The pain and agony of dragging around a DSLR

Just wondering how many of you have experienced the pain and agony of dragging around a dslr cam with 2 or 3 lenses, etc etc with you on a 3 hour walking tour?

Today, I had the pleasure of doing this without ever having a moment to sit. It was so bad, that I didn't even want to drag the camera out. To be honest, the crowd was horrible. Large autumn festival type of situation in a historic town, where I THOUGHT I would get some great shots. The crowd was too thick, and our touring was pretty spartan for good shots...if I would have stopped moving I think I would have been trampled lol.

My first mistake was heading out with both lenses, my second mistake was probably relying on the factory nikon camera bag that cam with the camera.

SO - that being said...

Is there a good backpack that can hold a water container and maybe a few other items with quick access to a camera that also protects it?

Thanks ....I checked out some of the ones through searching on here but they all seemed pretty extreme or oversized.

I thank you, and my shoulders thank you. Funny, I thought - why do people care about another 8 oz with a camera? Big deal right?!
3 hours later, lesson learned.

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How do you work this crazy thing?

sincraft said:

Just wondering how many of you have experienced the pain and agony of dragging around a dslr cam with 2 or 3 lenses, etc etc with you on a 3 hour walking tour?

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No, but I walk around on my own for that length of time with about the same amount of equipment. I have neck/shoulder problems so I don't want a bag anywhere near there or a backpack. I researched and got the Lowepro Inverse 200 when they first came out last summer and love it. All the weight is on my hips or in front, so no shoulder strain and my arms are free. It has a shoulder strap too, if you want to use it. It doesn't hold a whole lot, buy I can just fit my D80 with a med.size lens on it plus my 70-300VR plus SB-600. I can also bring two smaller lenses in place of the 70-300VR. There is plenty of room for small accessories and it has a pouch for a water bottle on the side. Camera bags are a personal thing and each person has different tastes, but it's something you might want to check out.
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Lora

I've been on Dpreview since June 2006. Unfortunately, some posting history has been lost along the way...

lac111 said:

sincraft said:

Just wondering how many of you have experienced the pain and agony of dragging around a dslr cam with 2 or 3 lenses, etc etc with you on a 3 hour walking tour?

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Since I used to treat lowback pain in a former life, all I can say is that eventually, every side-slung bag is going to hurt your back if you load it down, its only a matter of time (ie, its not gonig to hurt you if you don't have it on long enough). Switching to a backpack system will take care of a lot fo the backache but its never going to be as convenient (or stylish) as a shoulder bag.

I've since learned to only take two lenses with me, one lens for shots that weren't planned ahead of time and one for shots that I had in mind before heading out.

Have you looked at the Lowepro Fastpack series? They provide relatively easy side access (similar to the Slingshots, but two shoulder straps). The Fastpack 200, 250, or 350 might meet your needs.

Oh yes, I feel your pain!

When I bought my D80 they threw in a simple Crumpler backpack, but - although very comfortable - it has little in the way of internal compartments and accessing gear means taking it off your back and putting it down.

So I bought a cheap Yellow Moon slingshot-type bag to carry my D80 with 18-135 mm lens, 70-300mm VR, Sigma 10-20 mm, and now a 50 mm 1.8, together with a couple of filters etc.

On the Scott Kelby worldwide photowalk here I was sore after walking round for an hour, gave up and went home, and was uncomfortable for the next 2 days! Carrying it slung in front doesn't help much as there's still lots of strain and compression going on.

It's given me new respect for mothers who carry their babies around!

DElliott said:

Have you looked at the Lowepro Fastpack series? They provide relatively easy side access (similar to the Slingshots, but two shoulder straps). The Fastpack 200, 250, or 350 might meet your needs.

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I agree, I have the fast pak 250, it's very convenient, has a ton of room for the camera (including for a laptop, if you are so inclined) and also a lot of personal stuff, I travel with a 4 year old so there's a lot of extra kit and this bag is brilliant!

I have the 250, and it's making life easier for me. The lower compartment holds a D90 + 18-105 VR + 70-300 + Tamron 10-24 + an old Tamron 35-70mm macro + small tripod + cleaning equipment. The top compartment is completely free for other stuff and it takes as much stuff as a small backpack or shoulder bag. There's even a pocket for a laptop and a side pouch for a water bottle.

It's not a high-tech hiking backpack, though. It will press against your back and make it sweat. The straps are good and there's a belly strap too which is good for me since I drive a motorcycle.

Camera access is also good, just drop the right shoulder strap and the bag swings to your left where you can get the camera. Just a matter of seconds.

It's not a miracle maker, but I've carried it around for longer than 3 hours at a time.

I used to have the similar experience ... huge bag etc. etc. Now I contemplate which lens to bring prior to going anywhere and just bring the one lens, no bag, just the D90 dangling from my shoulder. Most of the time I just bring the 35mm 1.8 with this lens the D90 becomes very usable in most situations.
--
Happy with a Fuji f100 and happy with a Nikon D90....
actually happy with my iPhone camera.... generally a happy
guy

sincraft said:

Just wondering how many of you have experienced the pain and agony of dragging around a dslr cam with 2 or 3 lenses, etc etc with you on a 3 hour walking tour?

Click to expand...

LOL, that's not bad at all. Now imagine you're "dragging" around a D300 with 4 lenses, food, drinks & clothing for two days, and a tent - and all that in hot & humid southern Thailand for quite a bit more than 3 hours, and partially without any sort of road... can't really relate to your type of pain and agony.

sincraft said:

Today, I had the pleasure of doing this without ever having a moment to sit. It was so bad, that I didn't even want to drag the camera out. To be honest, the crowd was horrible.

Click to expand...

That's not the camera's problem, no?

sincraft said:

Is there a good backpack that can hold a water container and maybe a few other items with quick access to a camera that also protects it?

Click to expand...

Well, quick access is always a problem. You may want to have a look at the LowePro SlingShot type bags - but they don't have room for much other stuff.

I oftern walk in the mountains or on the beach and sometimes in the city with my camera. I almost always choose one or two lenses that are appropriate for the walk so that I don't have to carry too much. Its a pleasure when I get home and have a series of pics to look at and those that were with me appreciate the memories.
Claude

Check this one out (or other products from this company):

http://reviews.photographyreview.com/blog/clik-elite-medium-nature-camera-pack-video-review/

A good bag is important. I spent yesterday at the same kind of festival. I had a central location (in this case, a friend's house but other times it is a locked car) where I left my bag. First, I walked around with the D90 and the 50mm. Then, I came back and switched to the 12-24. Carrying too much is painful, especially as you age!!

sincraft said:

Just wondering how many of you have experienced the pain and agony of dragging around a dslr cam with 2 or 3 lenses, etc etc with you on a 3 hour walking tour?

Today, I had the pleasure of doing this without ever having a moment to sit. It was so bad, that I didn't even want to drag the camera out. To be honest, the crowd was horrible. Large autumn festival type of situation in a historic town, where I THOUGHT I would get some great shots. The crowd was too thick, and our touring was pretty spartan for good shots...if I would have stopped moving I think I would have been trampled lol.

My first mistake was heading out with both lenses, my second mistake was probably relying on the factory nikon camera bag that cam with the camera.

SO - that being said...

Is there a good backpack that can hold a water container and maybe a few other items with quick access to a camera that also protects it?

Thanks ....I checked out some of the ones through searching on here but they all seemed pretty extreme or oversized.

I thank you, and my shoulders thank you. Funny, I thought - why do people care about another 8 oz with a camera? Big deal right?!
3 hours later, lesson learned.

--
How do you work this crazy thing?

Click to expand...

--
OK, not so purely a hobby.

good small relief[and possibly modular]backpack is help alot.
or big vest for DSLR and things.

I have a tamrac System 6 bag with my D90, three lenses, a SB-600 and misc. accessories, and yes it gets really heavy. So heavy in fact that I rarely carry it around, it generally stays in the truck. The three lenses consist of a 50mm f/1.8, an 18-105mm, and a 70-300mm VR. If I were headed out to shoot birds I’d mount the 70-300 lens; frequently I feel that 300mm isn’t long enough. About this time last year my Daughter and I found ourselves near Sunset Cliffs close to sunset. I figured the 18-105 would work best, but as it turned out I wanted a narrower view than 105mm, so I went back to the truck and changed to the 70-300. But if I were headed out on a walking tour in a historic part of town I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have much call for a 300mm lens. I might make do with the 70mm end but the 18-105 would probably be my lens of choice.

My Wife and I are both retired and we sometimes go to reunions, Christmas parties, and retirement parties for fellow workers who themselves are retiring and then there can be a question as to what lens to use. The 50mm f/1.8 is nice for those times when a flash might not be appropriate, but I generally find it either a bit too long or not nearly wide enough. Again the 18-105 coupled with the SB-600 is usually my preferred combo. But since I won’t be walking around and I can set the camera bag under my chair or alongside it I generally take the bag with me.

The 50mm f/1.8 makes a good close-up lens for shooting flowers and some of those creepy-crawly things you find in the garden. Throw on a close-up filter and you can get some nice up close shots of insects. Not Macro, but then Macro frequently gets you too close.

My point is that a little forethought can really reduce what equipment you need to take along. A telephoto lens probably isn’t going to be of much use in a crowded festival, nor is a wide angle lens going to do you much good shooting Water-fowl. I generally avoid festivals like the plague but if I had to go I might just make do with my Wife’s Canon SD1100 IS and leave the DSLR at home. I’d figure that in all likelihood, considering the shooting environment, the little Canon (or my old Sony F-717) would be more than sufficient.

It’s great to have a bag that will hold all your equipment so you can keep it all together in one place. A second, much smaller bag makes sense for those times when your shooting ops are going to be limited and you don’t want to carry a lot of unnecessary equipment around with you.

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While amateurs change the camera’s settings; many Pro’s prefer to change the light.

Brooks
http://bmiddleton.smugmug.com/

Said it before, I'll say it again: If you want to carry a small kit ( camera body, 2 lenses, water bottle, odds and ends ) and actually shoot out of it, it's best to have a smaller bag at waist level that you can rotate the front for working and to the back for carry, with a shoulder strap to stabilize the load and to allow you to easiliy rotate to the front. Most of the weight is on the hips where it should be, and your shoulders and back are free.

A backpack is NOT designed for active shooting; it's designed for carrying TO the shoot. You cannot get to the camera without removing the bag and causing a fuss in your local area. As such, it should always have a real waist belt (not a thin stabilizer waist strap) to transfer the load, or at least when the load exceeds 5-6lbs, and it should have a dang good shoulder strap system if it doesn't have a waist belt (even if it does, actually).

Sling bags are quite popular. I've never liked them because they attempt to address the accessibility problem at the expense of load carrying.

I use and recommend a waist/shoulder bag. There are several good examples out there. Tamrac makes a couple; LowePro makes the Inverse series - the 100 might be large enough for you, the 200 if you want to carry a bit more stuff; the best in my opinion is the WiredUp 10 by ThinkTankPhoto. Expensive, but superbly designed, well appointed, and it nails the waist/shoulder carry approach. If you're going to carry a camera with a 70-300 attached and want it to be totally enclosed, go for the WiredUp 20. If you really want a backpack, the previously suggested Clik Elite Medium Backpack is a good option, but has several competitors, notably from LowePro.

I know, I know. Just shoot me

I have d700 with loads of fine quality glass. But lately, I've been experiencing the same as you.

I recently had the chance to borrow a Nikon D5000, and added my 18-200 VR lens for a day out.

I honestly enjoyed taking pictures more than I have in a long time.

Image quality on the lower end bodies has gotten so good this year, that I am seriously considering downsizing everything for the sake of carry weight.

Typical 8x10's and 4x6 snaps won't ever see a difference.

I find as I get older the fat redistributes and I find it hard to keep my britches where they belong on their own without hanging several pounds of weight around my waist (wherever that might be - I'm not really sure anymore). In short an old guy like me without hips and too much belly would find this not acceptable. I guess I do subscribe to the go lighter and smaller routine though. For outings like you mention I would only be taking one body and one lens. A D40 with a 18-105 is very versatile for this and I also find my D90 with a 28-200G is very versatile besides being compact and light. If anybody would come out with a new point and shoot with good high iso capabilities and an optical viewfinder I would probably have one quickly also. For the super light now I do with a Canon S400 in a tiny little belt pouch that fits it like skin. It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes on my belt.

No text

Here is one very happy user's experience and review:

http://kenrockwell.com/tech/think-tank-speed-demon.htm
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James