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Ideal Walkabout Combo

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Dominic G Smith

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After reading many recent threads on this issue and even considered buying the Nikon 28-300mm VR, I had a bit of a rethink.

On my last holiday I took what I though was a stripped done combo. One camera (D700 without grip,) a 50mm f1.8, a 20mm f2.8 and a 70-300mm zoom plus an SB400. Even then I felt that I ended up having to change lenses more than I wanted to with all the resulting potential problems with dust.

After having bought a D5100 as a replacement for a D2X which I sold, I've had a bit of a rethink. The D5100 is SO light that even paired with the 70-300 mm Nikon zoom (Sans VR,) it weighs very little. The image wuality is also miles better than the D2X (which was not a bad camera.) I've also had a Spider Pro camera belt for a while now that I've seldom used, but would like to try it for real on my next holiday/working vacation.

So next time I will take;

Nikon D700 without grip
Nikon 24-85 mm f3.5/5.6 zoom fitted to the D700
Nikon D5100 without grip
Nikon 70-300mm f3.5/5.6 fitted to the D5100 - giving 105-450mm
SB400 Flash
Nikon 20mm f2.8 (just in case)

I have a Sun Sniper strap fitted to the D700 which means I can carry it over my shoulder with no strain on my neck - SUPERB.

I will use the D5100 with the Spider Pro belt. As I said, its so light that it shouldn't cause a problem on my waist.

The flash can be fitted permamently to the D700 and the 20mm can be carried in a small Lowepro case fitted to the Spider Pro belt to be sued if/when I need it.

That should let me keep my backpack for filters/food/water/rainjacket etc.

Happy to hear from anyone if they think that I'm missing something.

http://www.bridalimage.co.uk
http://www.eventprints.co.uk
 
Well, it seems like a LOT of gear to me...

My basic "walkabout" gear is a D200 with an R Strap which is functionally equivalent to the Sun Sniper. I have found that using an R Strap means that I tend to carry a camera when I might not otherwise do so. I can take more and better pictures without the camera getting in my way or influencing my interactions with people.

But when I read on this forum how much gear people tote around I'm amazed. When I was younger I also tended to take a lot of lenses... and much of the time the majority of them went unused.

When I travel for pleasure I take one carry-on bag and a daypack. Now that airlines are tending to restrict carry-ons to one bag and a small "personal item" I am having to rethink how much I really need to carry.

So in addition to the camera I take a 12-24 zoom and a 35-70 zoom with a flash. I prefer to get close to my subjects so I rarely have a desire or need to use anything longer. Most of my images are made with the wide-angle zoom. Sometimes I must crop an image, which is why an FX DSLR may be in my future now that the D800 has been announced. But my desire to carry a small camera and relatively small lenses keeps me in the DX camp for the time being.
 
Hi Mr Mojo

I don't feel that it is a lot of gear. In the past I also used to take a 'daypack' with me and stuff it with 4 or 5 lenses.

My revised combo is 2 lenses, 2 cameras (one of them very lightweight,) a very small flash (the SB 400 is tiny,) and a 20mm if I need it.

I used to take a NIkon 28-70mm f2.8 with me together with a 70-200mm f2.8 - and D2X, now that WAS backbreaking.

With the 2 main lenses I can cover most scenarios without needing to ever change a lens, and the Spider Pro makes it very easy to switch between both cameras.

And the quality of the lenses is not to bad either.

http://www.bridalimage.co.uk
http://www.eventprints.co.uk
 
It's not too bad... I've gone the full daypack route myself but I got over that real quick! I'm sticking with DX for traveling to trim some weight and I only need one DSLR.

Even though I tend to pack a flash I rarely use it so I may start leaving it at home. The pop-up flash does a good job with fill flash which is my primary use for a flash.
 
My Nikon walkabout is simply the D7000 with grip and with the 18-105 mounted.
I'd been using that a lot for that purpose.

Lately however I've gone back to using my Fuji s100fs and carrying a spare battery for it. That gives me 28-400 plus a 2x digital zoom that yields full resolution and also macro that focuses down to less than a centimeter. I can also go from outdoor cold to indoor heat and review the photos right away. Moisture doesn't appear to be an issue as it doesn't seem to get into the camera. Had it for a few years and love it. At anything over 70mm the Fuji's lens significantly out resolves my 18-105 and as long as I focus carefully it is every bit as sharp at the closer ranges. I never thought I'd be reaching for it instead of the D7000 but I am and its fine. The D7000 is still my camera of choice for low light, sports and important 'shoots' but that Fuji is just very hard to leave at home.

jj

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jjlad/sets/
 
Yeh. D5100 + 16-85. And are using the fuji s6500 again lately. Simple technic with great colour. Sharp. Light. Batteries. 28-300 zoom. Who needs more. And all it need to replace it in case of fatal accidents is 50 bucks.
 
The D7000's excellent high ISO actually makes the 18-200VR a better lens because it can be shot stopped down to f/8 in almost all conditions now ...

If I happen to have a lot of room in my knapsack, I can add the 105mm f/2.5 Ai lens for some fun. Or maybe the 85mm 1.8D, but that one is bigger. And yes, I have been known to carry the 70-300VR in addition for the reach, but I rarely use it on the road. The 18-200VR is far too convenient.

--
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com
 
having no other digital camera than canon dslrs, my current choice is 5dmkii + 50mm 1.8 (the little plastic one, yeah. beautiful lens). i see no meaning in carrying different lenses when you're just walking about. same applies to zoom lenses. it's enough to carry all that weight when working. in fact, when visiting potentially dangerous places, sometimes i leave digital equipment home and carry either a m6 (taped red dot) or a plastic disposable film camera.

now i'm expecting fuji's xpro1 first impressions. that promises to be a real walkabout: small, discreet, and it has a viewfinder. if anyone of you tests one of those, please share your thoughts. cheers!
 
Dominic G Smith said:
After reading many recent threads on this issue and even considered buying the Nikon 28-300mm VR, I had a bit of a rethink.

On my last holiday I took what I though was a stripped done combo. One camera (D700 without grip,) a 50mm f1.8, a 20mm f2.8 and a 70-300mm zoom plus an SB400. Even then I felt that I ended up having to change lenses more than I wanted to with all the resulting potential problems with dust.

After having bought a D5100 as a replacement for a D2X which I sold, I've had a bit of a rethink. The D5100 is SO light that even paired with the 70-300 mm Nikon zoom (Sans VR,) it weighs very little. The image wuality is also miles better than the D2X (which was not a bad camera.) I've also had a Spider Pro camera belt for a while now that I've seldom used, but would like to try it for real on my next holiday/working vacation.

So next time I will take;

Nikon D700 without grip
Nikon 24-85 mm f3.5/5.6 zoom fitted to the D700
Nikon D5100 without grip
Nikon 70-300mm f3.5/5.6 fitted to the D5100 - giving 105-450mm
SB400 Flash
Nikon 20mm f2.8 (just in case)

I have a Sun Sniper strap fitted to the D700 which means I can carry it over my shoulder with no strain on my neck - SUPERB.

I will use the D5100 with the Spider Pro belt. As I said, its so light that it shouldn't cause a problem on my waist.

The flash can be fitted permamently to the D700 and the 20mm can be carried in a small Lowepro case fitted to the Spider Pro belt to be sued if/when I need it.

That should let me keep my backpack for filters/food/water/rainjacket etc.

Happy to hear from anyone if they think that I'm missing something.

http://www.bridalimage.co.uk
http://www.eventprints.co.uk
Click to expand...
My bag has backpack straps and easily fits as a carry-on bag. In it I carry:

D700
Tokina 28-70 2.8
Nikkor 70-200 2.8 VRII
Nikkor 50 1.8
Holga 60mm lens

2 Vivitar 285HV's with batteries (I will be squeezing in a Nissin Di866 as soon as I order it)
Cactus Trigger Sets
Radio Remote for D700

Gels, DYI grid sets, some cables (incl. a 16' USB to shoot tethered), filters, flash stands
Batteries: 2 sets of Eneloop AA's and charger, spare ENL for D700 and charger
Some Velcro in various forms (self-adhesive, 2-sided, etc.) and 2-sided tape

I carry a knife & flashlight in it, but put those in my checked baggage if flying
My Dell Studio 15 laptop with extra large long life battery fits in there too.

If I strap a tripod to this I can do all sorts of things but find a lightweight lightstand more useful.... Just depends on what I'm doing.

Yes, it might be heavy to some people, but I'm a stud so I can hike around all day with it.

Add to all this my stand case that has a shoulder strap with:

2 lightstands, 60" and 28" (?) shoot thru-umbrellas w/ removeable covers, and a 9x12 backdrop stand with an 8x12 black muslin
and I have a full studio I can hike several miles with.
 
You Tarzan - Me 54 year old wimp with bad back.

And so will you be if you keep on carrying that lot.
 
Dominic G Smith said:
You Tarzan - Me 54 year old wimp with bad back.

And so will you be if you keep on carrying that lot.
Click to expand...
I started with the D70s and then went to the D2Hs. I quickly realized that the bang for the buck was not there (a lot of weight for very few pixels and mediocre high ISO) so I traded that for a D300 and added a D700 eventually. Loved the D700 ... stunning machine.

But ... what a drag after a while. I never thought I would admit it, but I really did find it too much camera (physically.)

So ... I sold the D300 and bought the D7000, thinking I would shoot the D7000 for travel and walk about. Yet I realized that I never picked up the D700 after I got the D7000. The little one was good enough for me even in low light.

SO I sold the D700 and am now pretty happy. The D7000 with 18-200VR is a great all rounder. I also have some nice primes and still have the Tammy 28-75 2.8, which is awesome. I'm considering the 17-50 HSM from Sigma as my walk about, or an older Tammy 17-50 no motor if I can find one. The 70-300VR makes the perfect addition when you want reach.

Happiness is a camera that does not always want to be the center of attention ...

--
http://kimletkeman.blogspot.com
 
How about a D800 and a 24-120 f4. With all those pixels you can crop to a D7000's sensor size and have the equivalent of a 35- 180 or crop to 11 MP and have the equivalent of a 50-250. For wide angle you could add your 20 f2.8. You choose which equivalent focal lengths you want in post processing.

An additional benefit of all those pixels is that high ISO performance can be improved via downsizing. Half the pixel count in post processing and you've effectively double each new pixel's size.
 
Some heavy "walkabouts" folks - anyone try some of the mirrorless APS and micro 4/3 gear? Very good image quality and you won't leave it at home or in the car while walking about!
 
For walkabout I go with the Tamron 18-270 on one of my Sony a700s. Built in flash provides fill and the lens provides a very wide range of photographic options at reasonable IQ for walkabout.

Or even lighter is a bridge camera. That mostly for bike touring where weight and size are very important. Fiddling with a Sony HX200v right now.
 
Me, I use a Full Frame Film Yashica T3 P&S camera. It will fit in the front pocket of a pair of jeans, so I don't need a back pack ;) It has a Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 lens and a built-in flash :)

If I want to go light, I just use the cameras (still & video) built-in to my iPod Touch 4G. The low-resolution (960 x 720) stills are good enough for posting to FaceSpace-Whatever+ :) :) Another plus for the iPod Touch 4G is that you can use all the cheesy Phot Apps ;)
 
Minimum walk about for me for DSLR would be

D700 + 24-120mm f4 VR
add 105mm 2.8 Micro for closeups or 70-200mm f2.8 for birds

For non DSLR I use a Fuji X100, and if I had, then I would consider a Fuji X-PRO1

Just my 2 cents' worth...
--
paul szilard
http://photos.remektek.com.au
 
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