So I’m thinking about getting one of those little mirrorless cameras with the interchangeable lenses like a Sony NEX7 or a Fuji X20. One of those would be perfect for a day like the day I made the photos in this post.
I was already feeling sluggish and had a headache coming on and it was super hot — 90 degrees in March! I remember that I went out for the very short walk at Badwater Basin with only one lens and I didn’t even bring my tripod. My camera felt like it weighed a ton!
I’m surprised these images turned out as good as they did actually!
Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park got its name from a surveyor who was mapping the area and could not get his mule to drink from the small pool of water. He said it must be bad water and the name stuck.
Please click the images to view larger versions.
I have seen images from this location where the salt flats were exceptionally white. I did a little research on this and discovered that it changes every year and some years it looks muddier than others. I guess this was a muddy year because the tops of the salt formations were not white at all.
Death Valley was not created by erosion but by earthquakes. Movements in the earth’s crust dropped the valley’s lowest point, Badwater Basin, to 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere.
Unlike Devils Golf Course, not too far away, Badwater Basin floods occasionally but never enough for the water to overflow and seek out the sea (that would be an awful lot of water). The water just flattens out the basin and evaporates leaving the salts behind.
Because of the popularity of this section of the park, there is a strip of salt that has been pounded down by years of people treading on the surface to create what resembles ice.
There was only a very small pool of water and no, I didn’t drink it!
I think having one of those light mirrorless camera might be just the ticket on days like this or when I want to go on a longer hike without having to carry all my equipment.
So I’m curious, have you ever tried one? What do you think about the quality compared to a DSLR?
The mirrorless cameras are the way to go for longer exposure photos. No mirror slap, so vibration isn’t an issue.
The problem with Sony cameras is that they aren’t compatible with many other standard devices, such as hotshoe mounts and lenses. If that isn’t an issue then go for it.
I got to play around with a Sony A77 when I was shooting the Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills, Eastern Sierras a month ago. I really liked it. Only issue is the image in the viewfinder isn’t as detailed as a mirror, so shooting in low light and dark could be an issue (haven’t checked though).
I often dream of a light weight camera when I’m trudging around with my 30 pound large format kit haha
Hi Eric, I can’t even imagine carrying around a large format camera! I think I would only enjoy using one when I could drive right up to the location! Thanks for your feedback about the mirrorless cameras.
Anne can you imagine what Badwater Water would look like if it did have water.
That happened in 2006 ( I believe that is the correct date). There was enough water for people to kiyak. It was up to 3 feet deep.
I keep looking at the Sony NEX-7 but just can’t seem to pull out the credit card yet.
Wow, I can’t imagine what that would look like! A lake I guess 🙂 Thanks for your comments Allan.
This is amazing. I didn’t realize death valley was created from an earthquake. It’s been my dream to ride my bike across Death Valley for quite awhile. Maybe I’ll get there one of these days!
I hope you do Ellen, it is well worth it! Thanks for your visit and comments.
We bought a Panasonic GF1 a couple of years ago for those times you don’t grab your Dslr. It’s been very handy. It can’t track, or do some of the things a Dslr can do, but it can take some pretty great photos. We have one photo blown up to 3 1/2 feet (try hiking out on 300 acres to catch horses with halters, oats etc.; the GF1 slips in your pocket nicely). Scott Bourne swears by micro 2/3rds.
Thanks for the information Leah, I’ll check that one out.
Nice shots of a unique place……… I think you can also look for Olympus models if you are looking for mirrorless camera….. They have more options……….
Thanks Debopam, I haven’t heard anything about the Olympus ones, but I’ll check it out. Thanks for the visit and comments!
What a terrific post, Anne, that’s some pretty amazing landscape you’ve captured there! Love the write up on this, great post here my friend!
Inuse the Nikon V1 the original from time to time, I am packing that this weekend for a road trip to PA I also took I to Iceland with me last year ( along with 30 pounds of other gear). I keep a quick connect plate on it and the little V1 does a good job getting images. It’s only 10.1 mp but for that size sensor it’s perfect.
Sometimes it is really nice having a lightweight kit with you.
Enjoy the day
Joe
Thanks for the information Joe, I’ll have to check that one out too. I’ve never shot with a Nikon!! I think I’ve tried almost all the other brands at one time or another but never a Nikon. I think I would like the versatility of having a lightweight kit.
Anne, I think you might be happy with a Panasonic G5 or 6. They are lightand have some really good lenses. I was very comfortable going from a 60D to it. The G5 (I have one) is set up like a DSLR. There viewfinder is electronic though, so not as bright but you can also use the swiveling screen.
I also have an E-P2, (new model is E-P5, I think) Olympus which is nice but not DSLR-like, more like a point and shoot in feel. They are both remarkably light, easy to carry and take very good pictures. You can use either brand of lens on either camera, which is handy. I am in the process of selling my 60D and 3 Canon lenses, 18-135, 55-250 and 400L. If I were trying to make money at this, those shots would have to come from your kind of set-up. I have photos from all three on my blog and do talk about which camera I used in my most recent posts. I hope this helps.
Thanks Robert, I’ll check out your post for more info!
Hey Anne,
I recently purchased the Pentax K-01 mirrorless dslr as my backup to my Pentax K5 (has the same sensor as the K5 which is nice), and I can use all my existing Pentax lenses with it, so no need to invest in a new lens system. I’m liking the mirrorless experience a lot but I do find limitations in certain areas. But also advantages in other areas. I think the current crop of mirrorless cameras is a transitional technology, so I’d be hesitant to invest to heavily in it until it finds its place.
I’m liking you Death Valley photos. It has been a number of years since I’ve been there and you photos are inspiring me to head back again.
Thanks,
DAVE
Hi Dave, thanks for the info about the Pentax K-01. Interesting thoughts about the current technology being in a flux so maybe I should just wait a bit and see what happens. Thanks also for the compliment on the Death Valley photos. I very much appreciate your visit and comments.
Hi Anne. Thanks for the newsletter. I have been travelling around Australia and seem to be some kind of rainmaker as I seem to bring wet days to wherever I go.
I would like to say that I have often wondered if one should switch to the small mirror-less cameras instead of playing “Lug” every day. I have an older Olympus Dslr an E520 and I find it very confusing to navigate my way around the menu as it uses a multitude of symbols I think about 80 in total and so you need the manual to work out what the symbols mean.
I had an old Panasonic “Bridge” camera with an electronic viewfinder and that was an awful idea. It also had a screen which is hopeless out in the bright sun and who doesn’t like taking the odd beach scene.
I now have a Canon 1100d and feel that it is so easy to navigate around the menus
I just found that Olympus seemed to be harder to operate and more expensive to buy accessories for. I had trouble trying to buy Olympus stuff from our local camera shop as although they sold me the camera when I wanted something it was always a huge hassle. I have become more savvy with the internet since those early days and have learnt about getting a much better deal too. Being an older man with big fingers can be an awful problem with small keypads and miniature controls as well. Maybe the new Olympus miniatures have addressed these problems.
I am just so happy with the Canon and I realise that most things that don’t turn out are Operator trouble and not a camera malfunction after all. I have found that many mistakes that occur are simple things like forgot to change the “White Balance” back to daylight from Fluro light setting or forgot to look to see if my own shadow is in the foreground. However I am learning and thanks to articles like these I get to learn ever so much more …. Thank You Anne. Allen Lawson.
Hi Allen, thank you very much for your comments. When choosing a camera, I always find the best thing is to go to the camera store and just try it out for awhile and pick the one that feels good in your hands and has a menu system that makes sense. All the cameras are pretty good these days. My first real camera was a Canon and I have stuck to Canon ever since because their menu system makes sense to me. By the way, I know a lot of guys that get those battery grips for their DSLR’s. They don’t get it because they need the battery, but because the camera is easier to hold on to with their bigger hands! Smaller cameras and smaller buttons are not for everyone! Cameras aside, I think the biggest factor to getting good images is to simplify the composition. And, if you shoot in raw, there are lots of things you can adjust later – like white balance. Thanks for your visit Allen!
I was just in Death Valley but didn’t make it to the basin. Gorgeous pictures as always