My cameras video

 

Photography Post: New camera, lens & accessories

New camera and lens

Since 2016 the Sony a6000 has been my main camera and it has been excellent. It’s been on every walk since I bought it and has taken many thousands of photos - 42,244 according to Lightroom and that of course doesn’t include deletions. However it is beginning to show its age and has developed a few quirks, most annoyingly it changes settings and opens menus at random. My half dozen batteries are fading too, only taking half the pictures they used to before needing recharging. They never lasted long anyway and on anything longer than a day walk I always carried four of them. Pondering this I decided I needed a new camera and new batteries. That was some time ago and the camera quirks have got more pronounced and the battery lives shorter. Rather than ponder I decided to actually do something and started looking for a replacement for the a6000.

Now since the a6000 was launched in 2014 there have been five successors in the a6xxx series, though none since 2019. Looking through the specs of these five cameras one stood out, the a6600. It is heavier than the a6000 – 503 grams rather than 344 grams but it has a much bigger battery meant to last over twice as long so I shouldn’t need to carry so many spares. The a6600 also has two other advantages – a flip-up mirror for selfies and vlogging (this might encourage me to do more videos!) and built-in stabilisation, useful for non-stabilised lenses. There are plenty of second-had ones available and I’ve bought one in excellent condition from MPB, a company I’ve used before for both buying and selling and who I’ve found reliable with great service.

Sony a6600 & Sony E 11mm lens

Along with the camera I bought, new but on sale, a Sony E 11mm F1.8 lens. This replaces the Samyang 12mm F2 lens I’ve had since 2015 which I’m selling. Now the Samyang is a good lens and I’ve taken some great night shots with it, which is the reason I bought it. However it’s a fully manual lens with no electronic connections to the camera. This means no autofocus, which the Sony 11mm has, though this isn’t a huge deal in an ultra-wide-angle lens, but also no record of settings. I’ve recently been using DxO Photolab 6 and DxO Deep Prime for processing raw files (more on this in future posts) and have found the results superb. Having lens information is crucial for this. DxO has a huge database of cameras and lens but this can’t cover non-electronic lenses like the Samyang that provide no information. The Sony 11mm is recognised by DxO.

The next two weeks I’ll be out camping in the hills with the Sony a6600 and the Sony 11mm lens. I’ll find out just how long the camera battery lasts and when I’m home just what results I can get from images taken with the 11mm lens in DxO software. I hope I’m not disappointed on either count!

Peak Designs

I’ve also been trying out some products from innovative camera accessories company Peak Design, namely the Capture Camera Clip, the Leash, and the Travel Tripod.

Capture Clip plate attached to camera base

The Capture Clip is a two-part device that lets you carry your camera securely on a rucksack strap or a belt and access it almost instantly. Now I’ve always carried my camera in a padded bag slung across my body which gives reasonably quick access whilst providing protection against rain or knocks. I really wasn’t sure how I would like having the camera hanging free.

Capture Clip in place

The Capture Clip consists of a plate that screws onto the base of the camera and a two-part Clip that fastens round the strap with two screws, total weight 84 grams. The plate slides into the clip and immediately locks into place. I tried it with my biggest and heaviest camera and lens combination – the Sony a6600 with Sony E 70-350mm lens – which weighs 1.2kg and it felt very secure on a walk over rough boggy ground where I was lurching around a great deal. It also felt comfortable and once I was used to finding and pressing the release button I could have the camera to my eye far faster than when removing it from a bag.I also tried it with the a6600 and lighter Sony E 18-135 lens (863 grams total) and this was also fine.

Sony a6600 & Sony E 18-135 lens attached to the Capture Clip

Of course the Capture Clip gives no protection against rain or knocks so I would still carry a waterproof camera bag for use in rain or when scrambling. How useful the Capture Clip will be for multi-day backpacking I’ll find out on my forthcoming trip.

Peak Designs Leash

On first attaching my camera to the Capture Clip I immediately discovered that the dangling camera strap was a nuisance. As I rarely actually use a camera strap I’ve always stuck with those that come with the camera. These however are hard to remove and hard to adjust. The one with the Sony a6600 does have quick release buckles so most of the strap can be easily removed but this still leaves fairly long pieces of webbing with chunky buckles hanging down in the way. To solve this I bought a Peak Design Leash. This is a brilliant strap. It attaches to the camera with tiny anchors that can be released very quickly and which are then barely noticeable, and it is very easy to adjust. I might finally start using a camera strap quite often.

Peak Designs Travel Tripod alongside the Sony a6600 with 70-350mm lens

Along with the Capture Clip Peak Design also loaned me an aluminium Travel Tripod. This is also brilliant, the best tripod I have ever used. But it’s also the heaviest at 1.56kg – there is a carbon-fibre version but that still weighs 1.29kg. The tripod I’ve used for many years, a now battered Velbon V-Pod weighs 281 grams. When I wrote about tripods for backpacking back in 2017 I gave one at 396 grams as the heaviest I’d consider as a replacement for the V-Pod.

Sony a6600 with 70-350mm lens on the Peak Design Travel Tripod

The Peak Design Travel Tripod is superbly designed. It’s very compact for the size, fast to set up, and easy to use. A camera fitted with the Capture Clip plate can be slid onto the ball head very quickly. I took the tripod on the same walk as the Capture Clip and set it up on a breezy summit. It easily supported my camera with 70-350 zoom lens – a combination that’s too heavy for the V-pod but then I’d never take that lens backpacking. If the weight doesn’t matter this is a brilliant tripod. I’d love Peak Design to make an ultralight version.

Just Mobile Shutter Grip 2

Using a smartphone for more serious photography and especially for videos over the last year I quickly came up against the limitations of trying to hold it securely and without my fingers getting in the image so I looked for a clamp with a shutter button to make this easy. The first one I bought was inexpensive and did make using the phone easier. It only had one position though. Then I discovered the Shutter Grip 2. This is another brilliant accessory. It not only provides a solid handle with a wireless shutter button but has a built-in selfie stick and a tripod thread. It can also be used as a phone stand. It weighs just 68 grams and is now something I wouldn’t be without. It really makes a huge difference to smartphone photography.I'll take some pictures of it in use on my next trip.

 

My Camera Set-Up

Sony a6000 & Sony E 16-50 f3.5-5.6 zoom lens

Back in August I collected together the various pieces on backpacking and photography that I've posted over the years and said that I'd add a post on my current set-up. Here it is.

Firstly I'd like to point out that I'm not suggesting that this is an ideal or best set-up, just that it's one that works for me. I use mirrorless cameras with APS-C sensors because they are small and light, not because I think they produce better pictures than DSLRs with the same size sensors. I use Sony mirrorless cameras because of the only four makes available when I changed from DSLRs I liked the rangefinder style Sony NEX 5 best as I explained in detail here. Back then in 2010 Fujifilm hadn't launched their mirrorless X series, which I would certainly consider if making the change now. As it is I'm happy with my Sony cameras and don't see myself changing systems anytime soon.

Of course whether your photographs are ones you're happy with depends on many factors. A good quality camera and lens should mean your pictures are technically okay once you know how to get the best out of them but that's all. Composition and light are key to a good photo. 

CAMERAS

Sony a6000 & Sony NEX 7   384 & 374 grams (with battery, memory card & strap)

These two cameras go on almost every trip. Both have 24 mp sensors. In theory the a6000 produces slightly better images than the NEX 7. In practice I can't see any significant difference when used with the same lens. I normally use manual exposure settings - guided by the histogram rather than the light meter - and can change aperture, speed and ISO without having to delve into menus.

Sony NEX 7 & Sony E 10-18mm f4 zoom lens

LENSES 

Over the years I've acquired seven lenses and a tele conversion lens. I haven't ever carried all these lenses, even on a day hike. Indeed, mostly I carry just the first two, sometimes the third as well, and less often again, the fourth.


Sony E 16-50mm F3.5-5.6 zoom       117 grams

Sony E 10-18mm f4 zoom                 266 grams

These are the two lenses I almost always carry. On long trips like the one from Yosemite Valley to Death Valley that I undertook this time last year they are the only lenses I carry. Two bodies and two lenses means I never have to change lenses and risk getting dust on the sensors. The 16-50 is tiny and I can carry it on the a6000 in a pocket. If I only take one camera and lens - which is rare - it's that combination. The 10-18 is a fair bit bigger but I love the wide angle picture opportunities it gives.

Both are zoom lenses, which I prefer for fine-tuning composition. When I did an analysis earlier in the year I found that I did use the zooms to the full. And when I've been out with just a fixed focal length prime lens I've found it frustrating as there are always pictures I can't take.

Sony E 55-210mm f4.5-6.3 zoom     390 grams

My third zoom lens comes along when weight isn't too important - day walks and one or two night backpacking trips when I'm not planning on high mileage. This is always the lens whose usefulness I weigh up before a trip, often feeling reluctant to leave it behind. For a telephoto zoom it's very light but even so it's more to carry. Sometimes photography wins and I take it, sometimes the weight of my load is uppermost in my mind and I leave it behind. Recently I bought a Sony 1.7X Tele Conversion lens (254 grams) to extend the reach of the 55-210. It works well but won't be coming on any backpacking trips.

Sony NEX 7 & Samyang 12mm f2 NCS CS E

Samyang 12mm f2 NCS CS E        291 grams

This is the most-used of the four prime lenses I've managed to acquire. I bought it for its reputation for night photography and I haven't been disappointed. It's sharp and has a fast aperture. It's fully manual with no autofocus and I use it with focus peaking on the a6000, which makes focusing easy. It's a lens I always think I should use more. It usually comes on overnight trips if  starry skies are likely but rarely on day trips.

Sigma 30mm f2.8 EX DN E            162 grams

This lovely little lens hardly ever gets used. If there's one lens I should dispense with it's this. The 16-50mm zoom covers the same focal length and is far more versatile. As it was inexpensive I'll probably keep it though.

Sigma 60mm f2.8 DN E                  236 grams

Regularly praised for its performance I bought this inexpensive prime lens on the basis of reviews. And it really does produce superb results, especially portraits. Even so, as with the 30mm, I haven't used it much.

Sony E 30mm f3.5 Macro              162 grams

The only lens not intended for outdoor use I bought this for photographing my old transparencies on a lightbox. It does this pretty well though a longer focal length would make it easier. I have taken it on walks occasionally for photographing details of trees and flowers and more but generally it stays indoors.

From left: Sony 1.7x Tele Conversion lens, Sony E 55-210mm zoom, Sony 30mm Macro, Sigma 60mm, Sigma 30mm

CASES

For the last few years I've carried the a6000 & 16-50mm lens and the NEX 7 & 10-18mm lens in ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover 5 and 10 padded bags (192 and 302 grams).  These little bags have rain covers and pockets for memory cards and batteries. What I find most useful though are the magnetic flap closures, which make accessing the cameras quick and easy, and mean the zips under the flap only need to be used when it's rainy or dusty. So far the cases have proved tough.

ThinkTank Mirrorless Mover bags

Spare lenses are carried in Zing! neoprene bags that weigh 80 grams each.

TRIPODS

I always carry a very light tripod for low light, night, camping shots and self-portraits. As I'm usually alone in the hills taking pictures of camp activities means a tripod is essential. Currently this is a now rather battered Velbon V-Pod (281 grams). I wrote about tripods earlier in the year.

FINALLY ... SAMSUNG S7 SMARTPHONE     155 grams

I do always have a third camera with me, my smartphone. I use it often too, for the photos that I post on Instagram and occasionally elsewhere. In good light it takes pretty good pictures. I've never explored its potential fully but overall I'm pleased with it for snapshots and selfies.

AND NEXT .....

I'm happy with this set-up and feel I should try and get more out of the lenses I have before considering any others. However I am thinking about another body, a Sony a6500, for two reasons. Firstly the NEX 7 is quite battered now and may not last too much longer. Secondly the Samyang and Sigma lenses aren't stabilised, something I have to remember when using them as my other lenses have this very useful feature. The a6000 and NEX 7 aren't stabilised either but the a6500 is and so would extend the usefulness of those three lenses. I'm in no hurry though.