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Author Topic: How do you carry your gear?  (Read 2835 times)

David S

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How do you carry your gear?
« on: December 31, 2016, 10:39:22 am »

I have just received my Fuji 100-400mm zoom and am wondering how folk carry their large lens together with the rest of their equipment when out in the field. I have a photo backpack that will carry all my gear including two camera bodies but wondered how others manage two cameras with lens on and the larger telephotos that get used less when out for a day. I am not into camping overnight in the filed but do plenty of hiking - or at least as much as my age will allow. Ideally I would have two cameras in action held in place by holsters or straps but could use some advice.

Interested in how you carry stuff and any suggestions that might make it all easier.

Thanks,

Dave S
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Kevin Raber

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2016, 12:36:24 pm »

Take a look at the article about going to Antarctica.  I show the kit I used to carry all the gear I shot with there.  Hope that helps a bit.  https://luminous-landscape.com/off-south-georgia-antarctica/
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Kevin Raber
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David S

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2016, 12:49:58 pm »

Thanks,

I had forgotten that article and it is, indeed, quite useful.

Dave S
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RPark

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2017, 02:08:39 pm »

Depends on the gear. I have an older LowePro backpack for my DSLR gear, which I find stays in the studio most of the time since I bought a Fujifilm X-Pro2 and 3 lenses, for which I recently picked up a beautiful Billingham Hadley Pro.

These bags are built not far from my hometown, so I was thrilled to pick one up on a recent return trip to the UK.

My back thanks me too.  :)
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David S

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2017, 03:40:56 pm »

This is great for regular stuff but hard to fit the 100-400mm in.

Dave S


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RPark

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #5 on: January 05, 2017, 04:06:12 pm »

Yes. I'm hanging on to my big LowePro.
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PeterAit

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #6 on: January 05, 2017, 04:35:17 pm »

To a great extent it depends on your personal preferences. On the one hand is the photo nut who wants to have very possible lens and gadget with him at all times, and hauls around a huge backpack with tripod. On the other hand, there are those (for example, me) who are interested in taking great photos but who also want to enjoy the trip without the misery of being a pack mule. For example, while in Iceland recently I carried a FF Nikon body and 2 zooms covering 24 to 200mm, a few fikters and extra batteries. I occasionally had a lightweight carbon fiber tripod slung over my shoulder. Could I have used a 15mm lens sometimes, or a 400 or 600? Sure, but I was not willing to carry them.
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David S

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #7 on: January 05, 2017, 04:45:13 pm »

Do not disagree but when you are out specifically to photograph birds at 30 or more meters (90 feet) you really do need the telephoto reach. Even with 10x binoculars, they can be small.

Dave S
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roscoetuff

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2017, 08:58:49 am »

I like Kevin's approach: When in doubt, pack everything... ESPECIALLY the wife and he's blessed that she comes with complementary camera gear as well. That just beats everything. Highly recommended. By contrast, sherpas are no better than a 2nd best option.

FWIW, I find when I take what looks like everything, it doesn't change what actually happens: I tend to work a vary narrow palette for "the carry", preferring to put the camera/lens combo in a ThinkTank holster with one other lens in my pocket or a ThinkTank pouch on a belt. There are compartment bags like Kevin shows which are great for the "base station", but awkward on site. So far, I've bought them used fairly cheap. Tripod + Head solution for travel... I'm still working on that. A RRS nut, I've their monopod, tripod, and a head or two, but still not figured the travel thing out to my satisfaction.

Add that I've heard Scott Bourne of Photofocus and formerly of Fuji Mirrorless podcasting has recently switched from Fuji and moved away from Canon as well to Panasonic MFT for the Leica lenses and greater than APS-C compression specifically for birding. That said, back when I was shooting Fuji and had that same Fuji 100-400, I found that a Think Tank lens pouch works fairly well. You can hang it off one of their belts. Did I like the it? No. That is the lens that -great as it is and sharp as a tack- broke this camel's back and sent me off in search of smaller lenses: Olympus Zuiko's first and then Zeiss using Metabones adapters, and ultimately pushed me out of Fuji and into Sony A7II for the IBIS. Think Tank holster might actually carry the 100-400 if you open the zip-up built-in pouch.
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"Go out looking for one thing, and that's all you'll ever find." Robert J. Flaherty, Cinematographer

HSakols

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2017, 09:24:05 am »

Find a wife to carry your lens!
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SZRitter

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Re: How do you carry your gear?
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2017, 09:30:15 am »

Depends on the situation.

1. Out to shoot, don't need much else than camera gear - Bag designed for cameras, I have a Burton F-Stop backpack or a Lowepro shoulder bag.
2. Out to shoot, but need hiking/skiing gear - Camera in a holster on the hip belt, other lenses in wraps in the hiking/skiing pack
3. Lightweight/business travel - camera and gear in wraps/small cases in whatever bags I'm traveling with
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