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Backup or alternate camera

While not a MFD question, it is aimed at those of us who use MFD.

What non-MFD camera do you use as your backup camera?

Typical with my posts, I would like to clarify my question; by backup, I am not referring to an iPhone, or other smart phone, I am referring to DSLR's, Compact and Mirrorless.

If you have a backup, what do you principally use it for? If you are a working pro, would it be a camera for work? If it is just a "walking around" camera, what was the primary motivation for that camera?

I am asking because I still have a Nikon D3x, and a Zeiss lens kit the approximates the focal lengths of my Mamiya/P1/SK lenses, and I am down to using that setup about once a year now.

I am considering moving to a Sony A-series, so that keep the Zeiss lenses. Or, possibly in a moment of "insanity", sell all the Nikon gear, and go with a Leica M Monochrome.

What did you choose?
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
For awhile when I was still shooting engagements and weddings, my backup gear to MF was all Nikon - D800E/D810/24-70/70-200/various primes/etc.

After I stopped doing all of that, I sold it all and went to Sony - A7R/A7RII and a couple primes - purely for size/weight reasons. The A7RII and 55mm FE was my favorite go-to "walking around" combo because it was small and light and allowed me to do stitching and still get very large images that I could print very large. The A7RII was nice in a lot of regards, but it wasn't perfect, and the "star eater" phenomenon is annoying as one of the purposes for a non-MF backup was astrophotography. Also, now that I have an X1D, it fits my needs as a "walk around" camera, so having the X1D and A7RII became a little redundant for my purposes.

I recently cleaned house and sold all of the Sony gear, and am probably in the market again for another 35mm backup in the next 6 months. It looks I've got some more weddings/engagements on the horizon, and so I will probably go with a D850 or used D810 for my next 35mm setup. In a more "professional" environment of wedding/engagement work, I just know the Nikon gear better and am more comfortable with it compared to other systems, and it's easier to rent lenses for jobs using Nikon/Canon locally for me than Sony/Fuji/Leica.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Not really a backup, but my other two are:

Sony RX1
Fuji X Pro2

The Sony was because it can fit in the bag without adding lots of weight, the Fuji because I wanted something complementary, but not as a replacement.
 

dchew

Well-known member
Sony a7rii, with a few Leica M lenses (28 50 90) and the 180r f/2.8. I also have the original Monochrom for the M lenses.

Since I'm shooting a tech camera, I sometimes carry the Sony with the 180r attached for long lens situations.

Dave
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I have a Leica S(006) or a Graflex when weight is no issue. If I can't carry them, or I need telephoto, I have Leica SL, Mamiya 7, and Canon 1DsII. If I can't carry one of them, I have a Leica Q. If I can't carry that, I have an iPhone.

I would love to have a larger digital sensor (Phase IQx60 or IQ3100), but experience shows that I'd never use it.

--Matt
 

aztwang

Member
While not a MFD question, it is aimed at those of us who use MFD.

What non-MFD camera do you use as your backup camera?

Typical with my posts, I would like to clarify my question; by backup, I am not referring to an iPhone, or other smart phone, I am referring to DSLR's, Compact and Mirrorless.

If you have a backup, what do you principally use it for? If you are a working pro, would it be a camera for work? If it is just a "walking around" camera, what was the primary motivation for that camera?

I am asking because I still have a Nikon D3x, and a Zeiss lens kit the approximates the focal lengths of my Mamiya/P1/SK lenses, and I am down to using that setup about once a year now.

I am considering moving to a Sony A-series, so that keep the Zeiss lenses. Or, possibly in a moment of "insanity", sell all the Nikon gear, and go with a Leica M Monochrome.

What did you choose?
I too have thought about the Leica 264. If I felt it was not business suicide, I would sell off everything and
shoot with the new Achromatic and use the Leica 264 as a back up. Unfortunately I think most of my clients want to see pretty vivid color and don't find B&W as amazing as I do....LOL
 

ejpeiker

Member
Sony a7rii, with a few Leica M lenses (28 50 90) and the 180r f/2.8. I also have the original Monochrom for the M lenses.

Since I'm shooting a tech camera, I sometimes carry the Sony with the 180r attached for long lens situations.

Dave
a7R Mk II, with the G-master 16-35 and 24-70 and G 70-300
 

MILESF

Member
Similar experience to others here though a different conclusion seems finally to be evolving in my head. BTW I think this is very relevant in a Medium Format discussion. My main system is the IQ3100 with the XF and Arca-Swiss Rm3Di. I sold my Nikon D810 because it wasn't significantly lighter and it didn't get a lot of use. I have the Fuji XT2 with a number of lenses but have never really warmed to it. I have looked at the Hasselblad and Fuji options. The XD1 feels good in the hand and the images look great but Capture One is a non negotiable for me. I'm also not sure whether Hasselblad has the depth of resources for the long haul. The C1 requirement rules out the Fuji also but I think it is also too big for my needs. I'm not a pro and my real need is for something for when I'm on a trip with family and friends. My other half doesn't enjoy waiting while I wait for a cloud to move into the exact right position or for people to get out of the way so speed is important for me.

That's led me to the Sony RX1r Mk2 and I have just come back from a 10 day trip where that was my only camera and I am very pleased with the images I made. Sure I missed things but the fixed lens also makes me think a bit harder and walk around a bit more. A friend is also suggesting I get a Leica Monochrom but my previous experience with Leica was not great. I've also thought about the A7r Mk 2 but know I would end up with three or four lenses and be back to where I was with the Nikon e.g. body plus four relatively heavy lenses. I'm really only interested in prime lenses and a body plus 24-70 and 70-200 hasn't worked for me in the past.

Having spent six months mulling this over and talking with several dealers I'm going to stick with the RX1r and am also mulling over the Achromatic. The gap is that I don't have any really long lenses (The LS240 is the longest) but I never made much use of the ones I had which were mainly Nikon.

I do have the luxury of not needing a backup for Professional use. On my last two trips to Japan I took the XF and the RX1r and will do so again on my next Japan trip.

What would change this ? A compact body and three lenses - a "digital XPan" or a Phase One "XD1" with focal plane lenses but while I can dream there are also images to be made with what's available now.
 

JohnBrew

Active member
Don't use one! When I go to do photography I go for specific purposes and that involves my choice of camera. I've only had one minor failure in the field and it was something I was able to work around. Sure, I've been lucky but I take care of my equipment and use reliable components.
 

vjbelle

Well-known member
Don't use one! When I go to do photography I go for specific purposes and that involves my choice of camera. I've only had one minor failure in the field and it was something I was able to work around. Sure, I've been lucky but I take care of my equipment and use reliable components.
John.... am in complete agreement with you. To travel with one camera is hassle enough but two???..... more weight and much more hassle. I'll take the trip again if something really goes wrong- I can easily afford that and it makes much more sense to me than buying a depreciating asset that would rarely be used.

All of this pertains to a non-pro environment. I completely understand backups and more backups when its a professional engagement....

Victor
 

2WK

Member
Main Camera's are the Mamiya 7ii, 645z and Leica Monochrom.

For a backup I'll take the Leica X Vario. Its quite compact and has a great 28-70mm. If I'm worried about weight I'll take the Ricoh GR2.
 

hcubell

Well-known member
My original plan was to use my X1D as a backup and lightweight alternative for hiking to my H2/IQ180. As I have worked with the X1D and the three native X1D lenses (30, 45 and 90) over the past 6 months, its role has changed. It is no longer the backup system. It is now my primary system. I just returned from a 10 day trip to the English Lakes District and the Yorkshire Dales, where I did 4-6 mile hikes each day with the X1D and the 3 lenses in an F Stop Loka UL backpack with a Gitzo lightweight carbon tripod. It was a joy to carry the system, and even more a joy to use it. It was flawless in operation. (I also had with me a Hasselblad HC 210mm lens with an adapter, but it stayed in the car for shooting out of the trunk.)
 

beano_z

Active member
Not sure if this has been said before but I guess it just comes down to whether or not you're going to use this "backup system" for other purposes. I.e., if you're shooting professionally with your Phase One kit and you'd buy a backup just for your work, then most probably you'll use it once a year only or even less and it'd just be sitting there losing its value over time.

However, if your backup camera is something that you can use outside of your professional needs, like shooting family / kids pictures or take out for traveling so it could become useful most of the time, when it's too cumbersome to carry the "big pro system", then perhaps it'd be worthwhile getting this backup camera.

But I think that rules out Monochrom's (and the like) for most for obvious reasons. So the final decision will be made based on your budget and what is the "worst" system you can get by for your professional work and the "best" system you'd be willing to get for playing around on....
 

kscott

New member
IMO, carrying a backup is wise, especially if you want or need to make sure that you don't miss an opportunity to photograph your subject. I've had lenses, battery packs, CF and SD cards, flash bulbs, bodies, and backs fail on location shoots and have been glad every time that I've had spares or workarounds with me.

I carried an A7r2 for a while as backup, then tried the X1D for a few months, and have recently switched to a GFX50 as backup for a Phase One primary. I've been happy with all three backup systems, but really like the GFX for the studio and location portrait work that I do.
 

msstudio

Member
It really depends. But usually I have an alternate available. For assignments these days I try to bring something of similar level of the main camera: Hasselblad H6 gets a X1D, Canon 1DxII a 5Ds, my Sony A9 always come in a pair, they're so small. And if I feel the other body is a better choice for the shoot then I'm good either way.
It gets a bit trickier if we shoot multiple approaches, sometimes the 1DxII with fast frame rate using strobe is the way to go and the 5D only a compromise (A9 sucks with this), sometimes i shoot the A9 all day long but bring one of the Hasselblad offerings for that special moment.
I think in the long run one Sony Axxx body will always be in the mix, versatile and small, and so far (A7s-A7RII-A9) actually absolutely reliable.

Personally I find it unprofessional to show up with only one body (and that was the case even when shooting 8x10 on location, one is none, right!).
In my assisting days with one (people/fashion) photographer we always carried 3 systems with multiple cameras each (Fuji 690 and Mamiya RZ, 645), another always had Pentax 67, 645, RZ, Hasselblad 500 around, to fit the mood/need/feel of the shoot.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
If I'm doing work for pay, I usually contrive to have a backup camera for my assignment work somehow. That means that if I use a Nikon D3, I have another Nikon D3 body in the bag set up the same way and ready to swap to. Clients are most unhappy when you tell them, "I couldn't make the deliverables because my camera broke" and I don't like the risk that using a different camera from my primary implies halfway through a shoot. The same goes for lenses, but lenses tend to be a bit more flexible when they "break" ... maybe the AF goes out, or a particular lens' aperture gets stuck ... and often I have a prime and a zoom that covers the focal length as well, so I don't feel the need to carry a completely duplicated kit.

Doing photography for myself, well, I feel no need to invest the money into backups because I have the grace of time on my side, and I can adjust my expectations accordingly. If something breaks, I send it off for repair and use another camera. I don't know any serious photographer who has just and only one camera ... Presumably they have other cameras because the other cameras have features/workflow/attributes that work for most of their circumstances and maybe something that the 'primary' camera does not. For instance, my primary camera is a Leica SL nowadays ... a delightfully versatile camera that can do anything I normally want to do. But I also have a Leica M-D because it is smaller, lighter, and with one or two lenses I can carry a kit that does 85% of what I might do when not at home, say for traveling purposes, in a smaller package. If the SL happens to need service, I simply send it off and use the M-D while it's away, defer the work that I need the SL to do until it gets back. The reverse also applies: I'll simply have to carry a larger, heavier kit to use the SL in place of the M-D for travel maybe.

The same would be true if my primary camera was an MFD.

Good news is that I've NEVER had a camera stop functioning on a paid shoot, and have only somehow managed to damage my primary camera when traveling once in my lifetime. In that instance, I simply meandered off to the nearest camera store and bought something else with my credit card to use until I returned home and had the broken camera repaired. Once I had my camera back, I sold the temporary replacement and recovered about 90% of the cost.

G
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Backup or alternate camera? Well, they perform different functions really.

In my own case I've kind of broken this down to the best MFDB outfit with the IQ3100 with XF DSLR system and Cambo Actus DB+ for technical camera use. I tend not to take this on anything other than dedicated photo trips and then mostly by car vs flying. To complement this I bring along a small Leica M10 outfit. It used to be my Sony RX1R II but that was sold to fund the Leica.

As an alternate system, my criteria is for something that I am prepared to travel with and not worry too much about the sheer bulk/weight. That used to be my Sony A7RII system, but ultimately it never really bonded with me so it also got sold off. Now I take my Fuji GFX outfit with me with 3 lenses. A MUCH more portable outfit than the XF!! Depending upon the location/goals, I may just take the Leica.

I'll also typically have a small backup camera that I take with me all the time. That is the Sony RX100 IV. Small enough that I can put it in my work bag for any trip.

And then of course there's the ubiquitous cell phone camera. I've just upgraded to the iPhone 8+ and I also have a couple of Olloclip lenses for it (which I also use with Viewfinder+ for scouting for my tech/MF cameras).

Let's not forget about the other backups ... If I'm taking the big system then I'll travel with a full sized tripod. I'll also put a travel tripod in my checked luggage as a backup and if going by car I'll always bring a spare full sized tripod.
 
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