Travelling with a 70-200 f/2.8
I have a question that has really been on my mind the past few days and was hoping to get a bit of perspective from some of the many great photogs on this site.
Probably my favorite aspect of photography is the traveling to foreign lands, absorbing the beauty and trying to capture just a small piece of what makes my trip and these places so special. In the past I have carried around an old Canon bag that came with my very first camera. Using this small bag I could easily carry and have quick access to my D80, a 12-24mm lens, a 50mm lens, a 70-300mm lens, as well as a mini tripod, batteries, filters, ect.. I loved being able to travel free of excessive weight and having constant access to my camera should the need arise.
I recently purchased the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 after many years of wanting this lens more than anything. Now I realize that my previous arrangement is not possible. I am going to need a new bag, possibly a new body, and feel like I have to upgrade to a huge bulky bag that is going to slow me down and make my life on the road so much more complicated.
Has anyone felt like this before or have any advice on the situation. I have included a pic of me traveling through China with my old camera bag (and an even older film camera).
Cheers
Probably my favorite aspect of photography is the traveling to foreign lands, absorbing the beauty and trying to capture just a small piece of what makes my trip and these places so special. In the past I have carried around an old Canon bag that came with my very first camera. Using this small bag I could easily carry and have quick access to my D80, a 12-24mm lens, a 50mm lens, a 70-300mm lens, as well as a mini tripod, batteries, filters, ect.. I loved being able to travel free of excessive weight and having constant access to my camera should the need arise.
I recently purchased the Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 after many years of wanting this lens more than anything. Now I realize that my previous arrangement is not possible. I am going to need a new bag, possibly a new body, and feel like I have to upgrade to a huge bulky bag that is going to slow me down and make my life on the road so much more complicated.
Has anyone felt like this before or have any advice on the situation. I have included a pic of me traveling through China with my old camera bag (and an even older film camera).
Cheers
0
Comments
first off: welcome to dgrin!
ill try to answer on your question. dont be saddened if noone answers quickly, most people on this forum are slow to post (probably off shooting some skwerrel
I think you allready answered your own question; if you want the 70-200 with you you;re going to either carry it yourself or hire a sherpa. its up to you if youre willing to take that route. i dont own a lens that big but people still give me strange looks when they see what i bring on holiday (a very modest 400d with some 3-4 moderately small lenses (tamron 28-75 like). i know a lot of shooters here travel with only an all in one travel lens like the 18-200 or something similar, while other lug the whole set around. this is something youre going to have to decide for yourself
take care!
If you are itching to bring it with your next travels, buy a new bag and be sure to know that you will be stared at with that long lens! Which might be good and bad, if you catch my drift!
If you really want to bring it with you for your next travel, just take that, your camera body, and a wide angle. That should still be weighty but manageable. So start searching for the right bag for you.
I hear Domke bags are really good for the stuff it can carry and portability.
www.tednghiem.com
I often use a camera holster and/or lens case to augment a sling style backpack bag. The holster I often use can hold a 70-200mm, f2.8 and a couple of other smaller items and I can either hang it from the strap or from belt loops. There are also holsters which can hold the long lens attached to a camera, but mine will just hold the lens and it's very easy to open the holster and extract the lens. I find this combination of backpack and extra holster/case very handy.
The holster and lens case alone can even suffice for those times when I want to travel really light.
Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
I have often travelled with my camera and the 70-200 2.8is - Canon lens. I bought a Tamron Computrekker AW that let me take it and a few other lenses, body and computer. A few trips ago I went via Heathrow and knew that my setup could be a problem since they increased weight limit restrictions. I was also getting weary of the weight.
About 2 years ao I bought the Tamron 28-300 3.5 VR /Macro lens. One camera, one lens or sometimes a 2nd lens and a flash now. I can carry it all in the Crumpler Soup and Salad Messenger and I am a happy traveller. I wouldn't use the lens for an event or paying client, but, it gives me the best of all worlds - light, sharp, macro, nice contrast and color.
Flash Frozen Photography, Inc.
http://flashfrozenphotography.com
Thanks for welcoming me to the forum. There are some great photographers and advice here.
Hey Nicholas. Welcome.
You wanted that lens so badly because you knew it would elevate your game to new levels... and it does! That lens is a legend and no other zoom in that focal length will touch the results you can achieve with that lens. So while the question "Do I want to carry this beast?" is a very valid question, so is "Do I want to capture my best possible images?" It is likely that the answers to these two questions will put you in a conundrum.
I recently posted two posts to my blog addressing lenses. see lifeandlens.wordpress.com. One post addresses lenses for "money" shots and the other addresses travel. I mention the Sigma 150mm f/2.8. This lens is half the size of the 70-200, gives me almost as much reach, and serves as a macro.
But overall I am going to side with Ziggy. I recommend you carry a belt (lowepro and thinktank make nice ones and the pixel harness from Think tank is sweeet) and pouches. I'd carry the 70-200 in a pouch, a nice wide to normal lens in a pouch, and maybe an SB flash in a pouch. Carry all of these in your carry on suitcase (a regular roller bag is what I use). The pouches protect the gear in the suitcase. Then when you arrive on site you simply grab the gear you want for the upcoming shoot and hit the field carrying only what you want comfortably and conveniently.
BTW, your tripod will hang nicely from the webbing that connects the Pixel Harness shoulder strap to the side of the belt.
Best Wishes!
- Life and Lens
Life and Lens Photography
www.lifeandlens.com
If you want to travel light when taking pics, take the 70-200 and a wide angle. Get a small bag like one used to carry a camcorder and keep one lens in it and the other on the camera when walking around. Or, just use the pouch bag the 70-200 came in. It has a belt loop. Even though it would swallow the wide angle, it can still take care of whatever lens is not being used.
For travel purposes, get a pelican carry on case for the camera and lenses, and maybe even a bigger carry on version that will also house a laptop if you have one.
With this setup, you can carry on your camera, lens, and laptop on the plane or whatever mode you travel. Once on location, take your bag out and have fun!
The front pouch can hold my 580ex or one of my smaller lenses and there is a zippered area under the "hood" that holds my CF cards. It also has a raincover. I use their sliplock lens case on one side and an additional sliplock bag on the other when traveling, but remove them when not necessary or when hiking.
With both sliplock pieces attached I can carry the 5d2 with 70-200 attached, one 580ex and two 430ex flashes, a Tokina 10-17, a 2x TC, all the cables and charger that came with the camera, the camera and flash manuals, an extra battery or two, some cleaning stuff, and a few other odds'n'ends ... but it does take gorilla arms and shoulders when fully outfitted!!!!
So I pick and chose carefully, leaving behind what I do not anticipate needing. Removing the sliplock side pieces takes seconds.
Since I generally "kit" each of my cameras in its own bag this way, I can quickly grab the pack(s) I need and configure things the way I want in short order.
Nam et ipsa scientia potestas est.
The only other problem I really had was that Nikon has a rock star like status in China where I was. Anytime that the people saw it, they assumed I was from Nat Geo or NYT or other huge magazine, would stop what they were doing and come over to see what I was doing. I once had a crowd of 20 people around me when I was photographing a turtle in the food market. I painted over NIKON in black which helped. An understated bag might help, especially if you can sneak in, blend in and then whip out your bazooka when people forget about the laowai in the room.
It iis an awesome lens. I now travel most time with the 3 lenses - 17-40, 24-105 and 70-200.
The 24-105 always mounted on the 5D while the rest of 2 in the lens cases.
Instead of using the Lowepro Compu Trekker II, I shifted to the Tumi backpack which looks more business traveller than photographer as I travel most of time on buisness trip.
When I have free time or spending the weekend overseas, I use the belt with the lens pouch to walk around. Occassionally, I bring along either the 1.4X or 2X to enhance the reach particularly for nature and birds.
flickr.com/photos/photoskipper/
I carry two cameras at all times; one camera with a mid-range zoom (Canon 40D with 17-55mm f/2.8 IS) and the second camera with a tele zoom (30D with 70-200mm f/4L IS).
I use the camera with the shorter lens around my neck on an OPTECH Reporter Strap and the camera with the longer lens in a TAMRAC Zoom-19 Holster Case at my left hip.
I use a round screw-in hood on the tele zoom and a hand-strap on the camera. I use an OPTECH Hood Hat in lieu of a lens cap on the longer lens.
I can get my long lens in action quicker than I can describe how I carry it.
Pictures of you?