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Will I damage a camera if I take it with me while jogging?

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GearMonkey

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Hi All,

I used to be quite interested in photography and have a good collection of Lumix lenses. For various reasons (life gets in the way etc) I stopped taking pictures little over 2 years ago, and on an unrelated note also stopped regular hiking, jogging and riding a motorbike.

Admittedly I never realised how beneficial all three were to my mental and dare I say physical health and decided to resume all the activities that gave me so much joy.

To put a long story short I was wondering whether I am likely to damage my camera and lens if I take it with me while jogging or going trail riding on my motorbike because of the constant movement?

For reference I was thinking of either taking the tiny Lumix GM1 with the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens or maybe even take the Lumix G9 with a short telephoto if there is a chance to get some wildlife pictures. The camera would be in my waterproof jogging backpack.

Thank you :-)
 
Provided that you don't drop them, or fall over and land on them (it'll hurt you more than the cameras) they'll be fine.

I take my cameras running, walking, biking and skiing (and I fall over regularly!) and have never damaged the equipment. I did crack a rib skiing when I went over whilst my DSLR was inside my ski jacket - I was keeping the battery warm. :-)
 
These stuff, better use a GoPro, DJI or insta360.

Why do you want to risk damaging your camera? Some cameras have internal movements that I'm sure you'll break with excessive movements.
 
drynn said:
Provided that you don't drop them, or fall over and land on them (it'll hurt you more than the cameras) they'll be fine.

I take my cameras running, walking, biking and skiing (and I fall over regularly!) and have never damaged the equipment. I did crack a rib skiing when I went over whilst my DSLR was inside my ski jacket - I was keeping the battery warm. :-)
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Really good to know that you take your camera with you for activities with a similar level of movement and there have been no issues. Certainly gives me some confidence, otherwise what happens is that the cameras and lenses just don't get used and gather dust! :-)

And sorry to hear about your ribs. Fair point that falling when carrying a camera can cause injury to oneself.
 
jackwelch said:
These stuff, better use a GoPro, DJI or insta360.

Why do you want to risk damaging your camera? Some cameras have internal movements that I'm sure you'll break with excessive movements.
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That is a fair point but I think I'll give it a go and see what happens. I just don't use the cameras and lenses otherwise... at least this way they get some use and if they break then it is a lesson for next time maybe ;-)
 
GearMonkey said:
Hi All,

I used to be quite interested in photography and have a good collection of Lumix lenses. For various reasons (life gets in the way etc) I stopped taking pictures little over 2 years ago, and on an unrelated note also stopped regular hiking, jogging and riding a motorbike.

Admittedly I never realised how beneficial all three were to my mental and dare I say physical health and decided to resume all the activities that gave me so much joy.
Click to expand...
YES!
GearMonkey said:
To put a long story short I was wondering whether I am likely to damage my camera and lens if I take it with me while jogging or going trail riding on my motorbike because of the constant movement?

For reference I was thinking of either taking the tiny Lumix GM1 with the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens or maybe even take the Lumix G9 with a short telephoto if there is a chance to get some wildlife pictures. The camera would be in my waterproof jogging backpack.

Thank you :-)
Click to expand...
Use common sense, by for example packing your gear away while in "tricky spots" and you should be just fine.

If you want to be absolutely certain no damage incurs, even in tricky spots, use the DIY techniques described in R4 resource (below my siggy) which will give you total peace of mind.
 
First, I only take a camera when I'm walking, never when cycling or running. I have taken a small ELPH 330 in a baggie under my jacket when snowshoeing, Baggie because of moisture under the jacket, a no-no for most cameras (I'm fit and have been a runner and cyclist for years, so I break into a sweat quickly by training).

I have just gotten used to using my smart phone on heavy exercise. It's in a hip pocket, in a protector case, and I have to wipe off the lenses before I take a photo, but it's handy as I listen to podcasts while I run/walk.

I think moisture and shock are your biggest threats while running, so if you were to mount the camera in a suitable case on a belt around your hips, assuming you can stand such an arrangement, it would be handy there and safe on your rump.
 
jackwelch said:
These stuff, better use a GoPro, DJI or insta360.

Why do you want to risk damaging your camera? Some cameras have internal movements that I'm sure you'll break with excessive movements.
Click to expand...
Years of my cameras bouncing around in the back of a classic Land-Rover… Driven on rough roads and off-road terrain, tell a different tale.

Beyond a catastrophic drop, the movement that damages “modern” cameras is generally intense, constant vibration. The vibration you get using an-dampened handlebar mount on a motorcycle, or by keeping your un-padded cameras (or in my case, Lap-top) on the floor of your vehicle as you drive cross country (coast-to-coast) not the gentle bouncing of a camera “on body”.

Take appropriate care? Certainly. Take no camera? If jogging is what brings you to the pictures…go for it. The camera isn’t made of sugar and, I assume, it wasn’t purchased as a shelf decoration.
 
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My knees, after fighting too many wildland fires, no longer tolerate jogging. But I still hike and ride trail horses, so I still subject my gear to adverse environments.

For such activities I use a 'tough' camera. Besides being shock proof to somewhere around seven feet, they are also water proof to around 50', and crush resistant to around 220#s (these figures vary by camera). To provide an additional margin of protection, I carry such cameras in Pelican Micro Cases. These cases have rigid exteriors, are water resistant, and are padded inside so there are additional elements of redundancy. They have a quick release, so access is instantaneous. I carry the case hanging from a cross-body strap leading down to my left hip. The camera itself is tethered to the strap, so there is no hazard of dropping it.

Maybe I don't need this level of protection for my gear, but I do enjoy the peace of mind.
 
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GM & 20 is a non stabilized setup. Do you worry on possible damaging to your phone for those event?

G9 + a zoom lens, likely a DUAL IS 2 combo would involve a floating sensor to provide the IBIS and the IS component of the lens. Both might on free floating when power off, but the movement is very tiny despite you might able to feel it rocking around on shaking. Unless you shake it violent as will cause shaken baby syndrome (you will feel very bad also), your gear should be safe.

There was a recent thread (IBIS vs ATV) about similar concern:

Ibis vs atv

Can I drive ATV on a really shaky road with lot of planted stone with my camera bag or more accurate with the camera which contains an ibis mechanism, I heard that apple doesn’t recommend doing so with the iPhone 13 because of that ibis, should I be worry about that?
www.dpreview.com www.dpreview.com
 
Mine would be totaled, because after a quarter mile of it swinging around my neck, I would re-enact the scene from office space. Having done a bit of jogging, I don't think I'd want anything bigger than a Ricoh GR, if that. That said, I jogged for less than a year and I never really derived enjoyment beyond the period I was improving.
 
GossCTP said:
Mine would be totaled, because after a quarter mile of it swinging around my neck, I would re-enact the scene from office space. Having done a bit of jogging, I don't think I'd want anything bigger than a Ricoh GR, if that. That said, I jogged for less than a year and I never really derived enjoyment beyond the period I was improving.
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I don't think the camera would be swinging around one's neck, that would certainly not be practical or particularly fun. It would be in a small waterproof case inside my jogging backpack.
 
I have only found two cameras I can tolerate while running: a Pentax Q I can hold in my hand, as it is extremely lightweight. A Ricoh GR I can put in a pocket, and doesn't bounce around too much.

Anything bigger or heavier is too cumbersome for me, including the GM1/20.

That said, I never damaged a camera jogging or biking or skiing. Once I had a bike accident and landed with my full weight on the GR's lens barrel, directly onto a curbstone. The barrel now has a nice big dent, and my thigh a GR-shaped bruise. But the camera continued working just fine for years.
 
GearMonkey said:
GossCTP said:
Mine would be totaled, because after a quarter mile of it swinging around my neck, I would re-enact the scene from office space. Having done a bit of jogging, I don't think I'd want anything bigger than a Ricoh GR, if that. That said, I jogged for less than a year and I never really derived enjoyment beyond the period I was improving.
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I don't think the camera would be swinging around one's neck, that would certainly not be practical or particularly fun. It would be in a small waterproof case inside my jogging backpack.
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Well, I was being facetious. But since gifting my Panny LX5 I don't have a camera that I could jog with. Never used a pack while jogging. I can't stand things flopping around while running.
 
If it serves in favor of peace of mind, yesterday I dropped a Nikon D200 + 17-55 2.8 kit from my car's back seat to the concrete floor.

That's a heavy @ss kit (2.5 kg maybe), and it survived without any damage besides minor scuffs (for sure, it wouldn't without the lens hood).

If that tells anything, jogging won't kill your camera.

Best regards,
 
I always worried about the mass of the mirror and it flapping around on SLRs(DSLRs) causing long term issues when taken on very heavy vibration activities.

I still take my Sony DSLT (translucent mirror) camera with my hiking and mountain biking. I have too much money into my Sony FE camera kit to risk a crash in the rocks ruining it.
 
My GM5 goes with me on just about every hike or bike ride. I don't even use a case for it - just a plastic bag. No problems. I keep it in my Camelbak.
 
GearMonkey said:
Hi All,

I used to be quite interested in photography and have a good collection of Lumix lenses. For various reasons (life gets in the way etc) I stopped taking pictures little over 2 years ago, and on an unrelated note also stopped regular hiking, jogging and riding a motorbike.

Admittedly I never realised how beneficial all three were to my mental and dare I say physical health and decided to resume all the activities that gave me so much joy.

To put a long story short I was wondering whether I am likely to damage my camera and lens if I take it with me while jogging or going trail riding on my motorbike because of the constant movement?

For reference I was thinking of either taking the tiny Lumix GM1 with the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens or maybe even take the Lumix G9 with a short telephoto if there is a chance to get some wildlife pictures. The camera would be in my waterproof jogging backpack.

Thank you :-)
Click to expand...
Not unless you drop it or bang it into something (basically, subject it to some massive blow or impact). Mirroelss cameras especially can handle a certain level of movement and vibration. I've run with my camera before without issues (and by this I mean, for a reasonable distance, with it periodically bangging into my hip as I run). With a P&S you're fine. The only times you need to be careful is with heavy lenses as you can stress the lens mount or in cases where there is extreme, constant vibration as this can cause screws to come loose, but from jogging you'll be fine with your Lumix cameras.
 
I regularly take either my Lumix G6 or G7, in a close fitting lightly padded holster bag, with me in a farm tractor for many hours at a time. The bag strap is wound around a window latch half way up the B pillar and bounces around fairly constantly against the B pillar.

Never had the slightest issue with the cameras. They both look absolutely like new and indeed work like new. I would not have them hanging there naked, as I’m sure the bodies would be marked and possibly the rear screen, which is always with glass facing outwards, could be scratched or even cracked. The bag is nothing special, being a Tamrac 4225.

Spare battery and SD card are kept in side pocket

Spare battery and SD card are kept in side pocket

The lens usually fitted is the Lumix 14-140 and again that still looks like new after about six years of use.

Jogging with the camera reasonably tight to the body and not swinging hard against an unyielding or sharp object is absolutely no problem at all. In a bag, just don’t fall off a cliff on top of it.
 
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A significant part of my photography occurs while traveling on level 5 & 6 4WD roads which is about as rough as it gets in the national parks. While driving to minimize jarring, I still experience rough sections where shocks to the vehicle can be strong. My main camera is a fairly heavy medium format camera and a less heavy Sony with a 200-600. This has not affected my camera equipment which stays in a heavily padded backpack when not in use.

Jogging? I have no experience here but it seems like the camera gear would need to be packed tightly to minimize movement within the backpack but might also cut down on the convenience factor.
GearMonkey said:
Hi All,

I used to be quite interested in photography and have a good collection of Lumix lenses. For various reasons (life gets in the way etc) I stopped taking pictures little over 2 years ago, and on an unrelated note also stopped regular hiking, jogging and riding a motorbike.

Admittedly I never realised how beneficial all three were to my mental and dare I say physical health and decided to resume all the activities that gave me so much joy.

To put a long story short I was wondering whether I am likely to damage my camera and lens if I take it with me while jogging or going trail riding on my motorbike because of the constant movement?

For reference I was thinking of either taking the tiny Lumix GM1 with the 20mm f1.7 pancake lens or maybe even take the Lumix G9 with a short telephoto if there is a chance to get some wildlife pictures. The camera would be in my waterproof jogging backpack.

Thank you :-)
Click to expand...
 
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