Your Camera Bag: How heavy?

D.P. said:
But how much of that do you actually need. For starters you have 2 camera bodies, unless oyu are shooting a wedding or such like then you don't absolutely need 2 bodies. Perhaps on safari when you want the Nikon 14-24mm 2.8 on your full frame camera and a 200-400 on a crop camera so you can fire away at animals and landscape instantaneously....
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Pretty much every shoot I do is paid at the moment, to not take two bodies with me is a ridiculous idea....only takes one malfunction and there goes the reputation that is taking so long to estabilish.

D.P. said:
As for the laptop. IS it needed every shoot?
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No it's not needed for every shoot, it doesnt always come along, but I'd say 50% of the time it does come out to allow me to show clients properly how things are going/back things up

D.P. said:
Similarly with lens choices. I normally decide on a set of complimentary lenses. E.g., there is no point taking an 5mm 1.4 lens into the mountains. And I've found that taking say just 2 primes, or a ultra wide angle (10-20mm) + a high quality telephoto (80-200 2.8) works out well to give good distinct photos, instead of hundred of generic composures that a walkabout zoom (24-105 etc) gives.
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I only have 4 lenses :s 2 primes for low light work, and the two zooms that cover almost every situation......can't say i'd leave any of them at home for any shoot, never know when you might want the super soft bokeh of the 85mm or just can't get a fast enough shutter speed without dropping down, and the combined weight of both of the primes is 600g....hardly gonna be making a difference is it?

D.P. said:
But I know you do some semi serious photo shoots with some models etc, so probably you like the choices and redundency.
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The model stuff is the only thing that i do at the moment that isnt totally serious, and one fo the only things that I tend to share on here as most clients dont want their photos plastered all over random forums :). Even then, the modelling stuff is moving into paid work at the moment too, so yes flexibility and redundancy is important.
 
D.P. said:
I would also be tempted to put your 1mk3 on the bottom of the bag since its ehavier than the 20/40D body??
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doesn't make a MASSIVE difference to the distrubution, and it makes it a lot harder to get out as you have to open the bag all the way.
 
My camera bag used to be very heavy...

Lowepro CompuTrekker AW
2x 1dmkII
5d+grip
1.4xTC
24-70f2.8
70-200f2.8IS
300f2.8IS
2x 580exII
17" MacBook Pro
Loads of spare batteries
And Manfrotto 681B Monopod

Id guess ~20kg+.
But as you know, im slowly getting rid of most of my gear, so it weighs less and less each week. :(
Only picture i can find is my phototrekker which was almost the same layout, but without the laptop stuffed in back and the Gloves and 1.4xTC in the front pocket and the 5D where they are.
 
No idea what mine weighs fully laden but soon it will weigh zero and my bank balance will be a lot heavier :p
 
If I had a bag big and strong enough for all my kit I wouldn't be able to carry it anyway! lol

My usual wildlife setup I'd say comes in around maybe 14kg - well, the lens is 6kg, the body is 1.5kg and the TC and 50mm are very light. The bag isn't 5kg so thinking about it, maybe less!?

kit4.jpg


kit3.jpg


Thats the D3 with 600mm + a 1.4 and 50mm in front pouch. Although a D300 and grip will be carried as second body in there soon too!

When I'm going light with the D3 and 200-400 your looking at 7kg

kit1.jpg


And when I travel I take my mini trekker with D3 (+ soon D300), 200-400, 1.4x TC and either 50mm or 28-70, that come in around 10kg (including Bose QC2 headphones lol)

All of that is without tripod or monopod which I carry without attaching to the bags.

EDIT: Oh and of course if I'm going to shoot portraits (rarely) then the mini trekker has the 70-200, 28-70, 50mm and D3 and maybe the flash. No idea of the weight, go look at Nikon website if you really need to know :D
 
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rG-tom said:
Pretty much every shoot I do is paid at the moment, to not take two bodies with me is a ridiculous idea....only takes one malfunction and there goes the reputation that is taking so long to estabilish.



No it's not needed for every shoot, it doesnt always come along, but I'd say 50% of the time it does come out to allow me to show clients properly how things are going/back things up



I only have 4 lenses :s 2 primes for low light work, and the two zooms that cover almost every situation......can't say i'd leave any of them at home for any shoot, never know when you might want the super soft bokeh of the 85mm or just can't get a fast enough shutter speed without dropping down, and the combined weight of both of the primes is 600g....hardly gonna be making a difference is it?



The model stuff is the only thing that i do at the moment that isnt totally serious, and one fo the only things that I tend to share on here as most clients dont want their photos plastered all over random forums :). Even then, the modelling stuff is moving into paid work at the moment too, so yes flexibility and redundancy is important.
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Yeah, if you are predominantly shooting paid work, then the gear seems reasonable.
I was just wondering if you took all that gear on personal photography excursions.
 
D.P. said:
Yeah, if you are predominantly shooting paid work, then the gear seems reasonable.
I was just wondering if you took all that gear on personal photography excursions.
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for my personal stuff i tend to choose a lens or two and just my 1DS, throw it in a shoulder bag and off i go :)
 
I always take more than I need. The thought that I may come across something good to shoot and I have the wrong the lens etc would drive me up the wall. :D
 
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