I’ve used a Black Rapid strap for years. It feels like it’s becoming more annoying though. When I hike I either have a Backlight backpack or a Retrospective shoulder bag cross slung across a shoulder. I feel like I have straps going everywhere.
I’ve been considering a Peak Design clutch and capture plate to free up my movement a bit. What are you using?
I use a photography backpack. I have different packs for different situations, but my primary pack is the Shimoda Action X50. I occasionally use an F-Stop Gear Loka UL pack for long hikes.
I have a black rapid strap on my larger lenses for hiking, although if it's a long hike before there are any opportunities for good shots everything just goes in the backpack.
I agree with the straps everywhere comment but no other solution seems to be as practical.
If by "hiking" you mean over night and multi day hiking with a full pack:
I typically use a holster bag attached to the waist belt of my main pack, with a small light lens on the camera for use while actually walking. Other gear is in the backpack for use before leaving the campsite in the morning, and after arriving at night, when the light is best.
If you mean a long day walk, I take a midnshift rotation backpack, with food and rain jacket etc in the upper pouch, and the camera and lenses in the rotation part
If you you mean just a few hours with no pack, I take a belt kit with a pouch for a camera and lens and a seperate spare lens pouch.
If you mean a shorter walk to a determinate destination for photography, then either the larger rotation, or just a regular backpack with the gear in packing cubes.
I rarely keep the camera out when hiking. First and foremost, I do extensive research of the designation and have a good understanding of the path and terrain and what may be interesting along the way. Second, I rarely hike in interesting light. In broad daylight I will use the cell phone to take exploratory or documentary shots. Lastly, my hikes are frequently enough over obstacles where I need both my hands and anything dangling outside is at minimum a distraction, and possibly hazardous. If I see something interesting I will take the camera out of the pack for as long as it takes.
As I get older, I can no longer tolerate any imbalanced gear carrying methods over my neck or shoulders. I've tried many different methods over the years, and the one that works the best for me is Cotton Carrier Vest. With it, I'm carrying my camera centered and balanced, and I'm in ready to shoot position. If I don't need to be in ready to shoot position, then a backpack would be my preferred option.
EB-1 wrote:
In a backpack. I don't hike around with cameras on straps of any kind.
EBH
kroyston wrote:
Do you hike into your planned destination without many distractions, or do you have a bag that allows you to grab your camera quickly and easily.
No, I don't hike that that. Landscapes don't just pop up and need a quick shot. If there is wildlife, I have a general idea of where it will be and hike to near there and then get out the gear.
Of course I will go a ways with a camera/lens over the shoulder on a tripod, but it's not as efficient as having everything balanced in the bag. I need to be prepared for rain with the backpack as well. I don't do overnight hikes anymore as in younger days, so I don't carry all that stuff.
If I want to hike with camera out and accessible I have Peak handstrap looped to both of my backpack shoulder straps and just clip it to those. They are long enough I can raise the camera to eye level and shoot without unclipping, balance weight across both shoulders and put no weight on my neck. I can quickly unclip and setup on tripod and clip back on and keep on hiking. Very convenient.
I only hike to do photography, so I use backpacks. I don't need to shoot critters as I walk so I don't need camera in hand. I don't hike long distances for sport so I don't need a dedicated hiking pack. IMO, backpacks are the best balance between comfort, capacity, and access. However, I can get lazy and I sometimes skip potential subjects because I don't want to take the pack off to work out compositions. Will try and address that this year.
For hauling camera gear to a location that is more than 1 mile away, everything goes in a real hiking backpack.
For shooting and hiking at the same time, Think Tank speed belt for lenses/filters/film/etc. with camera in hand or on tripod over the shoulder. Peak Capture clip on the belt or holster style bag on a shoulder strap for shooting with two bodies (other one is in hand).
I use a Cotton Carrier for weight balance and ease of access when traveling by xc skis, snowshoes or mt. bike. Tripod goes in a backpack.
Cameras stay in an ICU type case in my pack until I am on location. Note this is usually in the dark as I hike to be on location for a sunrise shot. It will always be this way if I have to move off trail or scramble.
Once on location I set up. Then if shots will be frequent, I keep it on the tripod and carry that over my shoulder as I hike.
I do not use straps on any cameras as I am afraid that blowing in the wind will cause blur or they snag when used on the tripod.
Depends on camera taken, and if indeed is just hiking for the sake of it.
I have been using Peak Design Capture clip , attached to my pack shoulder straps for a long time. Works for small cameras, and lately with an Olympus EM1mk2.
Epic treks, a snapshot camera in a belt pocket, and main camera in pack
I used to take a 1Dx or 5D2 on backpacking trips, and on long hikes using the cotton carrier - looks geeky, but it's the only way to keep it balanced for me
Photography packs are only good for quick jolts off the car or parks, zoos, etc.
Straps are used in small exploratory ventures, either with gear pack or stand-alone, and never use camera's brand straps
Never used the phone for photography, unless it's for documenting something, or a trail map detail - it stays in the pack as emergency tool.
At hike start often the light or location views are not the best, but scenes or interesting stuff does come along the way; so camera has to be somewhat easy accessible - so a lot depends on location and destination and even type of hike
I don't at all understand people who don't take pictures along the hike. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, I just don't understand it.
I've spent a lot of my life with a pair of hiking boots on, and I almost never walk for more than an hour without seeing something interesting to snap a photo of. Are the "journalistic" photos of my hikes going to win awards? Probably not. But there are always interesting things to capture, even if the light isn't perfect.
Anyway, my setup now is that I use a hiking pack (I tend to like Osprey bags) with a Peak Designs Capture Clip so that my camera stays out and accessible, but secure. I've been extremely happy with that setup - having gone through various permutations of camera bags, slings, backpack attachments... the Capture Clip keeps a relatively compact setup out in the open. I use it constantly.
If I'm carrying one big lens - something that'll be unbalanced on the capture clip - I'll put it in a water bottle pouch, which on my pack has straps to snug it up (I rarely carry an actual bottle of water). If I have lots of gear, I pack it up in an ICU and store it in whatever bag I'm using. In both of these cases, I'm usually still keeping a body + compact lens on my capture clip.
The capture clip works great for nearly all of my hiking. If I get into terrain where I'm doing anything that puts the camera in danger, I just stuff it into my bag. The only downside is I've lost a lens cap using the capture clip in dense foliage, for a lens that didn't have a hood.
I haven't totally given up on finding a "photography pack" that will work for hiking, but so far I haven't been successful.
binary visions wrote:
I don't at all understand people who don't take pictures along the hike. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, I just don't understand it.
I've spent a lot of my life with a pair of hiking boots on, and I almost never walk for more than an hour without seeing something interesting to snap a photo of. Are the "journalistic" photos of my hikes going to win awards? Probably not. But there are always interesting things to capture, even if the light isn't perfect.
Landscapes are my focus, so my main camera and tripod stay in the pack unless there's something that really catches my eye. But for snapshots like you describe (wildlife, making note of terrain features/trail junctions, etc), I use my phone out of my chest bag. Has worked well as a balance for me.
The Rat wrote:
Landscapes are my focus, so my main camera and tripod stay in the pack unless there's something that really catches my eye. But for snapshots like you describe (wildlife, making note of terrain features/trail junctions, etc), I use my phone out of my chest bag. Has worked well as a balance for me.
Sure, I understand what some people are doing. It just doesn't work in my brain - my inclination is to collect photos as I go, even if they're not the epic landscape I came for. Like I said, I'm not judging, just observing how differently people approach photography.
My phone takes wonderful photos compared to the phones of old, but it's still nowhere near the quality of my camera, and I'm almost inevitably disappointed when I see them side-by-side with photos out of my camera.
binary visions wrote:
I don't at all understand people who don't take pictures along the hike. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, I just don't understand it.
I've spent a lot of my life with a pair of hiking boots on, and I almost never walk for more than an hour without seeing something interesting to snap a photo of. Are the "journalistic" photos of my hikes going to win awards? Probably not. But there are always interesting things to capture, even if the light isn't perfect.
For me, I don't feel the need to document my life in that great of detail. If I had 20000 journalistic shots of my hikes over the past 10years, what would I do with it? Am I gonna sit there for days reliving my past? Do I really need to record every interesting tree, ice pattern, animal, mushroom, cloud, rock? I'm more interested in quality over quantity. I'd rather have 1 portfolio grade image that I'm proud to spend $200 to print and display than 10 hours worth of 4K footage of my last trip.
It's continuum between recording nothing and everything. Each of us are somewhere between those two extremes.
A small camera like a NEX6 or A5100 is pretty easy to wear around your neck all day. But cameras keep getting bigger...... My main complaint with Sony is they lost their mojo of small. Even the new A7C is at least 100g too heavy (although the 28-60 looks ideal) as a hiking camera.
But if it's decent conditions that's when I open up the tripod and carry it and camera. Think fall color day, slot canyon or the like.
binary visions wrote:
I don't at all understand people who don't take pictures along the hike. I'm not saying it's wrong or bad, I just don't understand it.
I've spent a lot of my life with a pair of hiking boots on, and I almost never walk for more than an hour without seeing something interesting to snap a photo of. Are the "journalistic" photos of my hikes going to win awards? Probably not. But there are always interesting things to capture, even if the light isn't perfect.
Anyway, my setup now is that I use a hiking pack (I tend to like Osprey bags) with a Peak Designs Capture Clip so that my camera stays out and accessible, but secure. I've been extremely happy with that setup - having gone through various permutations of camera bags, slings, backpack attachments... the Capture Clip keeps a relatively compact setup out in the open. I use it constantly.
If I'm carrying one big lens - something that'll be unbalanced on the capture clip - I'll put it in a water bottle pouch, which on my pack has straps to snug it up (I rarely carry an actual bottle of water). If I have lots of gear, I pack it up in an ICU and store it in whatever bag I'm using. In both of these cases, I'm usually still keeping a body + compact lens on my capture clip.
The capture clip works great for nearly all of my hiking. If I get into terrain where I'm doing anything that puts the camera in danger, I just stuff it into my bag. The only downside is I've lost a lens cap using the capture clip in dense foliage, for a lens that didn't have a hood.
I haven't totally given up on finding a "photography pack" that will work for hiking, but so far I haven't been successful....Show more →
