Photography Gear Reviews

Landscape Photography - Hiking and Backpacking Gear

We look at all the hiking and backpacking gear I use when I am out shooting my landscape photography.

In a couple of my recent vlogs I have mentioned the importance of having the right gear to keep you safe when you are hiking and backpacking up mountains and tough terrain to capture your landscape photography. Since then there have been a number of requests to share what hiking and backpacking gear I am using including the clothes I wear.

Clothing in layers

When it comes to clothing the most important thing, to help you enjoy the great outdoors in comfort, is layers. Using layers of clothing has two main benefits. Each layer traps a thin veil of air that warms up and provides insulation to your body and keeps you warm. It also means that you can control your temperature more easily by adding or removing layers. In the video I show you each aspect of my photography clothing and links can also be found below.

Navigation Tools

When venturing out into the wilderness, navigation is also vitally important. If you are up a mountain and the weather moves in it can become very difficult to find your way even if you are just trying to re-trace your steps. Relying on a mobile phone is a risky move. Many of the nav features on a phone require a 3G signal and the remote locations we visit often leave us without signal. They also have a habit of dying quickly and fading when at altitude in the cold wind and weather. A map and compass is the cheapest option but a specialised GPS navigation system is also an option.

Survival Gear

Finally there a number of extra little safety items like a first aid kit, a survival bag, a knife, a lighter and a torch. You can see what i use below in the affiliate links below.

And remember - do not forget your food and water!!!!

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Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony RX100 V

Comparing the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Sony RX100 V.

How does the best compact camera compare to one of the best overall cameras on the market?

On the face of it this may seem like an extreme comparison. And it is. However with modern cameras and as electronics get smaller, the gap between top end and lower end is not as big as it used to be. We compare the Canon 5D Mark IV and the Sony RX100 V to test where that gap lies today.

We compare various aspects of each camera to see how they shape up. We are going to look at:

  • Weight
  • Cost
  • Lenses
  • Focusing Speed
  • Bokeh
  • Sensor
  • Image quality

Weight

When it comes to carrying a camera around all day, lighter is better. The best compact cameras really excel in this department and the Sony RX100 V is no different. It is light but well made, compact and easy to carry around all day. The Canon DSLR is heavy. Fact. Score one for the Sony.

Cost

These are both expensive cameras but they will reduce in cost overtime to fall in line with more budgets. The Canon is about three times the cost of the Sony so that is round two to the RX100V.

Lenses

The Sony scores an early point in this round thanks to actually coming with a lens. It has a fixed 24-70mm lens that is a perfect range for many situations. The DSLR on the other hand does not even come with a lens. Lenses are hugely expensive and add significant cost to the ownership of a  DSLR camera. However, the ability to change lenses means the camera is much more versatile allowing shots from a super wide to a super zoom. This round is a tie.

Focusing Speed

The focus system on the Canon 5D Mark IV is one the best ever to be placed into a camera. It is fast, accurate and rarely misses but also functions in very low light. However, Sony claim the focus system on the RX100V is the fastest ever to be produced focusing in just 0.05 seconds. In the video we put this to this test and discover the Sony is ever so slightly faster. Impressive.

 Bokeh

During testing both cameras were packing a 24-70mm lens capable of shooting f2.8. My old friend Optimus Prime stepped in as model and some carefully positioned fairy lights were employed to create some bokeh balls. The Sony produces a decent amount of blurred background but the quality of this, or bokeh, is not massively high. The bokeh balls are small, squidgy and misshapen and not hugely pleasant to look at. On the other hand the 5D produces beautifully round bokeh balls that are dreamy and delicious. Score one for the Canon. Not surprising given the larger lens and larger sensor.

Sensor and Image Quality

The Sony boasts an impressive one inch sensor considering the overall size of the package. It is right in line with Sony's current trend of creating great sensors. It produces excellent images in most conditions including low light. Sadly size matters when it comes to sensors. Having the ability to physically capture more light gives the full frame Canon 5D mark IV the juice to capture some truly spectacular images. This is two points to the Canon.

Adding up overall we have a tie game. This is fitting. Whilst the Canon 5D Mark IV is a much better camera in terms of image quality, it is not for everyone. It is expensive and DSLR's can initially be more complicated to use than other cameras. On the other hand the Sony RX100 V is very straightforward and easy to pick up for the first time and start capturing images. It is less versatile than the camera but also cheaper and lighter.

Overall we are not currently at risk of retiring our DSLR's but the compact camera definitely packs a much bigger punch than its small form factor would suggest.

Please leave a comment down below and let me know which you prefer and and what you think of the extreme comparison.

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Sony RX100 V Real World Review

We take the Sony RX100 V up a very pretty mountain.

The Sony RX100 V is a compact camera that packs a much bigger punch than its small size would suggest. It is a mirrorless camera with a one inch sensor that shoots 4K, captures 20 megapixel images and has an auto focus system that challenges even the very best DSLR's.

My previous real world review of the Canon 5D Mark IV proved very popular so this is going to be similar. I take the RX100V up a mountain in the Peak District hoping to capture some beautiful landscape photography. In the video I climb Mam Tor but also try to capture this amazing site of Winnats Pass, a collapsed cavern that has created and incredible natural scene.

Price

The Sony RX100 V is currently priced at £1000 in the UK and around $1000 in the US. The price hikes that UK residents are currently suffering are becoming relatively irritating. Regardless it is an expensive camera so in the video I discuss who the camera is for and who would be likely to buy the RX100 V. It is an excellent camera for vlogging given the flip up screen. It would serve as a very good compact camera for a professional photographer. Or it would be especially good for a family who want something small, simple and with great quality.

One of the big selling points of the new model, especially since the Sony RX100 IV is still a great camera, is the sheer processing power. It is essentially a little computer. It has the ability to shoot 24fps which is simply insane. It's a nice feature to have but how much use of it you will get is a vital question. This is not a sports or wildlife camera where a fast burst rate is important, especially given the fixed 24-70mm lens. It is too short for those photography genres. It would however be useful to capture images of your children in short bursts.

Dual Autofocus

The most important upgrade is probably the dual autofocus system. Employing contrast and phase detection it rivals that of top end DSLRs. It focuses fast and accurately and makes shooting stills, fast and filming video a breeze. However it does not have a touch screen which means touch to focus is not an option and this was a feature I really missed.

The Sony RX100 V is a decent improvement over the Sony RX100 IV which was already better than the offering from Canon in this field, the Canon G7X Mark II.

Conclusion

I fully enjoyed shooting with this camera and it made a pleasant change from lugging around a DSLR, especially when I was out with the family. It takes high quality images and is also packing some hefty features. At a £1000 this is very expensive for a compact camera but in two or three months time when prices started to fall it could be a very serious contender for a lot of people.

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Canon 5D Mark IV Full Real World Review

I climb a mountain to put the Canon 5D Mark IV through its paces in this real world review. 

The Canon 5D Mark IV is a camera built for professionals and serious enthusiasts. Lots of reviews out there give you hard figures about camera performance and a detailed explanation of what every mode does. These are great but I wanted to get the camera out into the real world, to put it through it's paces in a scenario where we will actually be shooting. I have had the Canon 5D Mark IV since it was realeasd in the UK and have used it in a variety of situations so feel I am suitably qualified to review it.
In the video I travel to the Lake District to climb a snow capped mountain in search of some amazing landscape scenes, a little wildlife and the odd macro shot. Watch the video now to see the story of the day and my full opinion on the Canon 5D Mark IV.
Firstly Canon sold the camera based on some new 'killer' features.
The dual pixel raw was one such feature. Canon claims this is used to make minor adjustments to focus in post processing. In testing of found this made minimal to zero difference. In the practical world dual pixel raw will be something I never use.

Canon 5D Mark IV 4K.

The Canon 5D Mark IV does have 4K shooting. However it comes with a number of caveats that will render it useless for the vast majority of shooters. Firstly, the Canon 5D Mark IV is full frame but when shooting 4k it employs a 1.74 crop which is far from ideal when all the lenses in your bag are based on the 35mm equivalent. Secondly, the Motion JPEG file format creates huge files that means any serious 4K shooting is unlikely to take place on this camera. If you need 4K shooting in jam, the 5D will have you covered.
The Canon 5D Mark IV has some huge strengths though and these make the purchase worthwhile. The high resolution 30.4MP sensor makes a big difference in many circumstance such as portrait and and landscape photography. It also has an exceptional auto focus system taken straight off the Canon 1DX Mark II. This is fast, accurate and is the best autofocus system I have ever used. It is perfect for wildlife photography especially when combined with my trusty Canon 400mm f5.6 L lens.
The Canon 5D is an exceptional camera bringing several existing Canon features, and a few new ones, into the 5D package. Despite the barmy European pricing this is the perfect camera in so many circumstances. As a Landscape photographer and a wedding photographer I could not be happier.
Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about the Canon 5D Mark IV real world review video.
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Music

Aicha G - Funk Beat
The Passion Hifi - Sleeping G - https://soundcloud.com/freehiphopbeatsforyou
Stylus Boy - When I argue I see shapes (Idlewild Cover) - https://soundcloud.com/stylusboy/shapes
Light Thought var 4 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://incompetech.com/
MarioBeatz - Paradise Beat - https://soundcloud.com/yourrapbeatstv

My gear:

Canon 5D Mark IV - US - http://amzn.to/2ci53sp Canon 5D Mark IV - UK - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/get/canon-5d-mark-iv-ukCanon 700D - US - http://amzn.to/2aJjbYJ Canon 700D - UK - http://amzn.to/2dP8JkiManfrotto BeFree Tripod - US - http://amzn.to/1UqF5n7 Manfrotto BeFree Tripod - UK - http://amzn.to/2e27XlM

GorillaPod - US - http://amzn.to/1RUCiRK GorillaPod - UK - http://amzn.to/2e278tl

Rode VideoMic Pro - US - http://amzn.to/28NErv5 Rode VideoMic Pro - UK - http://amzn.to/2eGYdRg

Canon 17-40mm - US - http://amzn.to/2etreL8 Canon 17-40mm - UK - http://amzn.to/2dP6VI5

Tamron 24-70mm - US - http://amzn.to/2dP3T6J Tamron 24-70mm - UK - http://amzn.to/2eH2DHz

Canon 10-18mm - US - http://amzn.to/2b7Xbrj Canon 10-18mm - UK - http://amzn.to/2e8SmV5

AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack review

The astonishing AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack A review of the excellent and affordable AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack. The high quality of this bag defies the very affordable price tag.

In a recent video I featured my new camera backpack the F-Stop Sukha camera bag. Whilst this is an amazing camera bag many people were offended, and rightly so in some cases, about the huge cost.

To balance that out I am today reviewing the AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop backpack. This bag is much more affordable at £35/$40 and will fit most budgets. It was recommended to me Danny, a very early subscriber to my channel. He sent me some pictures of the bag and it looked very impressive so I ordered one straight away to check it out.

When the AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop backpack arrived the first impression was that the quality was much higher than I had expected. The material feels sturdy and similar to many other, more expensive, camera bags. This is the ethos of AmazonBasics. They make big quality products using quality materials but remove the frills branding and posh packaging associated with many other products. Simple yet effective.

 Big Cameras, Big Lenses

The video shows that that bag is capable of carrying a large amount of camera gear including my Canon 5D Mark IV and several lenses. This include the Canon 400mm f5.6 L lens. Astonishing. The AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack also provides handy clips on the side to easily attach your tripod. In the video I attach a relatively small travel tripod but bigger tripods can also be carried.

The AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack is not waterproof but the material is think enough that it will require a significant amount of prolonged and heavy rain to breach the material. For that time you get caught in a storm, Amazon provide a very handy rain cover that you can pull over the bag to keep things dry.

Accessibility of this bag is probably it’s main weakness, especially once the rain cover is fitted. In order to get at your gear you need to take the bag off and fully unzip the cover because your camera body must be stored at the bottom. There is no clever access panel like several, more expensive bags, feature.

Any Downsides?

The only other problem is the padding in the straps and back is not particularly thick. It feels a little bit cheap and after wearing it for a reasonable amount of time will become compressed and provide very little padding and support

However these are minor gripes and I can highly recommend the AmazonBasics DSLR and laptop backpack is you are looking for a camera bag under £50/$50.

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What’s in my Camera bag in 2016?

The camera gear of 2016

Here I reveal all the camera gear in my bag in 2016. We look at the bags, camera bodies, camera lenses and the accessories that can make or break a shot.

The requests have been flooding in for me to make this video and I have finally buckled under the pressure. Here I bear my soul and reveal much of what currently makes it into my camera bag. Sadly my Canon 70-200 is out on loan and the DJI Mavic Pro drone is yet to be purchased.

Is camera gear everything?

Whilst the camera gear is not the key to good photography we cannot help to love it a little bit. Despite that we can not all afford to buy good camera gear. If you fall into this camp, I am planning to create a video around shooting with budget gear very soon.

I have posted links below to check out all of the camera gear below. Follow the link to see all the individual review.

Review Videos - https://www.firstmanphotography.com/category/reviews

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Camera Gear Links

F-Stop Sukha Camera Bag Review

In this video we take a look at the best camera bag I have ever owned.

I have mentioned a few times in the comments recently that I have not been happy with my current camera bag. It is a Lowepro Backpack. It is fine but since I have started vlogging and needing to carry more and more gear with me I have needed something bigger, more rugged and more comfortable for carrying up mountains. This is where the F-Stop Sukha Camera Bag comes into play.

F-Stop are known for creating bags that are dedicated for photographers who like getting out and about into the elements. Most hiking bags are not designed for photographers. Accessing your gear can be extremely difficult, especially in the field when the lens you want is right at the bottom and it is raining.

F-Stop Sukha Camera Bag - Innovative design

The F-Stop Sukha Camera Bag deals with that problem with an innovative design. Roll the bag over into 'work station' mode and you have access to all your gear the through the back panel.

The gear sits in the internal camera unit, or ICU. F-Stop make various sizes of these to suit most photographers and includes one with the ability to take an exceptionally large telephoto lens. The ICU lifts out and can act as it's own protective case. The lid can just fold back and slide into the bag.

The Sukha is so big there is still plenty of room for things like camping gear or other trekking type gear. There is a pocket designed to accept a laptop but also doubles up to accept a hydration system.

The Sukha is designed to handle even severe weather. It is a waterproof camera bag but also uses snag proof material. The quality of this thing is exceptional. It feels well built and is also very comfortable even with a full load.

External Storage

There are a host of other pockets and external storage options. It even fits a travel tripod like the Manfrotto BeFree and easily accepts a gorilla pod. Bigger tripods will easily attach to the outside.

Clearly the F-Stop Sukha Camera Bag is not for everyone. However, for those getting out and about into the elements there are currently few, if any, better options than an F-Stop bag. It is especially versatile. It also acts as a normal hiking bag by taking the ICU out and leaving it at home.

The only downside is the cost. At over £300 with the ICU it's an expensive bag, there's no doubt about it. However, the high quality and the ability to use different ICU's will make this a valuable asset for years and years to come. I haven't tested this out in anger yet and will be doing so soon on my next vlog. I will give you an update then but I'm sure all will be positive.

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Check out the F-Stop range - Click here

 

Ridiculously Powerful Head Torch

In this video I unbox a ridiculously powerful head torch.

When I started this channel I said I was going to feature things that might not obviously relate to photography. I have not done this as often as I would like so I'm putting that right today by featuring this head torch.

Having a torch is essential for photographers who are working outside at night. Particularly for Astrophotography but also we are often trekking to locations in the dark to capture sunrises and sunsets.

Up to now I have been using a small yet power LED torch. It is decent quality but holding it in your hand creates it’s own restrictions. I have also been using a different less powerful head torch. It does a job but never satisfied I want more. More light. I want more power.

Who wouldn't?

Canwelum head torch

I be picked up this Canwelum head torch with a massively bright CREE T6 LED lightsource. In the video I unbox the torch and give an example of it’s brightness where it can even double as a video light.

Many torches like use normal AA batteries but this one uses rechargeable lithium ion batteries for longer use. It also has the ability to focus the beam which is extremely useful. The head torch also has two power settings with a more economical mode for longer use.

Advertised run time is not as good as hoped at 2-5 hours depending on the mode. However that is still going to be plenty in most situations.

I can't wait to get out and use this. Even better it comes in currently at £19 in the UK and about $20 in the US. I'll put the links down below for you to check it out and I'll see you on another video very soon.

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Buy in the US - http://amzn.to/2cxyPKY

Buy in the UK - http://amzn.to/2cbkNje