Camera for hiking

[Scotty123]

Hey all.

I do a lot of hiking in the UK, into the Peak District etc. Stunning scenery and I like taking photos, which I currently do on my phone. I am looking at getting a proper camera to take with me as really a phone camera doesn't do justice and I'd like something for better photos and learning photography properly when out hiking.

I don't have any photography experience really other than thinking "that looks like a nice photo opportunity, take it on my phone".

I'd say my budget is up to around £1k roughly, maybe up to 1.2k if it's really worth it although the cheaper the better really! Cameras I see that keeps cropping up in reviews and from Googling, and one I've seen other hikers use from my reading online are the Olympus mirrorless ones (there's a few, like mark 3, 4 etc). What are the thoughts on these?

I do travelling as well (well usually, except the last year) so it would double up for that as well for my holidays.

Thanks .

 

[Shadowness]

How about Fuji mirrorless?

Can't go wrong with them tbh, and they have a great lens line up too.

Years ago I traded in my D3 and high end lenses for a Fuji set-up. Never regretted it for my worldwide travelling and other photography.

 

[Scotty123]

What do you use? I see Fuji does an XT range.

Is it a waste of money for a newbie to get a mid range camera say like an xt 4?

 

[niko]

my use is very similar, i walk and scramble when i can.
i have jumped between full frame and smaller/lighter cameras a few times now, in fact i am about to do the same soon.
here my take on it, weight and size wise for this purpose i don't see the point in using a dslr or mirrorless crop sensor camera, the size and weight difference-even including lens is not a huge difference. yes if you go with a huge pro full frame lens or a crop kit lens there is, but image quality suffers if you do that route.
comparing both with a quality bit of glass up from you really wont see much difference in your backpack loading, on paper it looks lighter/smaller, but real world difference-not really.
The other way to save weight is only carry a single prime lens, the kit I have used and is going today was a full frame body with a 24mm and a 40 mm but I rarely changed lens when out walking, the 24mm stayed on.
if its a light, compact set up you want then look at a sony rx100 (lots of different versions) or bigger but still compact is the m 4/3 range the Olympus/Panasonic cameras but be aware the oly cameras i think are end of line-not that that really matters.
The other possible option would be a fixed lens set up a Fuji x100-again lots of versions, this is a crop sensor but as its fixed lens is way smaller the a camera that has a detachable lens.
If you go the full frame route dont get suckered into the fan boy arguments, all modern camera makes are fantastic image takers, its just personal preference. Quality glass is worth paying for, it makes a massive difference, but good glass costs both in £ and weight.
hopefully that ramble is of some use to you, and enjoy your walking

just a quick edit- it also depends on how you want to carry your camera and are you happy to stop to get it out your bag. its safe to grab a compact from a pocket up sharp edge, but a bigger camera on a clip or strap can be a real hazard in that sort of situation. if you are looking to just grab a shot and carry on walking id go the route of the sony rx100 range but if you want to spend more time setting up and perhaps less focus on the walking side of things go one of the other routes.

 

[Kamakazie!]

From experience, I'd suggest not investing too heavily to start with and really think about how you'll use it.
It can be hard to envisage what you'll be happy carrying around, and whether you are happy swapping out lenses often or want to stick to a single zoom. As they say, the best camera is always the one you have with you!

I've gotten fed up of switching lenses when walking around on holidays and so invested in a Olympus Pro that covers all my normal zoom ranges. It's bigger & heavier than what I'm used to, but it is still far more compact than a FF / crop of the same quality. If you walk a lot in bad weather you'll also benefit from weather sealing which my new lens has but body doesn't!
I still think m4/3 is the best compromise of size & quality for many people but the markets don't agree, that said, for your use case I think it'd be bob on. A EM10 with a 20mm prime is tiny for the quality output. Oly camera division has been bought and last I heard they intend to keep producing so surprised to read above they are EOL?!

I've also now got a decent phone camera for the first time and that'll suffice for the ad-hoc memory shots that I don't intend to print at A4+.

 

[niko]

From experience, I'd suggest not investing too heavily to start with and really think about how you'll use it.
It can be hard to envisage what you'll be happy carrying around, and whether you are happy swapping out lenses often or want to stick to a single zoom. As they say, the best camera is always the one you have with you!

I've gotten fed up of switching lenses when walking around on holidays and so invested in a Olympus Pro that covers all my normal zoom ranges. It's bigger & heavier than what I'm used to, but it is still far more compact than a FF / crop of the same quality. If you walk a lot in bad weather you'll also benefit from weather sealing which my new lens has but body doesn't!
I still think m4/3 is the best compromise of size & quality for many people but the markets don't agree, that said, for your use case I think it'd be bob on. A EM10 with a 20mm prime is tiny for the quality output. Oly camera division has been bought and last I heard they intend to keep producing so surprised to read above they are EOL?!

I've also now got a decent phone camera for the first time and that'll suffice for the ad-hoc memory shots that I don't intend to print at A4+.

hopefully your right and oly live on, havent checked for a while. i guess its also dependant on who buys them

 

[robj20]

I used my Sony RX100 a lot for hiking. It's stood up to some serious abuse and been out on all conditions. Great quality as well.

 

[Street]

I used my Sony RX100 a lot for hiking. It's stood up to some serious abuse and been out on all conditions. Great quality as well.

Likewise, some of my best photos have been taken with the RX100. It's small enough that you don't actually mind taking it with you but is good enough to take awesome photos. I've had a mk1, mk3 and now a mk5 and they've all stood up up to a fair bit of abuse. I've got an A6400 as well, but that doesn't get taken out as often as it's just not as convenient.

 

[Scotty123]

I think I would want one that is weather sealed. Although they all seem to be in the 1k price range and above.

All useful advice thank you. I'm still googling lots and doing my research. Haven't really come up with any potential candidates yet to purchase.

 

[GMac11]

+1 for Fuji from me.

Is it a waste of money for a newbie to get a mid range camera say like an xt 4?

I would say for this use the X-T4 could be a waste of money but not for the reason you think. The X-T4 is the daddy of the Fujifilm lineup so it’s by no means a mid range camera, it’s one of the very best. I’d say it’s too good for that sort of photography.
I would recommend looking for a used X-T3 which is the preceding model and produces the exact same image quality as the 4 for stills.
If weather sealing isn’t important then I would also recommend the X-T30 which is the (literal) smaller brother of the 3. It is so compact and can be an absolute workhorse.
Finally Fuji lenses are (for the most part) exceptional and are considerably smaller, lighter and cheaper than full frame lenses.

 

[Scotty123]

Second hand is a good idea. Where are the places to look? Obviously not ebay . Did do a quick Google and there's several although not sure how reputable some places are unless it's also a high street shop.

 

[robj20]

Second hand is a good idea. Where are the places to look? Obviously not ebay . Did do a quick Google and there's several although not sure how reputable some places are unless it's also a high street shop.

Wex and MPB.

You also have the option of grey import with E-infinity or Pana moz. Used prices or cheaper but brand new.

 

[GMac11]

I second Wex and MPB although don't rule out eBay, unless you have a particular aversion to it. I have bought and sold plenty of equipment on the bay and have never had any issues - you can pick up some real bargains.
That being said the added 'security' you get with official used sites such as Wex and MPB can be worth the premium to some people.
My advice if shopping on those two sites is earmark what you might want and follow them for a couple of weeks as prices fluctuate and items come in and out of stock.

 

[Street]

I think I would want one that is weather sealed. Although they all seem to be in the 1k price range and above.

The lack of weather sealing on my RX100s or my A6400 has never been an issue and they come out with me in all weathers walking and climbing, both summer and winter.

I've always bought my stuff second hand as well. My lenses have been from MPB but all my bodies have been from eBay. If you're willing to wait, you can grab an absolute bargain sometimes.

 

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

You can get an XT20/XT30 and use a neoprene sleeve like I do. What is more useful is getting the weather sealed lenses IMHO. The Fujifilm refurb store is always worth a check before looking elsewhere too!!

 

[Scotty123]

What about lenses too? To take an example, say I can get an 18-55mm lense, or an 18-100mm lense (made up numbers). Better to get the latter due to the extra range? Obviously the higher focal lengths are larger and can be impractical. I am just wondering about lenses and what I would need.

I think my use cases would be landscapes (sometimes with people in them) from hiking, architecture (mostly from travel and holidays when the word is back to normal) and general holiday photos.

 

[robj20]

Depends what your willing to carry.

I'm happy to take the A7C and 28-200 if it's not a huge hike.
For the longest and hardest hikes I'll still take the RX100. But I'm planning on getting a 20mm for the A7C then I'll probably take that out a lot.

 

[GMac11]

Lenses can come down to personal taste as much as the subject/environment you're shooting in.
For my landscapes I have the (Fujifilm) 16-80, 55-200 (soon to be 70-300 when it arrives). This covers me from 16-200mm and I accompany this with the excellent little Samyang 12mm for those super wide shots.
If I really wanted to trim that down even further then there is the 18-135mm so you could get away with just two lenses.
I can only sppeak for Fujifilm as that's all I currently use. I previously shot Canon as well but for compact mirrorless systems with reasonable lenses I'd say it's hard to look past Fuji or Sony.