Camera Weight

<p>Start a weight training program to increase your strength, a cardio program to increase your stamina and do yoga everyday to work out all the kinks.</p>

<p>weight is also a concern for me (bad back) and that is why I opted for the Nikon D90 instead of the D300-I have to say that I am very happy with the D90. cb</p>

<p>They could make a stripped-down D40 / D90 - without flash and the bulky grip - ending up with something like the Nikon EM / FE, but then everyone is going to complain about "ergonomics" and of course the "night shots"...</p>

<p>A year or two ago I was reading reviews of the latest Nikon DSLR. I don't remember the model, but one professional photographer praised the camera for being so light and small. The very next review was from an amateur shooter who complained about how big and heavy the same camera was. So it's all a matter of perspective. I'm no muscleman but have yet to see a 35mm SLR or DSLR I consider too big or too heavy. I was brought up in the era of a Nikon F2 with motor drive and battery pack and a bag full of primes, so that's my idea of normal and anything less is lightweight. On the other hand, I was friends with a newspaper photographer who had to have back surgery because 30 years of carrying 30 pounds of gear over his shoulder had taken its toll. Wouter's "horses for courses" remark is on the money -- what I would take to a wedding or commercial job where I can load up the back of the SUV and park it 100 feet away is different than what I'd take on a hike in the Grand Canyon.</p>

<p>Paul... In keeping with your thread topic I have always taken a good quality point/shoot on backpacking trips and my SLR on day hikes. However, on our last outing for four days I took a D80 body and a 50mm prime and it was great (although for the tight quarters on trails I recommend a 24mm to 35mm prime).<br>

Now, for a personal question. Can you please provide a model number or source for the Op/Tech strap shown in your picture? I've looked for a strap with the quick release metal clips and can't find one. Most straps have the web connections that are a pain to remove, or they'll have the plastic quick disconnects and I just don't trust those (plus they leave about 6" of strap on each side of the camera). When I view all the Op/Tech straps, all of them that have the metal clips like yours are "bag" straps. I'm not stuck on semantics and would use one of those but don't want to order one and have the clip too large for the camera loops.<br>

Anyway, I'd appreciate your (or anyone else's) help... Mike</p>

 

<p>I shoot the D300, with a MB-D10 Grip, and usually a 17-55mm f2.8 Its a heavy rig, but it is what it is.... I think its as simple as you either want to carry and use it, or not...... I have carried it all day with my 80-200mm f2.8 also. I will pay the price of weight to be able to use it....</p>

<p>Weight = horrrible when you need to carry misc heavy metals ranging from wide angle to a long wildlife lens plus TCs and flash gadgets, batteries, filters, tripod.... That's why I try to get a light weight backpack and won't mind it if the cameras and lenses are made of plastic. ;)</p>

<p>I have been reviewing nikon archives and I think some numbers may be interesting</p>

<p>F100=785gr (1.73lb. no batteries)<br>

D300=825gr (1.82lb. no batteries)</p>

<p>So, F100 and D300 are almost the same weight. With the 12-24 f/4 it seems that you can get similar performance as the old AIS wide angles. This zoom gets some critics in 12 but, stoped down it seems to improve. So compared to the 18-35:<br>

18-35 = 370gr.<br>

12-24 f/4= 465gr.</p>

<p>Then add this zoom telephotos that aren't much heier than 10 years ago and I think you can replicate a quite light weight set up based on the dx format. The point is, number doen' show much heavier equipment on shelf. If you want to travel light nothing stops you to do so with the current cameras and offerings. And for landscape photography usually you want to use a tripod and and a high f/ number so, super fast lenses aren't that important.</p>

<p>I think it really depends more on what you want to take and the compromises you want to make.</p>

 

<p>In Rowell's book "Mountain Light" he provides the extensive tech, compositional, and other detail for each picture. Good book, kind of like a mini-workshop. This book includes most of his best known images, and is from his primarily manual focus & Kodachrome days.<br>

Anyway, when doing the mountain thing, (during that time) he normally used the first Nikkormat bodies, then for years the FM/FM2 bodies. Wide primes, an 85mm or so, and the 75-150mm E series zoom.</p>

<p>Yes Jay "Mountain Light" is my favorite of all his books. In it Galen Rowell gives a lot of good suggestions. Such as when photographing mountains and landscapes depth of field is normally important, so an f/1.4 or f/1.8 lens is generally not required. Also, whenever you can always use a tripod.</p>

<p>Most of the problems that he encountered back in the bad old days of emulsion and chemicals are the exact same things that digital photographers have to deal with. Quality of light, the much wider tonal range of the human eye than film (and even more so with a CCD or a CMOS), compositon, etc. </p>

<p>Paul,<br />I understand your concern. I did not mind the weight when using a D300, MB-D10 and the 18-70, but when I got my new Sigma 50-150, I really started to feel the camera rig. Actually, I have lately started to bring my P&S with me on family travels, which I think makes me less grumpy and better travel companion for my family ;) ;)</p>

<p>I agree Per-Christian. Many times I just slip my P&S in my front pocket, just in case. It takes surprisingly good pictures too.</p>

<p>Yeah, digital is large and heavy. I'm still waiting for a full frame digital the weight of an F80 (550 gr/1.21 lbs body with battery). Or a full frame digital the size and weight of a 35mm compact like Minolta Hi-Matic F (360 gr/0.79 lbs with lens).<br>

Nikon's lightest full frame body with a battery (D700) is 1075 gr/2.37 lbs.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Paul.<br>

I also got the OP-Tech camera strap for my D700/24-70 and it helped a lot not using the the Nikon strap, but after getting another set of straps, also OP-Tech, attached to my backpack, so I can put/switch the load to that, my camera becomes almost weightless.</p>

 

<p>About weight, I love to use my F4, but only for taking pictures in a winter morning or a summer afternoon. When traveilng, "minimum weight" is the key of the game. My actual travel kit is a Zeiss-Ikon rangefinder, a 50mm Sumicron and a 21mm Voigtländer. I reckon the total weight is about 1 kg. When you're at 35 degrees C day after day (I've just arrived from the french Provence) every gram saved is a Godsend.</p>