Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: headmj on December 18, 2020, 01:00:33 pm
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I have a fairly average tripod and head that weighs about 6 pounds. I have tried several ways to carry it into the field. In its own bag, not good. Strapped to a camera backpack. It always felt like it wanted to fall off. The hassle has me leaving it in the car more than I should.
Am I missing a great way to carry?
Thanks
Mike
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I carry my tripods strapped to my packs. Does you pack have special straps and "cups to hold the tripod legs"? If you have a choice, strap it to the middle of the pack as 6lb hanging off one side can cause fatigue quite quickly.
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I've been carrying my carbon fiber tripod with a strap slung over one shoulder or the other for many years. So long and often, in fact, that it sometimes feels as if I can't walk in the woods without it. It can dangle between arm and hip around belt high, or sometimes I rest my hands on it while it hangs right in front me. Obviously, this has simply become a habit. I've never seen anyone else carry a tripod like this but it works fine for me.
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Llama or pack mule works great. Even a horse will do.
Seriously, carry it slung over your back similar to carrying a rifle.
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Llama or pack mule works great. Even a horse will do.
Seriously, carry it slung over your back similar to carrying a rifle.
What about the pack that is on the back? Depending on where one hikes, something not firmly attached and just slug over a shoulder can become a hazard.
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It's why we have assistants.
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It's why we have assistants.
Yes!
I was going to suggest: Hire a Sherpa.
I gave away my heavy Gitzo while I was still in my 70s. Haven't missed it. My "big" camera now is the Sony RX10M3, with a zoom range of (35mm equiv.) 24 to 600 mm and excellent image stabilization. Yes, it's easy to get sharp images hand-held at 600mm. Of course I can't do time-lapse waterfalls, but I leave those to others anyway.
I've never missed the Gitzo. :)
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What bag/pack are you using?
What camera gear are you shooting - to get an idea of the weight on the tripod.
What are you shooting - to get an idea as to what & how you're capturing it.
Do you need a full height tripod or are you working low most of the time?
Would a trekking pole with a QR clamp work?
What other gear are you hiking with? Would adding a small blanket or ground cover with the tripod make it more stable on the pack?
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Just to add to Joe's list, can I ask why you need a tripod, as opposed to want? The current set of cameras are so much better at reducing noise and have image stabilisation that one can hand hold for images that one would not have done even a few years ago. The pixel count is such that cropping is much more possible to get the framing you exactly want and still have good size prints, though maybe not very large ones. Even then upscaling can give good results.
Jonathan
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Just to add to Joe's list, can I ask why you need a tripod, as opposed to want? The current set of cameras are so much better at reducing noise and have image stabilisation that one can hand hold for images that one would not have done even a few years ago. The pixel count is such that cropping is much more possible to get the framing you exactly want and still have good size prints, though maybe not very large ones. Even then upscaling can give good results.
Jonathan
I always go out with a tripod. In the good light ( dusk / dawn ) when it's dim and stopping the lens down, exposures easily go into seconds. I just cannot fathom hand holding anything close to that shutter speed.
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Can't argue with you, Chez, you definitely need a tripod. I am not a before dawn or late evening person, preferring to use some artistic licence in post-processing. I am also doing much more b&w so the golden hour is not so important.
Best wishes,
Jonathan
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If I'm really hiking with a tripod I don't use my regular Lowepro backpack. Instead, put my gear in a Lowepro Nova 180 and place that bag into a large backpack. I'll even place the tripod in the backpack. I find it is a much more comfortable way to carry gear in the mountains. For shorter hikes, I carry that dam tripod.
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I use a carbon fiber Gitzo (GT1551T) and hang it on my belt, with a small nylon cord tied around a leg to stop it from swinging wildly. It's minimally noticeable when hiking.
Paul
www.PaulRoark.com
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I carry my tripods strapped to my packs. Does you pack have special straps and "cups to hold the tripod legs"? If you have a choice, strap it to the middle of the pack as 6lb hanging off one side can cause fatigue quite quickly.
I have a backpack with straps but no foot clips. The straps try to attach it horizontally. I have it drop out twice. I think this pack is too small for foot cups. Thanks!
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Yes!
I was going to suggest: Hire a Sherpa.
I gave away my heavy Gitzo while I was still in my 70s. Haven't missed it. My "big" camera now is the Sony RX10M3, with a zoom range of (35mm equiv.) 24 to 600 mm and excellent image stabilization. Yes, it's easy to get sharp images hand-held at 600mm. Of course I can't do time-lapse waterfalls, but I leave those to others anyway.
I've never missed the Gitzo. :)
I need a porter like in the old movies! :-)
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What bag/pack are you using?
What camera gear are you shooting - to get an idea of the weight on the tripod.
What are you shooting - to get an idea as to what & how you're capturing it.
Do you need a full height tripod or are you working low most of the time?
Would a trekking pole with a QR clamp work?
What other gear are you hiking with? Would adding a small blanket or ground cover with the tripod make it more stable on the pack?
I am using a Lowepro pack designed for one camera and several lenses. I am shooting a D800, Nikon 105 2.8 macro, Nikon 24-85 and 70-300. I usually carry the macro and the 24-85. I do shoot macro in the woods and some landscape when it presents. I am frequently in the woods or at the end of the day or overcast. I have let the d800 run up to 6400 on auto iso but sometimes you really need support. Some compositions just can't stand the hi ISO noise. I have a TrekTech hiking pole that easily becomes a monopod that is very helpful but kind of useless for exact panos.
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Wandering and photographing London one winter's day, I found myself near the gates of Buckingham Palace. I had my tripod slung over my shoulder, but the strap was long enough to permit me to carry the legs horizontally at waist level, with the tubes more or less pointing at the horizon. Two policemen on horseback approached me and asked to see some identification.
While this transaction ensued, they demonstrated particular interest in my black tripod and suddenly I realized that I looked exactly like a weapon-bearing commando.
Oops.
I apologized profusely and moved on, resuming my more usual on-the-shoulder tripod posture.
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Ansel said "carry the biggest tripod you can," (especially if someone else is carrying it.) Essentially all of the workshop leaders with whom I have studied carry their tripods in one hand as they hike. I have a Mindshift Backlight 26L, and even though it has a great tripod carrying system, a central pocket on the bottom and straps on the top, I've found that placing the tripod so far to the rear cantilevers the weight so that it feels even heavier. Carrying it strapped to the side brings the weight forward but then it's wighted on one side. I attach it to the pack only if I know I'll be walking a significant distance without wanting to make a photograph. Clearly the best tripod carrying device is another person :). However, years ago on the Oregon Coast my spouse was kindly carrying my tripod and tripped on a rock. She managed to fracture her fibula and being a bit far from the car, we were in trouble until a kind soul came along and helped me get her to the car. She's not been asked to carry it since!
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Ansel said "carry the biggest tripod you can," (especially if someone else is carrying it.) Essentially all of the workshop leaders with whom I have studied carry their tripods in one hand as they hike.
Obviously it seems the hikes were fairly simple in nature. Many of my hike in's require my hands to either grab onto rocks or trees for stabilization. Definitely need both my hands ready to grab something at a moments notice.
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This depnds on where you want to 'hike',...what the terrain is like,...what the locals are like if they 'clock' your tripod etc...
Personally I don't want to advertise that I'm carrying photo gear and prefer to blend into the landscape as just another walker. For these reasons I use a British Army PLCE 80 ltr 'bergan' without the detachable side bags....my tripod is 24 inches long folded and resides in a stout cardboard tube in the centre of the bag and is thus invisible during carrying, but can be deployed in seconds. Spare clothing and food/flasks goes in next either side of tube and then cameras and lenses packed into snap top plastic boxes lined with foam...the lid pocket holds waterproof poncho which can quickly be deployed to cover everything in the inevitable sudden rain where I walk in the Welsh boarder country.
This bag is one of the best ever designed by any maker, as befits an army too financially neglected to have enough trucks!....This is NOT the 'SAS bergan' which is quite an unsuitable design.
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I like Osprey backpacks. https://www.osprey.com/us/en/category/backpacks/ I have a couple of them. On this trip, I used an Aether 85. For a backpack, it is amazingly comfortable and lightweight. Osprey is really good about repairing your pack for years to come.
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I get a backache just looking at the two of you carrying those enormous packs.
I don't miss my Gitzo at all, or the flock of single-focal-length lenses I used to carry.
Today I went for a half-hour walk carrying only my Sony RX10M3 (one stabilized zoom lens, 24-600mm equivalent fl.) I left my water bottle in the car so I wouldn't have too much extra weight. ;D
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Slung over the shoulder in its own bag. I've walked 100s of km with them like this, even through tourist traps like Florence. No problem.
And I wouldn't do it any other way.
The backpack method you refere to looks too easy to create problems when walked under trees/branches or through thickets. The exposed legs and feet will catch on things. Then there's environmental damage.
If a tripod doesn't come with its own carry bag, don't buy it. That carry bag is not just there to look pretty in the box.
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I use a very light Feisol 3442 carbon tripod, slung on one shoulder with a belt. Worked since many years.
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p.s. monopods can make great walking sticks and while they're poor tripods, they can be enough to help you steady a camera and lens.
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Do a lot of exercise, such as hike with a tripod everyday.
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Sherpa.
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llama !
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Llama, yak, horse or mule, depending on which continent you're on.
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I'm not sure i'd trust a yak with my tripod - and unfortunately i've not found any horses, llamas, camels, or mules able to set it up for me reliably.
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I have a 3 section Gitzo 2 of the legs a collapsed the 3rd leg is extended to a comfortable length and I use it as a hiking stick. It has a heavy RRS ball head on it, I guess I could put that in the pack to lighten the tripod...works great for me...at 83 years old.
Cheers Richard
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To me the question is more what is the right tripod and what is the right pack and that varies from person to person and from mission to mission.
Recently my default for overnight trips staying in a mountain hut is:
- Right pack: Zpack 55l (600 gr, comfortable up to 13kg, completely waterproof fabric) that has a perfect set of loops at the very bottom to carry a tripod
- Right tripod: RRS travel tripod (1.45 kg including head)
The total weight of pack + tripod is less than the weight of my Osprey 60l pack. The Osprey is more comfortable when carrying heavy loads on a long distance but the ZPack is no slouch, and I get a “free” tripod and head.
Cheers,
Bernard
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Slung over the shoulder in its own bag. I've walked 100s of km with them like this, even through tourist traps like Florence. No problem.
And I wouldn't do it any other way.
The backpack method you refere to looks too easy to create problems when walked under trees/branches or through thickets. The exposed legs and feet will catch on things. Then there's environmental damage.
If a tripod doesn't come with its own carry bag, don't buy it. That carry bag is not just there to look pretty in the box.
I’m not sure the OP’s version of an outing is walking the streets of a city. Try walking the trails of Kauai or the Rocky Mountains while carrying the tripod over your shoulder and I think you’ll come to a different conclusion.
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I’m not sure the OP’s version of an outing is walking the streets of a city. Try walking the trails of Kauai or the Rocky Mountains while carrying the tripod over your shoulder and I think you’ll come to a different conclusion.
I've walked throughout all of the major national parks with a tripod hung thusly - including Half Dome. I've done 25 miles in a day on trails with a tripod slung over a shoulder in a bag. Having a tripod poking up would be a real problem because it would catch on all manner of branches, trees, etc.
So no, walking the trails of Kauai or Rocky Mountains isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference, IMHO, but then again, I walk nearly all trails in track shoes, not hiking boots, because hiking boots are for tourists or when you're going to be walking in places where there aren't trails.
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... I walk nearly all trails in track shoes, not hiking boots, because hiking boots are for tourists or when you're going to be walking in places where there aren't trails.
It may be your preference to not use hiking boots where there are trails but that is just a personal preference. I have hiked and backpacked in the Sierra and mountains in Southern California for more than 50 years. Always wear boots and need them for good support. They have saved my ankles or my toes a number of times. Have used hiking poles for the last 15 years which save wear and tear on my knees. No problems attaching a small tripod to my backpack when needed although for day hikes I might carry it in my hands.
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It may be your preference to not use hiking boots where there are trails but that is just a personal preference. I have hiked and backpacked in the Sierra and mountains in Southern California for more than 50 years. Always wear boots and need them for good support. They have saved my ankles or my toes a number of times.
I used to wear boots but found their soles to be too inflexible for my liking, making it difficult to maintain good traction.
https://www.cleverhiker.com/blog/ditch-boots
Have used hiking poles for the last 15 years which save wear and tear on my knees.
Poles are good :) A good monopod can double as a walking pole :)
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I've walked throughout all of the major national parks with a tripod hung thusly - including Half Dome. I've done 25 miles in a day on trails with a tripod slung over a shoulder in a bag. Having a tripod poking up would be a real problem because it would catch on all manner of branches, trees, etc.
So no, walking the trails of Kauai or Rocky Mountains isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference, IMHO, but then again, I walk nearly all trails in track shoes, not hiking boots, because hiking boots are for tourists or when you're going to be walking in places where there aren't trails.
If you can hike the trails you've walked using track shoes tells me a lot about the type of trekking you've done with your tripod. If you don't need to use both hands scrambling on scree or grabbing trees as you traverse down slopes...then yeh, carry the tripod over your shoulder...but not everyone hikes on nice trails.
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If you can hike the trails you've walked using track shoes tells me a lot about the type of trekking you've done with your tripod. If you don't need to use both hands scrambling on scree or grabbing trees as you traverse down slopes...then yeh, carry the tripod over your shoulder...but not everyone hikes on nice trails.
You seemed to miss this line that I wrote:
because hiking boots are for tourists or when you're going to be walking in places where there aren't trails.
I don't know why you seem to think tripod in a backpack is a requirement for ascending or descending steep slopes because it's not. If that's your only experience, fine.
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You seemed to miss this line that I wrote:
because hiking boots are for tourists or when you're going to be walking in places where there aren't trails.
I don't know why you seem to think tripod in a backpack is a requirement for ascending or descending steep slopes because it's not. If that's your only experience, fine.
When you need both hands to help ascend or descend, then anything hanging off your shoulder just puts you into a dangerous situation. I also use hiking poles to help take the strain off the knees during a steep descent, again making carrying your tripod on your shoulder a pain.
A good pack with the tripod attached with secure straps allows one to safely trek in many situations where carrying the tripod in hand just would put you in possible danger.
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When you need both hands to help ascend or descend, then anything hanging off your shoulder just puts you into a dangerous situation. I also use hiking poles to help take the strain off the knees during a steep descent, again making carrying your tripod on your shoulder a pain.
I've never had any of the problems you describe with a tripod in a carry bag over my shoulder, even when using hiking poles. And that includes on steep slopes where if I loose footing, it is a fall/slide to serious injury/death.
A good pack with the tripod attached with secure straps allows one to safely trek in many situations where carrying the tripod in hand just would put you in possible danger.
Nobody here is talking about carrying a tripod in hand while hiking.
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I actually use my carbon fiber tripod as my hiking stick ;) Just extend one of the legs to the correct length and works pretty good for me.... canyons, woods, and so on.....
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for extended hiking i have a platypod knockoff. it can sit on a rock, get strapped to a tree or whatever. it's got a standard ball head on top. i wish there was more clearance between the plate and the ball head, but it's much easier to carry than a tripod so i can ignore the little annoyances. an L bracket on the camera makes it possible to shoot vertical shots.
if i have to take a tripod i usually strap it underneath my backpack, with the head on my right and the feet to my left. i've tried to carry it upright on the back of the bag, but it pulls backwards too much and that's just hard to carry.