Camera and equipment for adventures


Camera and equipment for adventures: Body

I would like to introduce you to  my favourite camera and equipment for adventures of all sorts. Since July 2014 I am using the Fuji X100 series and in this moment a Fuji X100F specifically. The most important feature of this series is the fixed lens design, optical viewfinder and dedicated manual controls. With a maximum aperture of f2 the lens is good enough to shoot also in low light conditions. It’s not a camera for videography or beginners for which I would recommend a Sony RX 100 Mark IV .

Camera and equipment for adventures: Body and lenses

I always tended to buy  a used camera a few years after it’s initial release. They are usually in great condition and are way cheaper than the latest and greatest model. I was keen to try a Leica Q fixed lens before. But on the other hand the price tag of a Leica can buy me many many Fuji cameras. And the image quality of the Fuji is simply amazing.

I’m a big fan of the X100 design. The manual control concept really amazes me and let me grasp the physical and technical ideas in photography. The cameras are to date absolutely reliable and I’ve travelled with mine quite a lot now. The weight of the camera is in range to carry it up to mountains as well as through day walks of cities.

Camera and equipment for adventures: LensesAfter a while I found the 35mm focal length of the prime lens to be a little limiting when it came to pictures of architecture or inside of buildings. Luckily Fuji offers two great lens adaptors that convert the lens to 28mm or 50mm respectively.  Furthermore the X100F introduced a digital Tele mode by cropping the image. I own both of the adaptors. Of course one could go for the interchangeable lens cameras of the Fuji X series. But I found the size and weight of the X100F with the adaptors to match my requirements more than well.

Details: Batteries, charger, memory cards and some more

I always carry 2 spare batteries for the camera with me in my bag. One battery usually lasts for about 300-400 shots depending on the shooting mode. When I find myself in truly amazing conditions I tend to shoot way more and I like being on the safe side power-wise. I found the 3rd party batteries from Patona to be perfectly reliable. And with a price of about 17 EUR per battery I can buy a bunch of them for the price of an original.

The X100F has the ability to charge batteries inside of the camera. In addition I replaced the original charger of Fuji with a replacement that allows for Mini-USB connections. Due to this I can carry less cables and charge up to 3 batteries at the same time.

Camera and equipment for adventures: StorageThe Fuji works on regular sized SD memory cards. I found the investment for higher speed cards very worth the extra money. If I shoot in serial mode the card speed makes a huge difference so I go for the fastest. When it comes to capacity I prefer to take a bunch of smaller sized cards with 16GB each. That way I can carry them in different locations e.g. one attached to the bottom of the camera, one attached to  my wallet and another spare in my backpack. The cards have a tendency to break after a while and I usually buy them in batches of two.

I was trying different camera cases, straps, thumb rests and what not. In the end I discarded everything except from a Gordy wrist strap that I use to tie the camera to my hand and which has never let me down. The X100F has a lot of style in itself but there are many accessories available on the after market to customise it to your own liking. To protect the camera and lens I am using an original lens hood and a glass screen protector to complete the camera and equipment for adventures.

For longer exposures: tripod

Camera and equipment for adventures: TripodWhen it comes to using a tripod I am so very hesitant. I find even the lightest travel tripod too much to carry with me. But in low lights and for long exposures there is no other option than fixing your camera to a sturdy base and exposing remotely to get a good shot. I found the perfect fit for my expectations to be a Pedco UltraPod II. At 119 grams this thing is the lightest a tripod can get. The Velcro strap makes it possible to attach it almost everywhere and it folds down to a minimum of space.

Combine it with the Fujifilm Camera Remote App (iOS | Android) on your smartphone and you will have a reliable setup for those longtime exposures at night. The software completes my camera and equipment for adventures set.

Bag recommendation: Wrap your camera and equipment for adventures

Camera and equipment for adventures: BagFor my minimalist travel baggage I can’t afford to pollute my weight balance with a dedicated camera bag which will also make it very easy for thieves to spot a valuable camera from afar. That’s why I chose to use the simplest solution available. A ultra compact 10 litre fold-able backpack doubles as my camera bag and day-pack. It easily fits the camera, a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, a light jacket and a bottle of water. And all of that at 48 grams and a price tag of 2 Euros. It’s sturdier than it looks and has travelled around the world with me and never let me down.

The missing link: Post processing

Camera and equipment for adventures: Post ProcessingThere is a saying that pictures are taken with a camera and images are made on a computer. I try to limit the amount of post processing by making sure to take the right pictures in the first place. Nonetheless I shoot raw and useAdobe Lightroom for my post processing workflow. I switched from using Lightroom 6 to the Photographer package with the release of Lightroom Classic CC in 2017 am back to using the last standalone Lightroom version 6 as it turns out the subscription is just not worth it.

For years I was using a reliable and powerful MacBook Air as my mobile computing companion. Lately I have left the Mac OS ecosystem for a Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon and Windows 10. Even though it has not a dedicated SD card reader I picked it as my weapon of choice. It is ultra lightweight and has loads of computing power. Throw in a Dropbox Plus subsrciption with 1TB and a basic external hard drive for all backup purposes and you’re ready to use your camera and equipment for adventures. All sorts of.

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This article contains many informations about technical aspects of my camera equipment. The best equipment doesn’t help if you don’t know how to take a (good) picture in the first place. I wouldn’t dare to say I know. However I investigated the topic of photography and found one of the single most helpful resources a basic course about photography.

This will tell you the correlation between aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Develop your understanding about backgrounds, composition and theory of harmony.

Once you have completed this and know the basic functions of your camera I found the composition course of professional photographer Thomas Leuthard to be the next most rewarding thing. His content is available as an online course so you can go through it in your own pace. Add a camera and equipment for adventures and start.

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I hope this content helps you to find your perfect photography gear setup. I would like to empower you to make your own decisions. Fixed lens, DSLR, bridge camera or your smartphone: The best camera is the one you have with you. I tried to approach this topic from my own experience and personal preference. If you have any more questions feel free to contact me and I’d be more than willing to help.