X100S only camera for holiday?

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stevebuk

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Hi all,

I'm going to the Caribbean Coast side of Mexico shortly for a family holiday and am deciding what to take with me. Last year, I took my X-E1, 14mm, 35mm and 18-55 along with a small travel tripod and a selection of ND grads etc when I went to Spain. I had plans of early mornings on the beach and a few sunsets, but in reality I had one morning I managed to take a few shots with the 14mm / filters and the rest of the time I had the 18-55 on during the day and 35mm at night but found I wasn't always carrying it around as though smaller than an SLR it's still big enough when wandering around with the kids.

I've though that maybe this year I'll just take the X100s, a polariser and maybe a single ND grad and a gorrilapod. It seems a better idea as it is more portable and I'm more likely to use it, but worry that I'll not be wide enough for some of the scenery and that for kids jumping in the pool, 23mm won't be long enough. All my pool shots I've checked back at are at 55mm. I guess I could crop these in as they are only ever going to be 6x4's or on the web.

What do you guys do? I want to make sure I get some great memories but it isn't a photo holiday as such.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Steve
 
I think you've already made up your mind at heart. As you said, having something that you can slip in a pocket and remain with you more often will undoubtedly mean more pictures. For the shots you took at 55mm...you'll just have to get closer ;).
 
The x100s would seem a good general travel camera to me - the only things perhaps not so good would be if it's a safari type holiday where you would need a telephoto lens, but 35mm equivalent seems quite a versatile focal length.
 
Just do it. It's not a photography holiday, it's a family holiday. Spend your time enjoying yourself with your family and bring abroad instead of wondering what lens to use, whether to use flash, etc. I just took an SLR and a 35mm lens last year and had no regrets, I probably took more on my iPhone actually.
 
viewfromthenorth said:
Just do it. It's not a photography holiday, it's a family holiday. Spend your time enjoying yourself with your family and bring abroad instead of wondering what lens to use, whether to use flash, etc. I just took an SLR and a 35mm lens last year and had no regrets, I probably took more on my iPhone actually.
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:agree:
 
Well I'm guessing that he's leaving a perfectly nice house and car at home, and maybe staying in somewhere considerably smaller, and maybe hiring a much smaller car than at home, so why not simplify the camera gear as well? ;)

Personally, I got fed up of lugging a heavy bag of gear round on holiday, especially when children came along. I much prefer either a compact or an SLR and prime, and have yet to suffer any kind of gear anxiety. It's quite liberating:)
 
I've had a number of holidays spoilt by lugging SLR's about and in fact some years ago after dragging 3 film bodies around the Goodwood Festival of Speed dumped the lot and went out the next day and bought a film (in those days) compact and didn't get back into photography until my wife bought me a 4 mp (leading edge!)digital compact a few years later. I've just come back from a weekend at Silverstone and yes as before regretted lugging my now digital SLR around. I'm now a confirmed believer in enjoying things first and photography as a side-line and not letting it get in the way of real life.
 
Thanks for all the thoughts guys. I think I will go with the X100s and see how I get on.
 
velocette said:
I've had a number of holidays spoilt by lugging SLR's about and in fact some years ago after dragging 3 film bodies around the Goodwood Festival of Speed dumped the lot and went out the next day and bought a film (in those days) compact and didn't get back into photography until my wife bought me a 4 mp (leading edge!)digital compact a few years later. I've just come back from a weekend at Silverstone and yes as before regretted lugging my now digital SLR around. I'm now a confirmed believer in enjoying things first and photography as a side-line and not letting it get in the way of real life.
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I am the other way, i regret many a time i wish i had a better camera with me now i take a kit with me everywhere :)
 
simonblue said:
Yes but why buy a great kit,then leave it at home when you go away :confused:
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Why have a great partner and leave her a photography widow on a fantastic holiday?
- just a different way of looking at exactly the same situation..
 
I've had loads of holidays taking the DSLR and loads of lenses, on my last holiday to Cuba I took my X100S and loved it, I never once missed not taking a big body and loads of lenses.
 
One lens is a discipline (no, I'm not into SM). It's about positive attitude - you accept the limitation and make it work. There'll always be work for it, and you can let photo opportunities outside its remit go by. Some think they have to take everything they can afford with them - what a desperate ethos, and I bet that generally (owing to the weight) they don't venture far away from their cars. Remember the Mekon - huge brain, couldn't walk!
 
Alastair said:
Why have a great partner and leave her a photography widow on a fantastic holiday?
- just a different way of looking at exactly the same situation..
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I always found time to get some photography without leaving her a photography widow :)
 
You can get wide and tele adapters of the 100s that are very compact, and might be the middle solution.
 
Before I had kids, I went to Cuba with a D5000, 18-200 and a 35mm prime. Not heavy kit by any means, but after 3 weeks of carrying that around in 35C and 90% humidity, I was done with 'big' kit and went all-in for M4/3.
Went on holiday with a toddler to Garda with a EM-5 and 14-150 and 20mm prime and it was a liberation. (Not using up most of your hand luggage allowance with your kit is a plus too).
I'd even consider just taking my little XF1 with me now, and your X100S is a much better camera than that. I once took just a GF2 and 20mm on a trip to Paris and that was fine (although City Breaks are perhaps more suited to normal primes than a more varied holiday itinery).

If you're really worried about focal length, take a great fixed focal camera (your X100S) and a superzoom compact. Still MUCH smaller kit than a bag full of lenses plus you have a backup if you have a *hiccup* accident *hiccup* near the pool/sea...

If it were me, and I had a great fixed-lens camera like the X100, I'd just take that (with maybe the wide convertor if you do get to pop out one morning) and a CPL.
 
Llamaman said:
Went on holiday with a toddler to Garda with a EM-5 and 14-150 and 20mm prime and it was a liberation.
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I have nearly the same, with the tiny 9-18mm as a walkabout lens. It goes on a shoulder sling with the 9-18mm in a small belt pouch.
Llamaman said:
plus you have a backup if you have a *hiccup* accident *hiccup* near the pool/sea...
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For snaps we have a waterproof/shockproof compact Fuji for swimming pool and sandy beaches as a backup too.
 
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