Which camera should I take?

[Joel Bookhammer]

So to start off, I just checked and it has been 8 years since I posted in this community forum and 11 years since I joined....time sure does fly.

My wife and I are going to be taking a trip out west in October and will be visiting the following areas: Death Valley, Zion National Park, Flagstaff/Sedona area, and the Grand Canyon. We made this trip two years ago and visited the same locations (minus Death Valley) and the cameras I took were a Fuji X100S and a Canon G15. My main reasons for taking this two were because of the weight savings and size of kit over taking a DSLR and associated lenses. I was very happy with the photos I took on the last trip but have been considering for this years trip to instead take my 5D MKII with a Canon 28-90 kit lens. I do own a 24-70 and 70-200 but they are too large and weigh too much for this trip.

So if it were you would you take the same kit or switch it up? And knowing the following:

Flying from the east coast
Mainly Landscapes on a tripod
Opportunistic roadside wildlife and other interesting findings
Tons of hiking including hiking down into Phantom Ranch at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon and halfway back up before camping for the night and then hiking the rest of the way back out the following morning.

Thanks in advance

-Joel

[Jonathan Huyer]

Hi Joel - welcome back to the forum!
Certainly weight matters an awful lot when you are hiking, so it's hard to resist going with the lightest possible kit. My only suggestion would be to go with whatever body gives you the chance to use filters. A polarizer will be super useful, and so would an ND filter and grad filter I'm sure. But if it's at all possible, just bring everything (including the 70-200) and find a way to leave the heavy stuff behind somewhere when you do the big hikes.

[Joel Bookhammer]

Thanks for the reply Jonathan.
I do have and use a polarizer for both the 5DII setup and Fuji. A solid ND filter probably wouldn't be super needed on this trip because of the environment, and rather than using a graduated ND's I generally either adjust a single image in post or take multiple exposures and then blend them. If I could bring everything I would but luggage space is limited and the majority of the trip is going to be spent on trail so Im not willing to leave the 24-70 and 70-200 in the rental car.

This trip is enjoy the experience and take pictures second. But I want to take the kit that offers me the best possible image quality. While the Fuji has great image quality its a fixed focal length so anything that needs a longer focal length its kinda useless for that, hence why I took the G15 last time. Most of the shots I took on the last trip though did not exceed 70mm. The only two instances where I was glad to have a longer reach than that was in Zion when two California Condors flew through, and seeing some beautiful Desert Big Horn rams while hiking out of the Grand Canyon, and while the G15 didn't give me the best or longest focal length it still allowed me to document seeing them. But in both cases I would not of had any telephoto DSLR lenses with me because of the distance/elevation of the hikes.

[Kayaker72]

I like the idea of taking most of your gear and picking and choosing while on the trip. If you do that, I'd probably only leave the 28-90 at home as you would have those focal lengths covered by other lenses.

I just got back from a trip that was enjoyment first, photography....probably 3rd or 4th priority. I still took my 5D, 3 lenses, and my G7xII. Sometimes the 5D and lenses stayed in the safe. Other times I walked with my full kit in my backpack.

My last thought is that sometimes having different focal lengths create different inspirations. I've been to both Zion, GC NP, and Sedona several times and usually do shoot it wide, but the telephoto comes in handy. On my last trip to Zion, I spent two evenings shooting big horn sheep and as a result, about half my shots were with the 100-400 II. The ultimate point being, you are going back to someplace. On one hand, that gives you another chance to take certain spots again (my best shot of the watchman came on my second trip). But, you may also want a different perspective so you take different shots. Granted, usually I have to force myself to do that. To walk around with another lens on my camera.

[HDNitehawk]

Flying from the east coast't
Wouldnt matter take everything
Mainly Landscapes on a tripod
5D II with a really good 24 mm and a good polarizer for day
Opportunistic roadside wildlife and other interesting findings
70 x 200 on the 5D II because you are not carrying the lens it stays in the car
Tons of hiking including hiking down into Phantom Ranch at the Bottom of the Grand Canyon and halfway back up before camping for the night and then hiking the rest of the way back out the following morning.
The little camera
I would but luggage space is limited and the majority of the trip is going to be spent on trail so Im not willing to leave the 24-70 and 70-200 in the rental car.
Wrap the lens and body well, put it in the center of suit case. Or they are small enough that to fit that gear in a small carry on. That is not that much space. Call your home owner insurance, make sure you are covered when someone steals them from the rental car. If they are stolen get replacement cost coverage, of course the replacement is the 5D IV and the latest 70x200.

Or if it were me,

Concerned with weight, IQ and reach I just take my EOS M, kit lens and 55 x 200.
The last few vacations this is what I did, I carry the EOS M to document.
The 5Ds R only comes out when I want to take something special.

[Dave Throgmartin]

I had to go to Death Valley for work last year in August and it was HOT HOT HOT!!! The high was 126F. Are you sure you want to go there?

Dave

[Joel Bookhammer]

I had to go to Death Valley for work last year in August and it was HOT HOT HOT!!! The high was 126F. Are you sure you want to go there?

Dave

Yeah we are sure, in Oct when we are going the daytime high is a little more bearable as well as the nighttime temperatures. Plus its a National Park we haven't went to yet.

So Dave which would you choose keep that same kit as last time or switch it up and go with only the 5DII and 28-90 kit lens?

[Joel Bookhammer]

I like the idea of taking most of your gear and picking and choosing while on the trip. If you do that, I'd probably only leave the 28-90 at home as you would have those focal lengths covered by other lenses.

I just got back from a trip that was enjoyment first, photography....probably 3rd or 4th priority. I still took my 5D, 3 lenses, and my G7xII. Sometimes the 5D and lenses stayed in the safe. Other times I walked with my full kit in my backpack.

My last thought is that sometimes having different focal lengths create different inspirations. I've been to both Zion, GC NP, and Sedona several times and usually do shoot it wide, but the telephoto comes in handy. On my last trip to Zion, I spent two evenings shooting big horn sheep and as a result, about half my shots were with the 100-400 II. The ultimate point being, you are going back to someplace. On one hand, that gives you another chance to take certain spots again (my best shot of the watchman came on my second trip). But, you may also want a different perspective so you take different shots. Granted, usually I have to force myself to do that. To walk around with another lens on my camera.

thanks for the reply, one idea I have had with the different focal lengths and inspirations is focusing more on “macro”/detail photography on this trip. While I don’t have a true macro lens looking at the smaller more detailed subjects in addition to landscapes may offer some additional interesting photos

[Kayaker72]

Sure. As this is not a primary "photography" trip, it gets back to how you want to remember or document your trip. Of course, you could rent a lens. If not, I'd work with what you got.

[Joel Bookhammer]

I’m hoping this works. Below is a photo from the last trip. A stitched pano nothing special but still a shot that I like.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1976540255698455&set=a.100301939988 972&type=3&sfns=mo