Camera support in the bush

[naturelover]

Like many above, my decision on how much to take depends on the people I'm with, how long the walk is and what the weather is doing. If it is raining, I only take my compact. Snow, I take both. If I'm doing an extended walk solo, alas, I only take my compact. However, if my husband is with me to take the tent, then I take the food and photographic gear, and then I might take three lenses, filters, a tripod, my DSLR and also my compact. I have the compact around my neck for quick shots, and my DSLR etc in the top of my pack for shots in scheduled breaks. Day walks I take everything, although not always a tripod.

In a recent trip in Italy in the Dolomites, I was there solo for four weeks' walking / climbing and had 3.2 kgs electrical equipment. Instead of doubling up on cameras, I only had my DSLR, but walked with it around my neck, tucked into the top strap of my pack. I could grab it and take a shot with almost no delay. I built tripods when I wanted them (out of stone) and used time delay for stability. I fell over at one point whilst travelling downhill (fast) and broke my sternum, but the camera was fine, and that's all that matters

[Ninox]

I generally carry my LowePro AW600 backpack with two 1D bodies, a 5D body, a 500mm f/4L lens, 24-85mm, 100mm macro and 70-200/2.8L, 580EXII flash, flash bracket, full CF tripod and Wimberley. I will weigh it out of curiousity. I reckon the lot will be close to 12kg. Including some food, 3-4 liters of water as well, which may add more weight. I will ditch some of the gear to climb up to higher spots, which are medium to hard grade, though I still take two cameras and the 500/4L lens and the 24-85mm. It's a hard slug.... I can easily hand hold the 500 for bird photography, which is what I do so I can get away without a tripod most of the time.

[naturelover]

Gracious. If you want to chuck one of those bodies away to lighten your load, I'm sure I can catch ha ha.

[Ninox]

Gracious. If you want to chuck one of those bodies away to lighten your load, I'm sure I can catch ha ha.

The 5DMkII is actually a friend's who loaned it to me to shoot HD video of my owls and raptors. Otherwise you wouldn't want the 1D series. Too old in today's world. They're only 8 and 10 mpx.

[jazz]

Some dedication to the shot here, that's for sure! I used to take my DSLR with me, but I recently purchased a Fuji X-S1 and find I am using it pretty much exclusively. It doesn't have the range or quality of my DSLR kit, but it's quicker and easier to use and still lets me shoot RAW captures which helps with the little PP I do. On topic, though, I tend to hand-hold because I find it a pain setting up for each shot you choose to use the tripod for. I got fairly steady holding my DSLR kit, though, so I guess transferring that muscle memory over to a lighter camera has been a help. Having said all this, I'd like to start taking my tripod out more, but the real reason I don't is that my partner is already patient enough with me as it is with the shots I take - asking her to wait while I set up the tripod each time might be the straw on the camel's back!

[jazz]

Oh, and for anyone who doesn't want to fork out for a monopod but hikes with Leki poles, Leki make a threaded trekking pole head that will convert your pole into a monopod. No use for it personally as a heavy lens tends to topple a monopod in nothing flat, but for a point and shoot it's a more economic option, perhaps.

[RonK]

Get a Tamrac Zipshot.

[ULWalkingPhil]

Oh, and for anyone who doesn't want to fork out for a monopod but hikes with Leki poles, Leki make a threaded trekking pole head that will convert your pole into a monopod. No use for it personally as a heavy lens tends to topple a monopod in nothing flat, but for a point and shoot it's a more economic option, perhaps.

I would not use them on a heavier camera, the threads are plastic and you constantly need to check and retighten so you dont loose, there not all that great.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[Nuts]

The Joby ball head is a vast improvement for a walking pole screw mount. Weighty but are very solid and functional. Iv'e been using mine a bit lately with slr and w/a lens (around 1.3kg) without fail. Komperdell make a good camera mount walking pole.

[Earwig]

I have a small, lightweight tripod I take with me. It's not fantastic - legs extend from about 15cm to about a metre or metre and a half.

[photohiker]

The Sirui T025X is getting a bit of a reputation for a reasonable and light tripod option.

http://www.mainlinephoto.com.au/prod309.htm

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/sir ... ction.html

It's not as stable as a full on Gitzo etc, but it's compact size and meagre weight (800g) make up for a bit of that...

[Nuts]

Scratch that, Gimballed Hero Cam for me

Preferably one that will lift 20kg and not self destruct

[GPSGuided]

The Sirui T025X is getting a bit of a reputation for a reasonable and light tripod option.
It's not as stable as a full on Gitzo etc, but it's compact size and meagre weight (800g) make up for a bit of that...

My exact tripod and really like it. But you are right, it's not as stable when fully extended due to its centre column design. But good enough for most purposes. It is light and very well made but still takes an effort to motivate me to carry it...

[DaveNoble]

My last two long walks have been extended trips in Tasmania - both about 14 days or so. On both trips I carried a small tripod. It had to be a small tripod - because I wanted to photograph subjects like rivers, creeks, waterfalls and fungi - where you really do need a tripod for the sorts of shots I was after. To carry 14 days food and equipment is hard enough, let along camera gear. So you need to compromise a bit. The tripod I took was a small carbon fibre Gitzo GT-531. It is really a "tabletop tripod" as it only extends up about 55 cm, or 67 cm with the centre column extended. But it folds up very small, and weighs less than 600 g with a Really Right Stuff ball head and clamp (BH-25). The tripod worked out very well on both trips (and other walks) - and it is not that often that I miss the extra height of a full tripod. The tripod head is very easy to reverse to get macro shots. The only downside is Gitzo tripods tend to be expensive (and the same with good ball heads) but their tripods are very well made and designed - and I feel that a good tripod and ball head is probably the best way to improve your photos - and probably cheaper and better than buying a new body or a better quality lens.

Dave