Photo gear and holidays? - YouLookFab Forum

I have a question for all the photographers (and non-photographers). I'm really fed up with lugging a heavy camera around, especially on holiday. I enjoy my camera though and I can't imagine going completely without one or just with a cheap compact camera. I like to look through a viewfinder... I feel a bit bad not wanting to take my new 17-50 that I bought only a year ago, but it's really heavy. A few days ago I accidentally stumbled across this relatively new Canon lens which had completely passed me by until now -the Canon EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM Lens. Because it's a fixed focus pancake lens it would make a very small and ultralight combo with my old small 400D. Small enough to put it in every normal crossbody bag. Light enough to have around the neck constantly. Am I crazy to consider this? Maybe it's the before holiday urge to buy, I don't know. I'm asking this here and not on a photo forum because I know which answer I would get from the photo geeks. I just wonder if I wouldn't enjoy having my camera with me more with this (and take pictures more regularly in everyday life too), even if it means missing out on some motives.

Would love to hear your thoughts.

ETA

I do have the 50 mm 1.8 I could take in addition to this one, also very lightweight. Of course the 50mm is more like a light tele on my crop camera, but it would give me some options.

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8 years ago

Glory

Veteran

Not crazy at all. I completely understand. My DH is a huge photographer and is often faced with the question of whether to carry all of the equipment. He is also considering an alternate option like the one you mention.

Astrid

Thanks Glory - good to hear I'm not alone with this! By the way, I thought I would really miss a tele when I went to Scotland and only took the 17-50. But all in all I was super happy with the one lens and there were very few times I wanted something different. I did take the 50mm and when I used it I always liked how comfortable my camera was to carry with the smaller lens. I did prefer the 17-50 though, because the 50mm was just too long most of the time. So I might not even need the 50mm, I don't know. It does seem a bit radical to go so minimalistic, but I'm definitely tempted.

Meredith

Astrid, I am not as avid of a photographer as you are, but about five years ago I stopped bringing my SLR on most trips and use a compact digital instead (I have one with a viewfinder). It is limiting, but it is also freeing. I guess I decided that I valued ease over getting every shot with the best possible equipment. Also, not that I ever fully escape looking like a tourist, but I like that the smaller camera seems much more discrete. Looking forward to reading what others have to say. I always enjoy your photos!

Thanks Meredith. I agree, a smaller camera is more discrete. Might be easier to capture people especially. And it doesn't hurt when it doesn't seem as if I'm carrying around a lot of expensive equipment of course.

Soooo... I went into a store on my way home. Just to look. Ahem. Of course this tiny little thing went home with me. The size is riddiculous. Without the lens cap it's barely longer than the inbuilt flash. If you look at the specs given by Canon, body and lens together weigh 635g. So of course this still doesn't look like a compact camera, but it sure lets you carry it like one. It's not uncomfortable at all hanging around my neck, in fact it feels like it's barely there. I only took a few pics indoors so far, but it all looks good. Now I just have to decide if I take the plunge or if I add the 50mm to the setup for the holidays. The lens sits rather tight on the body, I'm not sure frequent changes are going to be all that good... What would you do?

(My 17-50 for comparison in picture #2.)

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I'm sold - out of the box there's some vignetting at 2.8, but I just tried the lens correction in DPP on a RAW image and it works perfectly. I'm mostly choosing RAW over jpeg anyway, now I just need to finally get around to learn how to properly work with DPP.

Pic below is 1/25 free hand in my dark kitchen, 2.8 with lens correction and slightly cropped. Just in case anyone is interested.

I know that I've already made my decision to buy the lens, but feel free to chime in with your opinion and experiences. I'm still a bit worried about this...

So, I did some trial packing today and I'm not quite sure what to do about keeping the camera safe in my handbag. I habe a neoprene sleeve fitting my longer lens and camera, but of course that won't work. I got one of those wraps and it fits well into my handbag. But I'm wondering whether I should return it all the same - it seems very complicated to me to take it off and then to wrap the camera back up again. Although I guess it might be too difficult to find something better on short notice, maybe I should keep it and just have the camera around the neck constantly, unless I deliberately decide to pack it away?

ETA
Pic of the wrapped camera in the bag. I've decided to keep the wrap, I don't think I have energy to search for a better solution right now.
Seems like I'm answering my own questions constantly.

ETA2
I can wrap it in a way that it almost works like an inserted camera pouch... Just realized that. Okay, don't mind me.

Helen11

I'm no help, but sounds like you've got it all sorted Have a great holiday and enjoy the new gear!

Thanks Helen! I'm looking forward to taking pics with the new lens, I'm curious how it will work out.

Yay! I'm glad you got the smaller lens; I only use small fixed primes (I have a panasonic micro 4/3rds, so two are tiny pancakes & the other is just a bit bigger) and love it, especially for travel. I can fit the primes in a jeans pocket!

Thanks Eva! If I enjoy this one I might resell the 17-50. That would cover the cost of this one and I'd have plenty left for a new pair of shoes too. The 17-50 is awesome and picture quality is really good, but I don't enjoy the weight of it. And in time I could replace my old body with something like the 100D (SL1 in USA?), or the successor. Or go with something different altogether.

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