Hey all! Of course this video is purely my opinion formed through my experiences. These are the lenses which I think are best. If you have a different idea, if there’s a lens you can’t live without - please do share! On a separate note: Do you like this new format? What do you think of the video being filmed on the road in different locations?
Thanks. Absolutely. One of my favorite places too. I get more nostalgic about it as time goes on. :) Looking at those images - feels like a different dimension.
Loved the video, form and content. What would you think of the a7 line with a small prime? A 35 or 50 1.8? Your work is truly inspirational. Thanks for creating.
Mitch - I think this is one of your best videos - you have inspired me to start using my Lumix 20 mm. I have been content with my 14-150 on my Olympus but your shots in this video are absolutely fantastic. I am glad you found some quiet spots so you could finally produce it.
You are probably the first ever Panasonic / Olympus ambassador to talk about the crop factor of M43 without trying to mislead people. Big thumbs up for that!
Haha . Thanks. Not sure about others, but I just wanna talk about the system for what it is. It's awesome, but not without limitations. Thanks for watching.
Funny you should say that, I thought the same thing about National Geographic photographers, traveling around the world and taking astonishing pictures. But I learned that we all can take the same type of pictures, as long as you can travel. Mitchell and National Geographic photographers get assignments and are PAID for their work, so they have all the necessary equipment to take their amazing pictures. All I'm saying is that it's like real estate, location, location and location, whenever you travel you can take unique pictures as well. Don't go to the usual locations, go somewhere different. I love history and the middle east. Here you can take amazing pictures because that part of the world is different. It all depends on how comfortable you are in a situation to take pictures. Remember photography is subjective and having the right tools (camera and lens) will enable you to take great pictures as well.
@@tchin2020 Just noticed this now. You're pretty wrong. :) I'm having a new video that will touch on "Paid assignments". And if you're saying that equipment will enable you to take great pictures, you must not have seen those great iPhone photos? :)
your pictures prove the statement that Story, Composition etc is the most important thing.. don't think it would have mattered what gear you were using.. these pictures show that you just have a great eye. and all these pictures look great!
Damn dude it feels like im watching a professional documentary instead of just a youtube tech vid 😂. My cinematic vids can hopefully get to ur level one day 🔥🔥🔥..
What I learned from this video is: If the photographer is talented and experienced and if the places or people he/she shoots are interesting, pretty much any type of good quality camera/lens will do :) For me personally, the coolest piece of gear in the video was the 1997 Toyota :P
Great photos! I think you may also consider a Canon EOS M camera with a 22mm F2 lens. Extremely small form factor and lightweight. This is the combo I have been using for years.
Sigma 17-50 f2.8 could be a cheap replace for crop sensor cameras, and kit 18-55 shows some value in daylight... but i think 18-135 brings an improved tele capabilities for wildlife
I think 35mm eq is perfect. If you crop 2X, you get 70. 2X is still enough pixels for anything you can imagine. Nobody said a great 720p is trash because it's not 1080p or 4K. Resolution is quite irrelevant.
Thanks for the tip. What I typically use is the 16-35mm or the 24-70mm. However, I've lately been using a single prime lens on my travels by foot photography. It's the 45mm Tamron f1.8 SP VC. Zero distortion, light and fast, it's a pleasure to use all day and all night.
Mitchellk, what other lenses would you bring on a trip for documentary photography on the full frame system besides the 24-70mm F/2.8 ? At the beginning of the video you said one lens was too limiting.
wow.. I also shoot with the lumix GX80 and a similar lens (the 20mm 1.7) and you have really proven to me, that it's not the camera but the photographer who creates a great image! I'm really feeling the lust for new gear lately, but your breathtaking images are really motivating to save that money and keep my current setup!
The one you have is different, from what I've heard, the autofocus on it is not great, but - for sure, you can do almost all you need with the gear you have. 🙂
Very nice video and stunning images, Mitch! As a Fujifilm X-System landscape and product photographer, I use one of the lenses you showed, the Fujinon XF16-55 f/2.8, for its' near-prime sharpness, versatility, and weather-sealed build quality. Since I shoot tripod-mounted 99% of the time, I don't miss IBIS, and don't shoot video or wide open, since I want foreground and background in focus. As I don't shoot scenes with people, perhaps this is a stupid question, but what's your stance on model releases for recognizable subjects in your images? One more question if I may...Have you noticed any appreciable difference in lens sharpness between the various systems you have used? Thank you sir!
Lens sharpness - not really noticed a difference, but I generally get the best lenses that I can. So they're all good after a certain stage. Model releases - Nope. I don't use the images for commercial purposes - no need for model releases. I talked a little about the topic at the end of my video on people photography.
MitchellMovieMaker - please change your channel name!! - nice one mate - definitely going smaller camera is a good idea .. lesser carbon footprint for starters plus lighter carry and travel. I am selling my Canon 24-105mm f/4 L .. by the time you put on a decent filter and hood it weighs real crazy and can literally give you a backache! There is a lot of hidden weight in camera bags so just looking at the spec weight is real silly. I am getting 3 prime lenses that are lighter combined to this one lens!
Great video! I use my Leica M with a 35mm and a 50mm lens when I travel. That‘s really all I need. I love the small size of this setup and the IQ is just amazing.
I've got this tamron lens and it's fantastic: amzn.to/3aRUZ5Y if you don't want to switch lens (or you can't because you are travelling) this is the right solution.
Proof that the claim "Pro only shoots full frame" is non sense. There are strengths for each system and it is up to the photographer to choose the right tool for the right job.
Thanks for the help... I am trying to learn as much as I can before heading to Vietnam with my father that served there in 1970... I have to tell his story on a limited budget and gear. 3 weeks there with just one back pack
I am a 'lucky amateur' and have used a Sonly H9 'bridge' camera for years. Love the macro ability but many general images were too dark. I decided to buy a new DSLR and just bought Canon 800D (APS-C) due to general ease of use, cost, and connectivity. Based on looking at many reviews, I only bought the body and purchased the Sigma 17-50mm with optical stablisation separately. This lens will give almost identical focal lengths to the full frame lens you recommended for the Canon. I am travelling soon and have decided to take only one lens and your video has confirmed my decision to take only the Sigma. I have also bought the Canon 55-250mm zoom and will buy the SIgma 105mm macro, but I do not want to carry a huge bag with the additional lenses while still trying to enjoy the holiday experience.
Great video and nice to see a pro use micro four third! Used a Canon APS-C in the past and was tempted to go full frame as that's what's supposedly "the best", but ended up with a Panasonic GX8 and the 12-35mm and I'm loving it for the lightness and versatility. Also got a 15mm f1.7 which I find ideal for street photography.
Thanks Mitchell for this video , another example of it's not always about the gear but your skill in taking photos and wow do you take amazing photos !! I have a canon 5dsr with 16-35 and 100mm macro for landscapes and macros , I love the resolution for cropping and big enlargements but was tinkering with the idea of a 24-70 2.8 lense for travel but this set up will be close to 2kgs !!!! My other idea was to go a fuji setup xt20 / xt2 and 18-55 and some primes for travel , do you have any thoughts on a set up like this for a travel kit or should i go the 24-70 , i guess 50mp is not needed for travel most of the time except for the occasional landscape, thanks so much for your videos !!
So what happened in Istanbul when you got stopped by local wiseguys in Istanbul with your Canon 5D Mk3? I have also gotten in trouble taking photos in a foreign country (China) so I'm just wondering how it ended for you.
Thankfully I didn't shoot anything "sensitive". They didn't want people photographing the buildings there which were falling apart. They asked to see what I had on the card, in a half-joking, half-friendly manner. 😏 All I had at that stage were a portrait of a woman and her dog and some kids playing, so they really didn't care. However, a friend went in a few weeks later and some guys saw him photographing those buildings and they told him to get out and not to come back. 😬
Now that you've had it for a while wht do you think about the Sony 20mm? I love that it's a pancake but from what I've seen it doesn't exactly wow in the sharpness department. Also the f2.8 bit is disappointing but the only other option I've seen is a sharper and unfortunately larger sigma 19mm f2.8. Sony seems weirdly lacking in this particular department.
You are right that Sony is lacking in this department. It was a decent lens, but I've since sold the camera and the lens because I got an a7III. I have way too many cameras, so I sold some, gifted some. For the full frame Sony, I feel that the 28mm f2 is very decent.
I was able to afford the Canon 24-105mm f/4.0 L, and I'm very happy with it. I've been shooting Canon since 1978 (I'm an old man). I would REALLY like to be able to switch to Sony, hopefully some day before I die. What Sony has done for photography is phenomenal!
When I went travelling, I shot on the canon 17-55 2.8 with my T2i, it worked fairly well for me. I haven't shot of full frame before, but I can't imagine taking a full frame kit on travelling, it's just too bulky and heavy, makes air travel a bit difficult because of the 7kg weight limit for a carry on.
@@freshprinceofsolair It's not impossible, just make sure you check your carry on weight limit! Also maybe a good idea to go with some lighter lenses haha
Do you think that a Sony A7iii with a Sony 28mm f2 or a 35mm f1.8 (or even the Samyang pancake 35mm 2.8) is still too big for certain places? I have the Tamron 28-75 2.8 and I am looking for a smaller setup for traveling to less secure places. As u said, Full frame cameras are bigger than Cropped sensor cameras but don't you think that an A7iii paired with a 28mm or 35mm Sony lens is quite small and unnoticeable? Also, I just found your RUclips channel and I'm loving it! Cheers man
It's decent. I've actually been using that exact same setup lately. The camera is still a bit big for my liking, but definitely borderline discreet with either the 28 mm or the 35mm.
Hi Mitch! A great video here and very informative... may I ask you something? How close did you stand when you were taking those photos? Was it close to the object or you shoot from quite a distance then cropped it? Because im shooting with a fuji x100 also and my problem this far actually im a bit afraid taking portrait photos closer to the people im shooting at (LOL) and the results are I think 35mm a bit too wide for me.. could you please give me your inisght please? Thanks before mate..
The distances vary of course, but in general you need to get in there if you want to get something decent. Not necessarily right in the face, but certainly close.
mitchellkphotos thanks mitch... yeap probably the problem is myself lol.. i feel sometimes they show us that uncomfy gesture when we poing our camera at them lol
Bob Krist is maybe a better photograph... And he recommended like Micheal Melfort, Joel Sartore (all are the best Travel photographs in the world... ) to have the camera ready with the right lens and that means 2 bodies one with a super wide-angle zoom and the other body with a Tele Zoom because otherwise, you will miss the moment... If you have to change the lens, the moment is lost... And Prime lenses are the worst travel lens that you can choose... Besides that, your pictures look very underexposed because of your camera gear... If I come with my D7200 everybody recognizes that and I can use that as an advantage... and it works. With my 18 to 400 mm I can shoot pictures without any recognition and I love that...first I focus on some other object with the same distance and then I turn very fast to my subject and I get it ... For children, this works so good and also on the market... Okay, that is not fair...
Hey Mitchel. Fantastic videos, I love them! This video helped me a lot. I'm planning to buy some good glass for my full frame camera, and I travel a lot as well. I was wondering: Should I use a UV filter on good glass? Or would give the lens hood enough protection? Some say I should not use them because they decrease the image quality, others say I should use them for the protection of the lens. What do you think of UV filters? Do you use them? Please make more videos, I like them. Maybe one about filters....
I used to use them, I'm not sure if they decrease the quality notably, but you can definitely get more lens flare. I think Tony Northup did an interesting video on UV filters and their use or uselessness. I don't use them personally these days.
Since I am in the Canon world (5D mark IV) , the one lens I take -when I can only take one, is the Sigma 24-105mm, which while not stellar is certainly better than Canon's version of the same. My 'favorite' lens however is the Tamron 70-200 G2, but of course it is a monster when taken on long hikes and 200mm really isn't THAT much of a zoom on a FF sensor. Surprisingly, I also really enjoy using my Canon 17-40mm f/4 which really shines on FF as opposed to an APS-C body.
Beautiful video with lots of practical and very useful information :) Have you ever considered using the LUMIX 12-35mm lens with the LUMIX GX 8 camera as a possible travel combination?
Great video! I have the 15mm PanaLeica and use it as a lighter every day carry on my OMD EM!.2 when i don't think I need the weather resistant and versatility of my 12-40 zoom. I used to prefer 35mm FF equiv but find with the 4:3 aspect ratio that the 15mm is probably closer to 32mm on the horizontal plane and hence close enough for me.
I also like the 24-105 G. Good value for money. Works well on Sony A7iii. IBIS and IOS really let you get slow. And it is very sharp. But, not real discrete.
Man, I love your photography, and really appreciate the video. I really want to encourage you to try to go back to the full frame camera. I think we've gotten swept away with the idea of having a discreet camera system and want to believe that that's all we need, but I'm of the mind that the quality just isn't there. Everything from apsc and below just full short. Even the best of them are great to look at for the moment but never leave you with that sense of wonder and emotion. There really is something about the larger sensor and the quality that (particularly Canon) put into it. It's not about the numbers, it's the results. There's just so much more there. Take care, man, and thank you for the insightful video.
Disagreed totally, but appreciate your comment. And... who says I am not sometimes shooting full frame now? 😜 DEFINITELY not a Canon though! 😳I mean I don't care what camera it is, but they have nothing exciting now.
Really nice video, inspiring. I am glad to see that, even you are ambassador of X brand, you comment on other brands. Furthermore, I am glad that you make clear that "single lens for all occasions" might not exist. Each lens has its own conveniences as well as limitations. Also, thank your for being honest that having an FX with zoom lens is a bit heavy. Finally, I enjoy seeing different locations. It is quite original, showing how you adapt to the different lighting conditions of each region. Really nice work.
Very informative, Michael, and I love your explanation of the “travel” benefits of the smaller body. But don’t you still need to point the camera at the subjects sometime? Do you do this surreptitiously, hiding what you are doing? Or is the camera just so small that no one takes it seriously?
Thanks, Clark. Good question. Of course, we still need to point the camera at the subject. That's a whole different topic! It depends so much on the circumstances. Sometimes I do shoot candid, but generally, whenever people are prominently featured in the photo - they know that I am photographing them - either before or after. As far as the camera not being taken very seriously - that helps at times too. Some people are definitely not as worried about it. I'll make a video on people photography next.
Damn, your pictures are so amazing. I have the Olympus mft system and use probably 80% of the time the 12 - 40 mm f2.8 lens. I'm trying to use my primes more, but when you on holyday with family the zoom is more convenient.
Thank you for this video. I am learning the Olympus 4/3 system and you answered a lot of my questions. I have a better understanding of video recorders( semi and professional camcorders and only used fixed prime lens cameras in the Olympus line SP 800uz that is why I stuck with Olympus. Thank you for stopping me from trying to make the camera do what it is not capable of.
For Sony, I would think the new Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is worth considering, very light, and lower price, meaning more room in your kit for something else. Closer minimum focusing distance the Sony lenses. Though I might lean towards the Sony 24-105mm for the extra reach and versatility, probably would not care about the 1 stop difference with how well today's cameras perform in low light + stabilisation. For me I cant live without the Sony FE 85mm 1.8, its just ridiculously light weight. Ill just add in something else for versatility. With mirrorless you can also use silent shutter (electronic shutter) and turn off camera/AF sounds for silent shooting, which is a major advantage for being discreet.
Daniel Lee It’s a marvelous lens, and I’d definitely prefer it for travel over the 24-70 f/2.8 GM, but on an A7 body it is still very far from discreet, and remains fairly bulky. Very bulky and heavy compared to the small M43 bodies with the like of a 17mm f/1.8 prime lens.
My go to lens for travel is the Olympus 12-40mm F2.8. It is more durable than the Panasonic and I actually use the xtra 5mm reach quite a lot when making detailed stitched panoramas. Best walkaround lens for M43 IMO. However, I always have my Pan-Leica 25mm F1.4 and Olympus 45mmF1.8 handy for shallower depth of field. That Pan-Leica 25mm has somewhat unique out of focus rendering. I do shoot a lot of portraits and if I had the money I would probably get a SonyFF for that, but otherwise the size benefits of M43 absolutely make it better for travel as well as other types of photography. I still can't get over you shooting with a camera that only has 1 card slot! I lost photos from my trip to Ireland because the 1 card went bad.
I get what you're saying about the 1 card slot, but somehow we lived without it for years. I think I only had a card die on me with images on it once. Definitely have backups of all the images on two HDDs though. Thanks for watching and commenting.
As a Panasonic ambassador, I feel that you left out one of the best options for traveling really light and for blending in - the LX100. It has a 24mm to 75mm equivalent lens, but it doesn't quite use the full four thirds sensor, as it has that funky image format manual switch. So that's the downside, but the upside is that it is fully controllable on manual using its classic aperture ring/shutter speed dial arrangement plus it's tiny. The lens is also fairly fast at f1.7 to f2.8. It's my travel camera of choice. I also have an X100T, but when I'm just doing the tourist thing, it's the LX100 that is around my neck.
The Sony 24 1.8 e mount on my a6000/a6300 is probably on my camera more than any other when traveling and the really close minimum focus distance is really useful
Excellent video! For full frame, the 24-70 is my go to, but my everyday runaround system is a Fuji X-E1 with a 27mm 2.8 (40mm equivalent) pancake lens. It really is wonderful to have something compact and discreet!
hey there thanks a lot for your thoughts :D as always amazing photos! Though for APSC i'd recommend the sigma 18-35 f1.8. It is sharp and versatile and really good in low light. That said, it is huge...
Hey, yeh, huge and have to adapt it. Unique and great lens, but I wouldn't choose it as the single lens to take with me. Would be more a specialty lens for me.
agree to Mitch; would never use it as a travel lens, the weight sounds like pain in the back. would use an 18-55 IS STM "kit-lens": lesser weight, very good af system, sharpness a little bit behind the sigma; but what counts more than sharpness at 100%-level is to get the shot; and to get it at the very moment!
I know this video is now more than 3 years old. Fuji is now bringing great lenses on the market, like the XF18mm F1.4. On paper a very good lens. It is on my wish list. But for shooting discreetly the Fuji X100V is also great, with it's almost silent shutter and it's build-in 4 ND filter.
How is f/4 limiting? It is 1 stop less light than the f/2.8 of the 24-70, and because Canon views it as a "movie" lens it has excellent stabilization. Obviously there are times an extra stop of shutter speed will help with motion and you can't get quite as shallow depth of field, but in low light you get an advantage of two or three stops less shutter speed because of the stabilization. I suppose it depends on what type of travel you do and what your goals are. Those I travel with want portraits of themselves, with a sharp background, or at lease a recognizable background -- "here I am at _________, standing in front of the _____________". If I'm going to blow out the background to the point of a few random shapes and colours, I might as well invite them into my studio and shoot them in front of a backdrop with an 85 mm f/1.4 on a 5D or a 1Dx. I wish Canon would put a stabilizer into all their lenses because wedding venues are often pretty dark and three stops of stabilization on an f/2.8 lens would beat three stops of stabilization on an f/4 lens, by about a stop.
RonThePhotoGuy you mentioned the reasons it's limited yourself. ☺️ The fact that you don't need shallow DOF doesn't mean that it's never needed. And yes that 1 stop can me the difference between a photo and something blurry and unrecognisable.
And you switched to m4/3? Lmao! You need 12-35 f/1.4 lens to have the same shallow dof and low light performance on moving objects, like humans! Quest what it doesn't exist and if it would, it would be about the some size as an 24-70 f/2.8 full frame lens and probably more expensive.
I agree with 24-105 for travel, more versatile . f/4 is not limiting at all, especially with modern days cameras when you can really push for high gain (ISO). Now about DOF, photographers in the past have taken wonderful images with f/3.5 primes that still look wonderful. People really need to overcome the 'bokeh' fetish and concentrate more on composition. And especially for travel, I don't see a point Just add a fast prime (28/35/40/50) in very low light/street scenarios
I had the same experience with small cameras vs large. I make yearly trips overseas and three years ago my camera was a Sony APSC with the kit lens (16-50mm, 24-75 ff equivalent). Not the sharpest lens, but it was small. Combine that with silent mode on the Sony and I got great candid shots. Fast forward to my las couple of trips, and I am at a Sony full frame with the 24-105. The quality is much better, but I just can’t come away with as intimate a shot. I think for travel, I am going to go back to a crop sensor Sony and I’ll take your recommendation to get the 20mm for it.
It's a nice lens. But watching these photos displayed here, i'd imagine it might struggle in AF speed compared to most other m4/3 lenses. In this regard, it's a bit outdated by now although optics and size are still quite fantastic.
You might wanna try out the Aony A7rIII with the Sony/Zeiss 35 mm f2.8. The image quality will blow you away compared to your Canon and Panasonic system. Great video!
That’s it’s! My travel set up is the A7r + Sony/zeiss 35mm f2.8 and Sony 85mm f1.8 which these two lenses are the same size as a 24-70 and way sharper and better overall.
The Sony is a good choice where quality and low light matters, but the issue is size - It's just as big as a similar Canon. FWIW, I'm trying to decide if I should leave Canon for a Sony A7III or Panasonic G9.
nothing special with Sony. Yes, smaller then DSLR, but last versions of lenses as big as lenses for DSLR. and it's very uncomfortable use huge lenses with small body
I converted from Nikon system to 4/3. amove that I wished I had made a long time ago. I travel with a passion for small alpine plants. Another reason for the change is a form of arthritis of the spine so lugging the Nikon system has become cumbersome plus the encroaching age factor; 74. The Lens I am using is the Olympus 12 - 100mm pro which I find very versitile. Cheers, Davie
Great video! I have been shooting with the Fuji 23mm f2 lens (35mm equiv) for over an year and it’s definitely improved my creativity and composition skills! Instagram @shutterzup
First time seen your videos and I love the Honest review.you have a new sub here. Those lenses are way out of my league as I'm a biguiner but is always good to know for the future..thanks for sharing those amazing pics...
I actually like that the Micro 4/3 system doesn't allow for crazy, blown out bokeh, especially with video. I feel like people have gone bokeh crazy these days and need to tone it down a bit. :P Great video, Mitchell!
I'm curious on your thought about why you would choose the M43 system instead of a small full frame, such as the Sony RX1. It has a 35 f2 lens and a small body. It would give you better low light performance and a shallower depth of field when you want it. Why the M43 system over something like that? Or why not a small body APSC system? These days you can have small bodies and lens in both the full frame and APSC systems. What advantage does the M43 system have over those?
@@mitchellkphotos don't get me wrong, I do understand your thought process and they actually coincide with mine. When mirrorless first came in the scene, I was immediately drawn to it for my wedding work and switched over from Canon 5d mark 3 and Nikon D810 to the Fuji system XPro 1 and x100 for it's small size and it's mirrorless advantages. However I found the focusing frustrating. At that time Sony full frame was lacking in lenses. Olympus, however was very fast at focusing and the lenses we very complete, so I switched over to Olympus OMD EM1 and Lumix GH5 and GX8 bodies. I have been shooting almost exclusively M43rds since then and only occasionally using my Nikon D810 when I want 36 MP and very shallow Depth of field. I just find mirrorless to be superior to DSLR's for my work. Even though my Nikon was better at low light technically, I found that I was able to have sharper images in low light with my M43rds because of the amazing IS and the very sharp lenses. I've been happy with my Lumix system and Pro 1.2 and Pro lenses since then, except for the occasional shallow Depth of field envy of those shooting mirrorless full frame. However, my clients and my back are happy. Lately, Sony has evolved their mirrorless full frame system to be very complete, wth ightweight options for body and lenses. I'm beginning to consider at adding a full frame mirrorless body and a couple of very fast lenses to supplement my M43rds system, or even to switch over to Sony mirrorless for the most part and keeping just some of my M43rds for when I want to be very lightweight and discreet. By the way, I'm a huge fan of your channel and your work. You work is amazing and I'm learning alot from you.
Thanks for the very convincing video. Just want to point out, I traveled to Ladakh couple years ago, recently bought a GH5 for video shooting and a few days ago got Canon FF camera. Lovely, you answer my question! I was debating/searching to get an all round lens for my Canon FF camera. 24-70mm It is.
Tamron has solved the image stabilise issue, there latest 24/70 F2.8 G2 is simply stunning, as sharp as canons but now 3 stop IS, my images on average especially on lower shutter speeds are pin sharp and shit all over Compared to when I was using canons
You inspire me so so much. I saw photos that you took and it brought back my interest to pick up my camera again. Thank you for this straightforward , informative video.
Totally agree! I have the Sony A7R2 and my favorite walk around lens is the 35mm 2.8. It's like a little pancake lens. I can throw camera w lens in my purse and off I go. If I need a close up, I can always switch to the 85mm, 1.8. I love the freedom even though I might not get the reach for a few shots. Love your photography and have been following your for several years. Enjoy the ride.
Guy! Your presentation is fantastic. Pictures are excellent. I enjoyed your video. If I carry two lenses for street photography my first choice will be 30mm (below f2.8) prime and second choice will be small zoom lens. Your 24-70 is a good lens, indeed. Thanx
This video is so informative and packed with content, and I love the fact that you remain unbiased despite your ambassador position! As a beginner, I'd like to know how you think about an optical viewfinder and an electronic LCD one as on the Panasonic camera you're using. Which do you prefer and why? Also, I plan to switch from iPhone to a real camera and really like the Canon 200D because it's compact and accepts all canon lenses, but your take on mirror-less cameras is making me reconsider Panasonic and Fujifilm, though I fear they have a more limited lens selection (or am I wrong?) I'm a total beginner and would really appreciate your comment :)
Panasonic has a great lens selection. Lenses are smaller too. Same with Fuji - quite many lenses. All the important focal lengths. I'm a bit over Canon. They've not been very innovative at all.
Really well done !!! I thought that the change of scenery inherent in changing locations for every few minutes of speaking was great - much more interesting than watching someone sit in the same room preaching for 15 plus minutes. Interspersing those fabulous photos as illustrations of what could be done with a particular lens and camera combination was both instructive and entertaining. I also loved the fact that the video was very photo-centric as opposed to dealing with photos and videos at the same time (I am more interested in stills than video). Masterfully done !!! I think your comments on camera and lens size were spot on. I am not a bona fide photographer by any means (just someone who likes to be a tourist and take pictures while travelling) but the advantages of taking a small, somewhat fast lens are apparent even to me. My travel kit is a mirrorless APS-C camera (Sony a6300) with the 20mm f2.8 pancake for general use on the street and in museums and art galleries etc. along with an 18-200 f3-5-5.6 zoom which I just carry in my bag and take out and stick on a monopod if I want to zoom in on (say) a gargoyle or grotesque on a cathedral tower. With the 20mm pancake on the camera I am almost never challenged by security staff inside museums etc since it does not look like "serious" professional gear to most people. Some museums explicitly allow compact cameras and not "professional" gear for which you require a permit. Anyway ... congratulations on an excellent video discussion !
A game of compromise. I like aps-c for that. I have thought about M4/3 but the extra stop of sensor gain noise doesn't get mitigated by size and weight compared to something like an X100. If I could get an ultra compact Lumix I'd have it in a heartbeat. As for "How the eye sees." I find my eyes see 75-80mm in FF terms. And to imitate the width of my vision, 28mm in FF terms is perfect. A nice 18-55 aps-c would cover me, but I don't think anyone does an f2.8, So right now I have the Fujifilm X-E3 with the 18f2, and 50f2. It's compact and for the focal lengths in between I have feet. Plus, Fujifilm are comparable to FF on iso sensor gain noise, better even than my old A7RII, and they even have in-camera raw development, which I can't go back from now.
Superb inspirational photography. After over 50 years of photography using nearly all formats up to 5x7. I now use a small Fuji body with the 16mm f1.4 for 90% of my pics. However I will buy the new 16mm f2.8 when it comes out for size and reducing weight. Superbly easy to crop with a 24 mp sensor so it can be used for internal wide shots to Astro photography and portraiture it is as good as a 24-70 in one package. Love your site and have just subscribed
Maybe I should have watched this video more sooner, as I came to the same conclusion. I have a whole stack of M43 lenses and I'm in to a project to document my village. 12mm is just too wide as the end of the street is too far away. The 20mm is a bit narrow, and I don't like the rendering. So I too settled on the 15mm and will shoot them all at F1.7 to have little depth of field.
Hey all! Of course this video is purely my opinion formed through my experiences. These are the lenses which I think are best. If you have a different idea, if there’s a lens you can’t live without - please do share!
On a separate note: Do you like this new format? What do you think of the video being filmed on the road in different locations?
It's great! Well done. Also, good job mentioning Mauritania, an almost unknown country which deserves more PR. One of my favourite places ever.
Thanks. Absolutely. One of my favorite places too. I get more nostalgic about it as time goes on. :) Looking at those images - feels like a different dimension.
Loved the video, form and content. What would you think of the a7 line with a small prime? A 35 or 50 1.8? Your work is truly inspirational. Thanks for creating.
Thanks! f/2.8 is not ideal for me as a prime, the a6500 I mention is not my main can. But yeh, it could be a decent combo.
Mitch - I think this is one of your best videos - you have inspired me to start using my Lumix 20 mm. I have been content with my 14-150 on my Olympus but your shots in this video are absolutely fantastic. I am glad you found some quiet spots so you could finally produce it.
You are probably the first ever Panasonic / Olympus ambassador to talk about the crop factor of M43 without trying to mislead people. Big thumbs up for that!
Haha . Thanks. Not sure about others, but I just wanna talk about the system for what it is. It's awesome, but not without limitations. Thanks for watching.
This guy is so cool -- traveling the world, taking stunning photos, and looking like the love child of Sean Bean and Russell Crowe. Great work!
😂😂😂
Funny you should say that, I thought the same thing about National Geographic photographers, traveling around the world and taking astonishing pictures. But I learned that we all can take the same type of pictures, as long as you can travel. Mitchell and National Geographic photographers get assignments and are PAID for their work, so they have all the necessary equipment to take their amazing pictures. All I'm saying is that it's like real estate, location, location and location, whenever you travel you can take unique pictures as well. Don't go to the usual locations, go somewhere different. I love history and the middle east. Here you can take amazing pictures because that part of the world is different. It all depends on how comfortable you are in a situation to take pictures. Remember photography is subjective and having the right tools (camera and lens) will enable you to take great pictures as well.
@@tchin2020 i disagree completely
@@tchin2020 Just noticed this now. You're pretty wrong. :) I'm having a new video that will touch on "Paid assignments". And if you're saying that equipment will enable you to take great pictures, you must not have seen those great iPhone photos? :)
your pictures prove the statement that Story, Composition etc is the most important thing.. don't think it would have mattered what gear you were using.. these pictures show that you just have a great eye. and all these pictures look great!
Damn dude it feels like im watching a professional documentary instead of just a youtube tech vid 😂. My cinematic vids can hopefully get to ur level one day 🔥🔥🔥..
ebs paj Haha.
What I learned from this video is: If the photographer is talented and experienced and if the places or people he/she shoots are interesting, pretty much any type of good quality camera/lens will do :) For me personally, the coolest piece of gear in the video was the 1997 Toyota :P
if places and people are amazing, lomography would even do
Great photos! I think you may also consider a Canon EOS M camera with a 22mm F2 lens. Extremely small form factor and lightweight. This is the combo I have been using for years.
first info at 3:15 (24-70mm, f2.8 full frame)
next info at 12:48 (17mm f2/f1.8 mFT)
Sigma 17-50 f2.8 could be a cheap replace for crop sensor cameras, and kit 18-55 shows some value in daylight... but i think 18-135 brings an improved tele capabilities for wildlife
Oh God... Thank you.
TY
The fact that this videos was shot in different segments at different locations added to the production and kept it fresh and interesting. Great job
Your photos are just breathtaking, I can look at you pictures all day long. Thanks for the video.
Thanks very much. :)
Agreed!
This is why I switched to the Fujifilm X System with only 3 small prime lenses and I love it so much. It made it so much easier for me.
Which ones?
Can u list to me what us 3 lense u have? Cause i also fujifilm user now
23 F2 and 35 F2 would be 2/3 he is referring to. Other than that you’d probably want something wide.
I think 35mm eq is perfect. If you crop 2X, you get 70. 2X is still enough pixels for anything you can imagine. Nobody said a great 720p is trash because it's not 1080p or 4K. Resolution is quite irrelevant.
As an amateur I agree. I travel for long periods of time, I use PENTAX cameras, and my go to lens is the 17-70 2.8 SIGMA.
i found myself use the 1.8 50mm the most, it's not great in tight spots. but really good at portraits.
Thanks for the tip. What I typically use is the 16-35mm or the 24-70mm. However, I've lately been using a single prime lens on my travels by foot photography. It's the 45mm Tamron f1.8 SP VC. Zero distortion, light and fast, it's a pleasure to use all day and all night.
Mitchellk, what other lenses would you bring on a trip for documentary photography on the full frame system besides the 24-70mm F/2.8 ?
At the beginning of the video you said one lens was too limiting.
One of the best videos on RUclips. Great explanation of FF/APS-C/MFT lens equivalencies,
and stunning examples from each format. Thanks!
wow.. I also shoot with the lumix GX80 and a similar lens (the 20mm 1.7) and you have really proven to me, that it's not the camera but the photographer who creates a great image! I'm really feeling the lust for new gear lately, but your breathtaking images are really motivating to save that money and keep my current setup!
The one you have is different, from what I've heard, the autofocus on it is not great, but - for sure, you can do almost all you need with the gear you have. 🙂
@@mitchellkphotos oh yes, I've heared a lot of negative feedback on it's autofocus and it truly isn't very fast but it enough for my needs :)
Beautiful shots. Now I’m getting the 23mm for my Fuji X-T20!
Very nice video and stunning images, Mitch! As a Fujifilm X-System landscape and product photographer, I use one of the lenses you showed, the Fujinon XF16-55 f/2.8, for its' near-prime sharpness, versatility, and weather-sealed build quality. Since I shoot tripod-mounted 99% of the time, I don't miss IBIS, and don't shoot video or wide open, since I want foreground and background in focus. As I don't shoot scenes with people, perhaps this is a stupid question, but what's your stance on model releases for recognizable subjects in your images? One more question if I may...Have you noticed any appreciable difference in lens sharpness between the various systems you have used? Thank you sir!
Lens sharpness - not really noticed a difference, but I generally get the best lenses that I can. So they're all good after a certain stage.
Model releases - Nope. I don't use the images for commercial purposes - no need for model releases. I talked a little about the topic at the end of my video on people photography.
Great video! I’ve been using the 24-105 for years but just got the 16-35 for landscapes and videos. Can’t wait!
The Enthusiasm Project Nice.
MitchellMovieMaker - please change your channel name!! - nice one mate - definitely going smaller camera is a good idea .. lesser carbon footprint for starters plus lighter carry and travel. I am selling my Canon 24-105mm f/4 L .. by the time you put on a decent filter and hood it weighs real crazy and can literally give you a backache! There is a lot of hidden weight in camera bags so just looking at the spec weight is real silly. I am getting 3 prime lenses that are lighter combined to this one lens!
Great video! I use my Leica M with a 35mm and a 50mm lens when I travel. That‘s really all I need. I love the small size of this setup and the IQ is just amazing.
I've got this tamron lens and it's fantastic:
amzn.to/3aRUZ5Y
if you don't want to switch lens (or you can't because you are travelling) this is the right solution.
fuckin hell, every single image you took told a story, i could literally spend 5-10mins just looking at each image because of the emotions behind them
Haha. Thanks very much. Glad you feel that way.
Proof that the claim "Pro only shoots full frame" is non sense. There are strengths for each system and it is up to the photographer to choose the right tool for the right job.
Thanks for the help... I am trying to learn as much as I can before heading to Vietnam with my father that served there in 1970... I have to tell his story on a limited budget and gear. 3 weeks there with just one back pack
I am a 'lucky amateur' and have used a Sonly H9 'bridge' camera for years. Love the macro ability but many general images were too dark. I decided to buy a new DSLR and just bought Canon 800D (APS-C) due to general ease of use, cost, and connectivity. Based on looking at many reviews, I only bought the body and purchased the Sigma 17-50mm with optical stablisation separately. This lens will give almost identical focal lengths to the full frame lens you recommended for the Canon. I am travelling soon and have decided to take only one lens and your video has confirmed my decision to take only the Sigma. I have also bought the Canon 55-250mm zoom and will buy the SIgma 105mm macro, but I do not want to carry a huge bag with the additional lenses while still trying to enjoy the holiday experience.
Great video and nice to see a pro use micro four third! Used a Canon APS-C in the past and was tempted to go full frame as that's what's supposedly "the best", but ended up with a Panasonic GX8 and the 12-35mm and I'm loving it for the lightness and versatility. Also got a 15mm f1.7 which I find ideal for street photography.
Thanks for watching. Yep. Great system! :)
Thanks Mitchell for this video , another example of it's not always about the gear but your skill in taking photos and wow do you take amazing photos !! I have a canon 5dsr with 16-35 and 100mm macro for landscapes and macros , I love the resolution for cropping and big enlargements but was tinkering with the idea of a 24-70 2.8 lense for travel but this set up will be close to 2kgs !!!! My other idea was to go a fuji setup xt20 / xt2 and 18-55 and some primes for travel , do you have any thoughts on a set up like this for a travel kit or should i go the 24-70 , i guess 50mp is not needed for travel most of the time except for the occasional landscape, thanks so much for your videos !!
So what happened in Istanbul when you got stopped by local wiseguys in Istanbul with your Canon 5D Mk3? I have also gotten in trouble taking photos in a foreign country (China) so I'm just wondering how it ended for you.
Thankfully I didn't shoot anything "sensitive". They didn't want people photographing the buildings there which were falling apart. They asked to see what I had on the card, in a half-joking, half-friendly manner. 😏 All I had at that stage were a portrait of a woman and her dog and some kids playing, so they really didn't care.
However, a friend went in a few weeks later and some guys saw him photographing those buildings and they told him to get out and not to come back. 😬
Now that you've had it for a while wht do you think about the Sony 20mm? I love that it's a pancake but from what I've seen it doesn't exactly wow in the sharpness department. Also the f2.8 bit is disappointing but the only other option I've seen is a sharper and unfortunately larger sigma 19mm f2.8. Sony seems weirdly lacking in this particular department.
You are right that Sony is lacking in this department. It was a decent lens, but I've since sold the camera and the lens because I got an a7III. I have way too many cameras, so I sold some, gifted some. For the full frame Sony, I feel that the 28mm f2 is very decent.
I was able to afford the Canon 24-105mm f/4.0 L, and I'm very happy with it. I've been shooting Canon since 1978 (I'm an old man). I would REALLY like to be able to switch to Sony, hopefully some day before I die. What Sony has done for photography is phenomenal!
When I went travelling, I shot on the canon 17-55 2.8 with my T2i, it worked fairly well for me. I haven't shot of full frame before, but I can't imagine taking a full frame kit on travelling, it's just too bulky and heavy, makes air travel a bit difficult because of the 7kg weight limit for a carry on.
U cant just carry it around your neck??or that still counts towards the carry on weight??
yeah thats why no one takes their full frame cameras on planes, its just impossible.
A FF with nifty fifty would be pretty good combo. On APSC I use to just use my 28mm 1.8 and it was amazing for all my needs.
@@freshprinceofsolair It's not impossible, just make sure you check your carry on weight limit! Also maybe a good idea to go with some lighter lenses haha
@@vgee3926 Not sure, that's an interesting question though!
Do you think that a Sony A7iii with a Sony 28mm f2 or a 35mm f1.8 (or even the Samyang pancake 35mm 2.8) is still too big for certain places? I have the Tamron 28-75 2.8 and I am looking for a smaller setup for traveling to less secure places. As u said, Full frame cameras are bigger than Cropped sensor cameras but don't you think that an A7iii paired with a 28mm or 35mm Sony lens is quite small and unnoticeable? Also, I just found your RUclips channel and I'm loving it! Cheers man
It's decent. I've actually been using that exact same setup lately. The camera is still a bit big for my liking, but definitely borderline discreet with either the 28 mm or the 35mm.
How does one get paid or income as a travel photographer? 💆
Hi Mitch! A great video here and very informative... may I ask you something? How close did you stand when you were taking those photos? Was it close to the object or you shoot from quite a distance then cropped it? Because im shooting with a fuji x100 also and my problem this far actually im a bit afraid taking portrait photos closer to the people im shooting at (LOL) and the results are I think 35mm a bit too wide for me.. could you please give me your inisght please? Thanks before mate..
The distances vary of course, but in general you need to get in there if you want to get something decent. Not necessarily right in the face, but certainly close.
mitchellkphotos thanks mitch... yeap probably the problem is myself lol.. i feel sometimes they show us that uncomfy gesture when we poing our camera at them lol
My best go to lens is my Sigma 17-70(C) 2.8
Bob Krist is maybe a better photograph... And he recommended like Micheal Melfort, Joel Sartore (all are the best Travel photographs in the world... ) to have the camera ready with the right lens and that means 2 bodies one with a super wide-angle zoom and the other body with a Tele Zoom because otherwise, you will miss the moment... If you have to change the lens, the moment is lost... And Prime lenses are the worst travel lens that you can choose... Besides that, your pictures look very underexposed because of your camera gear... If I come with my D7200 everybody recognizes that and I can use that as an advantage... and it works. With my 18 to 400 mm I can shoot pictures without any recognition and I love that...first I focus on some other object with the same distance and then I turn very fast to my subject and I get it ... For children, this works so good and also on the market... Okay, that is not fair...
Whatever makes you happy. But if the images look underexposed you probably need to adjust your monitor. 🙂
Hey Mitchel. Fantastic videos, I love them!
This video helped me a lot. I'm planning to buy some good glass for my full frame camera, and I travel a lot as well.
I was wondering: Should I use a UV filter on good glass? Or would give the lens hood enough protection?
Some say I should not use them because they decrease the image quality, others say I should use them for the protection of the lens.
What do you think of UV filters? Do you use them?
Please make more videos, I like them.
Maybe one about filters....
I used to use them, I'm not sure if they decrease the quality notably, but you can definitely get more lens flare. I think Tony Northup did an interesting video on UV filters and their use or uselessness. I don't use them personally these days.
Ok, thanks a lot!
Since I am in the Canon world (5D mark IV) , the one lens I take -when I can only take one, is the Sigma 24-105mm, which while not stellar is certainly better than Canon's version of the same. My 'favorite' lens however is the Tamron 70-200 G2, but of course it is a monster when taken on long hikes and 200mm really isn't THAT much of a zoom on a FF sensor. Surprisingly, I also really enjoy using my Canon 17-40mm f/4 which really shines on FF as opposed to an APS-C body.
well done mate! excellent review...really learnt a lot from your review. cheers mate!
Beautiful video with lots of practical and very useful information :)
Have you ever considered using the LUMIX 12-35mm lens with the LUMIX GX 8 camera as a possible travel combination?
I had it. Using mostly Sony now.
Just found your channel and glad I did. Your editing and use of sound and music in your videos is one thing most youtube channels lack!
dialac1 Thanks very much. I'm glad that some notice and appreciate it.
Great video! I have the 15mm PanaLeica and use it as a lighter every day carry on my OMD EM!.2 when i don't think I need the weather resistant and versatility of my 12-40 zoom. I used to prefer 35mm FF equiv but find with the 4:3 aspect ratio that the 15mm is probably closer to 32mm on the horizontal plane and hence close enough for me.
@Phil Jones65 YMMV but I prefer 35mm in a 3:2 format as a single lens option but the 15mm at 4:3 is close enough and I already have it!
I cried watching your photographs.
I hope in a good way. :) Thanks for watching.
Thanks for valuable information. Been meaning to buy a camera but undecided which one. You enlightened me!!!! 😃😃😃
Really solid stuff Mitch, I think my favorite all around lens is the 24-105 with stabilization
Dave Katz Thanks mate. Really? I am surprised. ☺️
Sony g ?
I also like the 24-105 G. Good value for money. Works well on Sony A7iii. IBIS and IOS really let you get slow. And it is very sharp. But, not real discrete.
Man, I love your photography, and really appreciate the video. I really want to encourage you to try to go back to the full frame camera. I think we've gotten swept away with the idea of having a discreet camera system and want to believe that that's all we need, but I'm of the mind that the quality just isn't there. Everything from apsc and below just full short. Even the best of them are great to look at for the moment but never leave you with that sense of wonder and emotion. There really is something about the larger sensor and the quality that (particularly Canon) put into it. It's not about the numbers, it's the results. There's just so much more there. Take care, man, and thank you for the insightful video.
Disagreed totally, but appreciate your comment. And... who says I am not sometimes shooting full frame now? 😜 DEFINITELY not a Canon though! 😳I mean I don't care what camera it is, but they have nothing exciting now.
The EOS 70D is not a small camera... But what's nice is that my FF 6D Mk II is the same size as the 70D... Not too shabby.
Really nice video, inspiring. I am glad to see that, even you are ambassador of X brand, you comment on other brands. Furthermore, I am glad that you make clear that "single lens for all occasions" might not exist. Each lens has its own conveniences as well as limitations.
Also, thank your for being honest that having an FX with zoom lens is a bit heavy.
Finally, I enjoy seeing different locations. It is quite original, showing how you adapt to the different lighting conditions of each region. Really nice work.
Thanks very much! Appreciate the detailed feedback.
Very informative, Michael, and I love your explanation of the “travel” benefits of the smaller body. But don’t you still need to point the camera at the subjects sometime? Do you do this surreptitiously, hiding what you are doing? Or is the camera just so small that no one takes it seriously?
Thanks, Clark. Good question. Of course, we still need to point the camera at the subject. That's a whole different topic! It depends so much on the circumstances. Sometimes I do shoot candid, but generally, whenever people are prominently featured in the photo - they know that I am photographing them - either before or after.
As far as the camera not being taken very seriously - that helps at times too. Some people are definitely not as worried about it.
I'll make a video on people photography next.
Damn, your pictures are so amazing.
I have the Olympus mft system and use probably 80% of the time the 12 - 40 mm f2.8 lens. I'm trying to use my primes more, but when you on holyday with family the zoom is more convenient.
Thanks. :) Yes, definitely convenience is a factor. A lens like that would be my 2nd choice or in my case the 12-35mm.
Enjoyed your video and I just love your photographs.
Have you tried the Fuji 50 mm f/2?
Thank you!
Thank you for this video. I am learning the Olympus 4/3 system and you answered a lot of my questions. I have a better understanding of video recorders( semi and professional camcorders and only used fixed prime lens cameras in the Olympus line SP 800uz that is why I stuck with Olympus. Thank you for stopping me from trying to make the camera do what it is not capable of.
fantastic video, very informative
Impressive videos. You are living a life I always dreamed about.
For Sony, I would think the new Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 is worth considering, very light, and lower price, meaning more room in your kit for something else. Closer minimum focusing distance the Sony lenses. Though I might lean towards the Sony 24-105mm for the extra reach and versatility, probably would not care about the 1 stop difference with how well today's cameras perform in low light + stabilisation.
For me I cant live without the Sony FE 85mm 1.8, its just ridiculously light weight. Ill just add in something else for versatility.
With mirrorless you can also use silent shutter (electronic shutter) and turn off camera/AF sounds for silent shooting, which is a major advantage for being discreet.
Daniel Lee It’s a marvelous lens, and I’d definitely prefer it for travel over the 24-70 f/2.8 GM, but on an A7 body it is still very far from discreet, and remains fairly bulky. Very bulky and heavy compared to the small M43 bodies with the like of a 17mm f/1.8 prime lens.
how do you do what you do and make a living off it! thank you
:) I'll make a video on this, eventually. :)
My go to lens for travel is the Olympus 12-40mm F2.8. It is more durable than the Panasonic and I actually use the xtra 5mm reach quite a lot when making detailed stitched panoramas. Best walkaround lens for M43 IMO. However, I always have my Pan-Leica 25mm F1.4 and Olympus 45mmF1.8 handy for shallower depth of field. That Pan-Leica 25mm has somewhat unique out of focus rendering. I do shoot a lot of portraits and if I had the money I would probably get a SonyFF for that, but otherwise the size benefits of M43 absolutely make it better for travel as well as other types of photography. I still can't get over you shooting with a camera that only has 1 card slot! I lost photos from my trip to Ireland because the 1 card went bad.
I get what you're saying about the 1 card slot, but somehow we lived without it for years. I think I only had a card die on me with images on it once. Definitely have backups of all the images on two HDDs though. Thanks for watching and commenting.
The background music makes it so enjoyable and inspiring to watch your thorough review with all those great shots. Kudos to the honest work!
As a Panasonic ambassador, I feel that you left out one of the best options for traveling really light and for blending in - the LX100. It has a 24mm to 75mm equivalent lens, but it doesn't quite use the full four thirds sensor, as it has that funky image format manual switch. So that's the downside, but the upside is that it is fully controllable on manual using its classic aperture ring/shutter speed dial arrangement plus it's tiny. The lens is also fairly fast at f1.7 to f2.8. It's my travel camera of choice.
I also have an X100T, but when I'm just doing the tourist thing, it's the LX100 that is around my neck.
The Sony 24 1.8 e mount on my a6000/a6300 is probably on my camera more than any other when traveling and the really close minimum focus distance is really useful
A bit too wide for me as a prime, but for sure it's incredibly useful!
It's a 36mm equivalent...
Excellent video! For full frame, the 24-70 is my go to, but my everyday runaround system is a Fuji X-E1 with a 27mm 2.8 (40mm equivalent) pancake lens. It really is wonderful to have something compact and discreet!
hey there thanks a lot for your thoughts :D as always amazing photos!
Though for APSC i'd recommend the sigma 18-35 f1.8. It is sharp and versatile and really good in low light. That said, it is huge...
Hey, yeh, huge and have to adapt it. Unique and great lens, but I wouldn't choose it as the single lens to take with me. Would be more a specialty lens for me.
agree to Mitch; would never use it as a travel lens, the weight sounds like pain in the back. would use an 18-55 IS STM "kit-lens": lesser weight, very good af system, sharpness a little bit behind the sigma; but what counts more than sharpness at 100%-level is to get the shot; and to get it at the very moment!
I know this video is now more than 3 years old. Fuji is now bringing great lenses on the market, like the XF18mm F1.4. On paper a very good lens. It is on my wish list. But for shooting discreetly the Fuji X100V is also great, with it's almost silent shutter and it's build-in 4 ND filter.
This was a really good video.
Thanks.
My choices:
Full frame - 24-70 f/2.8
Cropped sensor - 17-55 f/2.8.
24-105 by far. Rarely take it off my camera. I would say 60% of my port is shot with a 24-105. Majority of the rest are low light primes.
Great reach, but surely the aperture is limiting?
How is f/4 limiting? It is 1 stop less light than the f/2.8 of the 24-70, and because Canon views it as a "movie" lens it has excellent stabilization. Obviously there are times an extra stop of shutter speed will help with motion and you can't get quite as shallow depth of field, but in low light you get an advantage of two or three stops less shutter speed because of the stabilization. I suppose it depends on what type of travel you do and what your goals are. Those I travel with want portraits of themselves, with a sharp background, or at lease a recognizable background -- "here I am at _________, standing in front of the _____________". If I'm going to blow out the background to the point of a few random shapes and colours, I might as well invite them into my studio and shoot them in front of a backdrop with an 85 mm f/1.4 on a 5D or a 1Dx. I wish Canon would put a stabilizer into all their lenses because wedding venues are often pretty dark and three stops of stabilization on an f/2.8 lens would beat three stops of stabilization on an f/4 lens, by about a stop.
RonThePhotoGuy you mentioned the reasons it's limited yourself. ☺️ The fact that you don't need shallow DOF doesn't mean that it's never needed. And yes that 1 stop can me the difference between a photo and something blurry and unrecognisable.
And you switched to m4/3? Lmao! You need 12-35 f/1.4 lens to have the same shallow dof and low light performance on moving objects, like humans! Quest what it doesn't exist and if it would, it would be about the some size as an 24-70 f/2.8 full frame lens and probably more expensive.
I agree with 24-105 for travel, more versatile . f/4 is not limiting at all, especially with modern days cameras when you can really push for high gain (ISO).
Now about DOF, photographers in the past have taken wonderful images with f/3.5 primes that still look wonderful. People really need to overcome the 'bokeh' fetish and concentrate more on composition. And especially for travel, I don't see a point
Just add a fast prime (28/35/40/50) in very low light/street scenarios
I had the same experience with small cameras vs large. I make yearly trips overseas and three years ago my camera was a Sony APSC with the kit lens (16-50mm, 24-75 ff equivalent). Not the sharpest lens, but it was small. Combine that with silent mode on the Sony and I got great candid shots. Fast forward to my las couple of trips, and I am at a Sony full frame with the 24-105. The quality is much better, but I just can’t come away with as intimate a shot. I think for travel, I am going to go back to a crop sensor Sony and I’ll take your recommendation to get the 20mm for it.
The panasonic 20mm is a great choice too
Ooh, I totally forgot about that one! :) It's small too. Good point.
It's a nice lens. But watching these photos displayed here, i'd imagine it might struggle in AF speed compared to most other m4/3 lenses. In this regard, it's a bit outdated by now although optics and size are still quite fantastic.
Ville Mononen yes, the AF speed is the biggest downside, even the 2nd rev still slow compared to similar lens
Right that's what I watched on some RUclips reviews too. Never used it though.
A 24-105 mm f4
You might wanna try out the Aony A7rIII with the Sony/Zeiss 35 mm f2.8. The image quality will blow you away compared to your Canon and Panasonic system. Great video!
Simon M. Hansen I might try it. But image quality is only important to a point. I want usability and all the things I mentioned.
That’s it’s! My travel set up is the A7r + Sony/zeiss 35mm f2.8 and Sony 85mm f1.8 which these two lenses are the same size as a 24-70 and way sharper and better overall.
I've seen that Fuji beats sony in crop and performs almost equal to full frame at noise/DR
The Sony is a good choice where quality and low light matters, but the issue is size - It's just as big as a similar Canon. FWIW, I'm trying to decide if I should leave Canon for a Sony A7III or Panasonic G9.
nothing special with Sony. Yes, smaller then DSLR, but last versions of lenses as big as lenses for DSLR. and it's very uncomfortable use huge lenses with small body
I converted from Nikon system to 4/3. amove that I wished I had made a long time ago. I travel with a passion for small alpine plants. Another reason for the change is a form of arthritis of the spine so lugging the Nikon system has become cumbersome plus the encroaching age factor; 74. The Lens I am using is the Olympus 12 - 100mm pro which I find very versitile. Cheers, Davie
Great video! I have been shooting with the Fuji 23mm f2 lens (35mm equiv) for over an year and it’s definitely improved my creativity and composition skills! Instagram @shutterzup
Good stuff! Thanks for watching! :)
First time seen your videos and I love the Honest review.you have a new sub here. Those lenses are way out of my league as I'm a biguiner but is always good to know for the future..thanks for sharing those amazing pics...
Nikon D500 + Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8
Your Pics are just incredible. Love your work! Greets from Germany, hope you have a good time right now!
very good video ------- I sold my Canon system and went to Fuji ------ You do a great job of presenting organized and intelligent videos
thomas Shea Thanks.
I actually like that the Micro 4/3 system doesn't allow for crazy, blown out bokeh, especially with video. I feel like people have gone bokeh crazy these days and need to tone it down a bit. :P
Great video, Mitchell!
Haha! I get what you mean. Some people think bokeh means that there's no need to be aware of composition.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts so concisely. Really helps a lot. Bet you would love to shoot with a Sony RX1 or RX1 RII (being a 35mm prime camera)!
I'm curious on your thought about why you would choose the M43 system instead of a small full frame, such as the Sony RX1. It has a 35 f2 lens and a small body. It would give you better low light performance and a shallower depth of field when you want it. Why the M43 system over something like that? Or why not a small body APSC system? These days you can have small bodies and lens in both the full frame and APSC systems. What advantage does the M43 system have over those?
I am leaning that way more and more. 🙂
@@mitchellkphotos don't get me wrong, I do understand your thought process and they actually coincide with mine. When mirrorless first came in the scene, I was immediately drawn to it for my wedding work and switched over from Canon 5d mark 3 and Nikon D810 to the Fuji system XPro 1 and x100 for it's small size and it's mirrorless advantages. However I found the focusing frustrating. At that time Sony full frame was lacking in lenses. Olympus, however was very fast at focusing and the lenses we very complete, so I switched over to Olympus OMD EM1 and Lumix GH5 and GX8 bodies. I have been shooting almost exclusively M43rds since then and only occasionally using my Nikon D810 when I want 36 MP and very shallow Depth of field. I just find mirrorless to be superior to DSLR's for my work. Even though my Nikon was better at low light technically, I found that I was able to have sharper images in low light with my M43rds because of the amazing IS and the very sharp lenses. I've been happy with my Lumix system and Pro 1.2 and Pro lenses since then, except for the occasional shallow Depth of field envy of those shooting mirrorless full frame. However, my clients and my back are happy. Lately, Sony has evolved their mirrorless full frame system to be very complete, wth ightweight options for body and lenses. I'm beginning to consider at adding a full frame mirrorless body and a couple of very fast lenses to supplement my M43rds system, or even to switch over to Sony mirrorless for the most part and keeping just some of my M43rds for when I want to be very lightweight and discreet. By the way, I'm a huge fan of your channel and your work. You work is amazing and I'm learning alot from you.
Thanks for the very convincing video. Just want to point out, I traveled to Ladakh couple years ago, recently bought a GH5 for video shooting and a few days ago got Canon FF camera. Lovely, you answer my question! I was debating/searching to get an all round lens for my Canon FF camera. 24-70mm It is.
The best lens ever is the Olympus 12-100mm f4. One lens for all. 😁
Other answers are 😭😭😭
Tamron has solved the image stabilise issue, there latest 24/70 F2.8 G2 is simply stunning, as sharp as canons but now 3 stop IS, my images on average especially on lower shutter speeds are pin sharp and shit all over Compared to when I was using canons
You inspire me so so much. I saw photos that you took and it brought back my interest to pick up my camera again. Thank you for this straightforward , informative video.
Fuji X100 also left a mark in my heart... Maybe I will buy one again in the future. Now I'm using Sony A7ii with 35/2.8. Small and discrete.
Totally agree! I have the Sony A7R2 and my favorite walk around lens is the 35mm 2.8. It's like a little pancake lens. I can throw camera w lens in my purse and off I go. If I need a close up, I can always switch to the 85mm, 1.8. I love the freedom even though I might not get the reach for a few shots. Love your photography and have been following your for several years. Enjoy the ride.
Thanks very much. 🙂
Guy! Your presentation is fantastic. Pictures are excellent. I enjoyed your video. If I carry two lenses for street photography my first choice will be 30mm (below f2.8) prime and second choice will be small zoom lens. Your 24-70 is a good lens, indeed. Thanx
How about sony 24-105g vs 24-70 GM
Great video. Thank you
Clicked on video not expecting so much breathtaking photos. You are really talented and photographs are just superb.
This video is so informative and packed with content, and I love the fact that you remain unbiased despite your ambassador position! As a beginner, I'd like to know how you think about an optical viewfinder and an electronic LCD one as on the Panasonic camera you're using. Which do you prefer and why? Also, I plan to switch from iPhone to a real camera and really like the Canon 200D because it's compact and accepts all canon lenses, but your take on mirror-less cameras is making me reconsider Panasonic and Fujifilm, though I fear they have a more limited lens selection (or am I wrong?) I'm a total beginner and would really appreciate your comment :)
Panasonic has a great lens selection. Lenses are smaller too. Same with Fuji - quite many lenses. All the important focal lengths. I'm a bit over Canon. They've not been very innovative at all.
The problem is your older pics are much better quality. I would rather work a little harder and get better shots:-)
If I didn't tell you what they were shot with you would100% not know. ;) Might even try an experiment one day.
mitchellkphotos Hmm maybe. Your olders have amazing warmth and depth.
I use a Pentax K-x with a 17-70mm 2.8. if I take only one lens. And I have in-camera stabilization with Pentax.
With modern ff sensors, imho the best ff lens is the 24.105 f4, that is always stabilized and less heavy. While for aps-c 17-55 2.8.
Really well done !!! I thought that the change of scenery inherent in changing locations for every few minutes of speaking was great - much more interesting than watching someone sit in the same room preaching for 15 plus minutes. Interspersing those fabulous photos as illustrations of what could be done with a particular lens and camera combination was both instructive and entertaining. I also loved the fact that the video was very photo-centric as opposed to dealing with photos and videos at the same time (I am more interested in stills than video). Masterfully done !!! I think your comments on camera and lens size were spot on. I am not a bona fide photographer by any means (just someone who likes to be a tourist and take pictures while travelling) but the advantages of taking a small, somewhat fast lens are apparent even to me. My travel kit is a mirrorless APS-C camera (Sony a6300) with the 20mm f2.8 pancake for general use on the street and in museums and art galleries etc. along with an 18-200 f3-5-5.6 zoom which I just carry in my bag and take out and stick on a monopod if I want to zoom in on (say) a gargoyle or grotesque on a cathedral tower. With the 20mm pancake on the camera I am almost never challenged by security staff inside museums etc since it does not look like "serious" professional gear to most people. Some museums explicitly allow compact cameras and not "professional" gear for which you require a permit. Anyway ... congratulations on an excellent video discussion !
Thanks very much for the thoughtful and detailed comment! I'm really glad that those details in the video are appreciated. :) All the best to you!
A game of compromise. I like aps-c for that. I have thought about M4/3 but the extra stop of sensor gain noise doesn't get mitigated by size and weight compared to something like an X100. If I could get an ultra compact Lumix I'd have it in a heartbeat.
As for "How the eye sees." I find my eyes see 75-80mm in FF terms. And to imitate the width of my vision, 28mm in FF terms is perfect. A nice 18-55 aps-c would cover me, but I don't think anyone does an f2.8,
So right now I have the Fujifilm X-E3 with the 18f2, and 50f2. It's compact and for the focal lengths in between I have feet. Plus, Fujifilm are comparable to FF on iso sensor gain noise, better even than my old A7RII, and they even have in-camera raw development, which I can't go back from now.
Superb inspirational photography. After over 50 years of photography using nearly all formats up to 5x7. I now use a small Fuji body with the 16mm f1.4 for 90% of my pics. However I will buy the new 16mm f2.8 when it comes out for size and reducing weight. Superbly easy to crop with a 24 mp sensor so it can be used for internal wide shots to Astro photography and portraiture it is as good as a 24-70 in one package. Love your site and have just subscribed
Maybe I should have watched this video more sooner, as I came to the same conclusion. I have a whole stack of M43 lenses and I'm in to a project to document my village. 12mm is just too wide as the end of the street is too far away. The 20mm is a bit narrow, and I don't like the rendering. So I too settled on the 15mm and will shoot them all at F1.7 to have little depth of field.
The light amount through an F2.8 of 4/3 is 1/4 of full-frame, which is 2 stops difference. So it is exactly F5.6 of full-frame~~
Makes no sense. You just said f4 in the previous comment. 🙂
@@mitchellkphotos Yes. I realized that I made a mistake there. Thanks a lot for your comment. :)