I have a question: do you go on intermediate or maybe difficult hikes with expensive cameras and/or lenses?
I am now facing a difficult decision: I am interested in the M.Zuiko 12-100mm. But I am wondering if it is the right lens for me, i.e. whether I want to go hiking with a 1000-euro-lens. I am often doing intermediate or unknown hikes where there is the possibility that I fall. Although I never fell so far, and if there are more tricky parts I pack the camera into my backpack.
What a pity that I am not a billionaire who can break as many 1000-euro-lenses as they want!
So with the 12-100mm my gear would be worth almost 2000 euros.
I usually walk around with all my gear. Its in a padded bag on my back, so if I fall and smash it, the fall would be so bad that I’d have bigger problems than smashed gear.
When I’m hiking, the camera is in my bag, period. I stop, take it out, make the photo, then put it back.
I’m also thinking through that, as we’ve got cabin time booked in the mountains this fall and I now know enough about the lay of the land to take a few hikes into the interior. None of the hiking will be anything remotely “technical”, so I’m more worried about how to carry it all and keep my hands free.
One thing I’ve picked up wandering railroad yards is, avoid changing lenses. I think that’s where the most exposure to dropping things exists. The environs of railroads is dusty, so minimizing the time where the camera innards is exposed is prudent. I think at least some of that concern maps to just wandering in the woods…
My plan is to wear the Z 6 and 24-70 f4 on a standard camera strap around my neck, shortened so the camera is sitting square on my chest. I’ll also have the D7000 with the 70-300 f4.5-5.6 at the top of my pack for easy access. The tripod is proving challenging, so I’m experimenting with a few carbiner/strap hacks.
what’s worse, (potentially) breaking $2000 worth of gear while you’re out using it for it’s intended purpose, or letting it all gather dust on the shelf because you’re too scared to take it out?
keeping it in your bag while moving is a good precaution, but you could also insure your gear if you’re especially worried about it.
I agree with the sentiment of others: in my view, being too heavy for a hard hike might be a good reason to leave a lens behind, but too expensive it is not. And you’re hearing it from somebody whose full gear while hiking is worth almost half a year of his income (bought in better times… )
One thing I always did was to buy a dedicated padded lens pouch for every lens (LowePro in particular). Unless taking a picture, camera and lenses are inside the backpack, specially in hard or technical places.
If you’re careful, it will be safe, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the street or in the mountain. I once dropped a Canon 100mm 2.8 macro lens, inside its pouch, from several meters into a big rock, because I was not paying attention. It survived with only a smashed UV filter. Not a big problem, but seeing it bouncing down taught me the lesson…
It really depends…I think you have to compare factors…risk of damage, need for absolute best quality shots, weight, weather considerations, etc…including what your back up plan would be if the lens is damaged. I can tell I’m not quite as sure-footed as I once was, and I have taken a couple of spills in the past. But currently I would not hesitate to take expensive lenses with me.
That said, taking my Fuji camera and a couple of super light weight lenses (“only” XC lenses - weigh almost nothing) means I always have my camera with me, which is most important. I add or swap for better lenses as the trip warrants.
One buys gear to use it, what is the point of putting it in a (safety) glass case and using it as a decorative mantle piece .
I understand that good gear can be expensive (i have my share), but if the possibility of not being able to replace it when it breaks comes to mind: Have you considered putting up (vacation/temporary/total) insurance? Not sure how it works in your neck of the woods, but in the Netherlands this kind of gear is seen as luxury items and thus not covered by normal insurance. You might want to look into that.
There are other reasons why you might not want to take specific gear with you: Weight being the obvious one. I do not have a drivers license and have to carry all my stuff. I do take it all on photo specific hikes (be it one day or a longer period of time), but I have to admit that all that weight isn’t always comfortable: Up-side is that you pause more often and can look around
In general: Don’t be afraid to take your gear outside and use it.
As others have said - usually I’ve got my gear in a padded backpack, so if the gear gets damaged, I’m likely to get severely damaged too.
I do have the ability to also clip the camera to my backpack’s straps - it’s a bit more risky, so I generally only do it when I’m on easier hikes. Although I will say, a Leki trekking pole makes a huge difference between feeling like you’re going to fall and being confident with terrain that would normally be really nerve-wracking. I have a (now discontinued) Leki Sierra FS which doubles as a monopod. (Not a particularly good monopod, because the qualities of a good monopod make a bad trekking pole and vice versa - specifically good poles have shock absorbers and also flex, which leads to wobble/bounce when using as a monopod.)
I think hiking poles are the most unhandy things for photographers since we need our hands for the camera. You usually need to put the poles on the ground or somewhere else while you shoot.
Be prepared with the accoutrements that aren’t necessarily related to photography but to hiking. Depending who you are, this might be second nature but it is very easy to forget or disregard your safety because it can feel like a burden.
– Items to protect you against the elements.
– Snacks and fluids to keep you hydrated, energized and focused.
– First aid and survival kits. Medication. Whistle.
– Plan and give the plan for someone to check in on you.
– Devices such as cell phone, mirror or flare; GPS, altimeter or compass.
– Minimalist chair or mat so you could sit or lie down and rest.
– Repellent for bugs and perhaps larger animals or evil humans.
– Keep fit in body and mind. If anything comes up or you need to build up muscle and endurance, etc., you can always postpone.
That’s partly why I only use a single pole (and in fact I think Leki realizes this because the Sierra FS was always sold as only a single pole and not in pairs!) - the stability/confidence benefits of a single pole vs. none are far more than double vs single, and single-pole leaves one of your hands completely free. It’s pretty rare that I need to completely drop a single pole, vs. just let it hang by the wriststrap. The only cases where I need to completely drop my pole - hey I’m busting out the tripod anyway and putting down the pole is nothing compared to setting up the tripod.
For a while I did a bit of 360 photography, and the pole plus one of the “360-friendly” selfie sticks let me put the camera WAY up in the air. I’ll try to dig up some examples later this week (I’ve got a friend visiting for a while, so far less free time.)
As to @afre s comments - yup, your other hiking equipment is quite important. For a long time, there was a major disconnect between hiking equipment and photo equipment. Specifically - photo backpacks had HORRIBLE suspensions and were a recipe for sore shoulders or back problems on a longer hike. This has improved over the years, although my go-to is still a trusty Kelty Redwing (sadly discontinued, likely a contributing factor to photobackpacker retiring - Photobackpacker is Retiring - even without PB’s modifications the Redwing is/was a great photo backpack.)
Think Tank is one of the few companies with photography products truly suitable for hiking, I haven’t used any of their backpacks, but I’ve used a lot of their accessories with my Redwing. There was another company that was great for straps and buckles and such, I forget their name at the moment.
Part of this is researching the location’s conditions.
– Weather patterns and hazards during or as a result of previous systems.
– Are connected trails open and unblocked? Maintained or not? Challenge levels can change, with that the kind of equipment you would want to pack and bring. Check with the park authorities or locals for advice.
– Safety advisories (of all kinds), seasonal or situational conditions (e.g. during hunting season, be aware of hunters and their bullets.)
– Regional fees, rules and policies. E.g. operating a drone, which is all the rage nowadays. These can change over time even if you have been there before.
– What are your photographic goals? Bring what you need and go at a time that best suits the subjects.
That’s a good list, particularly the safety considerations. My kid and his friend went elk hunting earlier this week, right when we had a rather unseasonable temperature drop to about 0F overnight. They awoke to frozen water jugs and depressurized propane bottles, no way to make water for simple drinking, and had to evacuate. I’m glad they were astute enough to realize the implications. They’re back out there now, in more amenable temperatures…
As I and my cohorts age, I’m reading more news about older folk passing away in the woods, there for various outdoors endeavors and just encountering “the big one” (the ultimate heart attack, for those not familiar with US television ). I used to just go out there with abandon, but would never consider it now for that reason. Can’t set things up for my wife to have to come out and winch me out of some ravine…
this has not much to do with the original question but since someone mentioned it: actually I spend a lot of time with planning my trips, studying hiking guides etc. I like researching the best places for landscape and nature photography.
I think hiking/navigation apps and openstreetmap are also useful for this. I use bergfex.at and OsmAnd.
I am curious how the second lockdown will affect my photography. I am now not able to travel to places that are not so close since I must return to my place by 8 pm (and I cannot leave before 6 am). I think the landscapes within a 100-km-radius are a bit boring, and November and December are not the most photogenic months. So I am now forced to discover places that are close. Maybe there are some nice landscapes despite my preconceptions.
That someone hopes you weren’t offended. Just felt like the thread would be complete with the detour. I rarely ever do any trips but now that I am free to do things on my own I may start doing more, even if the weather and sights aren’t so good.
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These can change over time even if you have been there before.
). I used to just go out there with abandon, but would never consider it now for that reason. Can’t set things up for my wife to have to come out and winch me out of some ravine…