Cameras for Adventure Families

People ask us all the time, “What cameras do you use on all your adventures?!” Well… here is the short answer:

We have a few different ones we use and the one I prefer depends on the activity and season.For many years I had a full frame camera, a Canon that I hauled everywhere on our adventures. At the time photography was more of a hobby I was pursuing. My kids were young. Our adventures were mild and slow-paced and honestly, I think having something to do, like photography, helped me see the beauty in those slow hikes, afternoon naps, and days on the bunny hill. It kept the angst at bay.

Taken with the Sony A6000 + Sigma 60mm Lens

Now my kids are older (ages 8-11) and our adventures don’t look the same. My camera needs switched from a hobby to “give me something that can keep up but still allow me to document the adventure.”

So I traded in my full frame camera for a mirror less and haven’t looked back.

Sony A6000 [Hiking, Outdoor Photography, Travel]

Taken with the Sony A6000 + Sony 10-18mm F4.0

Not the best on the market and not the worst. I began my search by looking into what other outdoor adventurers used. Some of my favorite photographers, Patitucci Photo raves about the Sony series and my decision was made.

Camping in Badlands National Park / Sony A6000 + Sigma 60 mm F 2.8

Why mirror-less?

Well, quite simply they are smaller and lighter. I found myself leaving my nice camera behind as our backpacking trips became longer and the need for more room in my pack increased. As my kids got older, our adventures became more fast-paced and I needed a camera that was lighter and less bulky but still managed quality photos.

Favorite Features:

Smaller, lighter camera body
Takes quality RAW images
Connects to phone via Wifi
Less expensive than competitors
Interchangeable lenses

Camping in the Grand Canyon/ Sony A6000 + Sony 10-18mm

A smaller and lighter camera is able to slide inside my shell on skis days (this is why I look lumpy on many ski days 😂. Well… one of the reasons) or slips across my torso easily on a hike.

We quickly ditched the kit lenses as my iPhone took better photos than them and purchased better lenses (more money than the camera body) and voila!

Boondocking in Moab, UT, Sony A6000 + Sony 10-18mm

Lenses

Honestly, I prefer wide-angle lenses for almost everything.

Here is what we have:

Sony 10-18mm F4 Wide-Angle Lens

Sigma 30mm for Sony E-mount F 2.8

Sigma 60mm for Sony E-mount F 2.8

If you’d like more info from a more professional photographer on moving to a mirror-less camera, check out this post by Currently Wandering: Why I Fuji’d My Canon 5DS Mark II and Sold All My Lenses

GoPro Hero 5/6 [Paddling, Mountain Biking, Skiing]

To be honest though, many times a mirror-less camera is still to big. I often find myself needing both hands (mountain biking) or needing something waterproof (skiing and paddling) and so we began exploring the use of a GoPro.

We had an old Hero 3 that we loved but the batteries were shot and the quality was poor. So I jumped on a chance to test the GoPro Hero 6 Black through Verizon. Conclusion? We loved It!

A tiny camera that slips in my pocket and is ready for any adventure? Photos are high quality and video rocks? Yes please!

Taken with GoPro Hero 6, Grand Targhee Resort

Things I specifically love:

- Voice Command: I thought it was a stupid gimmick. But it really works and is super useful while mountain biking (no stopping to start/stop camera) and while skiing (no more taking my hands out of my mittens to hit start).
- Waterproof: This seems self-explanatory.
- Go Pro Hero 5
- Quickly connects to my phone: I can download photos or make an easy video on my ipone via the GroPro Quik App.

Why we chose to buy the GoPro Hero 5
So why, after testing the Hero 6 Black did we decide to go ahead and buy the Hero 5?
We loved having the GoPro Hero 6 so much that after a few months of no longer having it along on adventures we decided we needed to purchase a GoPro.
Our friends at Currently Wandering have the GoPro Hero 5 and have also tested the Hero 6. After a comparison of new features vs. cost we decided we’d rather spend less money. Less money is always good but even better if there is hardly a noticeable difference between the Hero 5 and Hero 6.
Most of the differences seems to revolve around a faster processor in the GoPro Hero 6. Here is a complete list of the differences between the Hero 6 and Hero 5.
Lastly, the IPhone 8
Trite but true: the best camera is always the one you have along. We take an insane amount of photos with our iPhones and while I prefer my other cameras for their quality I cannot deny that sometimes the phone is just the easiest.

99% of the time my phone is always along, for the random walks, sunsets, and events that happen. When in doubt, my phone is ready:

Do you have a favorite camera that has produced good images while on your adventures? Please share it with us!

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One comment on “Cameras for Adventure Families”

Arleigh Greenwald

July 18, 2018 at 7:13 am

Awesome intel! I also run a Sony 6300, GoPro and iPhone but have added the RX100 mainly for the flip out screen for videos/selfie photos 🙂

Keep up the great work and let us know when you come back through Denver!

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the kid project

Taking our kids with us, one adventure at a time.