Tired of lugging a DSLR around......

<p>I am have become tired of lugging around my D300, big lenses, and a tripod that supports it all. It is getting to the point that I just don't go out with my gear unless I am shooting close to the truck, etc. I am drawn to more intimate type landscapes, macros, and don't do much wildlife. So here is the questions:<br>

1) Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?<br>

2) I am thinking of selling my gear and going with the Lumix GF1 or the Olympus EP2 or PL-1. Not much in the way of lens choice and they are pricey; however so much lighter and compact. Does anyone have experience with either of these?<br>

What say you?</p>

<p>Sounds like you need a more comfortable pack and a lighter tripod. I'd really miss my D300 if I went with one of the little guys ... but then I need the action-ish performance more than I need the petite payload. Is it an either-or situation for you, budget-wise?</p>

<p>Why not a smaller Nikon DSLR and maybe smaller lenses?</p>

<p>Maybe a D5000 for reducing weight instead of a whole new system? And as Matt said, a travel tripod.</p>

<p>I have a D3 and big lenses like the 200-400 f4 and tripod with a bunch of RRS attachments. I only use those around town. When I travel or go hiking I leave the tripod at home and take my D90, 12-24DX, 18-70DX, and 70-300 VR. </p>

<p>If you want to go simple......as I did....when I dont want the weight and hassle of the 1DMk3, and L's from 24-70 up to 500f4, I take my Canon G9, or my recently acquired Ricoh GRD3.</p>

<p>Canon G9:<br>

<img src="http://www.john.macpherson.btinternet.co.uk/Resources/img4742.jpeg" alt="" /></p>

<p>and again:<br>

<img src="http://www.john.macpherson.btinternet.co.uk/Resources/img5177.jpeg" alt="" width="621" height="443" /></p>

<p>Image quality from these small cameras is really very good. If you want even lighter than the G9 the little Ricoh is as good as it gets - small dedicated Ricoh site recently uploaded here: http://multimedia.streamlinenettrial.co.uk/ricoh/intro.html</p>

<p>I have a GF1 that I carry just in case, when I don't expect to be shooting. It is a neat little camera, with much of the feel of the old rangefinders (using the external finder). But it just doesn't measure up to a D300 in terms of image noise and speed of operation. In other words, it is the best camera to have with me when I didn't feel like bringing another. I use a light-weight lens combination on the D300 (Nikon 16-85, Tokina 50-135) when I am traveling light but expecting to shoot, and the faster pro lenses on a D3 when the purpose is a planned shoot.</p>

<p>Shoot large format for a while. Then your current setup will seem light. On a more practical note - don't take everything with you, and try using a few light primes. I'm always making choices so that I can travel light.</p>

<p>1. Yes.<br>

2. I have a G1 with the kit lens and a Rayqual adapter that lets me use my Nikon AI lenses. The kit lens is equivalent to 28-90 in 35mm terms, and this covers most of my needs. The Nikon lenses are all manual, of course, but it's nice to be able to take along, say, a 55/3.5 micro or 180/2.8 to supplement the kit lens for special circumstances.</p>

<p>Like Robert Budding said "Shoot large format for a while. Then your current setup will seem light."<br>

I shot LF for years and my DSLR is so liberating. I also have a G9 for those <br />"lazy days"</p>

<p>I think the GF-1 is a splendid idea. Just don't sell your Nikon before you buy it, use two together to decide which combination suits you better. </p>

<p>Thanks for all of the input. Unfortunately, I am thinking that I need to sell the D300 to move into a different setup.......</p>

<p>Again thanks for the replies and if there are any others out there, please chime in.</p>

<p>I figured this out myself about a year and half ago, after carrying heavy stuff up and down Yosemite with the family. What I did was buy a pair of lightweight kit lenses 18-55mm VR and 55-200mm VR and use them on my old D80. Really, they do about 90% of what I want on these family outings. I also have a polarizer and a Canon 500D, plus SB-800 flash. If you don't need the fast AF of the D300 or its 1/250 sync, the D5000 just might do the job for you, along with compact AFS lenses. You could then use it on a very light travel tripod such as Benro Travel Angel A-169 or even their carbon fibor equiv. They fold down to about 16 inches!<br>

Kent in SD</p>

<p>It's a reasonable course of action if the size and weight are really that bad. You do lose some things in the tradeoff - lens selection, as you said, and high ISO performance and AF performance to name a couple. Try one of the Micro 4/3 cameras and see how it handles before doing anything drastic, and do try the D5000 because it puts a very similar sensor to your D300 into a much lighter package (sacrificing some performance features and the extra-robust body in the bargain, but still it takes most of the same lenses and the resulting images are very similar).</p>

<p>I'm not interested in hauling my Canon DSLR and lenses around either, unless for special projects. So I do most of my casual photography with a Canon "superzoom", a SX10 IS. With its 28-560mm equivalent lens, 10MP, IS, all modes, hotshoe, video mode, etc., it works for lots of my photography. I have a small bag for it that is easy to carry around, can carry extra AA batteries and my Canon 430EX flash should I need it. I find myself shooting a lot more by being able to have this relatively lightweight setup with me most of the time.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Have you considered the Nikon D3000? Hard to believe anything is much smaller and lighter. The kit zoom is kinda slow action for action, but is near macro for close up objects.</p>

<p>If it were simply a weight issue just downsize your kit a smaller DSLR, a wide angle prime, and a lighter telephoto like a 70-300. With a smaller camera you could get away with a lighter tripod as well. Just be sure to leave your Super Bowl ring in the truck so it doesn't fall off on the trail. </p>

<p>I am in the same situation with my Pentax DSLR gear, even with the very compact prime lenses. To go light, I carry a Panasonic FZ-28 superzoom compact for its reasonable image quality and very light weight. I have telephoto options with the compact that I can't afford or am unwilling to lug with the DSLR. The tradeoff is that the detail is just not there, and I have little in the way of a crop option; I must compose more carefully. I must work around the in-camera noise reduction that smears detail. When the image quality is of prime importance, it's lugging the DSLR, every time.</p>

<p>I gave some thought a while back to getting one of the segway scooters that is designed for trail riding. They can be outfitted with some pretty nifty looking cargo cases as sort of saddle bags. and supposedly have a 12 mile range. I opted for a Canon G 10 instead. But the segway is not off the idea list for schlepping a lot of dreck quietly and cleanly for a few miles with low strain on the schlepper. They just cost way too much.</p>

<p>I'm putting in my vote for "go with the GF1". Though I know you said you have to sell your gear to move to a new system...I would see if there's a way to keep it. The m4/3 cameras are wonderful, light, and has great image quality...it just can't stand up to a DSLR...at least not yet.<br>

But the GF1 with the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens has become my ultimate travel camera. It goes with me everywhere from just going to the office to going with me on my all too frequent business trips out to Japan where I just can't see myself lugging my Canon gear with me. I don't regret the purchase and I have gotten more than my money's worth from this neat little camera.</p>

<p>I was lugging my 5d, couple of lens, and tripod around on a short hike to go find something worth shooting. I was thinking that this load was starting to feel kind of heavy. Then, I ran across an old guy with a wooden 8x10" camera, a pretty serious tripod, and all the other stuff that goes along with it. I realized that the old guys were just tougher than us. :-)<br>

P.S. For when I am particularly lazy I do have LX3 that I really like, although I am thinking about getting one the 4/3s.</p>

<p>I usually take my G9 with me; but today I traded in several lenses for these 2 babies:</p>

<ol >

<li>Nikkor AF-S 18-70 (WAY sharper than the Nikkor 18-135; I can't believe the difference. Enlarging the images shows me the same level of detail I get from the IS lens on my G9, the 18-135 never came close.)</li>

<li>Nikkor AF-S 35/1.8. What a cool lil lens. Sharp as heck and such a delight to shoot. Haven't tried it in low light conditions yet but am more than happy with it. The colours, contrast and AF-S are, to me, superb. Funny how you know when the lens is screwed on to the camera and you look through the viewfinder and it all just feels right. No more heavy Tamron and Sigma 2.8 zooms for me. </li>

</ol>

<p>They're super light, sharp and make carrying my D80 around for a fun travel/street shoot a realistic option!</p>

<p>How about leaving the tripod in the truck and shooting handheld with high shutter speeds? I normally limit my load to camera (Canon 5D) + two lenses which all fit into a small bag. I find having a small number of lenses forces me to be a bit more creative with the ones I bring.</p>

<p>I like the large format idea. I recently sold all my LF kit and the whole works <em>without</em> the big old tripod weighed about 28lbs.</p>

<p>I have the Canon G10 for my walk-around photography, and for $500, it is a fantastic camera. I went out and took some handheld shots with my RB67 the other day, and that made me think even the 5D with grip and 24-70 was light, so it's definitely all in the perspective. My first dSLR was a Pentax *istD, and I really enjoyed using that with an old 28mm and 50mm lens. I'm with the others above that would suggest a couple good primes rather than trading the whole kit in-I've played around with a coworkers D300 with 50mm prime, and I found it was very lightweight and easy to handle.</p>

<p>I suggest don't give up on your DSLR, but get something alongside that will be convenient to carry.</p>

<p>After nearly 2 decades of SLR photography I found liberation in a "big sensor point and shoot" -- a Fuji S100fs. I does not replace my DSLR but complements it, the mirrorless design, live view and articulating LCD is a big plus especially for handheld shots with fill flash, with the small sensor adding value on the DoF front. Unfortunately it is discontinued and similar follow up models from Fuji are presently struggling to match up. Results at ISO 100 raw are shockingly close to my D200 and print nicely up to 12x16. At anything above ISO 100, it is no match for DSLRs though. All said -- this has enabled me to get shots I could never get with my DSLRs for certain given situations.</p>

<p>Some shots with the S100fs below. I am approaching a number of about 500 keepers in 12 months, curiously higher than my exclusively DSLR days. Usability advantages notwithstanding, the sole reason for that is I am more motivated to grab this piece of equipment, go out and shoot all day.<br>

<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3580/3501062643_713ba6cb27.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="376" /><br>

<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/3711722865_3c3b4d9b4d.jpg" alt="" /><br>

<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3455541760_29be5c14a2.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="375" /><br>

<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2638/4119565227_80f87b56e1.jpg" alt="" width="376" height="500" /><br>

<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3711722859_fa5fe3c817.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="376" /><br>

<br /><strong>PS:</strong> My D200 is currently on sale as I am poised to switch to a Panasonic M4/3 system. After months of deliberation, I decided the M4/3 is the optimal system for my type of photography -- excellent portability with image quality a few notches higher than the S100fs.<br>

<br />For low light and action and for huge enlargements, you still need to keep the DSLR around. My decision of a complete switch was easy because my niche is closeups, but nature photographers may have diverse needs. Ok, perhaps not a "complete switch" because I still have and use my film SLRs.</p>

<p> </p>