Best lens for downhill skiing - best way to carry?

[SK]

Interested in thoughts around what lens you might choose to take skiing and how to carry? I use a D810, and am debating picking up the 18-35g, which is very light and could take both landscapes and zoomed to 35m, decent for ski shots. Its for a family ski trip out west ..

Ive searched a bunch for optimal backpack and currently have a lowe pro (fastback 150)that I have used previously that is a smaller model. others?

One other lens I have and will use is the 28-300...but its pretty heavy over the course of a days skiing...

Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Todd Jones]

Interested in thoughts around what lens you might choose to take skiing and how to carry? I use a D810, and am debating picking up the 18-35g, which is very light and could take both landscapes and zoomed to 35m, decent for ski shots. Its for a family ski trip out west ..

Ive searched a bunch for optimal backpack and currently have a lowe pro (fastback 150)that I have used previously that is a smaller model. others?

One other lens I have and will use is the 28-300...but its pretty heavy over the course of a days skiing...

Thanks for any thoughts.

Hi SK. Back in 2012 I took a GoPro and my Nikon D700 with the 28-300mm to our local ski slopes to get shots of mostly my son. I can actually ski pretty well still and carried the camera by the neck strap and kept it hanging behind on my back till needed. I'd ski in front and stop for some shots from time to time. Together with the video from the GoPro we took that day I made a "music video" of him.
I know your looking at backpacks, and that's probably the best way to keep the gear safe, but just for the single day I shot photos, the neck strap worked ok. Just have to remember it's back there before getting on the lift !
I actually just re-uploaded it to YouTube a couple of days ago. He's much better at skiing now by the way! Take a look:

--
Todd

 

[dreyko]

crumpler sinking barge or lowepro photo sport aw 200

 

[Phil_L]

24-70 f2.8 zoom and an F-Stop Guru!

I love both photography and skiing, which makes me feel like a mule between two bales of hay if I bring my camera up the mountain.

Soo.. I mostly leave my camera at the hotel. YMMV

 

[ChapelThrill23]

Honestly I'd get an RX 100 or similar camera that can fit in your pocket while still being high quality. For good light shots it'll be more than good enough for making large prints and it won't get in the way or be as much of a risk for being broken or stolen. I think hauling a big camera all day long skiing would be a real hassle and I'd trade all the hassle to get great image quality for very good image quality.

 

[KR Photo]

You can get a refurbished 24-85 vr for around $300. It's pretty light and compact, and it will give you a pretty useful range. With family skiing, people tend to disburse a bit, and chasing down subjects to photograph them can become a little trickier, so having some tele could be useful (vs. 18-35).

 

[SK]

Thanks to all for the ideas. Appreciated. I have gone the compact route a few times with a Fuji X20 - works just fine, and sometimes I will use that idea one day and the full dslr the next.

Unfortunately, I sold my 24-85 to move onto the 28-300 which I like quite a bit, but clearly its a pretty heavy zoom to lug around for the day while skiing -hence might try the 18-35, which is super light and could allow some killer landscapes out west - who knows!

Will look into the backpack ideas - Ive got a couple - but always trying to fine tune ease of access, size and weight. Thanks!

 

[Anduril]

FWIW: I used a LowePro AW200 slingshot backpacking all over Europe stuffed with more camera gear than I care to admit. No problems whatsoever, that is, if you discount the airport security check-in line at CDG.

As to what lens to carry on a ski-trip?
Well, for me, it would have to be the 600mm f/4 ED VR-II.
Why? It's the only lens that would alow me to get me great shots from the chicken-wing & beer bar at the bottom of the slopes! :-D

Clearly, I'm no ski enthusiast. Tried it once. Should of got lessons first!!!

Seriously (but also in the FWIW category), a GoPro is the obvious choice, although everything is wide-angle. Another option would be the Nikon AW-100 line of freeze-proof, shock-proof, water-proof cameras. I think they're up to the AW-130 version now? I like them because they are pretty much indestructible, take good pictures for a point-n-shoot, even with flash, and have built-in GPS (and on later versions, Wi-Fi).

I also own a Tamron 28-300 (i.e., the "multi-purpose" zoom).
It's on my camera a lot, so I can appreciate the urge to take it out skiing.
Of course, it is not nearly as rugged as the aforementioned GoPro or AW1xx line of cameras.

Enjoy.

 

[BSonwine]

SK me thinks you want a new lens as you have the perfect 50mm Nikon for the job. Don't get me wrong I'd buy a new lens before unwrapping the last one if I could. I do think your 50 60 or 85 are the better choices they're small sharp as hell fast and if damaged inexpensively replaced relatively anyway. In addition the 50 would fit in a fanny or hip pack which might be more convenient than a backpack. You can't go wrong. I'm sure your aware but be careful of condensation

 

[just Tony]

I've done that a bunch but mostly in the form of a camelback for my water and snacks, never with a big, incompressible, expensive, less-robust-than-a-brick DSLR loaded up. Your choices are to remove the pack (you still have to hold onto your poles and leave a hand free for the lift, so no thanks), push your center of gravity up to the edge of the chair (double no thanks), or sit twisted (no thanks on a long lift ride).

Seems more like a job for a sling pack.

 

[Phil_L]

Quite right, but you can...

Undo the waist belt, throw off one shoulder strap and slide the backpack around to your front and get on the chair lift.

Not too comfortable, you don't want to bungle it and you cant carry a large backpack, but if you want to ski with a DSLR..

 

[SK]

Thanks for the thoughts. You are correct on the ballet dance required to just at the right moment take off the back pack and move it to the front as you grab a chairlift - thank goodness many are now "high speed detachable" chairs so they slow down at boarding. I was also just thinking of the waist pack avenue where you would just spin it around at the last moment - took a look at a small Think Tank bag that does that - also has a shoulder strap that is meant to help support.

As for the previous comment about the 50 or 85 being good options that are light and relatively less of a hit if you damage - I am kinda holding out hope for some stunning wide ski vistas on this trip...thanks for the input!

 

[KR Photo]

As for a bag, I really like the Tamrac Velocity 6 when I'm doing something active.

Loading…

www.amazon.com

It's made for smaller cameras, but I took out the interior compartments and it fits my D610 with the 24-85 nicely (although I can't get much else in there). It rides on your back like a small backpack, but then you slide it around to the front pretty easily when you want to access the camera (or get onto a chair lift).

Tamrac has disconinuted this one, you can get it for a mere $20 right now.

 

[mikemsphoto]

--