Your favourite camera doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars
Jun 20, 2022
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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It’s always a bit of a dilemma when you’re travelling regarding what to pack. Somehow all life choices become distilled into the weight of your bag and whether you should put lithium-ion batteries in the hold or in your carry-on (they go in the carry-on), whether to bring prime lenses (lighter!) or zooms (only need 1!), and whether you really need to bring a second camera body or would the space be better taken up with additional snacks (always choose the snacks!).
But maybe just maybe we are overthinking it, and the best travel camera might not be the ‘best’ camera for your normal day-to-day life or photography. It also doesn’t have to be the most expensive or have all the latest technological advances. In this video, James Popsys is risking life and limb when he leaves his sleeping wife and baby on their honeymoon to go and take some early morning photos in a beautiful Tuscan village, using a camera that cost him just $60.
The camera in question is a Panasonic Lumix GX1 which is currently 11 years old. Paired with the Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lens and you’ve got a nice little point-and-shoot compact digital camera that still packs a punch. Perfect for those trips when you can’t bear to not bring a camera but you have your family with you and you’re not really meant to be doing ‘serious’ photography.
It’s obviously fairly basic compared with today’s offerings, however, it does have exposure compensation on the back so that you do have some control over your images. However, with 16 Megapixels and a micro four-thirds sensor, it was probably ahead of its time when it was first released.
Why not just use your phone, you may ask? Well, that is certainly a valid question and one that many camera brands are asking themselves with the continued downsizing of the compact camera market. However, there’s no getting around the fact that shooting with a dedicated camera, no matter how small it is, is a very different experience than shooting with a digital device like a phone that has many functions and is continually connected to the internet.
Ultimately though, James seems to be enjoying his early morning foray around a Tuscan village (who wouldn’t?) and evidently gets a lot of pleasure from the small, light, basic yet still good Lumix point and shoot.
Would you just take a point and shoot on holiday with you or would you regret it?
Alex Baker
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
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2 responses to “Your favourite camera doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars”
If you’re on a tour, then it’s a no-brainer…just take your phone! It’s less to carry and can be used in an instant, not to mention that you won’t keep the other tourists waiting. I would say the same if your family is with you. James, of course, has an understanding spouse, but others might not be so understanding.
The way he is using this camera, it is no slower than using a phone. Might even be quicker if you use a screen lock on the phone, so your phone can stay on without accidentally turning on apps in your pocket. That camera’s startup time is about 1.4 seconds. And why not carry a small, but capable camera if you are touring? Not everybody wants a snapshot. Not saying there is anything wrong with a snapshot, but some people would want to put more effort into travel photos. If you carry just a phone, you may wish to put in that extra effort anyway.