The inconclusive experiment which formed the narrative for the previous post did eventually lead to a definite conclusion. That’s definite as in a ‘sort of, for now, all things considered…’ version of definite.
And, to be more accurate, two conclusions…
The first is that I’ve decided to go with the (Panasonic) TZ60, at least for the time being; more about that below. The second being that – beyond the occasional snap, or the odd group shot for those of a sociable disposition – I’m finding that walking and photography don’t really mix.
Photography can be a pretty selfish pastime, and asking a companion to hang around on a cold, wet day while you switch lenses, compose, select settings, focus, can feel more than a bit self-indulgent. Introduce a tripod into the mix and you could easily precipitate a divorce.
Anyway, to the TZ60…
It is undeniably a more ‘pocketable’ camera – not least because of the fully retractable lens – and that was always a primary consideration. It also has a viewfinder – a small one, admittedly, but useful nonetheless on those sunny days when the LCD can be difficult to read. The overall results in the comparison didn’t overwhelmingly favour either camera, which is borne out by the dead-heat in the trial.
It’s unlikely I’ll be using the camera at anywhere near its full (30x) zoom: the field of view narrows appreciably as the focal length is increased and I find obtaining sufficient steadiness for focussing simply too difficult. A fortuitously situated fencepost or wall will sometimes help with that, but I’m certainly not going to defeat the object of portability and weight saving by carrying a tripod. That decision was also made easier by the fact that I now rarely photograph much wildlife.
The plan is to shoot in both JPEG and RAW: the JPEGs hopefully to give a reasonable outcome for reference; the RAW files to allow the option of some post-processing. That should give me an incentive to persist with exploring the many functions mysteries of Adobe Lightroom.
The Panasonic battery was dead to begin with (that’s probably enough Dickens references for now). Fortunately it turned out to be reluctant rather than moribund and eventually the percentage charge crept beyond 50, which would be enough.
This post is about an experiment. Latterly I find myself either reluctant (certainly) or unable (quite possibly) to lug around the kind of weight I would once carry as routine; particularly so if any of that weight regularly spends the whole day in the pack, undisturbed. The one exception to that being drinking water on hot days, where I never mind erring on the side of caution.
If I’m going to carry binoculars – which is always the first preference – along with all of the other kit and clutter needed for a longish day, it has become increasingly apparent that I should be looking at the possibility of saving weight elsewhere. So I decided to start by considering the options when it came to lightening the load of camera gear.
One obvious solution would be to make use of the camera on my phone, but I really dislike touchscreens and cling to physical buttons, dials and things that go ‘click’, like some kind of polycarbonate comfort blanket. Hence, the experiment…
The comparison: two lightweight ‘pocket’ cameras – a Panasonic TZ60 and a Sony Alpha 5000 with Sony’s small 15-50mm kit lens. The latter only just qualifies as pocket size, being some 60% heavier and not having the Panasonic’s fully retractable lens. The TZ60 dates back a few years to the heyday of ‘superzoom’ compact and bridge cameras, with their promise of everything in a single, convenient package; it was a hand-me-down from my son when his tastes moved upmarket. The a5000 is the smallest of Sony’s interchangeable lens, mirrorless cameras and was picked up, scarcely used, from Ebay for just under £100.
The rules: Jpegs only, no RAW files, no editing; this is about what the camera’s hardware and processor can produce undoctored. Match the settings as closely as possible, point and shoot.
The settings: Everything shot in aperture priority mode, with apertures and focal lengths matched as closely as possible. So, for example, with the a5000 fully zoomed to 50mm, the Panasonic’s zoom was set to 2X as the nearest equivalent. Shutter speed and auto iso are as selected by the camera.
The pictures:
1). Taken from the high ground to the west of the Uath lochans (Inshriach): mostly mid ground and distance; not much foreground. I definitely think the Panasonic has done a better job here; possibly the texture in the background is slightly better with the Sony, but in all other aspects the TZ60 wins for me.
Taken with the Panasonic TZ60
Taken with the Sony a5000
2). Another shot from the high path above the Uath lochans: this was just an attempt to capture a flavour of the richness and complexity of the woodland vegetation. The Sony edges this one for me; the general richness of the greens and the feeling of damp undergrowth is much closer to my recollection on the day.
Panasonic TZ60
Sony a5000
3). Lochan Mor, sometimes known colloquially as ‘the lily lochan’ and situated about a kilometre north of Loch an Eilein. Not much in this one but on balance I think the result from the Panasonic represents the whole of the scene – foreground to background – a little better overall. That said, the very closest of the lily pads in the immediate foreground are sharper in the Sony image. Close.
Panasonic TZ60
Sony a5000
4). Loch Vaa, a stone’s throw from the A95 and the Highland Main Line, not much further from the A9 and surprisingly quiet and secluded. Again, little to choose from what is admittedly a pretty nondescript composition, but this time I think the Sony just edges it overall – mostly on the basis of separation and definition, plus a slightly better capture of the surface of the water. The flat, featureless sky, in both images, is a pretty accurate representation of how it appeared on the day.
Panasonic TZ60
Sony a5000
So, after all that we have a score draw, a Desmond! Was it therefore a waste of time, battery life and SD card capacity? Not entirely, although I was probably hoping for a clear-cut, conclusive outcome.
That said, I think I’ve come to a decision; more about that in the follow-up post.
About the cameras…
The TZ60 has an 18.1 mp sensor, an aperture range of f3.3 to f6.4, a 30x Leica zoom (28-840mm 35 mm equivalent), and weighs 240gms with battery and SD card
The a5000 has a 20.1 mp APS-C sensor, an aperture range of f3.5 to f22 and – paired with a Sony 16-50mm OSS lens (24-75mm APS equivalent) – weighs about 386gms including battery and SD card
Not that SD card capacity is ever much of an issue for me, but in general file sizes seem higher for the a5000, even if that isn’t always reflected in resolution.
It’s considerably better; just something to bear in mind when looking at the images.
It had taken us 5 years to return to Ardnamurchan; something not entirely of our making but, for all that, still too long. The images hopefully show at least some small part of what the area has to offer; the words are mostly about my ongoing struggles with shot selection, composition, and the sometimes comical interactions between Lightroom menus and a man of a certain age…
A quiet Loch Shiel from Acharacle jetty in late evening light; Beinn Resipol disappearing into cloud.
Ardnamurchan Point, surf just picking up!
Loch Sunart, viewed from the shoreline east of Resipole. Ideally I would have liked to get lower and have more of the trees outlined against the sky…
Camas an Lighe – sometimes known colloquially as The Singing Sands – near Gortenfern, Ardnamurchan
Looking across Kentra Bay from the track near Arivegaig.
Kentra Bay, Ardnamurchan, in fluctuating light.
Narrative…
Occasionally I’ve been guilty of congratulating myself on taking a decent photograph. The reality is that on most of those occasions the camera has done that – I just happened to be holding it at the time! Hence the desire to improve – not only the use of the camera, but also an exploration of the mystical world of editing (or ‘post processing’ as the professionals seem to prefer). Indications so far suggest that this is going to be a long haul…
About the images…
All of the images were shot as RAW files, then lightly edited: the objective being to get the closest representation of the scene as I recalled it, with minimal enhancement.
Mostly I’m shooting in aperture priority and sticking to the middle of the range (f10, f11 or similar) to give reasonable sharpness in the fore and middle grounds, and allowing the camera to select shutter speed and ISO. When occasionally shooting in manual mode I still rely on auto ISO, simply because I don’t have the skill to instinctively balance three separate settings.
Image 1 (Loch Shiel): Some increase in the temperature to bring out the gorse on the far shore. For this shot I used a Sony A5000 with the 18-105 G lens, zoomed to 42mm. I set the aperture at f11, the camera chose 1/80th – which seemed reasonable for the shot – and an ISO of 160.
Image 2 (Ardnamurchan Point): Same camera/lens combination as above; zoomed to 70mm, 1/200th @ f11, (Auto) ISO 100. Minimal editing in Lightroom: small correction to compensate for overexposure; temperature lowered slightly; blacks enhanced for the foreground.
Image 3 (Loch Sunart): Sony a5100 this time, still with the 18-105 lens; zoomed to 80mm; f11, 1/125th, auto iso (250). Just one adjustment to the blues, with a view to compensating for a slightly flat sky.
Image 4 (The Singing Sands): Sony a5100 again, with the 18-105 at maximum zoom; 1/200th at f11; iso 500. A bit of beach, some sky, some sea, a solitary tree clinging on in defiance of the hostile environs, minimal editing to just bring out the shadows in the rocks. The sky was mostly thin cloud and as flat as it looks in the shot.
Image 5 (Kentra Bay from near Arivegaig): Sony a5100+18-105G lens, zoomed to 60mm; 1/100th sec at f11; iso 125. Pretty much as shot, other than some slight enhancement to bring out the blue tones in the sky.
Image 6 (Kentra Bay): Kentra Bay, Ardtoe, Ardnamurchan, taken in fluctuating light. Sony A5100 with the 18-105G lens; 1/60th at f11; auto ISO chose ISO 100). Temperature increased slightly to ‘warm’ the sand and vegetation; highlights taken down to remove some glare.
Just a few more steps? 