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I do not get all the fuzz about zoom lenses, I do not like them, I have tried zoom lenses, but for 45 years prime Lenses is what I use for Landscape Photography.
Alright, I really didn't want to post this but put the damn lens hood on the proper way. On top of not looking like a n00b it also protects the lens and thus there is no need to spend money on A UV filter (which really is only useful for shooting film). Besides that, great video
I couldn't agree more when it comes to your gear and travelling light. The most important thing is to be in the right place at the right time. Regretfully, being in my 70's my legs/knees no longer allow long hikes, so I'm limited in opportunities. No regrets, landscapes have been my love for more than 50 years. I'm a New Englander who has travelled extensively throughout the US visiting numerous national parks from coast to coast. I find peace in doing this. It's my happy place. Excellent video.
Mechanical engineer and photographer here. At 27:20, the about 10,000 x better protection of the front element is to use the lens hood correctly. An R5 with the RF 70-200 on it which is falling down only for 30 cm (≈1 ft), the front element facing into fall direction, hitting something edgy, breaks easily through the filter and smashes also your front element. Lens + filter gone 😱. The lens hood mounted correctly - pointing forward - acts like the crumple zone of your car. You might possibly need to replace the lens hood after such a fall, but lens and camera are ok. Besides, that slider window in the lens hood is supposed to operate a C-pol filter, when the lens hood is mounted correctly, pointing into front direction. The backwards position is for storage only. - I have no clue why all of the UA-camr landscape photographers don’t use the lens hood correctly. 🤷♂️ Along getting rid of sun flares, it has an intentional mechanical protection function.
I'll repeat that, for the amount I wipe the front of my lens, I'd much rather it be a filter than the actual lens. Regardless of fall protection benefits. As for the lens hood, I have many reasons. Most of the time it's simply not necessary!
plus if you have a lens hood on, likelyhood of something touching the glass/filter is much lower.. when walking around I dont even put the cap back on if I have the lens hood on (and a filter)
OMG! Finally someone who says what I’ve been saying for years… go to a camera store and pick up a camera. Feel the camera in your hand, try and navigate the menu system and what fits your budget. All of these cameras are great today. Some might be a little better at one thing over the other but it’s all about getting to know your camera. But remember, the best camera is the one you have with you, be it a DSLR, Mirrorless or even your iPhone. Great video!
This video is so needed! I'm glad you did this one Alex. I'm so tired of all these youtubers telling us 20 times in one video what model of camera they use and all that. I have actually geared down to Micro 4/3 and am perfectly happy. It gives me great quality and I'm not breaking my back carrying all that full frame stuff round. I noticed when I flew, that's for sure! The camera doesn't mean much, just have fun and shoot!
You k ow one thing that hit me just this week is that everyone, when comparing apsc to FF always say you can go to FF to be able to get that shallower DOF, be able to blur out the back ground. When i made the switch like 8 years ago i remember thinking wow my photos are not as sharp. Now 8 years later i realize the advantage of going to apsc is you get a deeper DOF and it is easier to get more in focus. It wasn't that my photos were not sharp it was just the difference in DOF, that made my photos overall apperance not sharp. Now Im back to apsc 😂
I watched too many UA-cam influencers and ended up buying several lenses including some wide angle primes. After purchasing 12+ lenses, I realized I just needed two lenses. Now I carry 28-200mm and 150-600mm. I mostly shoot wildlife. Replacing the 150-600mm witth the Sony 200-600mm soon.
Oh my god this was refreshing. And finally I see someone else preaching choosing a camera based on how it feels in your hand, how you like using it, instead of any kind of spec. Thank you!
Excellent video Alex from a photographic and educational viewpoint. Never understood why you don't get more likes/subscribers relative to other photographers I also follow. Keep up the good work and take care.
Great loacations on my backyard ;-)) But you are right in terms of the lens sellection. You have to come often to Jamnik and Sv. Tomaž quite often to get the best of fogs and clouds.
Used cameras are a wonderful way to go! Personally, I'm using what would be considered by a lot of people to be old gear, a D610 (which I bought new 10 years ago) and a D800 which I bought used a year ago (a soon to be 13 year old camera). Both are DSLRs. Both are well over a decade old. Both are still being used actively for astrophotography, landscape, portraiture, and wildlife with lenses ranging from 10 years old up to 55 years old. Although I know a newer DSLR (like the D850) or a mirrorless would give me access to markedly better autofocus capabilities, I don't feel it would give me substantially better performance without also buying the equivalent glass to replace what I have now. Long story short, listen to this man. Very sensible outlook and very sensible advice.
I used a Fujifilm camera for awhile and there's some great Fuji cameras around especially in the APC range and they have a great lens range and they are affordable. I only push Fuji a little bit because the colours suit landscape photography. You don't need to edit your photos much if you do have a little bit more extra money and you want to stay in Fuji have a look at the GFX 50 S or the GFX 50 S mark two. Those two particular cameras are now very affordable and cheaper than a lot of the new frame cameras. You can get a medium format camera now probably in the states for about 1800 bucks that's insane. We're talking medium format for $1800. Are you kidding me? I have a GFX camera I love my medium format but I'm also of the view and I teach photography not on the Internet but face-to-face which is far better in my opinion than UA-cam. I could have a great UA-cam channel but you know what? I'll leave it to you guys like this who are really good Alex's channel is great and I do like his videos okay? The last thing I'll say is get a camera that feels good in your hand and isn't going to be cumbersome to use.
I always buy used cameras from reputable dealers. I’m currently shooting a used Fuji XT-2 and it takes great photos. I use the money I saved buying used towards improving my skills rather than gear and it has paid off tremendously.
What gear suits me, I like this message. Tried many system and solution, micro4/3, aps-c and full frame. Always the lens decide which I take and prefer to use in what conditions. In case of body: the size, no accident button touch or press. Never the sensor size was the main criteria when selecting solution. The real value is the prime or zoom, in my case the wide side. Recently good qiality second hand. Landscape is my fav.
I am a Fujifilm shooter but I started with Canon. I have just updated my lenes for landscapes. I now have Laowa 9mm f2.8, fuji 14mm f2.8, 16-55 f2.8 and 50-140 f2.8. I also use these for people shots indoors so I need them to do both types of photography. I have the 100-400 but I don't tend to take it with me when on a landscape shoot. I use it for seascapes and wildlife. I also have the 1.4x tele convert for the 50-140 and 100-400. The little primes don't take up much room and most of my photos are with my 16-55 at the moment. I need to use the wide lens more. Your video is a good starting point for the new starters but also for us who have been doing this for while. A new sub here.
@mc5869 I like the 14mm view. I have taken some photos in London and was very pleased with the quality of the images. I'm hoping to use it in the Lake District and Scotland in Feb for proper wide shots. I also used it to get the Aurora in Norway, again, which were very nice images.
Great advice especially sensor size and megapixels. good photo shop or others skills add to what your final will look like. THE absolutely best is you don't have to buy NEW. ALL My equipment from camera, lens, filter, tripod/head, backpack are all used. Next if you don't follow or like a specific photographer take a look at your work and see what focal lengths you use.
Beautiful images Alex. I agree with you on equipment selection. I used to be a land surveyor. The Moto was that a good surveyor doesn't blame his equipment.
Thank you for your insightful information regarding the many aspects of landscape photograph. Great video, simple and concise and to the point. Keep it going.
Could not be said any better. I only bring a 24-105, and a 100-400. Two lenses that cover basically any focal length I want. I don’t have money for an ultrawide but I haven’t had one in my entire 5 years of photography. I’ll change that one day but having minimal gear is really nice.
A way to simplify filters is to buy all the filters to match your largest diameter lens and then buy a step down adapter for the lenses with a smaller diameter.
So, my one and done lens is my 24-120mm f/4 Nikon. It's always on my Z5 for most everything including video. Turns out I wasn't done. I bought the awesome Viltrox 16mm f1.8 for landscape and night sky photography. Still not done. I also bought the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 APS-c lens, which on my full frame Z5 in DX mode gives me 40.5mm, for my normal and low light lens, though I only get 10 megapixels in crop mode. And finally there's my AF-S 80-400mm G ED with 1.4 teleconverter and FTZ adapter for wildlife. I hope I'm done...
Agree that less is more! Your combination of a super wide angel-zoom with moderate tele zoom is probably the most versatile combo you can bring along into the landscape. Therefore the RF 70-200 F4 L will probably be the next glass I will purchase. (I already have the RF 14-35 F4 L). If I will go very light onto a hike in our Swiss mountains I reduce my gear to just one lens: The RF 24-105 F4 L - you can do so much with just this one! But of course 14-35 + 70-200 gives you more opportunities.
Excellent video! A good camera will still be a good camera even after "6 seconds". The immense death of "old" technology is driven by the media and influencers. But as long as people tend to have too much money to spend the gear fixation will continue...
@@AlexArmitage Didn't you buy an X100VI for her to shoot with, or was that just a loaner for review? I you do have it, it would be interesting to see what catches her non landscape photographer's eye. Perhaps a shootout between Sophia and Amanda with her Hasselblad? 🙂
Travel grabs shot is my main need. I like my RP + RF 24-240 combined with my R50 (with skin) + RF100-400. Can use the lenses on both. Same battery so only need one spare and one charger (I swapped to a USB charger to reduce weight.) About total of 4-5 kg with flash, etc. Snoop bag on waist strap and my hip far better than old camera bag slung over the shoulder. Small back pack for the rest. Regardless, yes your choice should be based on your needs and preferences. If the shop owner or any reviewer is product flogging ('best thing since sliced bread' pitch), drop em. Explain your objectives and get them to match features etc to them.
Re: prime vs zoom, the standard kit lens is a zoom lens for a reason. They give you a nice versatility and a way to get an idea of what you're looking to shoot. Primes are fantastic if you know you need it.
The vast majority of my photos are with a 24-105 f4 I got for a mere 200 bucks. Second most used is a 40mm 2.8, a true normal super sharp prime. Also have a 150-600 for wildlife.. that's it. I upgraded to a 35mm f1.8 for the stabilizer for very low light handheld. Basically anything else would be excessive, you can't carry that many, nor do you want to, and only one fits on the camera at a time. Primes aren't worthless, but dont worry about huge aperture and just get a sharp one - image stabilizers are far more important for handheld lanscape. I like having at least a prime normal for an "as the eye sees it" lens that's a bit brighter. Not huge on ultra wide and so-so on super telephoto.
Great video, very interesting. My 2 year old R6 has only a marginal IQ bump over my 15 year old 7D. The main difference as a birder is the IBIS allowing me to handhold my 500/4 ( for an hour or so ) which I couldn’t keep still before. Of the rest of my gear there are only a few standout pieces ( and I have a large kit of tripods, bags, lens, bodies, filters etc ). As a birder, when I got my £40 monopod to use with my Canon Mk1 100-400 lens, the meagre 2 stops of Image Stabilisation was greatly improved with the extra support, still with the almost complete flexibility of handholding. As a landscaper ( a very average landscaper ) my standout kit is my K&F geared head, which I’ve only had since Sept 24. I had a great quality ball head, but got fed up trying to micro adjust in 3 different planes. After watching some other photographer on UA-cam I took the plunge and am so glad I did. I’m using EF lens exclusively, the Canon RF lens are very very expensive for a hobby shooter like me. An exceptional wildlife photographer who posts on here switched from Sony to Olympus, I was staggered by his choice but he posted videos detailing his reasons ( with images ) and his opinion was hard to fault. I think we’re at the point where there’s no wrong choices anymore, and until a manufacturer invents the next ‘big thing’ any company will suffice.
@@wanderingminivan I never tried to make large scale prints, but I have used my set up for copying engineering drawings (E-size) which requires sharp lines into the corners, and for copying artwork which requires fine detail in brush strokes. Also used for copying 35 mm transparencies which requires sharp (film grain) resolution.
I also find (like me) a lot of us get sucked into ‘having all the gear’ and then realizing down the road we don’t want to ‘carry’ it all around and not actually need it. Most days I need my camera, lens (Z 24-120 f4), tripod, CPL…and that’s it. Great video. 📸😎
Thanks for the quick shout out, Alex! Glad you like the Quiver Tree images and some great healthy advice for anyone suffering from a bought of G.A.S. this November. Cheers, Murray
28:46 Talking about bags. Inserts is a interesting solution I will look into. No camera bag will suit me, as I need a mountain biking backpack, but as I needed lots of room I went for Evoc Explorer 30L Pro, as I needed the features it has, including tool compartment for tools and small spare parts, bike lock, helmet holder.... But to keep my camera and lens safe I put it in the mail compartment with elbow pads around it and a back protector plate on. Evoc has photography backpacks too, but none that are both photography and mountain biking backpack in one. That's despite them being most known for mountain biking backpacks.
I still use Canon 7D and Canon 5D Mark ll, I photographed Bled with 7D and I am satisfied with the photos, of course, I am not a professional. Great video, thanks!
I'm about to buy my first own camera next weekend. It's a used Canon EOS 80D and I can't wait until I own it, as long it's not broken or something else. I chose the 80D because it's not THAT old, should be equippet decent enough for an "advanced" hobby photographer. I shoot pics for 5 years or so until 2017 with a really old Canon EOS 1000D I borrowed the whole time from my uncle. And I took pretty decent pictures with that camera. But not, when starting again 7 years later, I want an upgrade. I was always looking for the Canon EOS 90D, but it's just too expensive and not worth it just for 120 FPS. First I just wanted to go with a Canon EOS 60D, wich my uncle had too until last year, but the video capabilities aren't enought for what I'm looking for. So I think the 80D will be a great camera for the price (300€, I'm from germany), and because I still own my old Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II I got back then from my uncle. I so happy to get into photography again, I'm binging photography and videography videos the last 2 days xD Do u think the 80D is a good idea?
Hi Alex, oh yes, I absolutely agree: we are using so many quite expensive pieces of gear in our videos and that definitely conveys the wrong message. I think, Ansel Adams brought it to the point: It's not all about the camera, it's all about the 12 inches behind 😊 Thank you for the video and nice greetings, Christian
Camera tech seems to have flattened out around 2016-2019. Everything seems to be incremental improvement. I buy used lens all the time ( E mount ) and some are quite old. They still are sharp and work well.
I agree with everything said about cameras and landscape photography... but, some people try to extrapolate that to other genres where things work different. As a birds photographer I can tell you recent improvements on AF technology make getting the image easier, more predictable and more consistently; buffer size, frame rate and sensor size are important as well, not for image quality but for getting the shot as you want, so, if someone read this, please consider Alex is talking about landscape photography.
The biggest advantage of the latest cameras is for post processing; the light gathering capabilities of most digital cameras since at least 2008 have been perfectly capable. I tried a Nikon D80 from 2006 for studio headshots and portraits recently and the images were quite nice. I’ve no doubt that landscapes would be fine as well on it. For landscapes it’s about being at the right place at the right time and pointing the lens at interesting things.
Very true. Saw a video just recently of Martin using a 5D mk II for landcapes just the other day. Some older cameras but mostly canon apparently has slightly better color accuracy under odd lighting conditions vecause their color filters matched the eye closer before they prioritized lowlight moreso. Its not a massive difference but a little, anyway. Its where the canon color science thing came from, plus they do perform just splendidly when you dont go extreme with the iso. I have a 5D original from 2005 and ive even stick my wildlife lens on it for fun and got some good shots of birds perched.
@alexarmitage, Until I saw your video I couldn't shake the fear that my landscape photography efforts would always be limited because I only have a crop sensor camera. Thank you for quashing this concern. I really appreciate it.
My primary camera is a Lumix G9 II. The lens I use the most is the Leica 100-400. For landscape I use an old Canon 5D II and the 17-40 or an Nikon D700 with some old nikon glass.
Agree. For things like burd-in-flight its different. But landscape does not require anything special for focusing or aperture. You could argue rez etc. But I agree, a phone works well and so too a FF dslr with some quality older lenses. Great time to be in Canon land with going over to mirrorless but having full compatibility with dslr still. But any quality brand will be fine. I got the R7 over a year ago for the birds mainly, but I like what I get on the occasional landscape image so I bought an old EF-S 10-22 and a Metabones 0.71x speedbooster to make it a wannabeFF . Love it. But one day I will get an R6ii or R5…. Because I want to, not need to
I bought my wife a Panasonic FZ 200 Bridge camera used for $250.00. It has a 25-600 Leica zoom lens that goes all the way to 600mm at f-2.8 and it takes such good pictures it has me questioning if my Nikon DSLR is that much better. With this Panasonic camera you can take anything from macro to 600mm zoom and never change lens and it weighs about half of what my Nikon with a 28-105 zoom attached. I am now thinking of buying one for myself and just focus on getting out and taking pics.
I shoot with m 4/3 most of the time and have a Sony 74 for some shooting. I have been shooting m4/3 since 2013 and the Sony is for video The only difference really is m4/3 needs more light. So a slower shutter or higher ISO. That’s it. I can remove missing LR or photo Ai and if I crop make it bigger. Most of the time I don’t bother with a wide angle lens. I use my iPhone. I did the math and 1 out of every 3 photos I sell was shot on the iPhone.
I have 40 lenses, at least 14 cameras, and a very wide assortment of accessories. But if I was to start over again I would likely only do Landscape Photography and I would only use my Smartphone. Many of my best photos are taken with my phone because it is the camera I always have with me when I see something good to photo. And I do have some really great smartphone photos. P.S. I regularly shoot with a Canon R7 with my much lived Tamron 18-400mm. It is a great kit for when I have no idea of what to expect. By adding a Nikon 250D Close-up lens I can shoot anything from wide-angle scenics to Telephoto wildlife to Macro.
My 6D keeps kicking.. despite 150k on the shutter and a broken screen. My original 5D also works flawlessly still.. I also have a nikon D1 from 1999.. 2.7mp. It's not so great sunce it's in NTSC color space and no RAW files. Its a dinosoar camera, though.
Loved your video! However, you threw me when you said the sensor size effects the depth of field. I'm trouble wrapping my head around that concept. Is there a brief explanation of that?
@@AlexArmitage Thanks for reply! I thought I understood why the aperture size effected the depth of field, but the sensor size wasn't in my equation. The truth is in the pudding, as your link clearly demonstrates. Thanks for setting me on yet another quest, to find out the reason for the sensor size having this effect. This makes Ansel Adams work with his large format camera even more impressive.
Good advice. The problem I have is along with normal landscapes, I shoot IR and cityscapes. For cityscapes, I use a tilt-shift most of the time. For IR, my zoom lenses are terrible and I find primes offer the best quality with no hot spots. Basically, I have to bring a lot of gear on all my vacations.
Good stuff! I share your sentiments about tripods (I've shot with Pentax DSLRs for ages and thus got used to shooting with SR...or IBIS... or whatever it is called on other brands).
Great video Alex and I see where this would be a goto video for those starting out in landscape photography and not get bogged down in G.A.S. One thing, from what I can tell you don't seem to be a fan of lens hoods although you have them on your lenses like the 70-200 anyway. True?
The body goes for only about $400 these days. The lens is twice that, but it’s very sharp throughout the focal lengths. Both are weather sealed. I own a Canon R6 and various EF/RF lenses, but I find myself grabbing the Oly combination more and more for out-and-about shooting. The Canon gear I reserve for low light and times when I want the best possible IQ.
For me landscape photography is still mostly just for the hike and the experience. Getting a good photo out of the trip is still cool but not my main priority
I decided to return to photography after many years, I used fuji and sony before so this time I managed to get a store display A7rii for $800 with only 4k shutter counts!
I have a Canon 6D MK II for 5 years now. Still delivers. What did you have before the R5 that justified moving to the R5? You should also stop wasting money on gear 😉
Kinda agree. Tripod depends on if you wanna go buts wirh F stop or not. Though with focus stacking in camera, and lenses so sharp on 50mp cameras that lose resolution starting at f8 from diffraction.. sorta complicated. I prefer a little bit of depth of field, the eye has some.
@veivoli Remove it and put it back. He seems to be shooting towards the Sun very often and the hood makes a big difference. If it's never used the just take it off. It looks silly to always leave it on backwards.
As a very casual...well, I won't call myself a photographer...a snapshotist maybe, I just take a Canon SX50HS with me. (And a phone of course.) I don't throw out huge prints or anything, I just post on social media, so spending hundreds or more on cameras & lenses doesn't make sense for me For landscapy stuff I use the exposure bracketing feature on the camera that takes three different exposures and combines them in camera. I bike or hike and if I see a shot I like I put it on a light tripod, prop it against a tree, or sit it on a rock to steady it, and have gotten some nice shots. Like I said, if it's just going to FB, Inta or Flickr, where most people consume their images on phones or tablets or laptops, they look good enough. Takes pretty decent video too.
amazingly helpful video, and phenomenal photos ! im new to photography and I was deciding between the canon r50 or the r10, but after checking out your article, would you suggest the nikon z50 ii over both of those? i would love to hear your opinion because picking one is a struggle 😭😭
Hi Alex, my first message to you. This video contains some of the most ingenious ideas and points I’ve seen in a long time (a short statement: - Camera this or lens that? *You don’t need it* - and then elaborate on it). But instead of focusing on it, you succumbed to the challenges of publishing more, combining more material, talk about different things and thus dissolving the power of your core message. I stayed with your video the whole length, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that the planning could have been better - you’ve mixed up too many things. Keep it shorter, make more shorter videos on separate subjects each. Or longer, but stick to your main thing.
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100% agree
I do not get all the fuzz about zoom lenses, I do not like them, I have tried zoom lenses, but for 45 years prime Lenses is what I use for Landscape Photography.
@@cameraprepper7938 The beauty is, we can all shoot the way we enjoy!
Alright, I really didn't want to post this but put the damn lens hood on the proper way. On top of not looking like a n00b it also protects the lens and thus there is no need to spend money on A UV filter (which really is only useful for shooting film).
Besides that, great video
@@christianholmstedt8770 Ah yes, but how do you adjust the CPL with the hood on?
I couldn't agree more when it comes to your gear and travelling light. The most important thing is to be in the right place at the right time. Regretfully, being in my 70's my legs/knees no longer allow long hikes, so I'm limited in opportunities. No regrets, landscapes have been my love for more than 50 years. I'm a New Englander who has travelled extensively throughout the US visiting numerous national parks from coast to coast. I find peace in doing this. It's my happy place. Excellent video.
Mechanical engineer and photographer here. At 27:20, the about 10,000 x better protection of the front element is to use the lens hood correctly. An R5 with the RF 70-200 on it which is falling down only for 30 cm (≈1 ft), the front element facing into fall direction, hitting something edgy, breaks easily through the filter and smashes also your front element. Lens + filter gone 😱. The lens hood mounted correctly - pointing forward - acts like the crumple zone of your car. You might possibly need to replace the lens hood after such a fall, but lens and camera are ok. Besides, that slider window in the lens hood is supposed to operate a C-pol filter, when the lens hood is mounted correctly, pointing into front direction. The backwards position is for storage only. - I have no clue why all of the UA-camr landscape photographers don’t use the lens hood correctly. 🤷♂️ Along getting rid of sun flares, it has an intentional mechanical protection function.
I'll repeat that, for the amount I wipe the front of my lens, I'd much rather it be a filter than the actual lens. Regardless of fall protection benefits.
As for the lens hood, I have many reasons. Most of the time it's simply not necessary!
We don't have the habit of dropping few kg of gear
Easy answer, grad filters.
Great comment and I fast forwarded to see it - stopped watching at that point.
plus if you have a lens hood on, likelyhood of something touching the glass/filter is much lower.. when walking around I dont even put the cap back on if I have the lens hood on (and a filter)
OMG! Finally someone who says what I’ve been saying for years… go to a camera store and pick up a camera. Feel the camera in your hand, try and navigate the menu system and what fits your budget. All of these cameras are great today. Some might be a little better at one thing over the other but it’s all about getting to know your camera. But remember, the best camera is the one you have with you, be it a DSLR, Mirrorless or even your iPhone. Great video!
Couldn't agree more!
this is absolutely wrong .. everybody knows, that the most nice and handsome photographers use nikon :P
@ Ha… well I guess that’s why I have 4 Nikons.
Iphone is too limited, even a canon 20d is better with some good glasses
You’re an excellent photographer and a practical, intelligent, and well-spoken man. I already trust your advice more than 85% of Photography UA-cam.
This video is so needed! I'm glad you did this one Alex. I'm so tired of all these youtubers telling us 20 times in one video what model of camera they use and all that. I have actually geared down to Micro 4/3 and am perfectly happy. It gives me great quality and I'm not breaking my back carrying all that full frame stuff round. I noticed when I flew, that's for sure! The camera doesn't mean much, just have fun and shoot!
thanks Ron
ABSOLUTELY AGREE - Stop Wasting Money on Landscape Photography! Grab used D850, 24-70 and never look back.
You k ow one thing that hit me just this week is that everyone, when comparing apsc to FF always say you can go to FF to be able to get that shallower DOF, be able to blur out the back ground. When i made the switch like 8 years ago i remember thinking wow my photos are not as sharp. Now 8 years later i realize the advantage of going to apsc is you get a deeper DOF and it is easier to get more in focus. It wasn't that my photos were not sharp it was just the difference in DOF, that made my photos overall apperance not sharp. Now Im back to apsc 😂
I watched too many UA-cam influencers and ended up buying several lenses including some wide angle primes. After purchasing 12+ lenses, I realized I just needed two lenses. Now I carry 28-200mm and 150-600mm. I mostly shoot wildlife. Replacing the 150-600mm witth the Sony 200-600mm soon.
Oh my god this was refreshing. And finally I see someone else preaching choosing a camera based on how it feels in your hand, how you like using it, instead of any kind of spec. Thank you!
Excellent video Alex from a photographic and educational viewpoint. Never understood why you don't get more likes/subscribers relative to other photographers I also follow. Keep up the good work and take care.
Thanks Jeff!
Great loacations on my backyard ;-)) But you are right in terms of the lens sellection. You have to come often to Jamnik and Sv. Tomaž quite often to get the best of fogs and clouds.
Used cameras are a wonderful way to go! Personally, I'm using what would be considered by a lot of people to be old gear, a D610 (which I bought new 10 years ago) and a D800 which I bought used a year ago (a soon to be 13 year old camera). Both are DSLRs. Both are well over a decade old. Both are still being used actively for astrophotography, landscape, portraiture, and wildlife with lenses ranging from 10 years old up to 55 years old. Although I know a newer DSLR (like the D850) or a mirrorless would give me access to markedly better autofocus capabilities, I don't feel it would give me substantially better performance without also buying the equivalent glass to replace what I have now. Long story short, listen to this man. Very sensible outlook and very sensible advice.
Advice I wish I'd had, before spending a lot of money on stuff I don't use. Great video, Alex!
Thanks Kenny
Wow! A great Alex adventure, lots of great images, and chock-a-bloc full of great advice. Thanks for this
Thanks!
Wow thank you!
A terrific video for newbie photographers that will save them a small fortune and let them focus on what is most important -- paying for trips!!!
Nice to see Sophia back. Agree with almost all you're saying, except for UV filters, and tripods. Specially for landscape photography.
With such an intelligent cute wife, he doesn’t need ANY gear
I used a Fujifilm camera for awhile and there's some great Fuji cameras around especially in the APC range and they have a great lens range and they are affordable. I only push Fuji a little bit because the colours suit landscape photography. You don't need to edit your photos much if you do have a little bit more extra money and you want to stay in Fuji have a look at the GFX 50 S or the GFX 50 S mark two. Those two particular cameras are now very affordable and cheaper than a lot of the new frame cameras. You can get a medium format camera now probably in the states for about 1800 bucks that's insane. We're talking medium format for $1800. Are you kidding me? I have a GFX camera I love my medium format but I'm also of the view and I teach photography not on the Internet but face-to-face which is far better in my opinion than UA-cam. I could have a great UA-cam channel but you know what? I'll leave it to you guys like this who are really good Alex's channel is great and I do like his videos okay? The last thing I'll say is get a camera that feels good in your hand and isn't going to be cumbersome to use.
So I continue save up, good video thanks
Another great video, Alex, all sound advice and, once you had found some light, great shots.
I always buy used cameras from reputable dealers. I’m currently shooting a used Fuji XT-2 and it takes great photos. I use the money I saved buying used towards improving my skills rather than gear and it has paid off tremendously.
Awesome video Alex, great topic today.
Thanks Mike
What gear suits me, I like this message. Tried many system and solution, micro4/3, aps-c and full frame. Always the lens decide which I take and prefer to use in what conditions. In case of body: the size, no accident button touch or press. Never the sensor size was the main criteria when selecting solution. The real value is the prime or zoom, in my case the wide side. Recently good qiality second hand. Landscape is my fav.
Great video Alex. Love the photos by the way!
thanks CB!
I am a Fujifilm shooter but I started with Canon. I have just updated my lenes for landscapes. I now have Laowa 9mm f2.8, fuji 14mm f2.8, 16-55 f2.8 and 50-140 f2.8. I also use these for people shots indoors so I need them to do both types of photography. I have the 100-400 but I don't tend to take it with me when on a landscape shoot. I use it for seascapes and wildlife. I also have the 1.4x tele convert for the 50-140 and 100-400. The little primes don't take up much room and most of my photos are with my 16-55 at the moment. I need to use the wide lens more. Your video is a good starting point for the new starters but also for us who have been doing this for while. A new sub here.
What's your opinion of the 14mm f/2.8 ?
@mc5869 I like the 14mm view. I have taken some photos in London and was very pleased with the quality of the images. I'm hoping to use it in the Lake District and Scotland in Feb for proper wide shots. I also used it to get the Aurora in Norway, again, which were very nice images.
10000% agree! Enjoying the physicality of your camera is essential
Great advice especially sensor size and megapixels. good photo shop or others skills add to what your final will look like.
THE absolutely best is you don't have to buy NEW. ALL My equipment from camera, lens, filter, tripod/head, backpack are all used.
Next if you don't follow or like a specific photographer take a look at your work and see what focal lengths you use.
Beautiful images Alex. I agree with you on equipment selection. I used to be a land surveyor. The Moto was that a good surveyor doesn't blame his equipment.
For vacation I use a 10-24 f4 Fuji and 35 f2
Thinking of a 70-300
Slovenia is beautiful, I was there around 20 years ago...
Thank you for your insightful information regarding the many aspects of landscape photograph. Great video, simple and concise and to the point. Keep it going.
Great perspective. Enjoyed the video and the information was spot on.
Could not be said any better.
I only bring a 24-105, and a 100-400. Two lenses that cover basically any focal length I want. I don’t have money for an ultrawide but I haven’t had one in my entire 5 years of photography.
I’ll change that one day but having minimal gear is really nice.
Agreed!
A way to simplify filters is to buy all the filters to match your largest diameter lens and then buy a step down adapter for the lenses with a smaller diameter.
So, my one and done lens is my 24-120mm f/4 Nikon. It's always on my Z5 for most everything including video. Turns out I wasn't done. I bought the awesome Viltrox 16mm f1.8 for landscape and night sky photography. Still not done. I also bought the Viltrox 27mm f/1.2 APS-c lens, which on my full frame Z5 in DX mode gives me 40.5mm, for my normal and low light lens, though I only get 10 megapixels in crop mode. And finally there's my AF-S 80-400mm G ED with 1.4 teleconverter and FTZ adapter for wildlife. I hope I'm done...
Agree that less is more! Your combination of a super wide angel-zoom with moderate tele zoom is probably the most versatile combo you can bring along into the landscape. Therefore the RF 70-200 F4 L will probably be the next glass I will purchase. (I already have the RF 14-35 F4 L). If I will go very light onto a hike in our Swiss mountains I reduce my gear to just one lens: The RF 24-105 F4 L - you can do so much with just this one! But of course 14-35 + 70-200 gives you more opportunities.
Excellent advice! Thanks for taking me along!
Excellent video! A good camera will still be a good camera even after "6 seconds". The immense death of "old" technology is driven by the media and influencers. But as long as people tend to have too much money to spend the gear fixation will continue...
Simply Brillant! Have an incredible adventure, can't wait to see what's next.
More to come! Hopefully more Sophia too
@@AlexArmitage Didn't you buy an X100VI for her to shoot with, or was that just a loaner for review? I you do have it, it would be interesting to see what catches her non landscape photographer's eye. Perhaps a shootout between Sophia and Amanda with her Hasselblad? 🙂
I loved your work in Napoleon Dynamite
Awesome video and great photos!
Travel grabs shot is my main need. I like my RP + RF 24-240 combined with my R50 (with skin) + RF100-400. Can use the lenses on both. Same battery so only need one spare and one charger (I swapped to a USB charger to reduce weight.) About total of 4-5 kg with flash, etc. Snoop bag on waist strap and my hip far better than old camera bag slung over the shoulder. Small back pack for the rest.
Regardless, yes your choice should be based on your needs and preferences. If the shop owner or any reviewer is product flogging ('best thing since sliced bread' pitch), drop em. Explain your objectives and get them to match features etc to them.
Lake bled was one of my favorite places to photograph but that was in the summer not winter. Also the food was the best too.
Re: prime vs zoom, the standard kit lens is a zoom lens for a reason. They give you a nice versatility and a way to get an idea of what you're looking to shoot. Primes are fantastic if you know you need it.
The vast majority of my photos are with a 24-105 f4 I got for a mere 200 bucks. Second most used is a 40mm 2.8, a true normal super sharp prime. Also have a 150-600 for wildlife.. that's it. I upgraded to a 35mm f1.8 for the stabilizer for very low light handheld. Basically anything else would be excessive, you can't carry that many, nor do you want to, and only one fits on the camera at a time. Primes aren't worthless, but dont worry about huge aperture and just get a sharp one - image stabilizers are far more important for handheld lanscape. I like having at least a prime normal for an "as the eye sees it" lens that's a bit brighter. Not huge on ultra wide and so-so on super telephoto.
Great video, very interesting.
My 2 year old R6 has only a marginal IQ bump over my 15 year old 7D. The main difference as a birder is the IBIS allowing me to handhold my 500/4 ( for an hour or so ) which I couldn’t keep still before.
Of the rest of my gear there are only a few standout pieces ( and I have a large kit of tripods, bags, lens, bodies, filters etc ). As a birder, when I got my £40 monopod to use with my Canon Mk1 100-400 lens, the meagre 2 stops of Image Stabilisation was greatly improved with the extra support, still with the almost complete flexibility of handholding.
As a landscaper ( a very average landscaper ) my standout kit is my K&F geared head, which I’ve only had since Sept 24. I had a great quality ball head, but got fed up trying to micro adjust in 3 different planes. After watching some other photographer on UA-cam I took the plunge and am so glad I did.
I’m using EF lens exclusively, the Canon RF lens are very very expensive for a hobby shooter like me.
An exceptional wildlife photographer who posts on here switched from Sony to Olympus, I was staggered by his choice but he posted videos detailing his reasons ( with images ) and his opinion was hard to fault. I think we’re at the point where there’s no wrong choices anymore, and until a manufacturer invents the next ‘big thing’ any company will suffice.
A normal and a wide prime, a tiny but modern ASPC 24mp body - and I’m good to go. Light and cheap too.
Can you print your picture with that camera as a large wall hanging?
@@wanderingminivan I never tried to make large scale prints, but I have used my set up for copying engineering drawings (E-size) which requires sharp lines into the corners, and for copying artwork which requires fine detail in brush strokes. Also used for copying 35 mm transparencies which requires sharp (film grain) resolution.
XT4 is great choice.
I also find (like me) a lot of us get sucked into ‘having all the gear’ and then realizing down the road we don’t want to ‘carry’ it all around and not actually need it. Most days I need my camera, lens (Z 24-120 f4), tripod, CPL…and that’s it. Great video. 📸😎
You can take almost everything with that lens!
@ indeed, it hardly leaves my camera. 📸😎
Thanks for the quick shout out, Alex! Glad you like the Quiver Tree images and some great healthy advice for anyone suffering from a bought of G.A.S. this November. Cheers, Murray
Thanks for the pic!
28:46 Talking about bags. Inserts is a interesting solution I will look into.
No camera bag will suit me, as I need a mountain biking backpack, but as I needed lots of room I went for Evoc Explorer 30L Pro, as I needed the features it has, including tool compartment for tools and small spare parts, bike lock, helmet holder....
But to keep my camera and lens safe I put it in the mail compartment with elbow pads around it and a back protector plate on.
Evoc has photography backpacks too, but none that are both photography and mountain biking backpack in one. That's despite them being most known for mountain biking backpacks.
Try an insert! Hiking bags are the best.
I still use Canon 7D and Canon 5D Mark ll, I photographed Bled with 7D and I am satisfied with the photos, of course, I am not a professional. Great video, thanks!
Hey. I couldn't even photograph bled :)
@AlexArmitage - Yes, I saw it 😄 I sent you a couple of my photos, so if you think they're good enough, say they're yours 👍😂
This photography is stunning! Thank you for this insight 👍
You're welcome! Thanks for watching. 😊
good info. thanks
I'm about to buy my first own camera next weekend. It's a used Canon EOS 80D and I can't wait until I own it, as long it's not broken or something else.
I chose the 80D because it's not THAT old, should be equippet decent enough for an "advanced" hobby photographer. I shoot pics for 5 years or so until 2017 with a really old Canon EOS 1000D I borrowed the whole time from my uncle. And I took pretty decent pictures with that camera. But not, when starting again 7 years later, I want an upgrade. I was always looking for the Canon EOS 90D, but it's just too expensive and not worth it just for 120 FPS. First I just wanted to go with a Canon EOS 60D, wich my uncle had too until last year, but the video capabilities aren't enought for what I'm looking for. So I think the 80D will be a great camera for the price (300€, I'm from germany), and because I still own my old Canon EF 50mm 1.8 II I got back then from my uncle. I so happy to get into photography again, I'm binging photography and videography videos the last 2 days xD
Do u think the 80D is a good idea?
Nice!!!
Hi Alex, oh yes, I absolutely agree: we are using so many quite expensive pieces of gear in our videos and that definitely conveys the wrong message. I think, Ansel Adams brought it to the point: It's not all about the camera, it's all about the 12 inches behind 😊
Thank you for the video and nice greetings,
Christian
Thanks so much Christian!
Hey Alex, it's awesome that you visited Europe! Is Poland on your trip plan? Thanks for another great episode!
Not this time around!
Camera tech seems to have flattened out around 2016-2019. Everything seems to be incremental improvement. I buy used lens all the time ( E mount ) and some are quite old. They still are sharp and work well.
Bought Nikon Coolpix p510 $280 Amazon
Great photos
42x optical zoom 24-1000 rated
@jameschetwynd You need to be careful! You do realise that the P1000 is the flat-earthers' camera of choice? You're just over half way there! 🙂📷🌏
Nice piece. Thank you!
Thanks for listening
You got my sub and thumbs up! Excellent video!! Made me question myself on gear. Thank you!
Thanks, I’m glad it helped!
I agree with everything said about cameras and landscape photography... but, some people try to extrapolate that to other genres where things work different. As a birds photographer I can tell you recent improvements on AF technology make getting the image easier, more predictable and more consistently; buffer size, frame rate and sensor size are important as well, not for image quality but for getting the shot as you want, so, if someone read this, please consider Alex is talking about landscape photography.
The biggest advantage of the latest cameras is for post processing; the light gathering capabilities of most digital cameras since at least 2008 have been perfectly capable. I tried a Nikon D80 from 2006 for studio headshots and portraits recently and the images were quite nice. I’ve no doubt that landscapes would be fine as well on it.
For landscapes it’s about being at the right place at the right time and pointing the lens at interesting things.
More time shooting, less time buying :)
Very true. Saw a video just recently of Martin using a 5D mk II for landcapes just the other day. Some older cameras but mostly canon apparently has slightly better color accuracy under odd lighting conditions vecause their color filters matched the eye closer before they prioritized lowlight moreso. Its not a massive difference but a little, anyway. Its where the canon color science thing came from, plus they do perform just splendidly when you dont go extreme with the iso. I have a 5D original from 2005 and ive even stick my wildlife lens on it for fun and got some good shots of birds perched.
Thanks for telling the truth!
lol 7:04 'I can be your foreground!'
I think you forgot Sony bought the Minolta camera division and made some great A mount cameras! Nice video !
@alexarmitage, Until I saw your video I couldn't shake the fear that my landscape photography efforts would always be limited because I only have a crop sensor camera. Thank you for quashing this concern. I really appreciate it.
Glad to help!
My primary camera is a Lumix G9 II. The lens I use the most is the Leica 100-400. For landscape I use an old Canon 5D II and the 17-40 or an Nikon D700 with some old nikon glass.
And if you like to move on to mirrorless a second hand s5 for a few 100 euro’s is bang for the Buck on landscaping 😉
Agree. For things like burd-in-flight its different. But landscape does not require anything special for focusing or aperture. You could argue rez etc. But I agree, a phone works well and so too a FF dslr with some quality older lenses. Great time to be in Canon land with going over to mirrorless but having full compatibility with dslr still. But any quality brand will be fine. I got the R7 over a year ago for the birds mainly, but I like what I get on the occasional landscape image so I bought an old EF-S 10-22 and a Metabones 0.71x speedbooster to make it a wannabeFF . Love it. But one day I will get an R6ii or R5…. Because I want to, not need to
I bought my wife a Panasonic FZ 200 Bridge camera used for $250.00. It has a 25-600 Leica zoom lens that goes all the way to 600mm at f-2.8 and it takes such good pictures it has me questioning if my Nikon DSLR is that much better. With this Panasonic camera you can take anything from macro to 600mm zoom and never change lens and it weighs about half of what my Nikon with a 28-105 zoom attached. I am now thinking of buying one for myself and just focus on getting out and taking pics.
I shoot with m 4/3 most of the time and have a Sony 74 for some shooting. I have been shooting m4/3 since 2013 and the Sony is for video
The only difference really is m4/3 needs more light. So a slower shutter or higher ISO. That’s it.
I can remove missing LR or photo Ai and if I crop make it bigger.
Most of the time I don’t bother with a wide angle lens. I use my iPhone.
I did the math and 1 out of every 3 photos I sell was shot on the iPhone.
I have 40 lenses, at least 14 cameras, and a very wide assortment of accessories. But if I was to start over again I would likely only do Landscape Photography and I would only use my Smartphone. Many of my best photos are taken with my phone because it is the camera I always have with me when I see something good to photo. And I do have some really great smartphone photos.
P.S. I regularly shoot with a Canon R7 with my much lived Tamron 18-400mm. It is a great kit for when I have no idea of what to expect. By adding a Nikon 250D Close-up lens I can shoot anything from wide-angle scenics to Telephoto wildlife to Macro.
Great video. I just bought a new camera body but my old was 5 years old and a bit tired 👍🙂
Gotta let it nap every once in awhile
@AlexArmitage 🙂
My 6D keeps kicking.. despite 150k on the shutter and a broken screen. My original 5D also works flawlessly still.. I also have a nikon D1 from 1999.. 2.7mp. It's not so great sunce it's in NTSC color space and no RAW files. Its a dinosoar camera, though.
@@mikafoxx2717 A dino that soars would be pterodactyl, eh? 🤓📷
Loved your video! However, you threw me when you said the sensor size effects the depth of field. I'm trouble wrapping my head around that concept. Is there a brief explanation of that?
ua-cam.com/video/DnbIi6kNw3A/v-deo.html
@@AlexArmitage Thanks for reply! I thought I understood why the aperture size effected the depth of field, but the sensor size wasn't in my equation. The truth is in the pudding, as your link clearly demonstrates. Thanks for setting me on yet another quest, to find out the reason for the sensor size having this effect.
This makes Ansel Adams work with his large format camera even more impressive.
Good advice. The problem I have is along with normal landscapes, I shoot IR and cityscapes. For cityscapes, I use a tilt-shift most of the time. For IR, my zoom lenses are terrible and I find primes offer the best quality with no hot spots. Basically, I have to bring a lot of gear on all my vacations.
That sounds painful
Good stuff! I share your sentiments about tripods (I've shot with Pentax DSLRs for ages and thus got used to shooting with SR...or IBIS... or whatever it is called on other brands).
Great video Alex and I see where this would be a goto video for those starting out in landscape photography and not get bogged down in G.A.S. One thing, from what I can tell you don't seem to be a fan of lens hoods although you have them on your lenses like the 70-200 anyway. True?
So helpful 😮
I don’t know what to do 😭
70-200mm
20mm
All you need.
Olympus EM1 Mark ii and 12-100 f4 Pro -- about $1,300 total used. Light with the equivalent of 24-200 because it's Micro 4/3rd.
Ill look at the EM1 for my gear guide!
The body goes for only about $400 these days. The lens is twice that, but it’s very sharp throughout the focal lengths. Both are weather sealed. I own a Canon R6 and various EF/RF lenses, but I find myself grabbing the Oly combination more and more for out-and-about shooting. The Canon gear I reserve for low light and times when I want the best possible IQ.
that 2025 gear guide on your web page is like an article from dpreview ... nobody is missing :P
Hasseblad makes everything look good
For me landscape photography is still mostly just for the hike and the experience. Getting a good photo out of the trip is still cool but not my main priority
I decided to return to photography after many years, I used fuji and sony before so this time I managed to get a store display A7rii for $800 with only 4k shutter counts!
Hows it treated you?
Sweet outro music, what’s it called?
You’re right about buying bags and not using them. I have about 10 bags. 1/2 of them is emyin my closet
Isn't Slovenia beautiful? Thanks for the sensible video recommendations.
It was! When I could see it :) haha. ty!
I have a Canon 6D MK II for 5 years now. Still delivers. What did you have before the R5 that justified moving to the R5? You should also stop wasting money on gear
😉
Long story short I had a 5DMark4 that wasn't mine anymore. Thus all I had was a 6D at the time
Disagree with some of the suggestions especially a tripod or UV filter, but hey it's his channel and his advice...
Kinda agree. Tripod depends on if you wanna go buts wirh F stop or not. Though with focus stacking in camera, and lenses so sharp on 50mp cameras that lose resolution starting at f8 from diffraction.. sorta complicated. I prefer a little bit of depth of field, the eye has some.
May I ask you where to get those rooftop cases shown in the video at 2:37
Those are Roam 95L cases with Sherpa equipment co mounts. More info is on my 4runner tour video on the channel if you're interested in any of that
I agree with the premise but it 's funny saying it while pulling a 3000$ body and a 2000$ lens and demonstrating
Also, use the lens hood to improve contrast and refuce flaring. Don't mount it backwards on the lens.
@christianholmstedt8770 As I said in reply to another comment, while I agree about the lens hood, how do you adjust the CPL with it on?
@veivoli
Remove it and put it back. He seems to be shooting towards the Sun very often and the hood makes a big difference.
If it's never used the just take it off. It looks silly to always leave it on backwards.
Clearly we shoot differently and thats okay :)
Hi there, give your opinion, going to Hawaii, what lenses would you bring. I will want to capture whales from a boat
As a very casual...well, I won't call myself a photographer...a snapshotist maybe, I just take a Canon SX50HS with me. (And a phone of course.) I don't throw out huge prints or anything, I just post on social media, so spending hundreds or more on cameras & lenses doesn't make sense for me For landscapy stuff I use the exposure bracketing feature on the camera that takes three different exposures and combines them in camera. I bike or hike and if I see a shot I like I put it on a light tripod, prop it against a tree, or sit it on a rock to steady it, and have gotten some nice shots. Like I said, if it's just going to FB, Inta or Flickr, where most people consume their images on phones or tablets or laptops, they look good enough. Takes pretty decent video too.
That's exactly what I'm talking about!
amazingly helpful video, and phenomenal photos ! im new to photography and I was deciding between the canon r50 or the r10, but after checking out your article, would you suggest the nikon z50 ii over both of those? i would love to hear your opinion because picking one is a struggle 😭😭
I’d go and try to hold them! But strictly on paper. If you’re buying new. Yes
All you need a pro smartphone and Lightroom skill for landscape photography imo😊
A wonderful presentation! Useful, honest info, with no axes to grind. (But that nose ring’s gotta go.......)
Sounds like you had an axe to grind to me hehe 🤣
@ Naaaaaaah.........(just yankin your chain!). And still a wonderful presentation.
Hi Alex, my first message to you. This video contains some of the most ingenious ideas and points I’ve seen in a long time (a short statement: - Camera this or lens that? *You don’t need it* - and then elaborate on it). But instead of focusing on it, you succumbed to the challenges of publishing more, combining more material, talk about different things and thus dissolving the power of your core message. I stayed with your video the whole length, don’t get me wrong, it’s just that the planning could have been better - you’ve mixed up too many things.
Keep it shorter, make more shorter videos on separate subjects each. Or longer, but stick to your main thing.
The idea of the video was for someone new looking to get into landscape photography, so I covered it all. Could have been broken up, but I didn't :)
Hey Alex, any advice for traveling to Slovenia?
Be prepared to narrow roads :) hehe.