Camera support in the bush

[GPSGuided]

Looking at some of the fantastic photos by members, I bow to all of you who carry full sized tripod (on top of the camera/lens) on your walks. Some serious weight. Yet, I am curious how many actually carry a real tripod? Or has people found alternatives that can work just as well?

[gayet]

I generally carry a full carbon fibre tripod, height to just under 6ft, with a rather heavy ballhead. but I also have a monopod fitting for a walking pole (which I also take) and if I had lots of room and not much other weight and was really bored I could also take a table top for the "PHD" compact camera.

And I have a DSLR with 2 heavy lens only + a few filters (in the pack) in addition to the compact that is carried on the shoulder starp of the pack.

[wildernesswanderer]

I also carry a full Gitzo CF tripod and use a RRS ball head. Never leave home without it

[icefest]

How many kg of camera gear do you take?

[gayet]

How many kg of camera gear do you take?

I try not to frighten myself by weighing it but between 6 and 8kg. Probably closer to 6 now that I have sold the wide angle lens - rarely used it to stick to a 105 micro (macro) and a 28-300 general purpose lens. The 105 is the most frequently used though.

[icefest]

Wow. That's some serious dedication.

[GPSGuided]

Wow. That's some serious dedication.

I suspect this thread will split out the real photographers vs the snap shooters.

[gayet]

I keep looking for a compact camera that has the macro capacity of my DSLR and the 105 lens. I haven't found it yet so will continue to ake the heavy gear. The full kit is not used while actually getting from A to B but before I leave A and once I get to B. The compact is used while moving as I pack the heavy gear near the bottom of the pack and the photo op has probably gone by the time I get it all out and ready.

And I am really only a happy snapper with a gear obsession. A bit like those people with more than 1 stove system

[icefest]

If I had the money, I would be taking at least a kg of camera gear...
The amount of shots I've ruined with a crap camera. (I can upload some if you want)

... but people with several stoves don't take them on the same hike :p

[Tortoise]

It depends on the walk - if lots of time, not hard, and likely good photo opportunities, I might take a tripod and my DSLR. If a harder walk +/- needing to keep up with other people, I usually just take my compact camera +/- a 'micro beanbag'.

[Isis]

I carry a Velbron 630CF with a Arcatech ball head, 2kg all up. Holds my Pentax 6x7 or 4x5 quite ok. Guessing 6 kg in total. I do often question the worth of carrying too much camera gear when you don't really know what you will see.

[GPSGuided]

I carry a Velbron 630CF with a Arcatech ball head, 2kg all up. Holds my Pentax 6x7 or 4x5 quite ok. Guessing 6 kg in total. I do often question the worth of carrying too much camera gear when you don't really know what you will see.

I think Ansel Adams still beat you on the dedication front!

[AlbinoNeutrino]

I'm a photographer but rarely lug any dslr gear into the bush. I have a gorilla pod which is a suitable lightweight camera support and might interest some of you who don't want to carry a full tripod.

http://joby.com/gorillapod

[GPSGuided]

I have never used a Gorillapod before and have a question. Given Gorillapod's limited leg length, the camera is never that far from the firm base the tripod is anchored to. So the question is, why not just rest the camera directly on the firm object (with a sandbag or rolled up bits of clothing or pack) for the shot? How do you find it?

[DaveNoble]

With modern cameras - you can crank up the ISO a bit and turn on shake reduction and often get good shots without needing a tripod. However - photos taken using a tripod always seem to turn out a lot better than those without.

Whether I carry a tripod on a walk depends a lot on the type of walk (daywalk or longer), how far or fast I need to walk, what photographic opportunities there will be and what other photographic gear I need.

If I carry a camera with a sensor greater than 20 megapixels - then you really should use a tripod all the time to justify having a high resolution sensor. Certainly using a tripod can produce much better photos than using a better quality lens for example.

Here are some examples -

Canyon trips - (daytrips) I often carry a fairly heavy tripod (about 1.3 kg with ball head) and a heavy DSLR with a wide angle prime lens (so heavy tripod and body but light lens)
Daywalks - as above but carry a selection of zoom lenses (weight carried is not so important)
Weekend Walks - often a much lighter camera system with a light tripod (600 g with ball head)
Extended walk - e.g. Tassie - Western Arthurs - no tripod, or a gorilla pod (OK, sometimes you can place the camera on a rock, or a rock pile you make)
Extended Walk - eg Tassie in the Reserve in Winter or Autumn - carry a tripod and macro lens for fungi shots and waterfall shots.

I don't like carrying a lot of weight - but often the advantage of a good tripod is worthwhile.

Dave

[DaveNoble]

I have never used a Gorillapod before and have a question. Given Gorillapod's limited leg length, the camera is never that far from the firm base the tripod is anchored to. So the question is, why not just rest the camera directly on the firm object (with a sandbag or rolled up bits of clothing or pack) for the shot? How do you find it?

You can do this in some cases, but a gorilla pod is a bit taller, and it can be attached to trees and logs - I found this quite handy on one trip - but was using it with a light camera.

Dave

[stepbystep]

I refuse to weigh my gear but it's heavy and bulky! I carry a full length Sirui CF tripod plus ballhead, Canon 5D mkII with a 24-105 lens and a Samyang 14mm wide angle lens plus some filters. I'm saving my pennies for a decent macro lens for the kit

I used to carry a Panasonic GH1 which was light enough to fit on a 400 odd gram tripod. I carried that through the POW's for 12 days. I think I possibly would have died if I took my current kit...

[AlbinoNeutrino]

I have never used a Gorillapod before and have a question. Given Gorillapod's limited leg length, the camera is never that far from the firm base the tripod is anchored to. So the question is, why not just rest the camera directly on the firm object (with a sandbag or rolled up bits of clothing or pack) for the shot? How do you find it?

A sand bag etc would also work fine as a camera rest, and the gorillapod is not a real substitute for a full size tripod, but it's pretty good at what it does. You can mangle the gorrillapod into some fantastic shapes to get the right angle and wrap the legs around objects like branches to get more unusual angles. Low camera angles are sometimes more interesting for landscapes, so being able to have the camera at eye level with a full size tripod isn't always necessary, and often you are wrestling with a big manfrotto to get it lower to the ground for say a macro of a fungus anyway. So its a tradeoff like anything else, but it's probably the most useful small camera support I know of.

[GPSGuided]

Are those Gorillapods sturdy enough? Not suffering from flex with all those number of joints? And is a Gorillapod more stable than a monopod used wisely in the bush? Thinking of supplemental support from whatever we find in the bush. Up to this point, I've taken my Gitzo tabletop on a few selected walks but never with my 600g Sirui T-025 (800g-ish with ballhead). Maybe I should bite and make a habit of lugging it. Yes, I agree, the patience and effort with a tripod have always paid dividends outside of bushwalks, no surprise it'd do the same for bushwalks.

[gayet]

The standard gorilla pod will struggle with a heavy DSLR. I have one (referred to as table top above) but use it for the compact rather than the DSLR. It can hold the DSLR up, but only at specific angles where the weight is evenly spread over the legs to nmaintain a centre of gravity within the support field. I don't think I'd trust a magnetic version to hold it if hanging vertically or from above. The legs don't flex, at least I haven't found that, it just tips over.

[AlbinoNeutrino]

Yeah, they are very sturdy as long as you buy the appropriate one that will support the weight of your gear. I got mine years ago and its a basic one, but I see there are some cool accessories available now too like ball heads and support for quick release plates, plus skate wheels to do dolly shots with video.

[johnw]

I answered table top tripod in the survey, which is mostly correct. But I do sometimes take a very lightweight full sized (el cheapo) Inca AT330 tripod. I don't have a DSLR as such; I would mainly take this with my good camera, an Olympus Pen Mini E-PM1 that I have owned for about a year. I'd only carry this combination on day walks, and with a specific photography objective. Otherwise I might take the camera on its own or with the below alternative (which can be used with care/handholding but really the camera is too heavy and bulky for it). On occasions with no camera support I try to do a good impression of a statue and not breathe until the exposure has completed, with mixed results.

For years now I almost always carried a tiny Pedco Ultrapod pocket tripod http://www.industrialrev.com/ultrapod-i.html, usually with my current P&S Samsung. Very handy and can be attached to small tree limbs, railings etc - in some respects comparable to a Gorillapod. Might seem obvious but just remember not to attach these types of devices to limbs or other objects etc that are swaying in the breeze .

[wildernesswanderer]

As I said I carry a full sized tripod, also carry a D800E, 16-35, 60 Macro, 70-200, SB900 and a assortment of filters, if anyone has looked at a couple of shots I posted while I'm in NZ the shutter speeds are in minutes not seconds so a tripod is a must. I'm a professional photographer and sell images, if it slightly soft it's binned

[north-north-west]

I refuse to weigh my gear but it's heavy and bulky! I carry a full length Sirui CF tripod plus ballhead, Canon 5D mkII with a 24-105 lens and a Samyang 14mm wide angle lens plus some filters ... I used to carry a Panasonic GH1 which was light enough to fit on a 400 odd gram tripod. I carried that through the POW's for 12 days. I think I possibly would have died if I took my current kit...

Considering the weather towards the end, so would the camera.

[nickthetasmaniac]

Depending on what the trip is I sometimes take a full sized (although lightweight) CF Gitzo tripod and (also lightweight) Sirui ball-head. I also make sure I've got a bag handy to stuff a heap of rocks in and weigh the whole thing down.

I think a lot of people believe that they don't 'need' a tripod (and if you're only intwrested in taking snapshots then fair enough), but if you're serious about image quality, especially if you're printing, then there's no substitute. Yes, sensor quality is better and lenses are sharper at larger apertures and stabilisation helps, but just try a good composition, in good light, with a solid tripod and you'll see how much more most cameras are capable of...

[biggbird]

I refuse to weigh my gear but it's heavy and bulky! I carry a full length Sirui CF tripod plus ballhead, Canon 5D mkII with a 24-105 lens and a Samyang 14mm wide angle lens plus some filters. I'm saving my pennies for a decent macro lens for the kit

I used to carry a Panasonic GH1 which was light enough to fit on a 400 odd gram tripod. I carried that through the POW's for 12 days. I think I possibly would have died if I took my current kit...

How do you find the Samyang? Have heard/read/seen some pretty good things for such a cheap lens! I'm looking into getting something wider next year, and wondering whether I should save my money and avoid the 14-24, or whether I should just pony up the big bucks or not... Guessing I'll probably buy it in the end, as I can't resist such big, exciting looking things... But we'll see

For the record, I rarely carry a tripod. I know I should, but I guess it's all a question of what your aims are with your walking, and whether photography is the main one. Also, how fit you are and how much weight your back can handle I'm thinking that as I get fitter this summer, I may start to carry one more often, but we'll see. Hopefully headed to Frenchman's for a few nights in the not too distant future, and being able to stay at 1 or 2 different overnight stops for a longer duration certainly makes it a more attractive proposition, as opposed to lugging it around everywhere.

[stepbystep]

I refuse to weigh my gear but it's heavy and bulky! I carry a full length Sirui CF tripod plus ballhead, Canon 5D mkII with a 24-105 lens and a Samyang 14mm wide angle lens plus some filters. I'm saving my pennies for a decent macro lens for the kit

I used to carry a Panasonic GH1 which was light enough to fit on a 400 odd gram tripod. I carried that through the POW's for 12 days. I think I possibly would have died if I took my current kit...

How do you find the Samyang? Have heard/read/seen some pretty good things for such a cheap lens! I'm looking into getting something wider next year, and wondering whether I should save my money and avoid the 14-24, or whether I should just pony up the big bucks or not... Guessing I'll probably buy it in the end, as I can't resist such big, exciting looking things... But we'll see

For the record, I rarely carry a tripod. I know I should, but I guess it's all a question of what your aims are with your walking, and whether photography is the main one. Also, how fit you are and how much weight your back can handle I'm thinking that as I get fitter this summer, I may start to carry one more often, but we'll see. Hopefully headed to Frenchman's for a few nights in the not too distant future, and being able to stay at 1 or 2 different overnight stops for a longer duration certainly makes it a more attractive proposition, as opposed to lugging it around everywhere.

The Samyang is amazing for the price although I've heard the odd one isn't calibated and a touch soft. Mine is good though and a lot of people I know have been happy, needs lens correction in pp.

I shoot video and timelapse seq also so tripod is a must. The location/situation has to lend itself to going to the effort however.

Recently got a 90mm f2.8 Tamron macro with extension tubes also excellent value for money and starting to get nice results

[Davo1]

Well, this got me curious.

For day walks, anywhere from 4 to 15 hrs my camera kit including the pack and 1ltr water comes in at 18kgs, foods on top of that if required. DSLR and a number of associated lens and accessories.

My camera gear for extended walks , overnight and beyond comes in at 2.2kg including tripod. Mirror less with 18-200mm zoom.

I gave up carrying the larger camera gear on long walks as it's a pain to get it out of the pack all the time and I found I was not taking photos as often as I should. The smaller equipment worn on the belt gets used far more often and I return home much happier .. ok the quality may not be quite as high but I can live with that as it's not far off and with what is due to start hitting the market with the likes of FF mirrorless cameras etc. the whole game may soon change

Thanks for the thread, an interesting read.

PS: I'll vouch for the Samyang as well, for the price it's great.

[Nuts]

Theres a lightweight tripod here GPS- viewtopic.php?f=23&t=3397&p . I went for monopod, it's probably not of interest here. I had a few different tripods, Unilock being the best of them all (but heavy).

[GPSGuided]

Thanks Nuts!