First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to Lumoid.com for always providing all of my gear when I travel! They are an awesome gear rental company who has a TON of options for rentals at prices that can not be beat. They always ship on time and are available to chat with me and help me decide what would be best for me... They even shipped my gear overnight to my hotel in Hawaii! They rule....
So you guys know I have am in the middle of a travel BENDER these last few months....
My first trip was back in November to Thailand! I personally own a Canon 5D Mark III with a 24-70 2.8 and a nifty fifty (50mm 1.4) that I shoot. I was super nervous about taking my personal gear to Thailand just for fear of theft, water damage, sand damage, just everything- my camera is my BABY and even with insurance I was super nervous. Lumoid was amazing enough to provide my same set up, the Mark III with a 24-70, 50, and even sent me a wide angle lens I used for some epic landscape shots! I also got a GoPro Hero4 from them which was so much fun to use racing around the streets on a tuk tuk and swimming in the beautiful waters of the islands!
I was really happy that I had a fully insured version of my own gear without risking my actual gear- I was obviously really familiar with how to use it so I didn't have to learn a whole new camera I could just grab and go. The main drawback was it was a LOT of gear to carry and my camera is VERY heavy. I have very advanced carpal tunnel in my right wrist from shooting for over 10 years already and need to wear a wrist support (super cute-not) so this was something for me to consider on my next trip.
This month Dan, Joey, and I visited the beauuuutiful island of Maui in Hawaii! I had the same concerns of not wanting to use my own gear but also wanted something super light weight to carry at ALL TIMES. I had heard really awesome things about the Sony a7s from all my gear nerd friends so I was super excited to work with Lumoid and this new camera for the week we were there! I am not a tech person, as you can proabbly tell from this review, I only have basic knowledge about what is out there, what is new, ect so its really nice to have experts on hand doing that research for me and helping me pick what is best for me and whatever I am doing.
My favorite part about the Sony was how insanely light it is! It felt like a hybrid of an old film camera and an early point and shoot weight wise- it did not hurt my wrist, hands, or back/shoulders and I did not use my custom straps- just what it came with! That's how light it was! I decided to go with a prime lens- the 35mm because I learned photography on film and a lens like this so I was pretty used to it. If you are used to zoom and more versatility I would not recommend only using one lens but for me it was perfect!
I felt the set up was really user friendly and intuitive for even beginner camera users. I had been a Nikon user for years and now a Canon shooter for the past few years and found coming from either background would be fine switching over. The screen and display were super sharp and the detail of the body and the lens was INSANE, my other favorite part about this camera. I could see this camera being totally worth it just for travel alone as the space it saved and lightness factor were so impressive. I can't see replacing my main camera with one but I could see going full Sony if I did video because of the awesome capabilities and how high the ISO can go (low light capability)... I would for sure use it again and think its worth checking out before you buy a Mark III (I can't believe I am saying that- but worth a look!)
Next month I am headed to Tokyo and thinking about trying out the Leica SL because its also super lightweight and I have always loved Leica as a brand. What do you guys think I should rent?
In June I am going to Fiji and thinking about renting the Sony again since I loved it for Hawaii and I am for SURE getting a gopro since there are a ton of water activities! Comment below if you have any suggestions for me!
Here are the details on what I have used so far:
You HAVE TO rent before you buy, its a no brainer!
You can rent the Sony for only $17 a day (here)! What!?
I used a 35mm 2.8 Carl Zeiss lens with the Sony while I was in Hawaii and you can rent it from Lumoid here for only $10 a day! You can rent the Sony a7S Kit for only $35 a day here.
If you want to rent my usual set up you can rent the body here for $28 a day and the lens here for only $15 a day! I would also recommend the Wayfarer travel set up which includes the body, my go to lens (24-70), and a wide angle (16-34) for $55 a day! (here) The gopro is only $10 a day WHAT!? You can rent it here.
I really liked this comprehensive review of both the still and video capabilities of both of these cameras- if you want to know a ton more details with great visual watch here:
