The WEIGHT is Killing Me! ...Any Suggestions???

wasserball said:

he saves 435 gm (0.97 lb) from carrying the D800e, but if you add an adaptor, the saving is gone. If if there is a slight saving, most of the weight carries come from the same lens he will be carrying regardless of which camera he takes along.

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How so when the adapter is super light? hanging a camera like the bulky D800e all day is pretty tiring compare to hanging a compact light camera IMO

There is some great advice in this thread - all useful. I'm 67 also with low back pain - so light weight was one of the key reasons for buying the Df. I'm loving the 50 f\1.8 and take another short prime of choice. I leave the 24-70 and a longer zoom at home for the longer trips, and carry a black messenger bag.

In this way my camera bag is light, goes everywhere and doubles as a carry-all for sunglasses, reading glasses, etc. Oh yes and a miniature tripod is useful to get in the shot occasionally.

--
See my photos: http://www.fluidr.com/photos/25956017@N07

bbbinohio said:

I am 62 years old and I'm headed to Europe in 5 weeks. So over the past year I purchased just a couple of items...

D800e + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 + 70-200mm f/4 (for general photography)

D7100 + 80-400mm (because I love sharp superzooms with great IQ)

And the weight of carrying even half of these items for long walks is scaring my to death.

However, sharpness, detail and dynamic range are a HUGE factors to me. So much so that I owned the new 24-120mm f/4 and sent it back.

Do I just say "screw it" Bob, you are getting too old to carry this type of equipment, and go to cheap point and shoots?

What the heck do I do?

I've got at least $10k (so far) into this stuff and fear I'll never get much use out of any of it.

I wish there was a rolling camera cart that I could push around town like a speed cart is to a golfer, or a baby cart is to a new mother. But nobody I know of makes one.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks So Much for Your Help in Advance!!!

Bob, from Ohio

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Do what I do, lift lots of weights in the gym. That way carrying a few pounds around won't seem like that much.

Or, get a D5200/D5300 with a 16-85 VR and shoot shoot shoot.

Serious answer; flog the lot and buy an a7r and the FE lenses. A camera which you do not take with you is just an expensive paperweight.

toomanycanons said:

bbbinohio said:

I am 62 years old and I'm headed to Europe in 5 weeks. So over the past year I purchased just a couple of items...

D800e + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 + 70-200mm f/4 (for general photography)

D7100 + 80-400mm (because I love sharp superzooms with great IQ)

And the weight of carrying even half of these items for long walks is scaring my to death.

However, sharpness, detail and dynamic range are a HUGE factors to me. So much so that I owned the new 24-120mm f/4 and sent it back.

Do I just say "screw it" Bob, you are getting too old to carry this type of equipment, and go to cheap point and shoots?

What the heck do I do?

I've got at least $10k (so far) into this stuff and fear I'll never get much use out of any of it.

I wish there was a rolling camera cart that I could push around town like a speed cart is to a golfer, or a baby cart is to a new mother. But nobody I know of makes one.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks So Much for Your Help in Advance!!!

Bob, from Ohio

Click to expand...

Do what I do, lift lots of weights in the gym. That way carrying a few pounds around won't seem like that much.

Or, get a D5200/D5300 with a 16-85 VR and shoot shoot shoot.

Click to expand...

I'm altering my kit also.

I just got a Nikon V2 getting to know where the dials are. But the IQ is not as good as my D700.

I'm going to get rid of my 300S.

My kit for an upcoming cross country 3,500 mile photo trip will be the V2 for street (most images B&W) and the 700 for landscapes/low light w 70/200 & 24/70 (w 2XTC), tripod and stuff...

As someone mentioned take what you need during the day - not the whole kitchen sink.

Oh.... BTW I'm 75...

Rags

George Paulides said:

You may not want to hear this after the money you have spent on your Nikon gear but if you want a light system with almost as good IQ then look at mirrorless. The Fuji X-series cameras and lens would be a great alternative at a substantial weight saving.

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I got a Micro 4/3 system for lightweight travel, and I think it's great. For posting on Facebook and showing JPEGs to friends, the quality is fine. The Fuji X-series didn't exist then, or I might have gotten that. I do shot my D800E most of the time, but that's for large prints, which I like to make. For more casual shooting, Micro 4/3 is great for me. I use the kit lens and one longer zoom, which I can carry in my jacket pockets, although I do look less than elegant, I'm sure.

ragspix said:

toomanycanons said:

bbbinohio said:

I am 62 years old and I'm headed to Europe in 5 weeks. So over the past year I purchased just a couple of items...

D800e + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 + 70-200mm f/4 (for general photography)

D7100 + 80-400mm (because I love sharp superzooms with great IQ)

And the weight of carrying even half of these items for long walks is scaring my to death.

However, sharpness, detail and dynamic range are a HUGE factors to me. So much so that I owned the new 24-120mm f/4 and sent it back.

Do I just say "screw it" Bob, you are getting too old to carry this type of equipment, and go to cheap point and shoots?

What the heck do I do?

I've got at least $10k (so far) into this stuff and fear I'll never get much use out of any of it.

I wish there was a rolling camera cart that I could push around town like a speed cart is to a golfer, or a baby cart is to a new mother. But nobody I know of makes one.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks So Much for Your Help in Advance!!!

Bob, from Ohio

Click to expand...

Do what I do, lift lots of weights in the gym. That way carrying a few pounds around won't seem like that much.

Or, get a D5200/D5300 with a 16-85 VR and shoot shoot shoot.

Click to expand...

I'm altering my kit also.

I just got a Nikon V2 getting to know where the dials are. But the IQ is not as good as my D700.

I'm going to get rid of my 300S.

My kit for an upcoming cross country 3,500 mile photo trip will be the V2 for street (most images B&W) and the 700 for landscapes/low light w 70/200 & 24/70 (w 2XTC), tripod and stuff...

As someone mentioned take what you need during the day - not the whole kitchen sink.

Oh.... BTW I'm 75...

Rags

Click to expand...

Good on you. 75 is the new 45.

toomanycanons said:

ragspix said:

toomanycanons said:

bbbinohio said:

I am 62 years old and I'm headed to Europe in 5 weeks. So over the past year I purchased just a couple of items...

D800e + Sigma 35mm f/1.4 + 70-200mm f/4 (for general photography)

D7100 + 80-400mm (because I love sharp superzooms with great IQ)

And the weight of carrying even half of these items for long walks is scaring my to death.

However, sharpness, detail and dynamic range are a HUGE factors to me. So much so that I owned the new 24-120mm f/4 and sent it back.

Do I just say "screw it" Bob, you are getting too old to carry this type of equipment, and go to cheap point and shoots?

What the heck do I do?

I've got at least $10k (so far) into this stuff and fear I'll never get much use out of any of it.

I wish there was a rolling camera cart that I could push around town like a speed cart is to a golfer, or a baby cart is to a new mother. But nobody I know of makes one.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks So Much for Your Help in Advance!!!

Bob, from Ohio

Click to expand...

Do what I do, lift lots of weights in the gym. That way carrying a few pounds around won't seem like that much.

Or, get a D5200/D5300 with a 16-85 VR and shoot shoot shoot.

Click to expand...

I'm altering my kit also.

I just got a Nikon V2 getting to know where the dials are. But the IQ is not as good as my D700.

I'm going to get rid of my 300S.

My kit for an upcoming cross country 3,500 mile photo trip will be the V2 for street (most images B&W) and the 700 for landscapes/low light w 70/200 & 24/70 (w 2XTC), tripod and stuff...

As someone mentioned take what you need during the day - not the whole kitchen sink.

Oh.... BTW I'm 75...

Rags

Click to expand...

Good on you. 75 is the new 45.

Click to expand...

Well we'll see how it goes... 3,500 miles on a motorcycle... when I haven't thrown a leg over in 5 yrs... ;-)

Rags

Supplement your system with a Sony RX10, weighing in at 813g, and just bring that on your travels. You're still getting great dynamic range from the Sony sensor and the lens is great for what it is. Personally, I think a D800 and Sigma 35mm isn't not an ideal travel combo and probably overkill. If your travels are not specific for photography you're probably not shooting under conditions where you can realize the potential benefits of a prime system.

Yes, do what I did for the exact same issues you've got with your current setup. I sold my D800 and collection of Nikkor lenses, and got an Olympus E-M1 plus an assortment of the best M4/3 lenses.

I can see little use for the 70-200mm lens for photography in Europe. I would leave it at home. Think about what you will be photographing in terms of subjects and scenes and indoor and outdoor opportunities.

For Europe I take a 16mm fisheye, 18-35mm, 24-70mm, and the 28-300mm lens. During the day the 24-70mm stays in the hotel safe and at night I leave behind the 28-300mm lens. It is very manageable in terms of both weight and bulk.

I use a camera bag with a shoulder strap that I modified by adding a 2" nylon web belt to both help carry the weight on my hips and to make it much harder for a thief to grab my bag and run off with it. An alternative is a small backpack though I dislike the idea of having my bag where I cannot keep an eye on it. My shoulder style bag has a large flap that keeps out dust and dirt and prying hands.

I have the 14-24mm f2.8 but bought the 18-35m to use for overseas travel. I own the 70-200mm but bought the 28-300mm again for travel where I do not need a high performance telephoto lens. For Asia or Europe these lenses work very well and save me a full 4 lbs. in the weight of my kit by using these two alternative lenses.

Hello everybody, I just turned 73, I am not Superman, I am half fit and I am about 20 pounds overweight. Last year I did two trips in South East Asia using motorcycles, cars, boats and did a lot of walking, remote villages, markets, forests, you name it; I carried my equipment in a Lowepro Vertex 200 AW backpack.

Trip one, 5 months (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Bhutan), equipment:
MacBook Pro 13"
D4
200-400mm for wildlife, but I bitterly discovered it was already eaten by past generations, with the exception of few monkeys in Bhutan.
70-200mm
28-70mm
20mm
1.4 TC
2.0 TC
2 card readers
1 external HD
2 spare batteries and all the compulsory little things
Total weight 24 lbs.

Trip two, 4 months (Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam), equipment:
MackBook Pro 13"
Two D4
70-200mm
24-120mm
20mm
1.4 TC
2 card readers
1 external HD
2 spare batteries, etc.
Total weight about the same as trip one.

One D4 w/24-120mm around my neck, the second w/70-200mm on a BlackRapid Sport shoulder strap.

When possible I always remove the MacBook Pro from the backpack.

Again I am not Superman, just a normal old man half fit and it really makes me laugh when I read about people leaving home their beloved D800 because they feel it is too heavy!!!

I am still in Vietnam with two D4 and the rest of the equipment of trip two.

It only depends on us!

Enjoy your traveling!

Either take the D800 and 35mm lens and the SONY RX10.

Or take a Fuji x100s and the SONY RX10.

Or the Sony A7 with 35mm lens and the RX10.

Or go even simpler and take a SONY RX100 as backup camera and an Olympus EM-1 with kit zoom and a tele zoon or the Fuji x-T1 with kit lens and the tele zoom. A lot less weight.

I'm only 60 but I hear what you're saying. The big tele zooms sound like the heavy part of your gear.

Steve offered this link to Tamrac camera pouches in another post today:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...e&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

I have the Tamrac #5627 camera holster. It carries my D800 and any of the f/2.8 lenses up to but not including the 70-200 f/2.8. You could pick one big enough for your camera and telezoom based on the interior dimensions given in the specs for the Tamrac bags above.

I sling mine across my shoulder with the bag hanging to one side in front of me. It takes all of the stress off of my neck. I adjust the neck strap to be a little bit longer than the pack strap so the camera pouch carries all the weight if I have the neck strap on too. I've had one for about 6 years and really like it for hiking with a camera. It also protects the camera from bumping and brushing into things when I'm active.

I use a non-descript, plain backpack and use both straps to carry it. I put closed cell foam in the bottom of my North Face daypack for a little extra padding when I set it down. I carry all the extra gear in the pack.

Here's a shot of the pouch with the neck strap around my neck. Monopod tied to my pack. I carry it like this when I'm hiking rough trails and actively shooting.




Tamrac pouch with neck strap out, big pack and monopod



--
Dave

Hell! Hardly holiday cameras and lenses but I would take the lighter camera - D7100 - and then acquire the Nikon 16-35mm F4 and leave it at that (remembering that the D7100 also has tyhat new longer crop option). One camera, one lens. However, for my travel use I have acquired a Fuji X20 and Fuji X-E1 with 35mm and 18-55 lenses. Sounds to me that you need to go a similar route.

Weegee said:

This is all you need.

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We're, I PM'd you!

Well done Roberto but this does not answer the man's question...Do you really need all this equipment? Sounds as though you are a professional on major assignments...

Would you consider a Nikon 1 system for travel? I have a D3s, D3x D800 and a D7000 with lenses etc, and if I go on a photo trip I just carry it and sweat.

I am going to try my new Nikon 1 Aw1 kit the next time I go overseas. I like it a lot so far, but it is not a D3s. I knew that, but it is light, easy and waterproof and freeze proof, and much better than a point and shoot.

Just a thought...

IainD

Just choices, first of all if you travel remote countries with no Nikon service you need a back up; during my first trip auto focus on my D4 failed, only 40% of captions were sharp all the rest soft not usable, and second to continuously replace lenses will generate dust on the sensor.

Back from the first trip I decided to use my D3 as a back up, but after using the D4 for months it looked like a dinosaur, I sold it and got a second D4, and again I had the same auto focus problem.

For me a back up camera has to be the same model as the primary camera.

Cheers,

IainD said:

Would you consider a Nikon 1 system for travel? I have a D3s, D3x D800 and a D7000 with lenses etc, and if I go on a photo trip I just carry it and sweat.

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that's an interesting thought and you've hit the nail on the head for many of us. It's like fitness training and getting all sweaty, many find that uncomfortable but for many that is the enjoyment. For me, having my best gear with me and having to sweat a little makes it all a little more worthwhile. If you're a true photographer you'll put the extra effort in.

IainD said:

I am going to try my new Nikon 1 Aw1 kit the next time I go overseas. I like it a lot so far, but it is not a D3s. I knew that, but it is light, easy and waterproof and freeze proof, and much better than a point and shoot.

Just a thought...

IainD

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