D100 shock resistance while downhill skiing

[Dave Oshinsky]

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes. In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ). Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1 is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for shock resistance of the D100?

 

[Rich H]

I ski with my D100 in a LowePro fanny pack or a backpack depending on what lens I take. I haven't had any problems but my advice is not to fall on your camera - I don't think the D100 would survive a hard fall.

Rich H

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

 

[Ron Reznick]

I've skiied with both a D1 classic and a D1x. I did take a few spills with the D1 (one on the Cornice at Mammoth (!) and the rest very mild). No spills with the D1x. The D1 body took it like a champ, but I might be a lot more careful with the D100. Using a padded chest-mounted bag like the LowePro S&F Toploader 65 or Toploader 70 would probably be the best bet.

Ron

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

--
Ron Reznick
http://digital-images.net
http://trapagon.com

 

[Duncan C]

Dave,

I'd also be a little worried about my lens(es). In a hard fall you run the risk of knocking the elements out of alignment. Zooms would be especially vulnerable..

Duncan C
---------

Ron

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

--
Ron Reznick
http://digital-images.net
http://trapagon.com

--
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc

 

[Philly Wood]

As with anything....landing in power is a cake-walk. However talking a spill on what is called PACKED-POWDER on the East Coast is more like ICE and a tough bang on that will damage even a well padded lens/camera. And we wont even discuss your ribs.

Good luck and ski carefully and without abandon. Save that for when you dont have the camera with you. (BTW this is coming from a guy who blitzed Annapurna at Hunter Mountain and forgot my name for a couple seconds) I must have tumbled and fell for about 800 yrds til a tree stopped me. Of course this time I shouldnt have literally 'used my head'.

Btw I assume/suggest a nice small 50mm or other low profile lens.

I'd also be a little worried about my lens(es). In a hard fall you
run the risk of knocking the elements out of alignment. Zooms would
be especially vulnerable..

Duncan C
---------

Ron

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.

 

[Steve Kowal]

I've skied with my D100 a few times without any complications resulting. I reduce the configuration to just the camera body and a 50mm with a circular polarizing filter. The lens is small enough so that the built in flash may be used effectively for fill. For a neck strap, I recommend using the kind that have shock absorbing capability like the Tamrac neoprene line of straps. Makes it easier on the neck. I park the camera by zipping it into my parka rather than putting it in a fanny pack so that it is easily accessible for a shot. As far as falling, I have never fallen with the camera, but if I did, I would be least likely to land on my chest anyway. If you do fall in such a way so as to land on your chest, you are probably a candidate for the hospital with or without your camera, so the camera's condition would be the least of your worries.

• Steve

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

 

[Bernard Languillier]

Hello Dave,

Just spent a weekend telemarking in Nozawa onsen, a Japanese ski resort.

I had my D100 in a Loewe Pro Top Zoom case, itself in a backpack. The main reasons for putting the whole thing in the pack were:

• Difficult to keep a good balance when you have something hanging from your neck,
• Skiing in powder means falling from time to time and neither is the D100 water proof enough, nor does the Loewe Pro Top zoom bag offer enough protection for not sealing the whole thing in a good pack (a Millet pack this time).

Quite many falls on everything from hardpack to very deep powder on the steep didn't do any harm to the combination. I guess that it might be different is you do snowboard where falls on the back probably occur more often.

The cold (-4C average) didn't seem to affect the battery life too badly.

Best regards,
Bernard

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

 

[Drew Loker]

Everybody has pretty much summed this up. THought I would throw in one extra thing I did. I just went through the same debate skiing in Breckinridge, CO. Was very expcited about taking the camera, but nervous also. I skied one day with it, then ext with out so that I woudl have more fun (ie. ski faster).

I always like to have a back pack anyway, and it worked well this time so that when I was not shooting, I put the Tamrac holster style bag (model 517) into the back pac. On the runs that I wanted to have the caemra out, I used the hoster pack across my sholders so that it was very secure against my body.

I only tumbled once. The bag didn't take a hit, and it seemed to be fine. Still decided not to ski with it the next day as I mentioned above...besides, I got the shots I was going to get and the lighting was similar the next day anway.

Oh, I also switched to a cheaper, lighter lens. Even though BOTH lenses combined times 4 are less than the D100, I still didn't want my new $400 lens out there. Which ended up sucking because the cheap, light weight 35-80 was a JOKE!!! compared to what I have been sued to with the 24-135!

Have fun! I wish I was going skiing again soon!
--
Drew
http://www.pbase.com/lokerd
http://primerica.itgo.com/

 

[dannv]

i've taken several falls on hard pack with the D100 (not to mention the knocks its taken rock climbing...). i've had no problem with water from snow or with damage from falling -- and i've taken a couple where the camera took a decent hit. i have damaged lenses, though.

i recommend a zoom for skiing. 24-80 is a good range.

polarizing filter and other creative filters (to cut some glare if nothing else) are a must.

i don't use a backpack -- what's the point of having the camera if i can't get to it? (of course, this is the reason i'm skiing with it in the first place, too.) like Steve, i keep it under my jacket on a neoprene strap. i carry it cross shoulder as i want the camera under my right arm for some protection and don't want it on my chest in a fall. (i've also found it tends to come up into your face in a bad fall if it on your chest.)

Sun Dog makes a water'proof' chest pouch that is much cheaper than the LowePro -- not as nice but does the same job.

the biggest problem, depending on conditions, is foggy lenses. the biggest risks are bruised ribs from falling on the camera and glass fragments inside the body if you truly wrangulate a lens. other than that, its great fun!...dav

 

[Duncan C]

Here in the east, we have an expression:

Pennsylvania powder: If you can't see your face, it's not ice!

Good luck and ski carefully and without abandon. Save that for
when you dont have the camera with you. (BTW this is coming from a
guy who blitzed Annapurna at Hunter Mountain and forgot my name for
a couple seconds) I must have tumbled and fell for about 800 yrds
til a tree stopped me. Of course this time I shouldnt have
literally 'used my head'.

Btw I assume/suggest a nice small 50mm or other low profile lens.

I'd also be a little worried about my lens(es). In a hard fall you
run the risk of knocking the elements out of alignment. Zooms would
be especially vulnerable..

Duncan C
---------

Ron

I'm going downhill skiing and plan to take photos on the slopes.
In the past, I've taken my little Canon G1 skiing and gotten some
nice photos ( http://oshinsky.org/KillingtonScenery/index.htm ).
Besides the size difference between the Canon G1 and my D100, I'm
concerned that the mirror or other innards of the D100 will be
damaged if/when I take a fall. (I'd probably take it in a backpack
with padding around the camera, or in a smallish belt pack. The G1
is small enough to fit in a ski jacket pocket.)

Does anyone have experience skiing with an SLR? If so, how did you
carry it while skiiing? If you took any spills, was there any
damage to the camera? Does anyone have access to tech specs for
shock resistance of the D100?

--
-photoave http://phillywood.com An Amalgam of images.

--
http://www.pbase.com/duncanc