Help Choosing New Hiking/BP Camera

[Chuck C.]

I’m  thinking about buying a new camera for hiking and backpacking and I’m looking for suggestions. I currently use a Panasonic LX7. It has been fantastic, but the lens sometimes won’t retract and I’m afraid it is dying.  Also, I’m going on a 2 week backpack next summer where I won’t have access to electricity at all, so I am looking for  a camera that charges via USB. That way, I can bring a battery power bank and a solar charger to keep the camera charged.  Alternatively, if a camera has inexpensive replacement batteries, I could possibly buy several and pre-charge them.

I’m a Scoutmaster, so I end up taking a lot of pictures of people outdoors but I’m also a photography buff so I try to get awesome landscapes, waterfalls and such while I’m out there .  Video capabilities are nice to have, but are not a primary concern.  I never intend to make posters or billboards with my images, but I want enough image quality to crop and RAW capability to tweak things and better capture the memories.

Here are my requirements:

• ~1lb -The lighter the better
• Ability to charge via USB (or have cheap replacement batteries <$20)
• Ability to do Raw + JPG
• Control over shutter, aperture, and full manual
• Good low light capability (My LX7 had an F1.4 lens and was great in low light)
• Built-in flash
• Ideally $600 or less, but I might spend more if it could replace my Nikon D5300
• Interchangeable lenses are a plus but not required

I think the Sony RX100ii checks all of these boxes, but it seems a little flimsy and disposable. Maybe I’m wrong?  I’m kind of intrigued by some of the mirrorless cameras and their potential to replace my DSLR, which mostly collects dust.

Any recommendations?

[Brad Rogers]

Personally, I think you are on the right track with the Sony RX100 (even v1) if interchangeable lenses aren’t a requirement.

[Kenneth Keating]

Sony RX100iii.  Wonderful camera, not flimsy by any means.   No need to use USB charger, just bring extra batteries. Does great closeups and landscape views.  I’ve been extremely pleased with mine.

[Noah K]

Take a look at the sony a6000 as well.  IMO currently the best value you can find.  Very light and portable, and also allows interchangeable lenses if you decide you want that functionality

[Chuck C.]

I had a chance to visit a Best Buy last night and got to check out a few different RX100’s and the Sony A6000. They were both very impressive. I really liked the controls on the Olympus om-d e-m10ii, but it was pretty bulky for backpacking. They also had a Sony a5000 on sale that looked great.  But, I can’t believe how small the RX100 was!  So I’m probably leaning that direction.

Does anyone know if the articulating screen on the RX100I ii orients forward so you can use it for selfies? They only had version I, III, and V, so I couldn’t tell for sure.

 

 

[Kenneth Keating]

Yes, the sreen flips around to the top for selfies.  The camera takes outstanding photos.

 

[Kenneth Keating]

If you end up getting the camera, here’s my recommendation for accessories:

White Knight Press, Photographer’s Guide to the Sony DSC-RX100 III, PDF Version: Highly recommended. The manual that comes with the camera is poor and frustrating. The camera is amazing for what it can do, but it’s also not a simple point and shoot. The guide makes understanding and use of the camera so much easier.

Extra Batteries and Charger: The Sony batteries(NP-BX1) are expensive. The charger that comes with the camera doesn’t allow charging of batteries separately, you have to plug it into the camera. If you purchase a separate Sony Charger(BC-TRX) that can charge the batteries separately, the charger is not the easiest to use. They design is such that it can be used with multiple Sony batteries, but the issue being it’s not clear how to insert the batteries. Buy extra generic batteries and carry those. I’d recommend at least two extra batteries. Carry them in a small plastic bag with a two sided label, Charged on one site and Dis-Charged on the other. Just flip the label over as required to show the charge state of the battery. I purchased the Powerextra 2 Pack Replacement Sony NP-BX1 Li-ion batteries with both a car and wall charger. The price is $14 and includes two batteries and a charger. The price is so inexpensive I purchased two units and they’ve been working great.

Grip: The camera is easier to grip if you add the Sony AG-R2 grip

[Ian]

If you plan on running and gunning to capture the occasional snapshot, the RX100 family is tough to beat and is capable of capturing some great images and video, albeit version iv and v have issues overheating in 4K.

For less than $500, the A6000 over delivers.  It’s not a camera that would carry in a pocket, but it’s plenty small and light.  I’ve had this camera for a couple years now.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.  Edit to add: the A6000, A6300 (and likely the A6500) have overheating issues as well when shooting video.

[Nick Gatel]

I’ve been using a RX100i for 4 years now. It is almost perfect for backpacking use. What makes it not perfect is the lack of an electronic eyepiece. That aside, an articulating screen would be a nice to have; there have been a few times I needed to lay on the ground to take a picture.

The iii, iv, or v would be perfect.

I mostly do landscapes when hiking and have no interest in video.

My wife has wanted to buy me a newer model the past couple of years, but I don’t see the value in spending $800-$1,000 to replace an almost perfect camera.

For many years I used a Pentax K1000 SLR, an inexpensive camera with interchanable lenses, but too bulky and heavy for backpacking; I miss the flexibility of changing lenses. I am going to ask her to buy me a a6000 for my birthday and keep the RX100i for backpacking and other quick P&S situations.

Here are my thoughts on the RX100i

 

 

[Serge Giachetti]

I’d highly recommend the mark III version of the rx100. I dont think it gets any better for backpacking cameras then the rx100 series. I owned the mark  1 & have shot with mark III for the last 3 years, though recently have been carrying fuji mirrorless. The lense on the III is considerabley better than the 1 and 2, particularly when it comes to edge to edge sharpness. The main advantage is the 24mm vs 28mm at the wide end. For hiking in mountain terrain, those 4mm make a huge difference. I could prob shoot 35mm lense the rest of my life and be happy, but with the huge exception of alpine landscapes.

The IV and V both look fantastic, but I wouldnt spend the extra money for features that wouldnt necessarily help a still shooting backpacker.

https://www.instagram.com/sergegiachetti/

These were almost all shot on the rx1003 until about the last 3 rows.

[Dave G]

Chuck,

I too use a Sony RX100 Mk 1, my thoughts are pretty much exactly the same as Nick’s.

DPReview has an article comparing the 5 versions:

Which RX100?

Also you might consider the new Panasonic LX10 which has the same sensor size as the RX100s and a slightly wider aperture on the wide end (F1.4 vs F1.8)

Dave

 

[Steve Chan]

The RX100 is the really obvious choice for this, though its been around long enough that I’d expect Canon and Panasonic to be providing some competition. I’m a fan of picking up a bunch of extra batteries and charging them up in advance to swap in.

If an interchangeable lens camera was the requirement and you could take the hit on space/bulk/cost, I think the ideal kit would be the Sony A6000 (A6300/A6500 if you care to spend more), the 18-105 zoom and the Sigma 30mm F1.4 Art lens as your fast normal prime. I have the 18-105 on our A6000 and it is a really great all purpose zoom with great sharpness, colors and overall rendering. But it isn’t a really fast lens, which you sometimes need – the Sigma 30 F1.4 Art fulfills that role, if you want a fast, sharp prime.

 

[Nick Gatel]

Agree with Kenneth on the White Knight book. The author is Alexander S. Knight and it reads beautifully on an iPad. Also a wall charger with a couple batteries is critical. I got the Wasabi brand on Amazon. You’ll also want a screen protector. The hard frame one from Sony has lasted me for four years. Lastly, you’ll need a good photo editing program especially if you shoot RAW. I, recommend Adobe Lightroom. The Mac and Windows versions are nearly identical.

Yesterday my wife gave me a Sony a6000 with the two kit lenses for my birthday. I will definitely keep the RX100 for backpacking. Last night, based on my RX100 experience, I ordered a Wasabi battery charger and two batteries, and a Sony brand framed screen protector. Unfortunately it looks like White doesn’t have a book for the a6000, but the controls are similar to the R100, which is a plus for my learning curve.

[Chuck C.]

Thanks everyone for the helpful input!  After much research, I decided to take advantage of Black Friday deals and pick up the Sony a6000. I was torn between the RX100iii and the a6000 because both are amazing cameras. Ultimately, I chose the versatility and value of the a6000 over the compactness of the RX100iii. Also, I think I can put up with some extra weight and bulk with the hopes of getting rid of my DSLR and going to a one camera quiver.

I haven’t hiked with it yet, but I’ve been very impressed with the camera so far. There are so many features and much to learn about this camera. I’m excited to dive in!

Thanks again for the suggestions. The a6000 wasn’t even on my radar until this post, but it turned out to be too good to resist.

[Stuart .]

Chuck – Which lens(es) did you wind up getting for the A6000? I too took the plunge with the $400 body only pricing over Black Friday. The A6300 and A6500 reviews didn’t make the price differential seem all that worthwhile because 4K video and a huge buffer for sports photography aren’t my bailiwick. I picked up the 16-70/4 and I’m debating whether to go for a fast prime as my next lens.

[Ian]

Stuart,

I’m interested in hearing your thoughts on the 16-70.  From what I’ve heard, the image quality between it and the 18-105 is about the same but I’d prefer to have the option to go as wide as 16mm (24 equiv) than 18(27mm).  The 16-50 is a bit soft but covers that focal range well enough and I’m undecided if I’m going to go for the 10-18 or the 16-70 for my next zoom lens.

[Chuck C.]

Hi Stuart, I got the 16-50mm kit lens. I know a lot of people don’t like it, but it was really cheap as part of the package deal and is very small for backpacking. I thought about getting the body only and picking up a 30mm f2.8 as my first lens. But realistically, if I had done that,  I would soon want a zoom that covers the 16-50 range and I wouldn’t want the weight penalty or expense of a fast zoom. I figured I would end up with the kit lens at some point anyway, so I might as well get it as cheaply as possible through the Black Friday deal and then consider picking up a fast prime down the road.

 

 

 

[Stuart .]

Ian, I have been shooting with the 16-70/4 for a few weeks now, and I am really impressed with it. I read a number of reviews saying that quality control isn’t brilliant, but I don’t see any problems with my copy. It has the extra telephoto range that I was missing on the RX100iii, and I really appreciate being able to zoom manually vs via the imprecise motor on the RX100 series. Initially I was concerned at the small maximum aperture, but the OSS in-lens stabilisation lets me handhold at surprisingly low shutter speeds.

The colour rendition is excellent, and the A6000’s processor delivers results without me having to overthink my settings. This was sunrise yesterday. A snapshot but a realistic representation of what I saw out of the window. And that’s what counts for me.

I’ll upload more examples when I have worthwhile subjects to share. Even though I know the file size limits will make this an exercise in frustration.

Now my dilemma is how to carry it when backpacking. I’m heading to MI next week for a trip and I’m still looking for a chest pouch type setup, one that will carry comfortably and keep it protected from the elements.

[Ian]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Stuart.  Zeiss color rendition certainly (in my mind) justifies the premium you pay for that glass.  I’ve read some mixed reviews on Amazon but I’ll likely pull the trigger on one from store with a good return policy to ensure I don’t get stuck with a bad copy.

I carry my A6000 a few different ways and it’s normally exposed, but I have a Lowepro case that is a great fit for this camera.  I’ll check to see which model it is later and post what it is. I obviously don’t have the 16-70 yet but there should be plenty of room to carry the camera in it with the lens pointed down.

[Boyan B]

If it was me you could not pay me to keep the Sony RX100.  Used to have one, the image quality is great but the ergonomics are ATROCIOUS.  The on/off and shutter button are difficult to distinguish just by feel, you have to actually look at what you are pressing.  The tactile response of the shutter button to a half press is piss poor and I have snapped an image when all I intended to do was half-press on more occasions that I care to recall.  The image recall is very slow and unresponsive.  There is no touch screen, nor articulating screen.  The front ring does not have positive clicks between settings.  You cannot control EV offset with an external button.  Too many things that should be external controls on a camera of this class are buried in menus.  Sold mine after 6 months of torture and replaced it with a Canon G7x, wow, what a difference.  The sensor is not as good but the images I take with it are far better, because the frustration factor is so much lower

http://www.lghtbx.com/u/groovygeek/0BxMbtrAZYEMod1JWQklGS04zUjg/0BxMbtrAZYEMoVGF1dDEyOU1XV1U

http://www.lghtbx.com/u/groovygeek/0BxMbtrAZYEMod1JWQklGS04zUjg/0BxMbtrAZYEMoRk1rX0VqNUE5UFk

 

 

[John S.]

Great pics Boyan.

[Author]

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