Huawei P30 Pro
Smartphone cameras have come a long way during the past few years, and few have advanced as much as those in the Huawei Pro series (P30,P40). The P30 Pro features a main 40Mp lens (27mm equivalent), a secondary 20Mp super-wide angle lens (16mm equivalent), as well as the ability to shoot in RAW-format for post-processing. It’s an ultra-portable bag of fun for the photographing hobbyist, especially for landscape and macro shots. A quality refurbished/used P30 pro will set you back around €350, making it relatively affordable.
We can be snobbish about the fact that it is a smartphone, and there are many drawbacks compared to a dedicated body with lens. But if you are looking for a simple point-and-shoot for online display and small photo prints up to 40x30cm, you’d be hard pressed to find it in a smaller, more versatile, and easy to use package.
Fuji X-T3 + Fujinon XF 100 – 400mm
A string of articles set me on the path of the Fuji X-T3 mirrorless camera, combined with the Fujinon 100-400mm zoom lens. There’s little to discuss on the quality of both the body and the lens; aka they are superb!
One of the main things that made me hesitant to switch back to a body with interchangeable lenses was the portability and weight of the gear. Hauling kilograms of mirrors and glass was one of the main reasons I ditched my old set-up in the first place. However, the body and lens of the Fuji are relatively light weight at 0.54, and 1.38kg, respectively.
Second was the pricing, I did not want to get stuck into the prime-gear ratrace and spent a fortune. Again, quality refurbished items came to the rescue. Selling some old stuff, and scouring the web for used items in mint condition, I was able to get to an acceptable price. In fact, it set me back the exact same amount that the point-and-shoot I was initially considering, the amazing Sony RX-10 IV, would have cost me. Now, it would be cheating to compare a dedicated body and lens to a point-and-shoot camera; it’s just the consideration that made this expenditure personally acceptable. Overall, I find that the used X-T3 with 100-400mm provides exceptional quality, and acceptable portability, at a relatively affordable price.
Tripod backpack + camera harness
A remnant of my bird watching days, the bynolyt tele-backpack allows you to carry a big tripod on your back easily. Distributing the weight of the tripod to the back with the tele-backpack, and the weight of the camera to the front, with the Lowepro harness and top-loader, means I can comfortably hike for hours with little to no strain. In all honesty, the complete outfit is ridiculous to look at, but as any budding birder knows, looks can be deceiving and strain-reducing comfort is king!
