer (he gets paid for his pictures, but can't make a living at it). When we go hiking, I will sit around 20 -30 minutes while he takes a few shots.
My attention span will not allow for this and especially on the Camino, you will never make it to the next location.
Thus I am not a good enough photographer to carry the extra weight.

I agree with your point that 1&2 are in conflict this is why it is a trade off.
Most light cameras has small lenses that do not let in much light. I am looking for the biggest lightest lens. It is all a compromise.

I just weighed my Canon G11 outfit and the A720, plus a Elph 300HS my son has:
G11 with battery- 403g
spare battery pack 37g
Charger 85g

A720 with 2 AA lithium 227g
2 AA spare lithium 27g

So the G11 would weigh 525g to carry and the A720 would weigh 254g if I bought 2 new batteries as each set died.

That is a 9.6 ounce difference which is another shirt or a pair of Crocs in weight.

Note that 2 regular AA batteries weigh 47g, so going lithium does make a big difference in weight.

My son's camera weighed 142g and 100g for the spare battery and charger. This is slightly less but has a much smaller lens and no viewfinder which will make the battery last far less time.

But a camera that weighs in like the Elph and takes significantly better pictures than the A720 (it is 8MP and 6X optical zoom) would be a strong contender.

Any ideas?
Rambler

 

[NicoZ]

Just look at press,sports or event photographers. 20 seconds is a lifetime. For that matter portrait photographers. Twenty minutes to set up your camera etc means being chased around by an angry mother of the bride.

The only group that takes the sort of time you're thinking about are landscape photographers. Even here an experienced photographer can set up and be done in a fraction of time. In thirty minutes the perfect light can become a horrendous storm soaking you in rain.

So you're looking for a camera setup that weighs a total of 300grams or less?

 

[Rambler]

NicoZ:
You are right, I am thinking if nature photographers, which is what I typically think of more comparable to travel photography. On my last Camino, I took about 150 pictures a day, almost all were duplicated just to try and bracket a bit or to make sure I did not move the camera or get the wrong focal point. I find it hard to always tell if the picture is in focus on the small screen.

Weight wise I definitely want to keep the whole outfit under a pound, preferably 10oz or less. So anything under 400g would be considerable.
I just saw a Canon SX170 on sale for $75.00. It is 16MP, 16x optical zoom, uses 2 AA batteries and weighs 251g with batteries. The only think it does not have is a view finder, which means the batteries will run out faster, but I can buy more along the way.
Here is a bit of comparison:
SX170
16.0 Megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD
5.0 (W) - 80.0 (T) mm (35mm film equivalent: 28 - 448 mm) focal length
16x optical zoom
Maximum Aperture f/3.5 (W) , f/5.9 (T)
Dimensions (W x H x D) 4.25 x 2.80 x 1.73 in. / 108.0 x 71.0 x 43.9mm
Weight 8.85 oz. / 251g (CIPA standard)
A720
8.0 Megapixel, 1/2.5 inch CCD
5.8-34.8mm f/2.8-4.8 (35mm film equivalent: 35-210mm) focal length
6x optical zoom
Maximum Aperture f/2.8 (W) - f/4.8 (T)
Dimensions (W x H x D)3.83 x 2.64 x 1.65 in. / 97.3 x 67.0 x 41.9mm
Weight 8.00oz / 227g (with lithium batteries)

I hate the idea of carrying a charger because of the extra weight and that requires taking two outlets at an albergue to charge a phone AND a camera battery. As it is, you feel rushed if there are not a lot of outlets available.
Also the hip pocket on my pack is 4.5 x 3 x 1.5, so I would like some thing that could fit in that so as not to have to add the weight of a camera bag.

I think from writing this, I may have convinced myself to go buy the SX170.

Any better ideas?
Rambler

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Also the hip pocket on my pack is 4.5 x 3 x 1.5

The very smallest camera out there that shoots raw and has a viewfinder would be the panasonic DMC-LF1. Normally it's horribly overpriced, but they often have sales when you can get it for $299. At 102.5 mm x 27.9 mm x 62.1 mm and 192 gm with battery and card, it's definitely the smallest camera I've found with a viewfinder (a must for me), but it is a very quirky beast in many ways. Reviewers either love it or hate it. Officially it only has in-camera charging, but there are third-party chargers available.

If you don't mind something less pocketable and a whole lot more expensive, I've yet to meet a pro photographer who doesn't love, love, love the Fuji x100S, but of course there's no zoom at all there, and that's definitely one that it would hurt to lose/have stolen. But it's a superb landscape/street cam and no worries about lugging a bag of lenses.

 

[jirit]

If you can wait until this March, Sony has just announced the release of the smallest and lightest mirror less interchangeable lens camera

http://www.prweb.com/releases/Sony/Alpha-5000-Cameras/prweb11455633.htm

 

[Rambler]

Pudgy:
The Panasonic looks great, especially since it has a viewfinder. At that weight, you can carry a spare battery and just charge them up in the as an emergency backup. Plus a two port USB plug can charge both phone and camera at the same time, taking only one outlet. Do you have this camera? any idea how long it takes to charge the battery?

Rambler

 

[Magwood]

The very smallest camera out there that shoots raw and has a viewfinder would be the panasonic DMC-LF1........

I asked a friend who is a professional photographer to research and recommend a point and shoot to take on my next camino and he suggested the Panasonic DMC-LF1 would be best for my purposes.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

I ordered one when it went on sale, but the box was pretty much of a mess when it arrived--the UPS driver said someone on the line at UPS obviously knew what the brown B&H tape meant and had tried to extract the contents. Anyway, that camera was pretty brain dead--kept getting stuck in the menus and the only way out was to turn it off and on again, so I won't blame it for the fact that the EVF was very disappointing. I'm still waiting on the replacement since they sold out quickly at the sale price. I have to say, though, that while I don't mind lousy EVFs (I had a Minolta A-1 ten years ago and didn't mind the way everything moving looked like it was swimming underwater in stop motion), using the EVF on the LF1 made my eye hurt in about three shots, even with the diopter adjusted, because of the odd angle. I hope it was just that particular camera (it had obviously had pretty rough treatment), but we'll see. I did notice that the raw files didn't do well in ACR--they tend to disintegrate if you push the settings at all. So I'm waiting for the replacement, but I have to admit I'm not sanguine. On the other hand, I can't help wondering if the way all the reviews were at both extremes means that they have poor quality control and you have to hope you get a good one.

So the only charge I gave the battery was the initial charge, which took about an hour and a half, but of course I don't know how far down the battery really was when I started. I'll post back after the replacement comes--it's supposed to get here tomorrow.

One weird thing that may be important to anyone blogging on the road is that for shooting jpegs the only way to adjust sharpness or saturation is to use one of the scene modes--no settings in the regular menus.

 

[pudgypilgrim]

Magwood, did you get the LF1? What's your opinion?

 

[Magwood]

Magwood, did you get the LF1? What's your opinion?

No, not ordered it yet, but would be very interested in your feedback when you have received the replacement.

 

[drukman jacob]

For those of us who love photography, the Camino presents a dilemma. Leaving behind the large print and low light capabilities of an SLR can be stressful. There's nothing worse than taking in the perfect sunset, only to have it rendered as a noisy mess on your point and shoot LCD. As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

As an alternative, there are two viable options. The first is to purchase a mirrorless camera with a compact prime. Second, I would suggest that you just use a smartphone and make the apps work for you. I used ProHDR and Camera+ for my iPhone and am really happy with the results.

I walked from St. Jean to Finisterre, you can see all of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewrobinson/sets/72157631571051507/

Message me if you would like any tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone camera.

I try this application and is come out very nice ,i am very satisfied vith the results
I see your pictures on Flickr.and I like them very much
THANKS for the tip !
On my next camino on May I will live my Nikon home !

 

[Dave Courtenay]

Carry a camera where it is easily accessible can be a problem as you don't want to keep talking you pack off, I use a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 10 for my Fujifilm XM1, Just blogged on it here http://davescamino.blogspot.com/

 

[pudgypilgrim]

So here's how the LF1 worked out for me. I got the replacement and I really, really, really want to like this camera. The battery weighs 19 g and the charger cable+wall wart comes to 59 g. It's an incredibly tidy little package for what it can do. (EDIT 251 g total, including camera, card, battery, charger!) The image quality is adequate and if you like fancy effects it has plenty of those. Where it all breaks down for me is that I absolutely need a viewfinder--I hate trying to take photos at arm's length, and the EVF on the replacement is every bit as bad as the original was. I don't mind a tunnel optical viewfinder with lots of parallax--my regular purse cams for years have been Canon G series--but this EVF makes my eyes hurt immediately. I don't expect to be able to do manual focus with a mini-EVF, but you ought to be able to stand to look into it for more than a couple of seconds. Perhaps for someone with strong young eyes it would be okay, but for me it was just as bad with my reading glasses on.

So for a lot of folks I think this might be a super choice. It just doesn't work for me. IMHO, if you're happy with just the LCD and no viewfinder, there are other options out there that may be just as satisfactory or even better. There is nothing else this small with any kind of EVF/OVF, so if you can work with mostly using the LCD and just switching to the EVF when you can't see the screen (like in bright sunlight), it could work well. I did like that all the same info from the LCD was displayed in the EVF.

Oh, Rambler, the manual says 160 min to charge from completely dead, but at 19g you could carry a couple of spares.

 

[dougfitz]

Carry a camera where it is easily accessible can be a problem as you don't want to keep talking you pack off, I use a Think Tank Mirrorless Mover 10 for my Fujifilm XM1, Just blogged on it here http://davescamino.blogspot.com/

Wow - that's at least 600gm of camera gear before lenses are added. I suppose its the penalty one has to pay if one is searching for increasingly higher image quality.

I do agree with @Dave Courtenay that accessibility is an issue when carrying a pack. I carried a bridge style camera in 2010, and ended up having to carry it in the top of my pack, and captured fewer images as a result. Since then I have used an Olympus u-9000 in a small carry case that I can clip onto the front straps of my pack harness, and more recently purchased the slightly larger SZ-16. While the camera and case for the SZ-16 are heavier, there is a weight saving inasmuch as I can charge this from a USB port, and don't need to carry a mains charger. With a spare battery, lens cleaning cloth and a spare SD card, the overall weight is about 325 gm. With a charger, the u-9000 combination was just over 360 gm.

I also carry a small tripod for low light photography and for 'selfies' when I am walking in the bush by myself. I have yet to master how to take these handheld without having a great swath of my arm blocking half the view.

Regards,

 

[nickljones]

Sooooo...everyone has a different camera make/model/size !

 

[RoryGentry]

I love my DSLR, but purchased an Olympus Tough TG 2 for my camino. It's a point and shoot pocket camera with a 2.0 f stop, which was great in churches without the flash. You can buy a couple of lenses for it, but I haven't bought them. You can use this up to 50 feet underwater, so I knew I didn't have to worry about it if I got caught in the rain. It also has some built-in filters (those were fun to use inside some of the cathedrals), GPS mode, an awesome macro mode, etc. It is extremely sturdy and since you don't have to worry about the elements getting to it, it was a great choice. I would recommend buying an extra battery and an external charger, since outlets are sometimes hard to come by on the camino.

Here is a review of that camera:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2420057,00.asp

I'll attach a couple of samples of the macro mode, as well as some sample photos from the camino. A few regular shots, a couple with the "dramatic" filter being used, a shot of stained glass in a cathedral, a photo shot at night, one in the foggy sunrise... You'll see how it performed in different lighting.

 

[Anniesantiago]

I've taken some awesome photos with my little Cannon Elf

 

[hautshot]

I brought a Nikon J1, it's great little mirrorless camera. Also brought a CamOne (GoPro knockoff) mounted to my hiking stick with small velcro tripod. The camera on the stick was always out ready to shoot, plus holding it out on the stick I got some great shots and videos that I could not have gotten otherwise

 

[jmcarp]

[snip]... I carry the camera which suits my photographic goals...

Well said. As a user of multiple cameras, including DSLRs, that's exactly my philosophy as well. I knew going into the Camino that photography was not my main motivation for the pilgrimage and that I was not going to spend a significant portion of the day looking for and setting up photo ops, so I selected the camera to take accordingly. The camera I did take, a Canon SX150, was well-suited for this approach. The downsides of such a camera -- slow lens, not wide enough, and lack of dynamic range due to the small sensor were of course concerns, but I felt like I could overcome at least some of those issues by using the camera's manual controls and by adjustments in post-processing.

Buen Camino
Jim

 

[KentuckyJay]

For those of us who love photography, the Camino presents a dilemma. Leaving behind the large print and low light capabilities of an SLR can be stressful. There's nothing worse than taking in the perfect sunset, only to have it rendered as a noisy mess on your point and shoot LCD. As someone who used to take my big DSLR everywhere, I urge you, leave it behind! You will not miss it. Trust me, you will miss so much of the beauty on the Camino if you have your face planted firmly behind the viewfinder all day.

As an alternative, there are two viable options. The first is to purchase a mirrorless camera with a compact prime. Second, I would suggest that you just use a smartphone and make the apps work for you. I used ProHDR and Camera+ for my iPhone and am really happy with the results.

I walked from St. Jean to Finisterre, you can see all of my photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewrobinson/sets/72157631571051507/

Message me if you would like any tips on how to get the most out of your iPhone camera.

Just got a copy of Pro HDR for my iPhone and love it. Thanx for the tip. Plan to use it and a small Nikon Coolpix on my April/May Camino.

 

[dougfitz]

I've taken some awesome photos with my little Cannon Elf

Just got a copy of Pro HDR for my iPhone and love it. Thanx for the tip. Plan to use it and a small Nikon Coolpix on my April/May Camino.

I am old enough to remember the time when it was still the qualities of the image that were important, not necessarily the qualities of the tools used for its capture. Even though film was a great leveller, that didn't stop us wanting more capable cameras and lenses just as we do now. Perhaps it was that even then, everyone could afford to use the same film, whereas today, not everyone can afford the same sensor systems.

The other thing I notice myself doing when using a digital camera is reaching for the camera and capturing several images before admiring what I am looking at. With film, I was more inclined to be selective, change my viewpoint and perspective to see if I could achieve better compositions. I am sure the more serious photographers are still doing this, but all too often I sense others doing what I too often do - taking a number of shots from where I have stopped, and not taking the few moments to take in and admire the scene to let it sink into one's memory, before capturing an image that will trigger that memory.

Regards,

 

[KentuckyJay]

I just turned 68 and can, through the photos that I took with my old Nikon SLRs, relive the pleasures and awesome sites that I was privileged to see when rafting Hells Canyon or the Grand Canyon, or backpacking in the Rockies, the Appalachian Trail, or a myriad of other excursions. However, during the past three summers, I've found equal pleasure using today's technology to capture special moments and places found hiking the Italian, Swiss, and Julian Alps and Pyrenees.
And the new technologies are a heck of a lot lighter.

 

[Dan]

Much as I love the Nikons, the Leicas, the Hexar AF, the Rolleiflex (God forbid!) etcetera - and much as I wanted to take those beautifully composed, nostalgic Henri Cartier-Bresson type masterpieces while on the Camino ... I didn't plan to hire a donkey ... so it had to be a digital. Purchased the Fuji X100s a couple of weeks before departure for St Jean PdP. It's a fixed lens camera with 35mm equivalent field of view.

Worked like a charm. By the time we arrived at Santiago the camera case was battered and torn, but it did the job in hail, rain and shine. The camera was always to hand. And on the Camino the delightful shots appear when you least expect it.

I love the quality of the images out of the Fuji, even compared to the D600. AWB is just about perfect. And both are champs up to 3200 ISO. I imagine any APS-C sized sensor in the Fuji line would be the same. However this thing is just so compact, and it's controls gladden the heart.

I am considering the new Fuji X-T1 for the Le Puy route this April/May, but I want to see it in the metal first. The body with a prime or zoom may just be too much larger than the X100s.

 

[jrm]

For a few years I've thought about going on the Camino, and then what Camera I would take with me. Though my Camino days are far away, I don't think I would leave my DSLR at home. I've traveled with it all over the world, and though bulky (and sometimes heavy), I'm much more comfortable using it than a point and shoot. I mainly use my Canon 6D or 5Dmkii and two lenses when I travel. I figure for the Camino I would bring one fast lens and the 6D (my lightest body). I've traveled with a point and shoot and have a Canon s100 on the shelf. However, I find the experience isn't as enjoyable and that I don't get the files I want when I return from travels. I want big, RAW, files that I can work with in Photoshop and Lightroom. Though I can take a fine image on my phone to capture the moment, I find that I'd much rather prefer to have a 20mp+ image to work with at the end of the day. It's extra weight for sure, but on a once and a lifetime trip, I think it's worth it to me. Perhaps the best solution for me is my DSLR and an iphone! I love the images I get from my DSLR when I travel and it helps me relive the experiences once I return home. There are some stellar images on this post! Well done everyone! I hope to add some to this site one day.

**I'm certainly not trying to dispute any information that anyone ahs posted. And since I've never actually been on the Camino, please take my thoughts with a major grain of salt. This is just the thought process that I've been going through**

I'm thinking that carrying the camera and a small lens on my backpack strap with somethiung iek this (https://peakdesignltd.com/store/capturepro) could be a nice option so the camera is always at hand, but not always in hand.

 

[D.Matthew]

For a few years I've thought about going on the Camino, and then what Camera I would take with me. Though my Camino days are far away, I don't think I would leave my DSLR at home. I've traveled with it all over the world, and though bulky (and sometimes heavy), I'm much more comfortable using it than a point and shoot. I mainly use my Canon 6D or 5Dmkii and two lenses when I travel. I figure for the Camino I would bring one fast lens and the 6D (my lightest body). I've traveled with a point and shoot and have a Canon s100 on the shelf. However, I find the experience isn't as enjoyable and that I don't get the files I want when I return from travels. I want big, RAW, files that I can work with in Photoshop and Lightroom. Though I can take a fine image on my phone to capture the moment, I find that I'd much rather prefer to have a 20mp+ image to work with at the end of the day. It's extra weight for sure, but on a once and a lifetime trip, I think it's worth it to me. Perhaps the best solution for me is my DSLR and an iphone! I love the images I get from my DSLR when I travel and it helps me relive the experiences once I return home. There are some stellar images on this post! Well done everyone! I hope to add some to this site one day.

**I'm certainly not trying to dispute any information that anyone ahs posted. And since I've never actually been on the Camino, please take my thoughts with a major grain of salt. This is just the thought process that I've been going through**

I'm thinking that carrying the camera and a small lens on my backpack strap with somethiung iek this (https://peakdesignltd.com/store/capturepro) could be a nice option so the camera is always at hand, but not always in hand.

It's great that you're going through this process early. It took me a good deal of time to finally decide to leave my DSLR at home. It's been 1.5 years now, and do I regret it? A small bit. Like you say, having the larger MP RAW images to work with is something I wish I could do. I just couldn't bring myself to lug the DSLR around after I tried a few 20+ mile training hikes with it. Like many have posted before, the Camino sweet spot seems to be the mirrorless cameras, especially with the APS-C sensor. Keep training and traveling with your DSLR, if all goes well, bring it with you! We'll all appreciate the images

 

[Donna Sch]

Has anyone tried a Canon SL-1/100D? 623g of DSLR.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-sl1/canon-sl1A.HTM