Cycling & photography

[Ti Designs]

I gave up photography years ago, not enough time and nothing that inspired me to continue. A few years back I saw something on a morning ride that inspired me to jump back into it. Between those two times, lots of things had changed - film had been replaced with digital sensors, and there were more options in cameras. I once found myself hanging under the BU bridge by two roped and my climbing harness, holding a Nikon F3 with a 400mm lens, also supported by ropes, shooting the crew teams at the head of the charles. Very nice equipment (that I couldn't afford), but there's no way I could ever ride with something like that. These days I don't have to. Smaller formats without the single lens reflex design (no mirror flipping up, no pentaprism for the optical view finder) mean cameras and lenses are getting smaller and lighter.

I went with the micro four thirds format because there were a number of companies making lenses for it, and older lenses were easily adapted, should I want to use them. There are plenty of other formats, but for interchangeable lens I found M43 had the most options. Oddly, one of the biggest struggles I faced was finding a bag to hold the equipment while I rode. Everything that holds a tripod either pushed my helmet over my eyes, or attached it to the side, throwing the balance way off. I suggested a lower mounting point to LowePro, and within 6 months they came out with their FlipSide series - I've worked in the bike industry for 30 years, nothing like that ever happens...

When I'm going out to shoot, I need to know I'm going somewhere to shoot. Otherwise it becomes a bike ride with a very expensive weight on my back for no reason. It also means my time table is based on when I need to get the shop, so there's a lot of leaving the house at 3am. I have this ability to take all the wrong equipment, which means any shot that's really worth getting is going to take multiple trips until I get it right - that's what I call training... I'm just starting to get to the point where my pictures make people want to get out and ride - until I tell them when I started...

The image that got me back into photography was on a cold late winter morning, just after sunrise. The fog pulls down on the fields into this dense white blanket. A deer had just crossed the road and ran into the field, then stopped and turn around to watch me. He left a deer shaped trail in the fog as he ran, we were looking at each other thru a deer shaped tunnel. It's a shot I'll never get in a million years, but there are always other things worth capturing. I once rode out to some chicken coupes before sunrise to watch the chickens get up at first light - and image I call poultry in motion. How was I to know that chickens get angry if the first human they see doesn't feed them? I split my time between running away with my camera and bike, and turning around to shoot the angry stampeding chickens.

I know we have more than a few photographers here, what's your story?

1) what format do you use? (If it's 8x10 I'll assume you're Nick Nixon)
2) what bike do you use? (I use my cross bike, but I keep thinking about a fat bike)
3) what kind of shooting do you do? Street, landscape, wildlife...
4) how far will you ride with equipment to get a shot?
5) what was the funniest blunder you've made on a photo ride? (I got to a location 30 miles out at 5:30am only to find I didn't have a memory card)
6) show us an image!!!

[veloduffer]

I don't carry a camera often when I bike, but I do scout locations when I am riding. If I do carry, it's my Nikon Coolpix A, which has the same sensor (APS-C) as a DX DSLR.

I've owned many cameras over the years, including Nikon's top models at the time. My primary camera is a Nikon Df and favorite lens is an old Nikon 35mm f/2 AF-D; small, fairly sharp and I like the field of view.

I shoot anything from street to landscape and some sports. To do landscape well and in the golden hours (dawn or right after sunset), you need a trip-pod as you can't keep it steady.

I tried mirrorless a few years ago but the autofocus was terrible for low light and moving objects. I tried using it at a wedding and got no action shots. And for all the equipment you need to carry with mirrorless, there's no difference than with a DSLR.

I would recommend a really good compact camera like a Sony RX100 or Ricoh GR ii and use a handlebar bag or frame bag, which will minimize it getting bounced around and keep it off your back.

my photos are here (http://johnz.zenfolio.com)

[.RJ]

I've been very happy with my Fuji X-T1. Paired with an 18mm lens its not unreasonable to take with me on the bike and will fit in a small bag on the bars. Mirrorless has a ton of advantages over a DSLR right now.

https://photos.smugmug.com/2017-Southeast-Asia/i-TWdT3nb/0/L/DSCF3225-Edit-L.jpg

[bikinchris]

I don't usually ride to take photos, but I have toured a few times with a camera. I once did 6 weeks in Europe with a handlebar bag stuffed with a Nikon D100, 12-24 and 28-200.

[Fookie]

I don't usually ride to take photos, but I have toured a few times with a camera. I once did 6 weeks in Europe with a handlebar bag stuffed with a Nikon D100, 12-24 and 28-200.

I am the same. I love both hobbies, but separately. I went from my first camera, a Nikon 6006, to a D70, to a D7000, and finally a Df (with primes: 24mm, 50mm, and 105mm). I would love to see how you guys carry your gear if you combine the two hobbies.

[ergott]

When I'm riding the images I want to capture are almost always landscapes. Since that's the case I just use my Galaxy S6 since the results are excellent.

I'd have to bring my Canon 6D and 24mm f/1.4 lens to significantly increase the image quality.

[veloduffer]

I've been very happy with my Fuji X-T1. Paired with an 18mm lens its not unreasonable to take with me on the bike and will fit in a small bag on the bars. Mirrorless has a ton of advantages over a DSLR right now.


I think that's an overly broad statement. There are compromises in all choices, just depends on your priority. For instance, the Fuji cannot replace the DSLR for serious sports and landscape photography (i.e. for professional use). No professional sports shooter will step onto the field with a XT-1. The high mega-pixel Nikon D810 and Canon 5DS are tools that allow landscape photographers to have tools that rival medium format. Also, one may have preference for the Nikon or Canon color profile and dynamic range over the Fuji.

The mirrorless is a smaller than most DSLRs but fairly similar to the Nikon Df, especially if both are paired with pancake lenses (e.g Voightlander). The Df, though, is a full frame sensor (same as D4). Nikon and Canon have their patents for their own mirrorless. It'll be interesting to see what kind of sensor they plan to use.

That being said, the Fuji is plenty of camera for most folks and fairly affordable. But so are iPhone and Galaxy (which can be quite good).

For the most part when I ride, I don't like the lighting for shooting landscapes but it's safer to ride. On the other hand, I don't like riding (dawn, dusk) when it is optimal to shoot.

[joosttx]

I gave up photography years ago, not enough time and nothing that inspired me to continue. A few years back I saw something on a morning ride that inspired me to jump back into it. Between those two times, lots of things had changed - film had been replaced with digital sensors, and there were more options in cameras. I once found myself hanging under the BU bridge by two roped and my climbing harness, holding a Nikon F3 with a 400mm lens, also supported by ropes, shooting the crew teams at the head of the charles. Very nice equipment (that I couldn't afford), but there's no way I could ever ride with something like that. These days I don't have to. Smaller formats without the single lens reflex design (no mirror flipping up, no pentaprism for the optical view finder) mean cameras and lenses are getting smaller and lighter.

I went with the micro four thirds format because there were a number of companies making lenses for it, and older lenses were easily adapted, should I want to use them. There are plenty of other formats, but for interchangeable lens I found M43 had the most options. Oddly, one of the biggest struggles I faced was finding a bag to hold the equipment while I rode. Everything that holds a tripod either pushed my helmet over my eyes, or attached it to the side, throwing the balance way off. I suggested a lower mounting point to LowePro, and within 6 months they came out with their FlipSide series - I've worked in the bike industry for 30 years, nothing like that ever happens...

When I'm going out to shoot, I need to know I'm going somewhere to shoot. Otherwise it becomes a bike ride with a very expensive weight on my back for no reason. It also means my time table is based on when I need to get the shop, so there's a lot of leaving the house at 3am. I have this ability to take all the wrong equipment, which means any shot that's really worth getting is going to take multiple trips until I get it right - that's what I call training... I'm just starting to get to the point where my pictures make people want to get out and ride - until I tell them when I started...

The image that got me back into photography was on a cold late winter morning, just after sunrise. The fog pulls down on the fields into this dense white blanket. A deer had just crossed the road and ran into the field, then stopped and turn around to watch me. He left a deer shaped trail in the fog as he ran, we were looking at each other thru a deer shaped tunnel. It's a shot I'll never get in a million years, but there are always other things worth capturing. I once rode out to some chicken coupes before sunrise to watch the chickens get up at first light - and image I call poultry in motion. How was I to know that chickens get angry if the first human they see doesn't feed them? I split my time between running away with my camera and bike, and turning around to shoot the angry stampeding chickens.

I know we have more than a few photographers here, what's your story?

1) what format do you use? (If it's 8x10 I'll assume you're Nick Nixon)
2) what bike do you use? (I use my cross bike, but I keep thinking about a fat bike)
3) what kind of shooting do you do? Street, landscape, wildlife...
4) how far will you ride with equipment to get a shot?
5) what was the funniest blunder you've made on a photo ride? (I got to a location 30 miles out at 5:30am only to find I didn't have a memory card)
6) show us an image!!!

I think the most important thing is not to over think it.

[Ray]

I was pretty seriously into photography as a kid, and through high school, college, and into my mid-20s. Did tons of black and white darkroom work. Shot a lot of creative stuff, took technical classes in HS and art classes in college, but also did small time photo-journalism in high school and college. I shot with everything from SLRs to TLRs to large format to half frame fixed lens cameras in those days.

In my mid-20s, the demands of career and family sort of pushed photography (and damn near everything else) off to the side and for about 25 years I just shot family stuff with whatever point and shoot we had lying around. I transitioned into digital in my P&S phase.

Then in 2010 I got back into it prior to a big trip my wife and I did for our 25th anniversary - I wanted something nicer than a P&S for that. I got into m43 then as well, with an Olympus EP-2 and a few lenses - mix of primes and a couple of zooms. Over the next few years I got WAAAAAAY into it again, learned the wonders of digital processing (nobody can appreciate digital workflow as much as someone who spent many all-nighters in darkrooms producing one or two good prints!), and transitioned through various m43 and APS mirrorless systems. Did some semi-professional shooting and writing about photography subjects as well. But in early 2013 I got good an spoiled by full frame with a Sony RX1 and then in early 2014 I tried a Nikon DF, my first DSLR. Played around with a few different full frame cameras (DSLR and mirrorless) and middle of that year settled down with a DF and a few lenses, having sold off all of my mirrorless gear. I also have small options in the RX1 and Nikon Coolpix A, both of which are great when I want to travel really light. I'm almost totally a prime shooter, so I tend to stick to a small kit with a 20, something in the 24-35 range, something around a 50, and something either portrait length or sometimes I'll take my old Nikon 75-150 for more extensive telephoto work. But I spend the vast majority of my time at the wide end - it's how I see best. Since I got the DF almost three years ago, though, I've lost all gear lust, all GAS. It seems the sensor wars have hit a plateau where they're sooooo good in both high ISO work and dynamic range, that it's just a matter of choosing the tool that fits you best, as there is no better or worse out there much anymore. The DF is my perfect camera - most of my lenses are manual focus with just a few AF portrait length and telephoto options. Except for one little used zoom, 85mm is my shortest AF lens...

I do a lot of street photography and urban scenics - I love little more than walking around a city with a small bag of camera gear. Often one camera/lens combination is all I use all day. I've taken out small cameras on my bike from time to time, but I don't find the two activities really mix all that well, partially because I don't like riding with my really nice gear and partly because I don't want to stop riding or shooting when I'm on a roll with either activity. I've all but stopped riding these days, but I still do a fair amount of shooting. Some of my favorite stuff is still family candid portraits, which I rarely post except among friends and family on Facebook. But I still do a lot of other stuff too.

My highly unedited and disorganized flickr feed is here - pretty top-heavy with a bunch of recent sort of touristy stuff from spending the past couple of months in North Carolina, but past the first page is a lot of the kind of stuff I more commonly shoot:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/20889767@N05/

-Ray

[weisan]

Photography....Cycling.


Cycling...Photography.

Those are the two great loves in my life. :D

But over the last 10-15 years, photography has taken a backseat. Now, I just do it whenever I feel like it...which is happening less and less often. Hopefully, my trip next week to Big Bend National Park will revive some of the old flame.

Some of my "best" pictures over the years came during the times when I carried the least amount of equipment and I wasn't chasing the shot. Rather, I let myself go "free" and just enjoy the moment, merge into the environment, and become one....then slowly....slowly....the shot came to me, instead of me going to the shot.

:p

[rePhil]

I lucked into a photography "career" by chance.It literally changed my life. My specialty was shooting power boats, either from a photo boat or helicopter.
I worked for an engine manufacturer and one of the perks for our customers was offering catalog quality photography. I had the good fortune to shoot and visit water all over North America.
I won't talk about the Hasselblad's or Pentax 4x5's as I rarely used them.

I was a die hard Nikon guy. I started with F2's, then 3's, then the not so wonderful F4s. I preferred the N90 until the F5 came out. That's what I was using when I stopped.
While I owned a bunch of lenses my go to lenses were 24 & 35 fixed and 35-105 & 80-200 zooms. There weren't any image stabilizing lenses those days, so I used a gyro stabilizer.
To show my age the biggest advancement for me was in the film. Everybody who was anybody shot Kodachrome 64.
I remember the Fuji rep asking me to test some Velvia 50. Holy smokes, what a game changer. I eventually settled on Provia 100. Soon after everyone shooting boats was using it.
In those days it would not be uncommon to shoot 30-35 rolls to get the one shot.

Then one day after 20 years a new paradigm arrived and it was game over.
I ended up selling all my gear and never looked back. These days I take a point & shoot on vacations and for the grandkids.
I was grateful to have had my dream job for over 20 years. It helped put 3 kids through school and food on the table. It was quite a ride.

The funniest blunder (now) was knowing I got "the shot" only to find an empty camera!

I forgot an image. Here's a candid point & shoot of my grand daughter with UCI BMX World Champ Sam Willoughby. My grand kids are racing in Daytona today and Sam was on my mind. Sadly he was badly hurt in training. He is a great guy and I hope he recovers.

[.RJ]

I think that's an overly broad statement. There are compromises in all choices, just depends on your priority. For instance, the Fuji cannot replace the DSLR for serious sports and landscape photography (i.e. for professional use).

Yep, this is true. But, the number of people that pay their mortgage by shooting sports is comparatively very small, so that market will always be there for DSLR's. Same with commercial portrait work & work involving lighting, there's no comparison. But, for the hobbyist, I cant see any reason to go back to a DSLR. Just my opinion though.

[Ray]

Yep, this is true. But, the number of people that pay their mortgage by shooting sports is comparatively very small, so that market will always be there for DSLR's. Same with commercial portrait work & work involving lighting, there's no comparison. But, for the hobbyist, I cant see any reason to go back to a DSLR. Just my opinion though.

Mirrorless will eventually overtake DSLRs even for shooting birds and sports and other rapid-fire stuff. it's not there yet and I don't know whether we're talking three years or five or ten, but it'll happen once the processor speeds get fast enough to work out the continuous AF and viewfinder blackout times.

The reason I went from mirrorless TO a DSLR had to do with not many full frame options in mirrorless at the time. Sony was just starting out with their A7 line of full frame mirrorless and they weren't much to write home about at first. And even if you loved the cameras, the lenses weren't there for it. The Nikon DF did and does everything I want a camera to do better than any other camera I've used and I love the sensor in it. And there's so much glass available for it in every size, quality, and price point. For what I do, today's premium optically perfect, huge, AF lenses don't matter to me. I've owned a few, used several others, and they just don't help anything about the way I shoot. And with the small primes I favor, my DF kit is as small as any Fuji kit I ever had and almost as small as the m43 stuff I used to shoot with (although if size is your main criteria, you can get pretty damn tiny with m43).

The bottom line is it's getting harder and harder to find a bad camera. Cell phones are wiping out the consumer camera market so the camera makers are left trying to figure out how to make a living on enthusiasts and pros and that's not easy or getting easier. But for now, we've got an embarrassment of riches to choose from so just shoot with what you like and have fun doing it.

Just like no bike will ever make a rider more than marginally better, no camera will ever make a photographer more than marginally better. With cycling and with photography, 99.9% of it is not about the gear...

-Ray

[veloduffer]

Mirrorless will eventually overtake DSLRs even for shooting birds and sports and other rapid-fire stuff. it's not there yet and I don't know whether we're talking three years or five or ten, but it'll happen once the processor speeds get fast enough to work out the continuous AF and viewfinder blackout times.

The reason I went from mirrorless TO a DSLR had to do with not many full frame options in mirrorless at the time. Sony was just starting out with their A7 line of full frame mirrorless and they weren't much to write home about at first. And even if you loved the cameras, the lenses weren't there for it. The Nikon DF did and does everything I want a camera to do better than any other camera I've used and I love the sensor in it. And there's so much glass available for it in every size, quality, and price point. For what I do, today's premium optically perfect, huge, AF lenses don't matter to me. I've owned a few, used several others, and they just don't help anything about the way I shoot. And with the small primes I favor, my DF kit is as small as any Fuji kit I ever had and almost as small as the m43 stuff I used to shoot with (although if size is your main criteria, you can get pretty damn tiny with m43).

The bottom line is it's getting harder and harder to find a bad camera. Cell phones are wiping out the consumer camera market so the camera makers are left trying to figure out how to make a living on enthusiasts and pros and that's not easy or getting easier. But for now, we've got an embarrassment of riches to choose from so just shoot with what you like and have fun doing it.

Just like no bike will ever make a rider more than marginally better, no camera will ever make a photographer more than marginally better. With cycling and with photography, 99.9% of it is not about the gear...

-Ray

+1 I went from a D800 and D3 to a Nikon Df - it is a photographer's camera. I am no longer shooting sports and needed a camera with a great low light sensor for travel. The Df has terrific dynamic range and beautiful colors straight out of the camera. I have gone mostly to prime lenses myself, and my longest zoom is 24-120/f4. So easy to carry, as I don't need a bag; just carry a 20mm or 50mm in my jacket pocket in addition to my 35mm. If I need a flash (rarely due to the D4 full-frame sensor), I carry the tiny SB-400 in my pocket too.

[Ray]

+1 I went from a D800 and D3 to a Nikon Df - it is a photographer's camera. I am no longer shooting sports and needed a camera with a great low light sensor for travel. The Df has terrific dynamic range and beautiful colors straight out of the camera. I have gone mostly to prime lenses myself, and my longest zoom is 24-120/f4. So easy to carry, as I don't need a bag; just carry a 20mm or 50mm in my jacket pocket in addition to my 35mm. If I need a flash (rarely due to the D4 full-frame sensor), I carry the tiny SB-400 in my pocket too.

Interesting - it looks like there are three DF shooters in this small thread so far. It's kind of the Rivendell of cameras, except the Rivendell made by Giant that pisses off the other more modern Giant riders... ;)

I generally carry a bag with my DF, but only an Ona Bowery, which is a really small bag. I figure if I can't fit it in there I don't want to carry it all day. I'll usually have the DF with a 24 or 28 mounted, and then 2-4 other small primes. At the moment I have the DF with a 24 f2.8 AIS mounted, a 35 f2.8 AI, 58 f1.4 (it's actually old enough it was called a 5.8cm - non AI but I converted it to AI), a Voigtlander 20mm f3.5, and an 85 f1.8D in the bag. And lots of times I probably would never change out the 24... My two AF zooms, which I use rarely but which are sort of indispensable, are the same 24-120 f4 you've got and a slow 70-300 VR for my rare telephoto needs. My 50 f1.8D and 85 f1.8D are my only other AF lenses...

-Ray

[Ti Designs]

I tried mirrorless a few years ago but the autofocus was terrible for low light and moving objects. I tried using it at a wedding and got no action shots. And for all the equipment you need to carry with mirrorless, there's no difference than with a DSLR.

I'm with you on the low light part...

When I first got into photography my father handed me an SLR (a Minolta SRT201) with a 50mm "normal" lens and said "the secret to photography is f8 and be there". What I'm finding with micro four thirds is I can do both. I just needed a bag to transport stuff while riding. It annoyed me at first that all of my SLR lens cases were too big for my M43 stuff, but I've gotten over that.

While I don't do that much wildlife photography, I can show you what I mean in a few pictures. The first is my bag with all of the stuff in it. The second is my shooting set-up. That's a 100-400mm lens (200-800mm full frame equivalent), a gimbal head, carbon tripod and laser dot sight. That goes on my back, then on my cross bike. I have no problem getting to a location that's 25 miles out, or to a shooting spot that's only accessible by trail.

[joosttx]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3906/32430853264_47ce42cdb0_b.jpg

this is what I use. 3 years in a jersey pocket or handlebar bag. Built to last. point in shoot. easy to operate with one hand.

[AngryScientist]

i still think that for cycling combined with photography, the best camera is the one you've got on you, ready to shoot.

i'm obviously not very much of a discerning photography viewer, but i feel that for outdoor pictures, with decent natural light, most any modern digital can capture the image adequately.

i also believe that a photo just needs to bring the viewer to the viewpoint of the photographer, as long as the image is reasonably clear, it tells the story it is meant to tell.

all criticism graciously accepted, please tell me - what could have made this photo i took on a ride recently, that i am very much happy with better. either equipment wise, or framing?

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIm-qU76UD8/WLdt9h98_sI/AAAAAAAACug/9jd5QQ_cdFcuzIE9Y2wPTQLcs4YM5ApvQCLcB/s1140/IMG_0170.JPG

[weisan]

Angry pal, I like the color composition, good eye there.
It's not always possible, but to make it "better" you ask? Maybe add a "human interest" - a cyclist riding "away" or "towards" at the diminishing view of the road. Also, maybe cut out a bit of the whitewash from the overcast sky.

[Ti Designs]

i still think that for cycling combined with photography, the best camera is the one you've got on you, ready to shoot.

I guess we can break this down to two groups: Those who bring a camera (or phone) to document where they've been, and those who use the bike as transportation to photograph - I'm guessing I'm in the minority with that one. Anyone else ride with a tripod???

[weisan]

Anyone else ride with a tripod???

Back long time ago when I was one of the "crazies"...not anymore. I am fully recovered now.

[joosttx]

this might be a good read for you.


http://theradavist.com/2017/02/gearing-up-for-life-on-the-bike-camera-and-tech-ryan-wilson/

[RFC]

(nobody can appreciate digital workflow as much as someone who spent many all-nighters in darkrooms producing one or two good prints!),

-Ray

I know exactly where you are coming from. I paid the rent in undergrad working as a photographer for hire. And my access to the darkroom was only at night. Go in at 8 pm and squint at the rising sun at 6 am. Once I got into digital, I swore I'd never use a film camera again. Sold all of my Leicas with no regrets.

[gavingould]

i expect to ride with my Fuji X-Pro2 and a WR lens quite a bit this year. iPhone 7S can do quite a bit, but...

[hmai18]

For carrying on rides:
Canon S90. When it died, I bought a Ricoh GR because I also do street photography in my spare time and the camera was designed to be used one-handed.

For event/race photography:
Bought an OM-D back in 2012 because I didn't want to carry a DSLR around and because the small size and touch screen were also handy for street photography. I sold it earlier this year because I wanted something with better continuous AF/tracking for shooting at races and a newer, larger sensor for dynamic range/low light. I owned a Fuji X100 years ago and have been itching to get back into that ecosystem. Currently using an X-T2 with a 35mm FOV lens. Will add a 75mm whenever they have their next rebate offer and maybe a 135 as well.

[Ti Designs]

this might be a good read for you.


http://theradavist.com/2017/02/gearing-up-for-life-on-the-bike-camera-and-tech-ryan-wilson/

It was! It's always nice to know where you fall within the spectrum. There are some photographers who will never get on a bike with their gear. There are some who will leave the comfort of home with a small subset of their gear to create images - I'm one of them. And then there are those who will take epic journeys with camera equipment. Not having any sense of direction at all, that's never going to be me...

I'm OK on where I am within that range. Another theory I seem to live by is "you never get it right the first time", so the ability to set out another day and revisit the same site appeals to me. I own 22 lenses (N+1 has been going on for a while...), so the chances of my having the right one for the job when I get there is pretty low. For example, I have a 12-32mm zoom which is tiny. I use that to see what the image can look like, but I also have a 12mm lens that's much sharper (and larger and more expensive). The other luxury of leaving from home each time is not having to clean sensors in the field - does that really work for anyone??? My backup body is a Lumix G7, which is 1/4 the size and weight of a good DSLR. I'll gladly put up with the extra body if it means not having to switch lenses...

My latest obsession has been the fisheye lens. Most people get this mental image of huge amounts of distortion as people's faces are wrapped around the corners of the frame. Truth is there are different amounts of distortion, and keeping the horizon at the center make it look almost normal...

[jtbadge]

this is what I use. 3 years in a jersey pocket or handlebar bag. Built to last. point in shoot. easy to operate with one hand.

What model is this Sony? Looks perfect for what I'd like.

[joosttx]

What model is this Sony? Looks perfect for what I'd like.

Sony RX100 v1. no viewfinder which bothers most but I am use to not having one and I think it is an advantage. Later models have one. Check out my instagram feed linked in below in my signature for its output.

[Clean39T]

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3906/32430853264_47ce42cdb0_b.jpg

this is what I use. 3 years in a jersey pocket or handlebar bag. Built to last. point in shoot. easy to operate with one hand.

What's the model? I've been thinking of doing something similar.

[joosttx]

What's the model? I've been thinking of doing something similar.

Sony RX100 v1. no viewfinder which bothers most but I am use to not having one and I think it is an advantage. Later models have one. Check out my instagram feed linked in below in my signature for its output.

[mhespenheide]

...all criticism graciously accepted, please tell me - what could have made this photo i took on a ride recently, that i am very much happy with better. either equipment wise, or framing?

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIm-qU76UD8/WLdt9h98_sI/AAAAAAAACug/9jd5QQ_cdFcuzIE9Y2wPTQLcs4YM5ApvQCLcB/s1140/IMG_0170.JPG

(I'm a cyclist and a photographer, but I almost don't mix the two at all. I often mix hiking and photography or backpacking and photography, but not cycling. Photo link below if you're curious.)

Angry,

That depends. What do you want to communicate? What story do you want to tell? What emotion are you trying to convey? Three things jump out to me, but they may or may not be a factor to you. First, I'd like to see some more contrast in the sky, and more contrast between the top of the silo and the sky. I'd also like to go a little wider; the edge of the trees that make up the left side of the frame feel a little awkward. Similarly, I'd prefer to see the edge of the road come down into the bottom left corner. You've got a nice leading line (the cable fence) coming in from the lower right; it'd be nice to mirror it on the left side. Primarily, though, I'm left unsure whether the subject of the photograph is the road disappearing into the distance, or the old red barn. It's a good record shot of what you've done and where you've been.


(With that, I'll take off my critic's hat, because I'm a lot more comfortable doing that on a photography forum than a cycling forum. Like I said, I don't generally mix the two. Joosttx does and amazing job of it. I've thought about picking up one of the m4/3 cameras and bringing it along, because I've never felt at home with the controls of a point-and-shoot. If you want to check out my landscape work, an older portfolio is online at http://markhespenheide.com/landscape/landscape.htm)

[teleguy57]

Been following this thread with interest. I used to be a fairly serious photographer with a focus on ski mountaineering and backpacking. Gear for that time was a Nikon FM with 35, 55 micro and 105 primes. Carried at least a monopod everywhere and often a tripod. Every shot possible was bracketed so I shot tons of fim -- which had to be carried. My adventure buddies nicknamed me "Otto", as in Otto Preminger, because I was always directing them for compositions and having them redo stuff.

Fast forward to cycling. I love the quality stuff I see here, but struggle with both riding and shooting. I don't take my Nikon D40 on the bike, but also don't like futzing with a cell camera and my Canon A630 doesn't quite do it for me.

I've been thinking about selling my film gear and picking up a simple, small P&S type (Canon S90/S100 type) so I can have easy access to it. Probably should just pull the trigger and do it.

[.RJ]

I've been thinking about selling my film gear and picking up a simple, small P&S type (Canon S90/S100 type) so I can have easy access to it. Probably should just pull the trigger and do it.

Of the small, pocketable cameras, the Sony RX100 seems to be the best bang for the buck & size. You can get a reasonable deal on the II, III & IV.

[joosttx]

Of the small, pocketable cameras, the Sony RX100 seems to be the best bang for the buck & size. You can get a reasonable deal on the II, III & IV.

These are taken with the RX100 I. I think all the later models have a better senor.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2693/32868061895_3c702099c4_c.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/717/32714543372_36d398a511_c.jpg

[ceolwulf]

Of the small, pocketable cameras, the Sony RX100 seems to be the best bang for the buck & size. You can get a reasonable deal on the II, III & IV.

Is there any image quality difference between versions? They're all the same sensor yes?

My passion for photography, I concluded the other day as I dry fired a couple shots on my Minolta X-700, died with film. It's mostly an accident of timing though I think, with other life circumstances; not the fault of digital as such. But my Pentax DSLR kit is all sold now and all I have left is a Pentax MX-1, which I really like, but is too heavy for a jersey pocket. And mainly just gets used for taking snapshots for eBay ads and such anyway ...

Do want to get a Fuji outfit once an X-E3 launches, with the new sensor.

But mainly I ought to get a better monitor and a photo printer so I can actually do something with what I create.

I have this notion that I'd like to make small books, with hand-made paper and wooden covers, and prints tipped in. Maybe 20 or 30 prints in a book. People only have so and so much wall space ...

[Ray]

Of the small, pocketable cameras, the Sony RX100 seems to be the best bang for the buck & size. You can get a reasonable deal on the II, III & IV.
They were the first with the 1" sensor. And they're still arguably as good as any. But both Canon and Panasonic have released worthy competitors using the same basic sensor. I've had an RX100 and a Canon G7X and preferred the Canon for my purposes. I'd compare based on features and preferences rather than just stating one is "the best". They were definitely the innovators in that segment, no doubt, as they are in sensor development in nearly every format up to full frame. But their cameras often leave a fair amount to be desired...

-Ray

[Ti Designs]

Fast forward to cycling. I love the quality stuff I see here, but struggle with both riding and shooting.


When I leave the house, I know I'm either going to be riding or shooting, I can't really think in terms of doing both. When riding to a location, the bike becomes transportation, a background task to what I'm really doing. If I think of it as riding time, I never stop. It becomes a bike ride with a bag of expensive glass and electronics on my back. I've done this enough times, I now call it scouting locations - that just means the bag never came off my back...

I've been trying to get other photographers/cyclists to give this a try. Much of the resistance comes from photographers who shoot full frame and would need a trailer attached to the bike for their equipment - I have one and I've offered... I have a lot of M43 equipment, and I have a number of prototype bags that are well suited to riding. I've offered to loan equipment out if people want to try it. Perhaps the idea of a bag of someone else's expensive glass and electronics on their backs while riding off road turns people off... Or maybe I'm just 20% more crazy than the next cyclist/photographer - that may be why I was the one hanging under the BU bridge with a lens that costs more than my car...

[.RJ]

Is there any image quality difference between versions? They're all the same sensor yes?

I think some differences. The lens changed at some point, too. I dont know the specifics, I'm all in on the Fuji stuff these days.

[OtayBW]

i also believe that a photo just needs to bring the viewer to the viewpoint of the photographer, as long as the image is reasonably clear, it tells the story it is meant to tell.

all criticism graciously accepted, please tell me - what could have made this photo i took on a ride recently, that i am very much happy with better. either equipment wise, or framing?

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIm-qU76UD8/WLdt9h98_sI/AAAAAAAACug/9jd5QQ_cdFcuzIE9Y2wPTQLcs4YM5ApvQCLcB/s1140/IMG_0170.JPG
I can't really suggest anything on composition or framing, without being there, but I will give you a viewpoint RE: the 'story' as I see it. It suggests to me a condition of inevitable change: the approach of winter, shorter days, cold, damp, gray skies; aging barn, silo mildewed, fence in disrepair, slightly rutted road. The gray and the decay evoke a longing, a clinging to a season gone by and the reflection on beginning another, less hospitable one - metaphorically speaking, of course (emphasis on this...).

Well, I grew up in the 60s, so there's no telling what this all means!

[Ti Designs]

all criticism graciously accepted, please tell me - what could have made this photo i took on a ride recently, that i am very much happy with better. either equipment wise, or framing?

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SIm-qU76UD8/WLdt9h98_sI/AAAAAAAACug/9jd5QQ_cdFcuzIE9Y2wPTQLcs4YM5ApvQCLcB/s1140/IMG_0170.JPG

OK, I'll be the bad guy... This is why I'm so into the technical end of photography. That's not really what you saw. Your eyes have 20 stops of latitude, your camera sensor has 5 or 6. Your eyes look around and gather information before putting together one mental image, the camera gathers the same amount of information per unit of area. While National Geographic would disagree (they have very strict guidelines for image submission), that image needs a little help. I've never looked up and seen a plain white sky. Even a polarizing filter would have brought out more detail there. Aside from that, the contrast level is fine, it has some good leading lines, and as a photography teacher once told me, you never break the rule of thirds unless you do... I would have bracketed this +1/-3 and processed as HDR to bring out detail in the sky, and just a bit more depth in the shadow, or I would have shot the same image 4" apart and processed as a 3D image - I think all the little detail in 3D would really work.