Which mirrorless for hiking? (I currently use a 5d)

Matt.

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Hi,

Covid stopped my camera buying activities and everything else, but it’s time to get back into this.

I need to change my 5dmk2 and 24-105 f4 for something more modern, and a little smaller and lighter.

I don’t mind buying used and have a budget of around £2.5k (body and lens).

I don’t need to go really small and light, but it should be sensibly sized and not ridiculously big and heavy. As long as it’s smaller and lighter than my current setup I’d be happy!

I hike a lot and will use it for landscapes. Being weatherproof is definitely a strong bonus.

A Sony A7R3 is an obvious choice but fairly old now? I like the Canon R6 but it’s big and RF lenses are also big. It’s also very expensive still.

Any ideas are appreciated.
 
It’s probably easier to look at the lens first then see what budget you have left for the camera. Sony 24-105 f4 is around £800 used so that would leave you £1700 for the camera. That would get you an A7Riii but you’d need to add more if you went with the newer A7Riv.

I’m not sure what the equivalent cost of the canon equivalent mirrorless would be. Potentially there is the Nikon Z7 but that’s not the latest model either.

Regarding mirrorless full frame lenses they are about the same size as their DSLR counterparts. It’s the sensor size that dictates the lens size.
 
There’s a part of me that really likes the idea of a Fuji xt-3 and a couple of lenses to go with it for a combination of hiking and holidays where I don’t necessarily want to lug my Nikon kit with me. Can be had for sensible money, more compact than dslr etc, lighter and still optically great.
 
In 2017 I could no longer carry about my 5Dlll. I saved enough in chiropractor bills to pay for a switch to m43. The image quality is amazing. Don't believe all the bad hype out there. For your budget, you should be able to pick up an Olympus OMD EM5lll with the 14-150 lens which gives a FOV comparable to 24-300mm. A completely weather sealed system that weighs 950g, a fraction of your original or replacement FF systems weight. It also sports fantastic image stabilization and is very rich in added features. If you want to stay with Canon FF, you could pick up the RP with the RF24-105 STM. Not weather sealed, but lighter than what you have now.
 
Use my A7C for hiking, lovely and small and light. Usually just take the 35mm. But will soon have a 20mm.
 
I use an xt3 and 16-80 for up the mountains and love it
 
Regarding mirrorless full frame lenses they are about the same size as their DSLR counterparts. It’s the sensor size that dictates the lens size.

The Canon issue here is the lack of RF lenses as it’s still fairly new. I already have EF lenses, but as soon as I use them and an adapter I’m adding weight and bulk to an already bulky system.

Other brands likely give me more scope for using smaller lenses if I want that. This appeals as if I got long distance I will want a smaller setup for those trips.

I will say that changing from Canon is not easy for me. I have used Canon DSLRs since 2003!

I won’t sell my 5D even if I change from Canon. It will forever stay, it’s been around the world and got the scars to prove it!
 
I still have all my Canon cameras and lenses. They get pulled out occasionally, but not too often. I can and have adapted them for use with my OMD, but also now have a fleet of fine Olympus glass added to my collection. I like the smaller size and light weight of my main system now and quite enjoy carrying around 830g vs 2,500g for long telephoto work. Lens weight is a big consideration. If you are making a change, just look outside the box so you consider all your options. You will finally select something that works well for you, then go have fun!
 
I've just done the same thing and reduced my camera foot print from a Nikon D750 with the 24-70 f/2 to a Sony A9 and Sony FE 24-105mm f/4. This combination can be had for around £2.6k used. Both are weather sealed, although perhaps weather resistant would be a better description.

If just for landscapes then I guess the higher pixel count of the A7R3 would be better, although I like to stitch so the 24MP isn't an issue. The A9 autofocus is crazy good so does give some extra flexibility if shooting children/grandchildren. Great lens as well, I'm certainly very happy.
 
The Canon issue here is the lack of RF lenses as it’s still fairly new. I already have EF lenses, but as soon as I use them and an adapter I’m adding weight and bulk to an already bulky system.

Other brands likely give me more scope for using smaller lenses if I want that. This appeals as if I got long distance I will want a smaller setup for those trips.

I will say that changing from Canon is not easy for me. I have used Canon DSLRs since 2003!

I won’t sell my 5D even if I change from Canon. It will forever stay, it’s been around the world and got the scars to prove it!
Canon will add more RF lenses but they have been a little late to the mirrorless party.

If you want to compare sizes this website will be useful.


It depends how small and light you want to go. Some mirrorless lenses can be smaller than theirDSLR counterpart but generally they are roughly the same size.

I guess it depends if it’s going to be a replacement for the 5D2 or to compliment running along side it as a small lighter system. Fuji is rated by some as a small and light system. So is Olympus. Adapting canon lenses could be a stop gap until you have the funds to buy the RF lens you want when they become available.
 
There’s a part of me that really likes the idea of a Fuji xt-3 and a couple of lenses to go with it for a combination of hiking and holidays where I don’t necessarily want to lug my Nikon kit with me. Can be had for sensible money, more compact than dslr etc, lighter and still optically great.


That sort of system would be my choice too. Probably an X-T3 or 4 with an 18-135. If I wanted to carry an extra lens, the 10-24 isn't too big and heavy, if wildlife's an option/possibility, the 100-400 is quite big and relatively heavy... Maybe the X-H body instead of an X-T? Look for XF and WR in the Fuji lens descriptions, the X-T? bodies (as opposed to the X-T??) have a certain amount of Weather Resistance.
 
I guess it depends if it’s going to be a replacement for the 5D2 or to compliment running along side it as a small lighter system. Fuji is rated by some as a small and light system. So is Olympus. Adapting canon lenses could be a stop gap until you have the funds to buy the RF lens you want when they become available.

It's a replacement.

My 5dmk2 is OLD. It's had a hard life (not in terms of shutter count, but definitely in terms of travel and how it's carried).

I like the idea of the R6 as it's familiar and I have used Canon DSLRs for nearly 20yrs, so am so used to them. However, the lack of small RF lenses is a problem, and the body itself is fairly chunky when compared to other options.

Whatever is chosen will need to be built well enough that I can put it in my backpack with no additional protection. It will be inside a dry bag and put in the pack with everything else. Everything is soft (eg. jackets), but it's never going to be in a specific camera bag with dedicated padding. This is one area I'm worried about. My 5d + L lenses are fine to be thrown around, but are some of these mirrorless cameras and lenses?
 
I have both the Sony a7Riii and a7Riv - stick a decent WA lens on and away you go ( I use a Sigma 24mm ART f1.4 lens for landscapes) - superb IQ with either body

Les
 
This is one area I'm worried about. My 5d + L lenses are fine to be thrown around, but are some of these mirrorless cameras and lenses?

My kit often goes in a man bag with no ill effects. I think DSLR's are arguably / possibly more prone to knocks in some respects as they rely very heavily on alignment for focus and that's a weakness that mirrorlesss doesn't have.

If you're happy with the 5DII almost anything should be able to equal or better the image quality so the world is your oyster as long as you keep in budget and think about how much bulk and weight you're willing to carry.

For maximum saving bulk and weight savings you could always have a sneaky look at Micro Four Thirds. I like the RF style bodies and have a GX80 and a GX9. Either of those should be able to at least match and very probably better the 5DII for image quality and leave you a nice budget for a very nice lens. Not sure about the weather sealing but I've never had a weather sealed camera and have and do use my kit in any and all environments with just common sense and have had no failures.

Other than MFT probably representing the most savings in bulk and weight if you're looking at Sony A7x there's quite a choice from the RF style A7c and SLR style designs.

Good luck choosing and enjoying the many benefits of mirrorless technology :D
 
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That sort of system would be my choice too. Probably an X-T3 or 4 with an 18-135. If I wanted to carry an extra lens, the 10-24 isn't too big and heavy, if wildlife's an option/possibility, the 100-400 is quite big and relatively heavy... Maybe the X-H body instead of an X-T? Look for XF and WR in the Fuji lens descriptions, the X-T? bodies (as opposed to the X-T??) have a certain amount of Weather Resistance.
When I looked the other week I was thinking the 10-24, 16-80 and something like the 55-200. I looked briefly at reviews to see what they were like performance wise but didn't go too in depth since I was just mooching at the time. At a glance it looks like a decent setup though that would more than cover my needs when hiking/holidaying (what are those again???) without the bulk and weight of my nikon setup. I would lose the f2.8 factor of the nikon kit, but think I would get more enjoyment out of the time not having back ache! Going second hand with that lot makes it all very sensibly priced in the context of photography gear too.

Having just looked again, if I switched out the 16-80 for the 18-55 the weight of my kit would be less than half that of my nikon setup. I am quite impressed by that!
 
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Given what you shoot (landscapes) and the desire for mirror less it has to be Sony A7r series. You can even adapt your Canon glass. I find also Canon bodies are pretty expensive.

A7R2 would be my pick over the A7r3 for the lack of PDAF banding/striping (google this - it is a problem and will be a problem for the sort of pictures you intend to take).

And you'll get one cheaper again. And it is still 42mp also...nice and high res. A7r2...meta bones adapter and leave a grand in the bank and use your canon glass. Job done.
 
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I use an Olympus OMD cameras for all my photography including landscapes. The weather sealing is great as are the results IMO.

Parton rocks sunset colour by Alf Branch, on Flickr

Moments like this are shrugged off and and over 5 years later this camera still works fine with a wipe of the lens and carry on

Close-to-the-horseshoe by Alf Branch, on Flickr
 
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Hire a camera are running a rental service for Sigma, why not try a very small camera and see how you feel about changing from a DSLR (as most suggestions seem to be mirrorless).
 
Would probably go with a Fuji or Olympus as the size and weight saving are excellent and image quality is superb.

Saying that i have gone from a 1DX MKII over to a r6 and am chuffed to bits with it.
 
I had Canon gear for years, I also have an Olympus EM5ii which I got specifically as a very lightweight option for hiking when I didn't want to take the Canon but last year I got a Sony A7Riii which is now the only thing I use. But ... what really makes that work for me is the Tamron 28-75 f2.8 which is small and light. I do use adapted Canon lenses but the Tamron is the go-to for lighter weight.
 
The obvious mirrorless upgrade is the A7rIII Although it won't weigh a lot less with the Sony 24-105 attached. I suspect you'd be pleased with the small increase in resolution and dynamic range too.
 
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