Dale Matson
Click on Photographs To Enlarge
(Note: This is not a professional review. It is simply my
impressions of this camera and photos from two recent mountain trips in the eastern
Sierra Nevada and a Yosemite Photo.
Tenaya Lake
When I am on a long day hike or
backpacking in the mountains I use two cameras because failure with one camera
would mean that the arduous effort of an entire trip would be a tragic failure.
I am there to experience and preserve beautiful memories.
Additionally, I want to preserve as
closely as possible what I saw with as little camera equipment weight as
possible. In addition to the Sony A7R3 and various lens combinations, I carry
the Sony RX1R2. I don’t carry a tripod because of the weight factor.
Why do I use the RX1R2? The fixed
f2.0 lens is fast and excellent for an early morning start. It is compact and
not much bigger than a point and shoot. In most cases, I can carry both cameras,
one on either side in web belt holsters for ease and availability. The RX1R2
fits very nicely in a Think Tank “Mirrorless Mover 5. Depending on the area I
am in, the RX1R2 is either my primary or secondary camera.
It is versatile and I programmed 2
custom buttons for a 35mm 42mp, 50mm 18mp or 70mm 11mp shots. In fact, this is
almost a one camera solution if my rule of thumb did not require using 2
cameras. the photographs are an example of all three lengths but all are reduced to less than 5MP for ease of publication.
On my most recent long day hike
(11hours) to Finger lake along the south fork of Big Pine Creek, I used the
A7R3 only for long shots (Zeiss Batis 135mm 2.8). Above Finger Lake are the Middle
Palisade and Clyde Glaciers. On my 3-day backpacking trip along the north fork
of Big Pine Creek, I used the Sony 16-35 2.8 GM and S/Z 55 1.8 lenses plus the
RX1R2). This ‘Glacial Trail’ off this trail almost
leads to the Palisade Glacier in a cirque created by several 14ers. The
last half mile is class three scrambling.
I had the Sony RX1R and found it to
be a wonderful camera except that I had to buy an additional viewfinder which
created a less than desirable form factor but it was necessary for me. When the
RX1R2 became available with the pop-up viewfinder and 42mp, I decided to get
this camera again as my second camera. I am happy with the performance and find
that carrying a second battery has given me plenty of power for 3 days for my
needs. I must admit that at 70mm I can sometimes see camera movement when
viewing images actual size). The RX1R2 does not have image stabilization.
I would love it if it were
waterproof since being on the trails in the mountains is always a threat. The
Think Tank holster does have a rain fly that can be deployed by unzipping the
bottom of the holster.
On short one day local hikes, this
would be my only camera that I would carry for landscape photographs.
Sharon
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