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How do you carry your camera?


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I started using Lowepro bags because they were the local guys and most photographers I knew in the SF Bay Area used them as well. Once I went into a facility of theirs in a Sonoma County industrial park with a broken slider. The bag was beat up and no doubt well out of any warranty. They fixed it on the spot for free.

 

Today I carry the minimum, depending. I have TLZ Mini and 65 AW Toploaders, Nova 160, 180 and 5 AW. I also still have that old, beat-up Magnum 35 which is now only used to store stuff. My usual walk-around kit consists of two Fuji X-T1 bodies with MHG grips and 14mm and 18-55mm lenses respectively in the Nova 180. I also have an X-T2 with a battery grip that fits with lens in the Toploader 65. It goes on my belt, or maybe on a shoulder strap, but it stays home unless I have a good reason for bringing it along.

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Honestly I don't know how you all manage to walk around with all this gear some of you carry.

 

The pics I took last week were from two walks on two days through the nearest largish town of Ipswich. Each walk took over two hours and covered at least a couple of miles through the streets in a a circle back to the car. I have around 150 RAW files from those two days, admittedly many similars. One camera and one lens on the end of it and bag left in the car is what works for me. 

 

Each to their own and all that. Interesting to read the different priorities and different approaches to photography. 

 

Thanks to the Op[ for starting the thread. It has turned out to be quite enlightening.

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3 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

I bought mine -- a Nova 4, I believe -- in about 1995 and used it for around 15 years. That model was really boxy. I also had a later model Nova 5, which I think is the one that you are shouldering in the picture. However, I found it too big to lug around and ended up using it mainly for storage. I sold the 5 a couple of years ago in pristine shape. They are very good bags.

 

No this is the 4 also. It's this bulky because of all the stuff that does not go into the hold is stuffed in there.

I just checked: the two numbers 5 I have are non AW and ancient; one worn out. The third one is in fact a ginormous Magnum AW. Indeed also pristine 😁

 

wim

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I have a lot of bags. Big ones, small ones. I learned a lesson at the San Diego zoo in 2006. I had a Nikon DSLR, several lenses one being the heavy 80-400. I had a monopod and a sling bag. The weight compressed my bad spine to the point I could barely breathe.

 

When I flew 5 years ago, I took my Pelican roller bag. I could fit my gear plus my meds and carry it on the plane, roll it off the plane. Nowadays, I go where I want to shoot in my car, step out, take the shots, get back in and drive away. Sometimes I walk just a bit, with only my camera in my hands and a zoom lens on. I may have several lenses with me, always my 100-400, my 80mm macro and my 18-135 which stays on my camera most of the time If I’m out on a planned shoot. Whatever I’m not using at the moment resides in a large boxy bag that always stays in the car. I can reach over, get a different lens and change it inside away from wind and dust. I never walk so far that my car is out of my sight and have a cover to throw over the bag so as not to tempt anyone.

Going shopping, I have my RX100 MK3 in my handbag.

Sometimes, if I only need one extra lens, and need to walk a bit further than usual, the lens will be in a belted waist pack while I carry my camera in my hands. I can’t handle anything around my neck or on my shoulder. I envy the young and healthy. Just remember whatever you do presently, your body will remember years from now and send out all kinds of reminders.
Betty

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19 hours ago, John Mitchell said:

 

I of course thought of that, but doing so would would have brought attention to my camera bag, which he hadn't bothered to explore. I hate it when inspectors start hauling lenses and camera bodies out and fiddling with them. Potentially losing a monopod is much better than having a clumsy guard drop a lens.

 

Never have had Nicaraguan customs guys at the airport want to handle things like lenses, and Mexican customs was more interested in how the Billingham fasteners worked and what were the things that weren't lenses.  Everything coming in here to the airport is x-rayed, not sure about land border crossings.

 

Don't know what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, though.  My cane was x-rayed at the US consulate when I went in to renew my passport before the virus.

 

 

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On 27/07/2020 at 07:22, wiskerke said:

 

 

For women this may be a good starting point.

 

Purse-snatching is big in some Nicaraguan neighborhoods.  Those look like purses.   The hierarchy of steal-able items is money first, cell phones second, laptops and maybe tablets third, and everything else depending on how fast the thief can sell it or pass it to an accomplice. 

 

Small lumbar pack (to avoid the term the British associate with front rather than rear) are common enough cross class and nationality lines here.

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23 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

Never have had Nicaraguan customs guys at the airport want to handle things like lenses, and Mexican customs was more interested in how the Billingham fasteners worked and what were the things that weren't lenses.  Everything coming in here to the airport is x-rayed, not sure about land border crossings.

 

Don't know what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, though.  My cane was x-rayed at the US consulate when I went in to renew my passport before the virus.

 

Cane swords or swordsticks are explicitly forbidden in some US States as they are both concealed and disguised.

Maybe last night they had seen him on TV:

brollycane4.gif

 

wim

 

music here

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1 minute ago, wiskerke said:

 

Cane swords or swordsticks are explicitly forbidden in some US States as they are both concealed and disguised.

Maybe last night they had seen him on TV:

brollycane4.gif

 

wim

 

Going to do any business at the US Consulate in Managua is like going through airport security twice to buy Chinese takeout in a Chinese takeout place in Anacosta, District of Columbia (all transactions have clerks protected by an inch or two of plexiglass, just like the Chinese take out place I was in back in Anacosta).  Of course, they're going to x-ray the cane, and keep my cell phone at the second security check point's desk along with my thumb drive.

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54 minutes ago, MizBrown said:

 

Never have had Nicaraguan customs guys at the airport want to handle things like lenses, and Mexican customs was more interested in how the Billingham fasteners worked and what were the things that weren't lenses.  Everything coming in here to the airport is x-rayed, not sure about land border crossings.

 

Don't know what it was like in the 1980s and 1990s, though.  My cane was x-rayed at the US consulate when I went in to renew my passport before the virus.

 

 

 

Perhaps stuff is x-rayed at CA land crossings now, I don't know. They used to be scary places. Hopefully things have improved. The last time I visited Nicaragua in 2010, I was part of a small group of travel journalists participating in a press trip. The authorities took our passports away and ushered us into an empty airport (Managua) lounge where we twiddled our thumbs for almost an hour while they checked out our identities (I suppose). It was all very friendly, though. I've actually had more negative experiences at the Vancouver airport than at airports in Latin America. 

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2 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

 

Perhaps stuff is x-rayed at CA land crossings now, I don't know. They used to be scary places. Hopefully things have improved. The last time I visited Nicaragua in 2010, I was part of a small group of travel journalists participating in a press trip. The authorities took our passports away and ushered us into an empty airport lounge where we twiddled our thumbs for almost an hour while they checked out our identities (I suppose). It was all very friendly, though. I've actually had more negative experiences at the Vancouver airport than at airports in Latin America. 

 

Everything is on the computers these day as of 2010 or a bit earlier.   Friend of mine who got Nicaraguan citizenship got to see a print out of all his travels in and out of Nicaragua.  Another person got an accidental look (maybe not so accidental) of a print out of her social media posting.

 

Right now the land crossing between Costa Rica and Nicaragua is a zoo with many Nicaraguans who'd been living in CR deciding to go home before Costa Rica opens to tourism on August 1st (for UK, EU, and Canadians only).   Nicaragua is requiring negative coronavirus tests before they can come back, and the right wing opposition just flipped its position from "OMG, open borders, close them now" to "OMG, closed borders and required testing, open the border now."    

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On 26/07/2020 at 01:18, sb photos said:

 

My standard kit is two D750's with 24-70 and 70-300 lenses attached. They sit in a Tamrac shoulder bag lenses down with a divider between them. Either a 11" or 13" MacBook Air lives in the laptop sleeve. I keep one D750 in my hands when shooting, and can quickly drop it into the bag and pull out the other when needed. The downside is if carrying all day you feel the bags weight. Nothing is perfect.

 

If I need more kit I use a Tenba backpack, it takes the two D750's with lenses attached and two other lenses plus a laptop if required. That will be todays kit bag. No quick access with this bag.

 

If I'm traveling light I'll be carry a small black leather shoulder bag that has two zipped sections. Sony RX100VII in one, and various accessories, sanitising gel, gloves, masks and maybe a drink carton and something to eat in the other.

 

For security I leave my camera/s in their bags until they are needed unless I feel pretty secure. Obviously the RX100 is the most inconspicuous, it gets more and more use.

 

 

 

So two identical camera bodies, so you don't have to change the lenses? With the shoulder bags, you're taking photos with the bag hanging off your shoulder? Or you wear it crosswise, shoulder to hip?

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On 26/07/2020 at 02:10, geogphotos said:

Canon 5D Mk3 + 24-105 lens + strap

 

Carry it from my shoulder. I feel weird if I don't feel it hanging there when I am out wandering about - I get a sudden jolt when it isn't there.

 

Once or twice the sudden jolt has been necessary because I had left the camera back on a bench or wall when I'd stopped for a rest! Visualise an overweight oldie trying to run looking red and frantic. It turns heads I assure you. 

 

So the camera is exposed? No protective covering on the camera?

 

I went to Mexico City for the first time last year and was trying to find my way around the airport. I met my friends who were picking me up in a car and I discovered I didn't have my camera case with my brand new camera in it. Ugh, I left it sitting by a bench in a totally public open area inside the airport. Someone found it but they had to search and interrogate me and it took a long time before I could get it back from security. I know that jolt well. I sympathize fully but somewhat comforted to learn that even pros leave their cameras behind after sitting on a bench.

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On 26/07/2020 at 03:09, Sally R said:

Hi Kristin, I have ended up with 3 camera bags when I initially only intended to have one, which just kind of organically happened.

 

I have a camera backpack that has its own waterproof cover that fits neatly under it with velcro and can be pulled out to cover the pack when necessary. The pack has clipped connectors (like buckles I guess) at the waist and chest which takes the weight off your shoulders so that it is less burdensome to carry around. It looks like this:

https://www.leedervillecameras.com.au/products/cases-straps/cases/sol-/sol-case-model-no-8070

 

Oh my gosh. I absolutely love this. I don't like things hanging off my shoulders and it doesn't look like a camera bag, at least from the photo.  I had no idea such a thing existed. THANK YOU.

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On 26/07/2020 at 03:09, Sally R said:

However, as this bag didn't fit my 150-500mm lens I subsequently bought a Lowepro Flipside 15L pack. This is different in that it opens from the opposite side (the side that is against your back when worn) which makes it feel nice and secure. Like the one above it also has a waterproof cover that can be pulled out to protect against rain. I have hiked in heavy rain with this and my camera gear stayed completely dry. It is lightweight and also has the buckles that fasten at the waist and chest. I can carry my big lens attached to my camera plus 2 or 3 smaller ones in it, and even though I'm a small person, the way this pack is supportive I can manage it quite well. By using the buckles, your ab muscles take the weight rather than the shoulders, which I find much easier. I often carry a drink bottle in the side pocket too, and snacks. I have a feeling Lowepro no longer manufacture this specific one, though I just found it is available on Amazon (I'm sure I paid about half the price of this one though):

https://www.amazon.com.au/Lowepro-Flipside-Sport-Camera-Backpack/dp/B00809MO9S

I'm sure there are many other similar bags to this one too.

 

This is a beautiful bag. Looks suitable for hikes especially.

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On 26/07/2020 at 03:09, Sally R said:

The third bag is a Lowepro shoulder bag that I got as a bonus deal when I bought my Tamron macro lens. This is good when I just want to carry the camera without additional lenses. I can still fit a few extras in here though, and almost always carry things like filters and lens filter attachments, a spare battery if I know I'll need it etc. It is this one:

https://www.lowepro.com/au-en/passport-sling-iii-grey-and-orange-lp36658-0ww/

 

If I am going to do a lot of walking I prefer the backpacks so I don't get sore shoulders, but if not, and if not carrying extra lenses, the shoulder sling bag is great. All three bags get regular use. The sling bag is the easiest for quickly retrieving the camera without having to take it off my shoulder. All of them have velcro sections that can be reconfigured how you want them to support and hold lenses and other accessories, as well as additional zip pockets which I find helpful.

 

Sometimes, if I am just driving down to the ocean or a park for a walk and I think I'd like to take some shots along the way, I don't even bother with a bag and just carry the camera. However, 8 years ago I lived in a bit of a dodgy street. I naively was carrying my camera outside and to and from the car not in a bag. Before long we were broken into and the camera with a new macro lens attached was stolen. My housemate and I had had a weird feeling we had been watched for a couple of days, and he also had his expensive mountain bike stolen. So I now only carry the camera outside a bag in places that it feels safe to do so.

 

I think a good thing is to go to a camera store or two, have a look at their bags and see if you think they will fit the things you want to carry, if they will be comfortable etc.

 

I love this Lowepro bag too. I can see using all of your suggestions depending on the circumstance.  I don't like to carry things off my shoulder at all either. Thank you so much for the links.

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On 26/07/2020 at 03:49, GeoffK said:

It used to be cameras in a backpack in the days of medium format stock, a backpack which could also carry a tripod so basically a Lowepro. When working with clients it was a very large Billingham (all part of the 'show' for the public). Now I use a medium size Billingham with one old camera (5DII)  and a few lenses plus I carry a tripod (CF). Weighs a fraction of what I used to lug.

 

Most important consideration has always been finding a bag big enough for the equipment plus a lunch box.......

 

 

 

 

The Billingham's I am looking at now scream "camera inside"! But I can see how that works if you're putting on a show for the public. 🙂

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On 26/07/2020 at 05:08, Steve F said:

Hey,

I've tried normal backpacks, and the slingshot type backpack. I found the slingshot type quite unwieldy. But I also tend to mostly go around urban or 'tamed' rural settings and I don't go hiking so it's got to be a shoulder bag for me as your camera's readily available. I think it needs to be comfortable, waterproof and you definitely have to check it fits all your gear you want to take out! I'm loving my ThinkTank Retrospective 7 at the moment. Doesn't scream camera bag and very practical. It's got big velcro pads that you can make silent or use normally if you're worried about security.

 

I've gone off camera straps for the neck, the camera just ends up bouncing off your chest when you walk along so you have to keep it steady with your hand. I now just use a wrist strap or keep it in my bag for easy access. But I am using a relatively lightweight mirrorless system.

Steve

 

Thank you! I don't like shoulder bags but the the ThinkTank Retrospective BackPack 15 looks amazing. Probably more than I need as it looks like it holds a ton of gear.

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18 hours ago, Ed Rooney said:

 

Ah, those great bush or safari jackets. I used to have a dozen of them. 

I was snapping away in Berlin once, up on the hill with the little museum. Down below I spotted  the actor, Hardy Krüger walking his dog. I called down to him and asked where he got the safari jacket he wore in The Wild Geese. He told me the name of a shop in Nairobi, Kenya, not Berlin. Where did those great, useful jackets go? 

 

And I agree, Chuck—it’s best to be open and obvious using a camera in a danger zone.

 

Wim, your list of gear reminds me that I’m lucky to be retired now and just shooting editorial stock for Alamy. I have a pain in my shoulder from reading your list.

 

 

LOL, Ed,

 

Funny story, my daughter who just graduated from an IVY league school and is off to work in NYC, next week.

Bought me the best "Bush Jacket I've seen in two decades" from a second hand store in Boston and it was

brand new?

 

Back in the day (70's and 80's) I had a dozen great "Bush Jackets", but can not find a good on in the 20's.

Guess it is like a proper Martini............

 

Best to you my friend,

 

Chuck

 

 

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6 hours ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

So two identical camera bodies, so you don't have to change the lenses? With the shoulder bags, you're taking photos with the bag hanging off your shoulder? Or you wear it crosswise, shoulder to hip?

 

Yes, two identical camera bodies so I don't have to change lenses, for speed and avoiding getting crud on the sensor. My 24-70 has never been off the other D750 since I bought both together. 

 

If I do change a lens while out it will be swopping the 70-300 for a 17-35 to use close up in a crowd at the wide end. 

 

Until COVID-19 appeared photographing large marches I would often spend some time standing stationary in the middle of the road with the marchers passing me on either side, and sometimes ducking under large banners. I would be shooting them straight on, or camera held high or gaining even more height by using a monopod.  With both cameras out I wear the shoulder bag crosswise, shoulder to hip. Without doing that it would be too light to stay on my shoulder and can easily be knocked off in a crowd..

 

Everyone likely shoots in different environments, adapts to what they are shooting and any possible security risks that are generally minimal here in the UK.

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3 hours ago, sb photos said:

 

Yes, two identical camera bodies so I don't have to change lenses, for speed and avoiding getting crud on the sensor. My 24-70 has never been off the other D750 since I bought both together. 

 

If I do change a lens while out it will be swopping the 70-300 for a 17-35 to use close up in a crowd at the wide end. 

 

Until COVID-19 appeared photographing large marches I would often spend some time standing stationary in the middle of the road with the marchers passing me on either side, and sometimes ducking under large banners. I would be shooting them straight on, or camera held high or gaining even more height by using a monopod.  With both cameras out I wear the shoulder bag crosswise, shoulder to hip. Without doing that it would be too light to stay on my shoulder and can easily be knocked off in a crowd..

 

Everyone likely shoots in different environments, adapts to what they are shooting and any possible security risks that are generally minimal here in the UK.

 

Brilliant advice, on all accounts, thank you. I shoot marches too and have done the middle-of-the-road thing. In San Francisco, they have bus stops on  cement islands in the middle of the road that are slightly elevated. You can perch there and the crowd naturally fans around it and you can get shots from above the crowd. But a monopod would help too.

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12 hours ago, wiskerke said:

 

Cane swords or swordsticks are explicitly forbidden in some US States as they are both concealed and disguised.

Maybe last night they had seen him on TV:

brollycane4.gif

 

wim

 

music here

 

 

What Steed is doing here is based on a martial art 'invented' by a relative of my wife called Edward William Barton-Wright.

 

It is called bartitsu, basically an adaptation made by him of jujutsu to Edwardian Britain. 

 

He was a brother of my wife's grandfather

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1 hour ago, The Blinking Eye said:

 

Brilliant advice, on all accounts, thank you. I shoot marches too and have done the middle-of-the-road thing. In San Francisco, they have bus stops on  cement islands in the middle of the road that are slightly elevated. You can perch there and the crowd naturally fans around it and you can get shots from above the crowd. But a monopod would help too.

 

I find any Island in the road can be of limited use if the march is taped off to only one side of the road. When the island is in a road with marchers on each side other photographers often stake out a space early with their steps such as in London's Piccadilly. I use a wired shutter release when using a monopod, other photographers use a wireless release. I prefer to keep it simple and foolproof but carry a spare wired release.

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Back when I was still carrying a Canon 5D and a couple of lenses, I used a Lowepro Outback 200 (or maybe a predecessor model) modular belt pack. I really liked using that format--saved the shoulders from the bag weight--but apparently not enough other people did, as it's no longer available.

 

I thought I had sold it, but recently came across it during a major Covid cleanup. Might try it with the Sony mirrorless.

 

But if you're looking for discreet, it does scream "PHOTOGRAPHER".

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