A Lighter Setup

Climbing all the hills in Lisbon gave me two thoughts: I need to take more photos again, and I really should switch to lighter photo gear. And this week, I finally made the switch.

So what did I change to? I left my DSLR behind and moved completely to a mirrorless system. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV that I had been using for a while was replaced with the Sony A7R V. (Yes, I know a new one should be coming out soon. But based on the rumored specs, I haven’t seen anything that would make a big difference in how I shoot. At least not enough to justify the extra cost.)

Along with that, I picked up the Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS, as well as a new tripod. The Falcam TreeRoot. With a smaller camera, a smaller tripod should be more than enough.

First impressions are really good, especially the weight difference, which is very noticeable. With the camera, lens, and tripod, I’m saving around a third of the weight (about 1.2 kg), making it much easier to carry around. Now I just have to unlearn years of muscle memory to get used to the new controls—just need more practice.

Back at the Castle

To try out the new setup, I went out yesterday to take a few photos. Since I hadn’t been to the area around the castle in a while, I decided to head there. It’s changing quite a bit. With new construction right under the castle (modern, luxurious houses that, in my opinion, don’t really fit the area) it’s getting busier every day. I’m curious to see how it will look once everything is finished.

This is a blend of three exposures, though most of the image comes from a single one. As with most shots of Bratislava Castle, the additional exposures were needed to tone down the brightness of the castle.