Do you hike with an SLR?

Sharp Eye

Sharp Eye

Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
1,551
How many people take their SLR with them when they hike?
If you take your SLR, how do you carry it?

I have been using my compact camera but it doesn't take the same high quality photos that I can get with my "good camera"

Bonus question: How do you protect your camera from the rain, dust, etc.
 
Last edited:
I have but generally only when I'm going somewhere specifically to photograph. You end up carrying a lot of weight witht he DSLR body, couple of lenses, spare battery, cleaning gear, tripod etc on top of you normal load out.

As for proecting the gear I use two options depending on what I'm taking and how far I'm going. One is the body and lenses are loaded into a small Pelican case which then sits in my MR CrewCab pack. The other, generally for shorter trips as the pack isn't as comfortable is a Lowepro DryZone Rover.
 
I carry a chunky SLR. When I'm hiking, I usually have it around my neck and cradled in my hand. A good chunk of my activity in the outdoors is taking shots. I'm pretty much always on the look out for interesting compositions and will typically snap about 200 shots off or so in a day. Of course usually only about 20 are ever actually saved and edited during post processing.

For the most part, SLR's are built to be pretty rugged against the elements. My nikon has been through a lot of light rain without any hickups. I will stick it in my jacket periodically to keep it from getting drenched, but I hate doing that as it invariably fogs up the lens. I keep a clear UV filter on the lens at all times to keep the actual lens from getting scratched. When I'm walking around on my hikes, the lens cap is almost always off (in my shirt pocket or the camera bag), the camera is on and in my hands ready to take a shot. Sometimes you get a problem with fogging between the filter and lens when you switch in an out of humid environments. You have to unscrew the filter for a few seconds to demist the lens.

I have a Zoom SLR camera bag that is pretty compact and just fits my body + 18-200mm lens. I used to keep my camera in a pelican case and I grew way to tired lugging that thing around. The camera bag is padded and overs pretty decent protection from the elements. It can be threaded through my belt, but I usually just clip it via a couple of carbiners to my bag. I carry a small dry sac in my back pack that the SLR and camera bag can go into if the going gets really nasty or if I'm canoeing and such. Haven't had to use the dry sack yet.

A little tripod is useful to carry with you too.

When I bought my first SLR I was all anal about protecting it. Now, having gone through a few different bodies I am a lot less careful and just use the camera and don't really worry about it too much. Again, if it is a tool you are always using then the best protection for it is having it be actually used. Kind of like eyeglasses. Its the guys who are always taking them off that keep losing and breaking them. The guys who leave them on their face keep them in good shape.
 
I take my Pentax K20D everywhere with me, along with a couple lenses. The weight sucks, but I can do things with it that a P&S will never be able to do at the same quality. I was in the Smokies last week taking shots in the glass tunnel under the big tank with no flash and no tripod. I don't know of any P&S that can do that without having a picture that is 100% noise. If you are sticking to online shots and 4x6 printouts, honestly any camera is fine. I do a lot of larger prints for my products and business advertisements, so the higher quality of a DSLR is nice to have.

For carrying, if it is not around my neck, then it is just in my backpack in a dry bag. I really don't worry about damaging it. I take care of my gear, so the K20D has had zero issues in over a year of being used as was the K10D I had before it. I also have Camera Armor on it, which is basically just a rubber skin that goes over the camera to protect it from the occasional bump against a tree.

As far as weather, the big reason I went with the K20D was all of the dust and water seals it has. I have been in full downpours using it with zero issues. I even had it take a full on 10' wave in Costa Rica when I was on some rocks and wasn't paying attention to a big swell (I was worse off than the camera). Not all of my lenses can handle the weather according to their specs, but I have had no problems with them either. As long as you take care of the camera, you should be fine. Just don't drop it in the ocean. :)
 
I've backpacked the Pennine Way (270ish miles) and several hundred miles in Scotland on assorted trips carrying a Canon EOS-5 SLR in a CCS Warthog. The Warthog was fixed like a sporran at the front, by feeding my rucksack hip belt through it. Made a nice arm rest too!

ccs.jpg


More recently I've not wanted the bulk of that, and have just carried a Canon G1, but it's time to upgrade.

I really like the look of the new small micro four thirds Lumix...
 
Good topic Sharpeye...I made foam containers for my camera bodies and lenses from the foam ground pads used for camping/backpacking. They can be glued or duct taped together, whichever is easier. Once made these can be stuffed into any pack or hard container you might want to use...they are very versatile, durable and modular. Tripod usually gets strapped to the backpack. If water is part of the trip or weather is an issue, I use dry bags. If I'm fishing I use a dry bag on a camera strap, over my neck and under one arm so I can push it to the rear and out of my way until needed. I've been using these foam containers for over 15 years and they have survived air line baggage handlers as well as backpacks very well.
 
I pretty much carry my D300 everywhere with me. When im hiking I usually dont even take a carry case, just keep the camera around my neck so I don't miss anything. If I keep the camera in a bad I just keep on trucking and never stop to take pictures until I get to my destination. I have a smaller compact digital camera but its rare that I ever take that out in the woods with me.
 
I think about taking my D300 hiking with me but I take my Canon G9 instead. In AZ I generally have sunny days when I'm hiking so I can use a low ASA. When the ASA gets much above 200 on with the small sensor the picture suffers.

The only downside to the G9 is that it is not weatherproof at all. It is pocketable though.

Chad
 
I've taken my Canon 40D out on the trail with me, but generally only if photography is a goal for the day. My biggest issue is that I refuse to leave behind lenses, and so I end up carting my Sigma 100-300 F4 around all day and rarely using it. That lens weighs as much as the rest of my camera and lenses together. Yet, I'll kick myself if I'm out on the trail and that's the day I see a bald eagle swoop down and carry off a fox, because the wide angle just isn't going to get that job done. With my new pack, I can probably toss the camera in without really noticing the weight all that much and that will be nice. I really need to get my 28-135 IS fixed because it would be good compromise lens.
 
Racerx2oo3 said:
I've taken my Canon 40D out on the trail with me, but generally only if photography is a goal for the day. My biggest issue is that I refuse to leave behind lenses, and so I end up carting my Sigma 100-300 F4 around all day and rarely using it. That lens weighs as much as the rest of my camera and lenses together.
Click to expand...

I used to take my 18-55 and 70-300 mm lens with me, but I also started finding that tiring. Most of the time, I was using the 18-55 and pretty soon, the 70-300mm was being left at home. Yet that range wasn't really as far as I wanted. When I upgraded my body I also put money into an upgraded lens, an 18-200 mm VR lens. I'm really happy with this. It is heavier than my old body + 18-55, but far lighter than having my two lenses together. While not at the 300 mm focal length, 200 mm is plenty long (in digital format this is the equivalent field of view as a 350 mm lens in 35mm format).

Back to the OP - having one lens instead of multiple lens makes carrying options a lot easier.
 
It might just be me, but I find it ironic that in a thread about cameras and photograhy, only foxyrick and kgd posted any pictures. :confused: :confused: :D

Doc
 
Random camera pouch I got at Wolf Camera, fits the D70 like a glove. Another Random padded pouch from REI, it's actually an REI brand pouch for the extra lens. Extra battery and cleaning supplies in a pelican case. All inside a medium ALICE with other random survival related things.
 
I take my SLRs out on most hikes, etc. First it was the Nikon D70 and now it's the D300. I keep my 18-200mm VR lens on most of the time as it's a great all in one travel lens. I've got too many camera bags from small SLR toploaders all they way up to the CompuTrekker Plus AW. On hikes I'll usually take one of the top loaders as I usually have a backpack with gear on my back.
I'm too paranoid to go out with my camera without a case.

Here's my baby:
img04524680900.jpg

By naturalmystic, shot with Canon PowerShot SD870 IS at 2009-06-11

Here it is in the corner beside some of my recent SAK acquisitions. Poor lighting as pic was taken with my Canon Elph SD870.
nigelsknifecollection20.jpg

By naturalmystic, shot with Canon PowerShot SD870 IS at 2009-06-11
 
I take my camera everywhere I go. Canon 40D with 400mm, 50mm, 17-85mm, 1.4 teleconverter and a bunch of other things all carried in a Lowepro mini-trekker backpack.

I am a nature and wildlife photographer who shoot mostly small birds like this one:

MHF5.jpg


You can see more of my work on my site by clicking the link below:

www.Airedale1Photography.com
 
One of my backpacking buddies has one of those enormous Canon pro bodies that run around $7K. On it is a huge image stabilized zoom telephoto. [Good thing he's a big guy and an accomplished triathlete!] In any event, he had a custom padded Gore-tex case made for the rig. He hangs it over his chest from his external pack frame. It's so big that I think it looks like a wind fairing on him but it counterweights the pack a bit. The photographic results are fantastic.

If photography is your thing and you are fit enough, I think it's worth carrying what you like best.

DancesWithKnives
 
Airedale1 said:
I am a nature and wildlife photographer who shoot mostly small birds like this one.....

You can see more of my work on my site by clicking the link below:


EDIT: Pics removed at the request of fellow forumite and cuz I'm a nice guy.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
NaturalMystic said:
What a coincidence, I'm a wildlife photographer too!!!:D
Actually I'm just posting these cuz I figured you guys would like em
Click to expand...
Actually I would request that either you or one of the mods delete those ASAP.

Aside from the fact that they are totally OT, many of us access the forum from work and I for one do not need my boss walking by while I am scolling through a bunch of pictures of strippers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top