Hello,
I am curious, those of you that do a lot of landscape photography that requires hiking, what do you use for a camera and what lenses? Weight a concern if doing any significant hiking.
Thanks
Any modern DSL is pretty lite, my old 7D is like carrying a brick. Wide angle lens, doesn’t have to be faster then f4 this will lighten it up a bit. A decent travel tripod, 3 or 4 filters and your all set.
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Hi Elizabeth, The compromise that you need to balance is size/weight vs. quality. For me I have emphasized the quality side as I like to make large prints, but if the goal is images for the web some weight compromises can be easily made. I just recently switched from a Canon 5DSR to a Sony a7RIV as my main camera for landscape work. It offers reduced weight and increased quality, a win/win. The advantages of the Sony environment is the richness of lens options, from a large family of great optics from Sony, Sigma and others plus the option to adapt many other brands. With an adapter it can use all of my EF-L Canon lenses which are still quite wonderful. Most of the lenses I hike with are f4 zooms which are quite compact and really sharp when stopped down to f8-f16 commonly used for landscape. A similar mirorless choice for compact high quality that many love are the Nikons. Several years ago I tried the Micro 4/3 systems to get additional opportunity to reduce weight and bulk but I never liked with the interface of those cameras. Another choice is the Fujifilm universe which with their high quality APS-C sensors offer fewer quality compromises when seeking lighter weight, but I have never tried them.
I hope my rambling thoughts help your search!
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@hank @guy Thank you for the feedback.
I am currently using a Nikon D7500. I am interested going full frame but hate to go much heaver than what I have. I am really not tied to Nikon, most of my lenses are crop, but I do have the Nikon 200-500. I am mostly interested in landscape, but also wildlife to some extent, so I hate to get a camera without the modern subject tracking. I kind of like the idea of being able to crop a decent amount also. Realistically I have a lot to learn that does not require a better camera, so I’m not in a rush. I have considered the Z8, but that seems like a lot to lug around if doing any significant elevation and/or distance. The sony A7CR is interesting, nice and light, but I’m not sure it would do as my only camera and its not cheap.
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I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I’ve been trying to lighten my load for backpacking. I created a spreadsheet to plot everything out and have a few recommendations for you.
I personally use a Canon R5 normally so I decided to stick with Canon. I got a Canon R8 with a 24-240 and will continue to use my 14-30. This puts me at 3.87 lbs.
Sony A7CII with a Sigma 16-28 and Tamron 28-200. I think this is the lightest full-frame setup out there, the whole kit only weight 3.21 lbs. If I had all the money in the world I would get this for hiking, but this all adds up to nearly $4,000.
Nikon Z7ii with 14-30 and 24-200. Another great option if you want to stick with Nikon and full frame at only 3.68 lbs but it still adds up to 4k.
The lightest option possible is the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV with 8-25, 14-42 and 40-150. This only weighs in at 2.37 lbs and will only cost about $2300. But this is a micro 4/3 sensor, so even smaller than what you have now, but I know many people who use this camera and love it. The real beauty of this system is if you want to carry a little extra weight on days you are doing wildlife, you can easily. The 100-400 (equivalent to 200-800!) only weighs 2.46 lbs and your whole kit is still under 5 lbs. To get that kind of reach on full-frame you are talking about some seriously heavy lenses.
You can also consider Fujifilm X cameras, but quite frankly they are not that light these days, it’s hard to get below 4 lbs without making compromises.
Hope this helps!
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I can second a new m4/3 system for hiking only I am using a Panasonic Lumix G9 M2, but I still have the original G9 which is too good to trade in. I’ve had Lumix cameras for over a decade, but my two original lenses are still with me and going strong. Both have been updated to a 3rd generation, but the beauty of them is that they have a continuous 2.8 aperture and each will fit in a pocket giving me the equivalent to a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm range. If you add on my long telephoto, that’s all the way out to 800mm in a lens that’s the size of a 70-200 for most other systems.
The reason I stay with m4/3 is for those first two lenses I mentioned, plus the specialty long tele and macro, both made in partnership with Leica. The lenses are compact, sharp and bright and very portable. My whole kit can come with me very easily, but my travel kit is the 12-35mm & 35-100mm f/2.8s. I’ve taken them everywhere. They have the same filter size which is a bonus. Weather-sealed, too, as are both bodies. The stabilization is probably the best in the world both for stills and for video. The lens choice runs through several brands including Olympus and Panasonic. Wouldn’t trade it for anything at this point. I don’t see the advantage for what I do.
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@David_Kingham @Kris_Smith Thank you for the additional suggestions!
I, like @David_Kingham also shoot with Canon so I have a Canon RP with the small (cheaper) 24-105mm lens for my hiking trips. I normally shoot with the Canon 5Div and chose the RP for a few reasons: first of all, I can use all of my other lenses on it. This is useful because in addition to a hiking camera, the RP can be used as a backup on longer trips and as a second camera when my first one is shooting a timelapse. It’s great that it is small and light and takes up little space in my bag.
I chose the 24-105mm lens again because it was small, light, (and cheap). Sometimes I think I should have bought the 24-240mm for more versatility and I may at some point still swap them. Either that or get the small 100-400mm that Canon makes. It would give me more range but at the cost of being heavier so I don’t know. I already have a 100-400mm lens but it’s bigger and heavier. Still, a part of me says that it would be better and healthier to lose a few pounds off my waist then from my backpack. 
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This is exactly what I use, and I’ve been pretty happy with it.
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@Tom_Nevesely @John_Williams Thank you for your inputs!
Elizabeth,
Not sure you’re looking for more options at this point 
, but I’ll throw in one more that is currently tempting me: Nikon Z50. It keeps you in the 20 megapixel DX space but gets you into the mirrorless world with features that include subject and eye tracking. An FTZ adapter will let you leverage your existing lenses.
My main camera is a Z6ii, which I love for my main macro/studio and landscape use cases. But lately I’ve wished I had a smaller, lighter option, particularly for my urban wandering. I’ve been researching alternatives and several folks have pointed me to the Z50, especially when paired with the Nikon Z DX 18-140mm lens. The photos they’ve shared have been quite impressive, and that 27-210mm effective zoom is quite tempting. The camera-lens pair comes in at 25 ounces, about the same as your D7500 alone, and excellent condition used models of the combo can be had from reputable dealers for about $1100, or about $1500 new.
Good luck,
Bob
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@BobN Thank you. All suggestions appreciated. It seems like a lot of people do have two cameras.
For portability I always recommend the Fujifilm cameras. If I’m doing serious landscapes I’ll stick with my Sony cameras but Fuji is hard to beat when it comes to compact and convenience. My mom just bought one too after testing my Fuji during a visit to Joshua Tree.
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@Richard_Wong Thanks for the suggestion!
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