SL1 and 10-18mm seems better option than mirrorless

[Mr_Canuck]

I've gotten heavily into hiking in the past two years. I'm finding that my full-frame 6D is more camera than I want to carry, while my Sony RX100 is too limited particularly at the wide angle. So I'm considering a Canon SL1 with the 10-18mm STM as the go-to lens.

The most appealing thing is that I can get a complete kit with 10-18, 18-55 (which I will try and sell) and 55-250, all for about $800 CAD total. That's the price of the Sony 11-18mm or Olympus 9-18mm alone, and my priority is the ultra-wide zoom range, which I'll typically shoot at 5.6 or above anyhow. And then, the SL1 is compatible with my 6D and other gear, and the family can use it more easily as well, especially with the hybrid AF.

The only downsides to the SL1 for me are it's thicker size-wise (smallest concern), it has only a decent sized viewfinder, however I still find I almost always prefer and optical finder, and finally no flip up LCD for low angle shots. But I think I can live with these compromises.

So my kit would be SL1, 10-18, 55-250 and 24 or 40 pancake. Or for really light, the 10-18 and the 50stm. I have an iPhone 6+ for grab and go shots.

Any comments for or against my logic here?

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

Yes, the best value is in SL1 and STM lenses.

Whereas the mirrorless options do not fit in my pocket, I would not mind SL1 having a body a bit thicker.

 

[rexbot]

I took an SL1 with the 17-85 and 50 f1.8 on several backpacking trips. Works like a champ. Extra batteries are cheap, the whole rig is light, and the images are solid. I've attached a few examples from a trip to the Philmont Scout Range.

I had a small bag that I mounted on my backpack harness for chest carry. Worked well to be able to quickly whip out the camera, but have my hands free most of the time. I recommend some light bungie cord to snug up the bottom of any bag you carry this way - keeps it close to your body but allows freedom of motion.

I also carried treking poles, and had this little attachment to turn my poles into a tripod which was easily able to handle this light camera.

http://www.trail-pix.com/

 

[old-pr-pix]

Seems like a nice kit except you are buying all new lenses and most don't fit your 6D plus you have no weather sealing.

I like my Olympus OMD-EM5II and 14-150 lens. All weather sealed, more compact than SL-1 and total weight can be much lighter depending on your full kit. IQ seems equal to or better than SL-1 (which I seriously considered first along with the M or M3) especially with its IBIS (good for about 4 stops). For extra light & compact I use the 14-42 pancake zoom which allows fitting into cargo pants pocket (gives up weather sealing!). For really extra light it's the G-15 that gets used. Of course to get down to the 16mm effective FOV the 10-18 gives on the SL-1 would require the funky, inexpensive 9mm fish-eye lens cap lens or the big bucks Oly 7-14 PRO (effective 14 mm wide end).

I went with the Oly because I wanted a light weight, cold "proof," fully weather sealed one lens package for most uses. Really wide wasn't of interest - I'll stay with my Canon gear for that. Downside is battery use - if I had planned to be out in the wild for extended periods I would have favored the SL-1 more.

 

[Larsskv]

I am hiking quite a lot myself, and just came in from my second hike for the day. After getting two Mindshift rotation backpacks I always take my DSLRs when I go hiking. I haven't used my EOS M since I got my first of those. They are great because you can get the camera out of the backpack without removing it from your back. It's done in seconds and probably as fast as taking a camera out of a pocket. They are comfortable as well. You should consider that as an option. Search for them on YouTube to see a demonstration.

 

[dak723]

I have a 6D and an SL1. When I need to carry for longer distances, the 6D stays home and the SL1 goes along. Used to have an Olympus EM-1, but the SL1 was the better choice for me. Both were nice and small, but preferred the optical viewfinder and the larger sensor of the SL1 gave me better pics. So, yes, I would agree that the SL1 is a better option than mirrorless. I enjoyed the EM-1, but when it came down to selling one and keeping the other small camera, the SL1 was the keeper for me.

 

[candc]

i liked the sl1 when i have used it. its a real bargain to boot. all those new stm lenses are very good. the 10-18 is even a good lens on an sony a7 type body . apparently it works really well between 13-16.

 

[jd7]

I've gotten heavily into hiking in the past two years. I'm finding that my full-frame 6D is more camera than I want to carry, while my Sony RX100 is too limited particularly at the wide angle. So I'm considering a Canon SL1 with the 10-18mm STM as the go-to lens.

The most appealing thing is that I can get a complete kit with 10-18, 18-55 (which I will try and sell) and 55-250, all for about $800 CAD total. That's the price of the Sony 11-18mm or Olympus 9-18mm alone, and my priority is the ultra-wide zoom range, which I'll typically shoot at 5.6 or above anyhow. And then, the SL1 is compatible with my 6D and other gear, and the family can use it more easily as well, especially with the hybrid AF.

The only downsides to the SL1 for me are it's thicker size-wise (smallest concern), it has only a decent sized viewfinder, however I still find I almost always prefer and optical finder, and finally no flip up LCD for low angle shots. But I think I can live with these compromises.

So my kit would be SL1, 10-18, 55-250 and 24 or 40 pancake. Or for really light, the 10-18 and the 50stm. I have an iPhone 6+ for grab and go shots.

Any comments for or against my logic here?

I understand where you are coming from! I feel like I have gone around in circles when it comes to a travel kit. For me, I haven't owned an ultra wide since I moved to FF as I find I use telephoto (70-XXX) more than wider than 24 (although some of my favourite photos were taken wider than 24 and I have certainly thought about the 16-35/4 IS!) so a longer focal lens for travel/hiking has been the biggest issue for me. 70-200 f/4L IS is currently my travel telephoto but have considered 135L (and Sporgon's recent 135L pano in the landscapes thread has got me thinking again!) and 70-300L, and more recently starting considering SL1 + 55-250 STM (and adding a 10-18 has certainly crossed my mind!), EOS M3 (M10?) + 55-200 (Dustin Abbott seems to like it well enough - and again adding an 11-22 has crossed my mind), and Tamron 28-300 (24-70 f/4 IS + 35/2 IS would still be in my usual travel kit so Tamron would be only for longer focal lengths).

Anyway, the thing I grapple with is that as an amateur/enthusiast, when I hike/travel is when I get many of best opportunities to take photos, so I struggle with the idea of not having my "best" gear along ... but then again I completely understand all of the issues which are pushing you towards the SL1. Seems there are certainly a few people who are enthusiastic about the SL1 as a travel camera, and I will be interested to know what you think once you've had it for a while.

 

[unfocused]

There is something about the SL1 that I find very appealing, but I haven't been able to justify pulling the trigger. I think I'm hesitant about the older sensor, which I'm very familiar with since I used to have a 7D I. It's certainly not a bad sensor, but I've gotten spoiled by the 7DIIs excellent sensor.

What I do wonder about is if you might want to also consider the 70D, which is still pretty compact but has the newer sensor and the flip screen that you are interested in. It's also a bargain these days as well. It is a little heavier, and I know every ounce counts when backpacking, but it is just a thought.

 

[beforeEos Camaras]

the sl-1 is a great travel camera. its light compact and very sturdy. the lens I paired with it is the 24 pancake and the 40 pancake primes it all fits in a small camera bag slightly bigger then the camera its self. the 10-18 zoom is a good paring with the sl1 as well. the use of the primes is for my wife who is disabled with the use of one arm. as weather sealing goes you can always use a small rain sleeve. we went to Alaska and found no issues with weather.

 

[TeT]

18-55 (which I will try and sell)

Give the 18 55 STM a chance and you will like it... The IQ along with image size as a package is very nice on the SL1

 

[candc]

18-55 (which I will try and sell)

Give the 18 55 STM a chance and you will like it... The IQ along with image size as a package is very nice on the SL1

I think the sl1 and 18-55 stm is a dynamite combo and so does ken Rockwell. As much as his remarks get under my skin, I think he is right sometimes. Its a fun read too.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/canon/comparisons/sl1-vs-5d-mk-iii/index.htm

 

[sdsr]

Not better, but certainly cheaper if you need a very wide zoom (I think the Sony a6000 has a better sensor than the SL1, and the Rokinon 12mm f2 is a bit better than the Canon 10-18 - a lens that works every bit as well, and goes even a bit wider thanks to the different crop factor, on the a6000 and a7 line - but of course you have to pay for an adapter...; depending on how you view your images the differences may be utterly insignificant). M43 is smaller and lighter but will cost more (the Canon 10-18 is a ridiculous bargain that no other brand can touch, and there's no m43 equivalent of a cheap 24mm or 40mm pancake or 50mm 1.8) and the image quality won't be better (about the same) except to the extent you would benefit from the excellent IBIS in Olympus bodies. Given your preference an OVF, the SL1 solution makes sense (though its viewfinder will seem tiny and dark after your 6D and compared to the better EVFs).

One suggestion - you could save some space and weight and perhaps money by considering a superzoom like the Sigma 18-250 macro (I bought one when Adorama was selling it very inexpensively a year or two ago). I don't know how it compares to the Canon 55-250 you're considering, but it works very well in macro mode (not true macro of course, but very useful all the same), and unless you're pixel-peeping the differences (if any) cf the 55-250 may not matter at all.

 

[MadHungarian]

I also use both 6D and SL1, and am eagerly waiting for the SL2 if it ever comes out. I briefly tried the mirrorless route, but found the SL1 works better for me at this time.

I use my SL1 with 10-18stm, 55-250stm, efs 15-85mm, and sometimes ef-s 24mm pancake. All are good lenses. I really like the smallness/lightness and IS of the 10-18stm and 55-250stm. My only complaint about the 10-18stm is that it only goes to 18mm/28mm. That restricts its use for me to a more specialized wide-angle lens, whereas if it went up to 22mm/35mm it'd be reaching the bottom end of the normal range so i could keep it on my SL1 more often. And would also have less of a gap from 55mm.

But because of that wide gap (from 18 to 55mm) , i still don't have a good mid-range solution yet for my SL1. The efs 15-85mm is really a little too big & heavy with my SL1. The 18-55stm doesn't excite me too much. I've thought about maybe the 18-135stm or perhaps even the new ef 24-105stm (non-L). I'm hoping Canon comes out with a couple new interesting efs/stm lenses early next year (er, excuse me, i guess it's this year now).

Oh, one thing that i don't like about my SL1 efs/stm lenses is that the filter sizes are all different, grumble grumble. Unlike my big 6D lenses which are mostly all 77mm.

 

[LukasS]

I own besides 5D a 7DII and 100D and since the day I got 100D it's used on a daily basis. Have also OMD EM-5 but its image quality is worse than 100D in my opinion. Bought few lenses for the 100D also 10-18mm and have very good results with it. So yes - I would recommend this set to anyone who needs UWA.

It's fun camera to play with and gives really great results with good lenses and I can use EF-S lenses with 7DII also. I highly recommend it.

100D + 35mm/2.0


100D + 85mm/1.8


100D + 24mm/2.8 pancake


100D + 50mm/1.4


100D + 10-18mm/4.5-5.6

 

[candc]

You got me looking at this camera again so I ordered one from adorama. They have a bundle with the camera +18-55, 75-300, printer, memory card, and a bag for $399.00 after mail in rebate. That is a deal that just can't be beat!

I already bought one of these for my younger daughter and I will give this to the older one but I will have some fun with it too.

that 75-300 lens is really bad it seems but they are basically paying you to take it off their hands. it will probably go in the dumpster or sit in a drawer so i ordered a 55-250 stm from the canon store. they have refurbs for $120

 

[Mr_Canuck]

You got me looking at this camera again so I ordered one from adorama. They have a bundle with the camera +18-55, 75-300, printer, memory card, and a bag for $399.00 after mail in rebate. That is a deal that just can't be beat!

I already bought one of these for my younger daughter and I will give this to the older one but I will have some fun with it too.

that 75-300 lens is really bad it seems but they are basically paying you to take it off their hands. it will probably go in the dumpster or sit in a drawer so i ordered a 55-250 stm from the canon store. they have refurbs for $120

Canon store have this kit refurb for $269 but you have to be notified and catch it within about 30 seconds to grab one. And I can't find any way to get one from Canada. They restrict every non-US form of payment, even paypal. So it's not an option. I found a pretty competitive offering here. The 75-300 seems horrible whereas the 55-250stm seems highly regarded.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

I'll elaborate more later, I'm super busy right now. But I also took the SL1 to Philmont in 2014 with a 10-22 and the Tamron 18-270 lenses. Great combo. Batteries are light. Camera is light, durable (within reason) and inexpensive (when on sale).

My quick response is get one and see how it works for you while hiking. I was pleased. Plus, the touchscreen was very helpful when I took pics of the camp maps and then we could later look at and zoom/pan the map to see where we were.

 

[photogdan]

The SL1 is a great option, especially with STM lenses. Very good IQ in a small package.

I had one for a while but I prefer an articulating LCD. I also panicked when I mounted an old lens with an AF confirmation adapter and the SL1 refused to turn on. Luckily, it was under warranty and Canon fixed it. I had tried that chip on a few other bodies with no issues.

I ended up selling it but now I'm curious to see what the SL2 will bring.

 

[lescrane]

I'm sort of with you.....having tried the EOS M(original) and Sony a6000 for mirrorless, and sold both. Almost got the Fuji XT-10 w/a heavy, large lens..but....wait a minute....Maybe my answer to downsize from the DSLR APC -S canons is the SL1.....much easier to get good quality, affordable lenses either Canon or third party. and less money.

My only reason for holding out.....

hoping an SL2 comes out soon. 2 features I would love are a command dial on the back or top for exposure compensation,and flip out LCD. I really hate all the typical Rebel series button arraignment on the back. I'm dialing in comp all the time and pressing one button and turning another dial doesnt work.

If the smaller mirrorless cameras can give more dials(3 on Fuji, 2 on Sony, I think the M3 has 3), why can't the SL1.(I know the new Rebel xxi has it). If the upscale the Sl1 a bit(like the upscale Rebel) I'm in

So that's my take....