Lots of great new lenses. Although the quality of the predecessors was good, the new generations are even better. But with great quality comes size, weight, and prizes. You should ask yourself if these are the lenses you need.
During my trip to Lofoten in 2022, I had a discussion about camera equipment with one of the participating photographers. He was carrying around a relatively small Fujifilm mirrorless camera, along with a nice set of matching lenses. All fits in a small shoulder bag, easy to carry around.
On the other hand, I have a big and heavy backpack with Canon EOS R5 and three lenses. These are all L lenses, namely EF 100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6L IIthe EF 16-35mm f/2.8L IIIand EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II.
I have to admit, I also had a DJI Mavic Pro 2, Smart Controller and two extra batteries in my briefcase. Together, they all weigh almost 10 kg, considerably more than Fujifilm System of the other guy. The question is: do I need a lens to take with me on this trip or is a smaller and lighter system better for the genre of photography at Lofoten?
A small camera could be the solution
In a way, I feel jealous. Isn’t it great to take pictures with everything in one small bag? The only way to achieve this is with a smaller system like that of Fujifilm APS-C cameras and lenses, or an M43 system like the one from Olympus or Panasonic.
Usually the camera is not the problem. But since an APS-C or M43 camera allows for smaller lenses, choosing such a camera saves a significant amount of weight when it comes to lenses. And really, Olympus photographers who have accompanied me on previous trips often have more lenses or even two cameras while carrying less weight.
Choose the lens that suits you best
A long time ago, I decided to buy a Canon camera. Since that time, I have invested a lot of money in a set of lenses. Can switch to Olympus, Fujifilmor Panasonic. This way, I will save a lot of weight in my travel. But I won’t save much money. That’s why I won’t switch to another brand. But there is another solution.
I have invested in a high quality Canon L lens. Best yes. But for landscape photography, these lenses are not always necessary. It’s true, the lenses produce amazing quality images, but for most landscape photography you won’t need an f/2.8 aperture. For example, if the lens has a maximum aperture of f/5.6, that’s fine. A lot of landscapes are captured with a greater depth of field, requiring an aperture of f/8, f/11, or even smaller, if you’ll tolerate a little diffraction.
Instead of choosing a camera system with a smaller sensor size, I could use a non-L lens for Canon EOS R5. In this way, it is possible to reduce weight and at the same time reduce size. The lenses may not produce the best quality possible on the market today, but even these lenses produce amazing results. It will also save me a lot of money as these lenses are considerably cheaper.
Problems with my photography
Discussion during my trip got me thinking about switching to smaller, cheaper lenses. For landscape photography, these lenses will work perfectly, especially at f/8 and f/11.
But landscapes are not the only photography I do. I also shoot weddings and occasionally take some corporate photos. For that type of photography, I prefer lenses with large apertures, preferably f/2.8 or more. Also, for photographing the night sky, the f/2.8 lens allowed me to capture twice as much light as the f/4 lens.
In other words, it looks like I need (or want) a lens with a large aperture. In most cases, this results in large, expensive, and heavy L lenses. I could choose a second set of lenses for landscape photography, but that would be a waste of money.
But if I decide to go with the second set, it would be wiser for me to choose a different system altogether. A nice Fujifilm Kit would be great, providing a lightweight solution for my travel.
Tips for photographers
While this is probably not the best option for me, I think that many photographers may be wise to take their equipment usage into account when purchasing a new lens or even a new camera. new photo. We want the best quality and spend thousands of dollars, but that may not be the best choice for you.
If you travel a lot and go on photographic tours, it might be wise to skip the big and heavy but near-perfect lenses. Large apertures are often unnecessary, so why invest in such a lens? A smaller, lighter lens may be a better choice. For landscape photography, even an APS-C or M43 camera performs well, sometimes even better than a camera with a large sensor because easily achieve greater depth of field.
Are you one of those photographers in need of the best quality lenses available, or do you choose the best lens for your genre of photography? I would love to find out if you would advise a photographer doing different types of photography to choose a dedicated camera and lens kit for each of those types of photography. Let me know in the comments below.
