How do you hike with a heavy telephoto ready

[gad_shiff]

Hi,

 

I like to go hiking (4-6 miles )with my camera bag. I don't have any

problem with landscape taking my time to open my backpack and chose the

lens. But here and there I see a wild animals or birds (last ones where

a couple of Hawks hunting on top of me, I saw them land on a tree not

far away for a short rest). I really enjoy these sightings and would

like to photograph them.

 

I am planning to invest in a second hand MF telephoto lens (300 mm 2,8

400 mm 3.5) to use on a tripod with a teleconverter when I can.

 

But how can I carry confortably the same lens and have it ready in a

second for these rare occasions when we both meet by chance before the

animal or bird disappear again ?

 

Thanks in advance for the responses.

[bobatkins]

Depends how serious (and strong) you are. If you are really serious (and really strong), you hike with the lens mounted on a tripod and carried over your shoulder. Most of us just aren't going to do this on a 4-6 mile hike with a heavy lens and low probability of wildlife though.

 

The "soft" option is to invest in something like the Canon 100-400 IS lens and carry it in your hand. Hope the IS gives you enough stability to shoot without a tripod, even at f5.6. The 100-300 IS is an even softer option - but the images will be a little softer too!

[ShunCheung]

Nature photographers come in different sizes and strengths, but if I were to buy a long lens for hiking, I would get either a 300mm/f4 or a 400mm/f5.6 and use them on a light tripod such as a carbon fiber. A 300mm/f2.8 or anything heavier is too heavy for me to go hiking with. Of course some people claim that they can hike with a 600mm/f4 on a Gitzo 410 while some others think a 80-200mm/f2.8 is too heavy to carry around. Your mileage may vary.

[pete_parker]

A 4-6 mile hike is fairly respectable even without camera equipment. If you're very serious about wanting to use a longer lens w/teleconverter on your hikes, start with your lens and camera tripod mounted (preferably with some sort of locking plate to secure your system to your ball head). Simply work up to the distances you've stated in increments. You may find you need some sort of padding for your tripod legs. I have gone on some pretty good hikes with the 400 3.5 and Gitzo 320 and have no complaints. Good shooting, Pete.

[stanley_mcmanus]

If this were easy we would all be carrying around our longer lenses, a tripod, other gear, the 10 essentials, and be happily whistling down the trail. I think you have to compromise. A 400mm f/5.6 or even a 300mm f/4 and a TC is much better for a long hike than a faster lens. I usually bring along a faster film such as E200 pushed to 320 or Fuji's 800 speed film. Another tactic is to build your personal strength. Try filling 1/2 gallon milk jugs with water, place them in your daypack and take a nice long hike. If the weight gets to you, pour the water out and lighten the load. Finally, losing a few pounds around the middle lets your replace fat with gear. Of course, I am speaking of others, and not the fit folks of photo.net. :)

 

I like the belt systems for having the gear quickly available.

[lanierb]

I like to hike and shoot wildlife with a 300/2.8 and I use a mix of two techniques, usually both:

 

If I think the probability of seeing a subject soon is low, I start out by attaching my expected lens (often 300/2.8 + 1.4x), quick release etc to the camera and placing it in my backpack ready to go (right down the center). Then I hike with tripod legs extended and tripod over my shoulder. When I find a subject (usually coyote, bobcat, hawks, deer, etc) I place the tripod down slowly, kneel down and place my pack on the ground, get out my rig and attach it to the tripod. This takes < 15 seconds. I then leave my pack on the ground where I stopped and "stalk" my intended target with just camera/lens/tripod as the backpack makes me look bigger/scarier to animals. Be sure you have extra film (and converters?) in your pocket if you do this. (Also not recommended in high crime areas!)

 

If I think the probability of seeing a subject soon is high I hike with camera and lens on tripod and over my shoulder as Bob suggested, though I wouldn't want to do it for more than a couple miles. This works fine with a 300/2.8. I don't (yet) own a 600/4 so I don't know if it's manageable with a lens that big.

 

On a really good (lucky) day my camera is out almost 100% of the time. If I have a bad day, it doesn't even come out of the pack.

[stanley_mcmanus]

One last thought, as I wait to get new gear, I have found that returning to the basics of good technique is a big help. Practice handholding until you have squeezed out every last bit of shake that you possibly can. There are lots of tips and tricks the old timers used before the advent of carbon fibre tripods and IS lenses.

[paul_ashton]

I found my Bogen tripod very uncomfortable to carry on my shoulder, even more so with camera and telephoto attached. So I bought some foam pipe insulation and covered all three upper segment legs with it and lots of duct tape. This makes it tolerably comfortable for long hikes along the beach where I need to be at the ready for anything that flies by.

[jim_gifford]

As they say in journalism schools, Stanley McManus "buried the lede" in his first post. It is not until the very end that he offers this true gem: "I like the belt systems..."

 

Have you looked at the Kinesis gear? If you hate it, odds are you'll hate any belt system and you can skip to the next post...

 

If you like the concept... you could get the best glass that will fit into the biggest Kinesis body-and-lens case. The 80-200 class pro zooms fit with the hood in the shooting position, so maybe you can have a somewhat bigger lens on the body without hood? Then get the water bottle pouch (lugging lots of gear makes one thirsty).

 

Your camera will be more worry-free than if it were crashing through the underbrush behind your shoulder, at the end of your tripod and ballhead.

 

It will only take a couple seconds to get it out of the pouch for handheld action... and a couple seconds more (if you have that luxury) to set up your tripod and snick the quick release into the bracket.

 

Worth a look at least. Sounds like what the doctor ordered. Any other approach sounds like what the chiropractor ordered.

 

Good shooting,

[michael_hancock]

I backpack regularly with my gear for work in more remote areas. Besides the shorter lenses, I carry a 400mm 5.6 (Canon in my case) with a 1.4X. A relatively light combination compared to all other options. A Canon 300 IS is another option (although a bit short for me) or the Canon 100-400 IS lens. The tripod is strapped to the backpack.

[joe_fuhrman1]

Gad, I own a Nikon 600mm f4 lens with Gitzo metal tripod, and do sometimes hike a few miles with it! The important thing for me is to know the area where I am hiking, before I start hiking. For example, I live in L.A. and regularly hike at Bolsa Chica State Beach/Marsh in Huntington Beach, CA. I have the lens & camera on the ballhead/tripod, over my shoulder. The tripod legs are padded, which helps alot.

 

The trail there is approx. a 2 mile loop from the parking lot, and is a nice flat path. There are plenty of bird photo ops along the way, so each time you stop and take photos, you are also "resting". I have found that if the hike is flat, I can do up to approx. 3-4 miles before I run out of gas. However, hiking in a hillside or mountain area is just not practical.

 

Last year I did a 4 mile hike in the Huachuca Mountains in S.E.Arizona, because I had heard about an area to possibly photograph Northern Pygmy Owls. I hiked from the parking area uphill, with my equipment in my photo backpack and I held the tripod in my hand. Once I went to the highest spot, I set up my equipment and then walked back to my car-all downhill. It was still a brutal exhausting day, but worth it, as I did get some shots.

 

Know your limits and always try for the easier location where you don't have to haul the equipment far; if you do hike, start with flat trails.

[kinesisphotogear]

Here's some ideas using the modular belt system approach, which is a time-saver over the traditional pack system. Carry the 300/2.8 and body separately on your belt. The 300/2.8 will fit inside our <A HREF="http://www.KinesisGear.com/c.html#c570">Kinesis C570 Case</A> with the large element up. Most bodies with a 1.4x will fit in the <A HREF="http://www.KinesisGear.com/e.html#e512"> E512 Pouch</A> Pouch, which also will hold a monopod on top of the convenient swing away lid. If you purchase the 100-400 IS, it will also fit in the C570 case with a body attached. All these cases can be attached anywhere on our padded wasit belt. If you plan to go with the 500/4.5 (or new 500/4) route, then you really have no choice...either haul it over your shoulder or stow it in a backpack. Our <A HREF="http://www.KinesisGear.com/l.html"> Long Lens Cases</A> have a simple quick-release lid, that is faster than most zippered type system packs. A shoulder harness can be attached directly to the back of this case instantly converting it to a backpack.

[andy.kim]

How about carrying the lens around mounted to a monopod, carried over your shoulder? It's better than no camera support and is very quick.

[marcus_erne]

I second the last poster.

 

If wildlife is a kind of "candid action" for you why not attach your longest lens to the camera and carry it with easy/fast access = neckstrap or waist belt, or even attached to a monopod.

For landscape you have more time, thus you can afford the time to reensemble camera-lens combo.

This is exactly how I do it when I go hiking and expect to encounter wildlife.

[doug_herr]

I've relied on a lightweight 400 with shoulder stock rather than carrying a big, heavy lens with equally heavy tripod. The lens is the Leica 400mm f/6.8 Telyt. It's light enough to take on backpacking trips, steady enough with the shoulder stock to go without the tripod in most situations, and its optical quality is excellent.

 

I use a sling over my shoulder and chest made of nylon webbing with half of a fastex buckle; the other half of the buckle is on a small length of webbing looped around the shoulder stock. This way I can hike with my hands free, grab the camera/lens whenever I need it, and release it quickly when nessesary.

[brian vega]

Gad,

Just remember anything and I mean anything no matter how light will feel heavier after you have walking 6 miles up and down hills.

 

I have removed my camera's strap and rigged up a a quick release system that attaches to the shoulder straps of my backpack.

 

BV

[bill_kocsi]

Gad,

The use of pipe insulation has already been mentioned and, considering what you want to carry over your shoulder, is an absolute must (unless you want ridges in your shoulders). However, there is another technique for carrying a tripod-mounted "big gun" over your shoulder. Rather than carrying it horizontally, you take one of the three tripod legs and spread it out from the other two. Then place the tripod over your shoulder "vertically" with the single leg going down the front of your body and the other two legs going down the back of your body. This is much more comfortable. It allows the arm you are using to hold the tripod to be down along your side rather than up in the air. The weight is also better distributed so it just "feels" more comfortable. I use this technique with a Nikkor 500mm f4 on a gitzo 1384 with a big ball head and find it works great. Once again, you MUST have good pipe insulation to cushion the effect.

Also, there are different kinds of pipe insulation. Some are relatively soft giving minimal cushioning. There are also much firmer materials used for pipe insulation. The firm material will hold up better than the soft as well as cushion better.

[harvey_wilson]

I have to agree with Bill. I carry my big stuff vertically similar to the way he does...except I don't close any of the legs. I setup to my normal shooting height then stoop down slightly to put my shoulder between two of the legs, stand up & start walking. I walk with one tripod leg in front, one in the rear & the other out to the side...this is the one I hold on to. When I see something I want to shoot I just stoop down to lower the tripod, step back & start shooting. Everything is well balanced while walking & I don't have to spend anytime at all "setting up" again. I use a Gitzo 410 (no center column) with padded legs & a Wimberley Head. I stop to switch shoulders on longer hikes however I'll admit I have not been on a 6 mile hike....and there are no mountains & only a few small hills in South Louisiana. Oh yeah...watch out for tree limbs.

[paul_wasserman]

I use the 100-400 IS option. I carry it in the original case Canon ships it in, except I put a good shoulder strap on it, and have the strap going across my body so that the bag rests comfortably on one hip. The lens hood and 1.4 (sometimes a 2x) TeleConvertor are attached and ready to go. The entire assembly protrudes from the bag, so I have a small bungee cord to secure it. Carried this way, the lens doesn't get in my way, or seem to weigh much at all. Since both hands are free, it is a very quick movement to grab the 100-400 and drop the 'landscape' lens in the bag.

 

I also find the 100-400 range quite useful for Telephoto scenics. With a 12mm and 25mm extender, the lens also does reasonable macro work.

 

The 12mm Extender + 1.4 Teleconvertor are also my typical set-up for butterflies or friendly birds.

 

I have used this arrangement with a Monopod, which is practical to carry on a hike, but find it complicates the rapid swapping of lenses in the scenario you described, so I generally leave it at home now.