After much research and lengthy comparison of some of the leading travel tripods I decided on the Slik Mini II as the perfect complement to the Canon G16 for my bike touring photography kit.    

Considering this tripod weighs less than two pounds and closes down to less than fourteen inches makes this one of the most compact, lightest weight tripods available and is considerably more stable than others I had considered.  I basically had three criteria for a new travel tripod.  

1. Weighs less than three pounds
2. Small enough to fit inside a pannier
3. Cost less than a hundred bucks

While I had considered some of the tripods from mefoto and Manfrotto I preferred to have the tripod legs extend and adjust with tab levers rather than the screw type which seems to be more common on some of the most popular travel tripods.  Some simpler models don't have a quick release plate for the tripod head and was also something I found to be quite preferable.  

Many of the light weight tripods designed for travel have very low working heights.  While the mefoto daytrip can only extend to a maximum working height of twenty four inches the Slik Mini II has very reasonable heights of thirty five inches as shown in photo at left and the center pole extends to an overall height of forty three and a half inches and is plenty stable for my little Canon G16.  

This is a very well designed tripod that provides versatility for a variety of photo opportunities.  Ratcheting leg design allows the tripod to be used low to the ground and the center pole can be inverted for photographing close ups of flowers and such.  Protective foam rubber sleeves are an added bonus not only for when it's cold outside but makes it nice to grab, hold and pack. 

When I compared and considered all the basic qualities of a travel tripod I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Slik Mini II not only met all my basic criteria but I was able to get a lot of tripod for less than a hundred bucks.  If you're looking for a light weight, compact travel tripod for bike touring, the Slik Mini II is simply the best available and at a very reasonable price.  Oh yeah, it also includes a nice little carrying bag with shoulder strap.  Click on photos or link provided in post for information or to purchase.  

Links related to this topic:
Camera Favorite for Bike Touring
Bike Touring Pack Kit 
Bridge Cameras for Bike Touring

As we prepare to put another year behind us it is appropriate to look forward to a new year of bike touring and commuting and what better way to do that than with a new high quality camera for next year's travels.  

Earlier this year my old 2001 Nikon Coolpix 995 decided to stop cooperating.  After fifteen years the poor old thing needed to be retired.  Although it was a very old camera the image quality was rather superb considering the rapid advancements of camera technology.  After diligently researching many of the newer options including the mirrorless four thirds cameras and super zoom bridge cameras I decided on the Canon G 16.  

Canon's G series of cameras have been around for several years having proven to be a more than capable camera for image quality, versatility and with the added wifi feature on the G 16 it quickly became my favorite camera for bike touring travel photography. Having ability to share photos via my phone to social networking accounts was something I had considered and is the main reason I didn't invest in an expensive phone.  My reasoning was that I could use the savings to get a camera that would be of good enough quality for stock photography.  So when the new G 16 came available for less than four hundred dollars I jumped on it.  There is a lot of online discussions in forums and such berating Canon's lazy attempt to implement a quality wifi feature.  However, since Canon introduced the Camera Connect App this is no longer an issue.  Canon obviously thought more of the wifi addition to the G 16 than the negative reviews would lead one to believe.  After all half of the user manual which comes with the camera is devoted to connecting the camera via wifi to various devices.  For this reason folks interested in more advanced techniques or wanting to know more of the G 16's functions available to them will want a better manual than that which is included with the camera so you can go hear to download the G 16 camera manual.  

Photo at left shows the Canon G 16 connected via wifi to my Motorola Moto G first generation phone.  I would guess that newer phones might even work better but the point being that even with my older phone the wifi feature of the Camera Connect app works.  This is so convenient for travel photography, blogging and sharing to social networks without absolutely having to plug into a laptop or tablet.  For simple step by step instructions on how to edit wifi settings of the G !6 for your device go this link from Canon USA.

It's true, excellent image quality can be had with some cameras which have small sensors and I'm glad I didn't get one of the more popular super zoom cameras or bridge cameras as they are known to produce noisy, pixelated images under low light conditions.  Photo shown above was made with camera's auto mode and because I didn't have a tripod with me I simply set the camera on a post which made for an interesting photo. I am really enjoying the wide angle of the G 16's lens and the smooth, quick zoom function of the lens.  Although lens adapters and filter kits are available for the G 16 I am finding that the stock camera provides plenty of creative options and so much to learn and play with.  Here is a list of reasons for my choosing the Canon G 16:

1. Build Quality:  This camera feels so good and solid to hold as it is not made entirely of plastic.  Some of the other cameras I looked at felt too light weight and flimsy due to their being so much plastic in the design of the camera.  
2. Size:  This is a lot of camera in a very small package.  For folks who don't want to pack around a bulky DSLR kit while bike touring this is definitely a camera worth considering.  This is another consideration for travel tripod users.  Many of the quality lightweight, small tripods will easily provide enough stability for a camera of this size and weight.  
3. Image Quality:  There are much more detailed reviews provided by professional photography blogs and sites which can offer up many more reasons as to why this is one of the best travel photography cameras available and a favorite camera with many professional travel photographers.  
4. Battery Life:  Although it certainly depends on how much or how often the wifi is used to transfer images the battery in my G 16 has been holding a charge for days without any indication of getting tired.  This I might mention is while I have been simply playing around with it in order to get an idea of how the camera's functions are made available.  Under normal conditions, that is once I get past my own personal learning curve I expect the camera's battery to last much longer.  
5. Reputation:  Canon's G series cameras have been around for many years, this is a camera I expect to produce quality images for several years to come while still meeting the quality image requirements of some stock photo agencies.  It's that good of a camera. 
6. Optical Viewfinder:  Not all the cameras I considered provided an optional view finder.  None of the mirrorless four thirds cameras I had considered and a few of the super zoom bridge cameras didn't either.  In the case of one of the four thirds models I discovered that the screen would glitch out rendering the camera useless.  It's also a nice option to have on very bright sunny days and when not using the LCD screen can save a lot of extra battery time. 
7. Lens Cap:  Due to the camera's built in lens cap design it's just one less thing to have think or worry about.  When the camera is shut down the lens automatically retracts and the lens closes itself shut. Excellent design for travel.
8. Built in Flash:  Not only does this camera provide an optional flash hot shoe there is also a small built in pop up flash.  This is another bonus and not found on many of the four thirds cameras.  There are many modes and flash settings to play with and for my photography interests is something that is nice to have if needed.  
9. dp reviews:  I consider dpreviews to be a valuable and trusted resource for folks considering camera or photography purchases.  Canon's G 15 was given their best rating and the G 16 is very similar with added wifi and faster processor.   Canon knew better than to completely redesign a quality camera but instead just added a couple of goodys to keep up with the times while providing the camera at a very nice price point.  

This is a solidly built, durable high quality camera that offers plenty of creative control and manual features to meet the needs of photo enthusiasts an any level of experience.  Use any of the links provided above or click on photos for information or to purchase. 

Links related to this topic:
Bridge Cameras for Bike Touring
Multi Day Bike Touring Kit
Tripod Favorite for Bike Touring