I have the opportunity to travel a lot photographing weddings. Sometimes I have some free time when I’m off, sometimes I get to bring my family, and other times I’m solo. One thing is a constant. When I’m not working I do not want to cary my big camera and lens’ around with me. Im a professional photographer so naturally I use a lot of the best gear out there. When I’m traveling around though, or hanging out with my family I want something much smaller. On a recent trip to Hawaii to visit some friends I found myself not even bothering with my big SLR.
There have always been small camera options out there. Even cell phones do a pretty good job now a days. That being said they can’t do what an SLR can. In the past if you wanted your photos to look like they were taken with a big SLR camera, then thats what you had to use. Well over the last couple of years that has really changed.
The fact is for many situations when it comes to picking a camera, bigger is not always better!
Remember that digital cameras now a days are like computers. They only last a few years and are quickly outdated by the advances of technology.
A point and shoot is convenient because of the size and versatility of the attached lens. The fact is though a small point and shoot will never get images with a look or feel like a SLR.
An SLR will achieve great photos in many lighting situations. They are usually the fastest cameras out there, both with shutter speed and autofocus speed. The drawbacks include size, not only of the camera body but the Lens’.
The camera class that bridges the gap between a large SLR and the point and shoot is the Mirorless Camera. Pretty much each of the major camera manufactures have at least one camera in this category. They typically have a bigger censor then a point and shoot, and a compact body.
The Image quality from some of the mirrorless cameras out there are just about as good as an SLR. You would be hard pressed to see the difference looking at the photos from these cameras. I happen to use the Canon EOS M. Its an awesome camera for image quality and size. When I travel this is the once camera that I always have on me. Im not saying its the best mirorless on the market, but for what I use it for its great. If I want to I can use my big Canon lens’ on it, or keep it pocket size with the awesome f2, 22mm ft lens on it.
If you are currently in the market for a camera I highly recommend you look at this segment.
Below are a few images shot from My EOS M while traveling around in Hawaii, Napa, Arizona and Spain recently.
Spain:
Grand Canyon:
Napa Valley: