Grand Canyon Hike - Carry my Nikon D600 and/or Sony RX100ii

[CR88]

Hello all,

We live in the Midwest, and next week we are planning to do some hiking in AZ, particularly the Grand Canyon and Sedona. The last time we went was August (110 degrees), carried way too much gear (D200, 70-200 2.8, 24 mm 2.8, Leica Dlux 5, Canon Camcorder) as well as the required food and a lot of water. It was only a day hike so we didn't need camping gear. But, it was pretty hard and we only went 1 1/2 mile in before a park ranger suggested we wait out the sun in the Ranger Station and head back up. We are both in decent shape, but said he could tell we were newbies given that we were hiking around 10 am, had so much gear for a day hike in August and it was only getting hotter.

So, now we plan to hike even further. It's spring so it should be much cooler and we have invested in better packs to hike (Osprey Stratos 34), but I am seriously debating weather I should even carry my DSLR, which is now the D600. If I did, maybe just bringing the 24mm and also carrying my Sony RX which has really impressed me (Video and Pics). Looking back at the pics I took, the D200 produced much sharper images than the Leica. But, the Sony seems pretty good, much better than the Leica too, and may work for some landscape shots. Plus, it would be a way for us to trim off some weight and just go with the Sony, a GoPro 3 for the video and our iPhones for the simple pics.

Any input would be appreciated. The last time I was really glad I had the 70-200, but I think I may want to go lighter this time and sacrifice some of the shots and be able to enjoy ourselves more. Will I regret it though?

Thanks!

 

[tirediron]

It depends on what your primary goal is. A nice hike or a photographs. Personally, I would take at the very least my 'mini-kit' (One body, coverage from 14-200 + macro, one speedlight & ttl cord, CPOL, a couple of GNDs & NDs and tripod). 100 degrees is warm, but not intolerable. A good hat and proper clothing & footwear, and lots of liquid are key.