Photography

You realize mirrorless cameras have been released 10 years ago?

Where you hike out to, are there streams or lakes? Invest in a water filtration bottle, one that filters 99.99% of bacteria. You then don’t need to carry 4KG of water. Refill as you go.

I usually carry all my lenses on a hiking trip. I have a EOS R6 II, 100mm macro, 100-500, 1.5x extender, 24-70, and 15-35, extra batteries, filters, lens cloth, carbon fiber tripod, snacks, a gallon of water, coat, hat, and gloves. All packed it's between 30 and 40 lbs. The key is the backpack. I use an F-Stop gear mountain series pack. All the weight sits on my hips. I do have a smaller sling pack that just holds a body and an extra lens that I use when I'm just going to a park and will only need a couple lenses. But if I'm going on a real trip, I want everything. It sucks and can cost you lots in future print sales to run across an amazing shot and not have the equipment you need.

Build up your abs, wear good light weight shoes. Take a water purifier system and less water. Build you legs up. I lug 30 to 45 lbs all day and I am 65. I wore 100 lbs of gear in Iraq.

Get an OM-5 and a 12-45mm. Enjoy your hikes!

m4/3

You don't have to bring the full kit every time you go outside.

I went hiking in Nepal and literally just used a 35mm the entire time.

Sure there were some times I wished I had a longer lens but I said fuck it I'm not carrying 5kg worth of glass for one photo. I'm not getting paid for it. Photography is supposed to be fun!

So to those who hike or travel a lot and do not use tripods, what do you do with heavy gear?

Don't take heavy gear.

I have a Fuji X-T5 + XF 16-80mm lens. That covers 90% of my shots. Then a Fuji XF 10-24mm for the wide stuff.

I only have one body which is also a pain to switch often.

So you're missing shots anyway regardless of having all of your lens with you.

Oh and does anyone have any ultra lightweight bag recs that are not a bazillion pounds but can hold 3-4L of water?

An ultralight bag that can carry all that camera gear + 3-4L water does not exist.

I have an M43 body that I use for my travel and walk around camera. It's not my best but it's good enough for almost anything. And it's super light so I can keep it in my hand ready for whatever. Plus, since its small, and looks cheap, I don't worry about theft.

Can't you get your assistant to carry all that stuff? jk

I'd leave at least one of those lenses at home. Maybe leave behind the 200-500 and take a teleconverter for the 70-300.

Sony RX10 MK4. 24-600mm. Don't let the fact that it's a bridge camera put you off. Quality of digital zoom is amazing. If you think 24mm is not wide enough for certain landscapes then think outside the box and stitch multiple pictures.

Or does the bag make a huge difference?

Yes, it absolutely does.

I bought a new bag when I added some new gear a few years ago, and the difference in how comfortably I could carry all that stuff around with me was astounding. I would definitely recommend seeing if you can't find something that fits you better, it might be all the change you need.

I use a 18-300mm for everything outside a studio setting; I chose it specifically to cut down on the amount of crap I have to shlep around.

Switch to a high megapixel camera, then carry a 35mm lens.

Dump the 2.8's and get a 24-120 f4

Ditch the 70-300. No clue why you’d bring that and 200-500

And I’d leave the 24-70 home, too, but that just me

Other people have commented on the lens selection and reducing that.

Regarding the bag, it makes a huge difference in carrying weight. You have 10lbs for camera gear and while you can reduce that, it's not a lot by (non ultralight) hiking standards. My fstop bag is great when its 10lbs but miserable by time the bag is 20lbs.

In general photo bags, even ones billed as outdoor, sport, or adventure are crappy compared to a dedicated hiking bag. They tend to be too heavy, poor fitting, and have a poor harness.

You probably don't want an ultralight bag because while the light weight is enticing, if you are having any kind of pain or fit problems they will exacerbate the issues.

Take a look at hiking bags like the osprey Atmos. I'm not suggesting you get this bag for photo hikes but people can comfortably carry 50lbs in it for multiple days. That's because the harness and suspension is great. It is not an ultralight bag.

Figure out the weight you would typically carry then find a bag designed for that weight that fits you well. I can't understate the importance of fit. You won't find a photo bag that's as good as a hiking bag but some may be good enough. Many photogs also prefer to use a hiking bag even though it's less convenient for photography.

It's Fuji time!

Evaluate your backpack. If your pack is low quality or old an worn out, or doesn’t fit you, nothing else will help you. A quality pack that fits you will seemingly melt some of that weight off. I live in the mountains and use two different mindshift packs depending on time of year and where I’m going.

You have to be in shape. If you don’t regularly hike or hike with a pack then you suffer or could injure yourself. I’m 68 but still work for living outside. My jobs are physical, but, I snowshoe or skin in the winter. I teleski. In the spring I start with some short hikes and work into longer ones.

Water: It seems our society has been taught they need to be drinking water constantly all day long. Yes humans need water but if your loading three times what you need, that’s a lot of extra weight in that pack. In my environment just two 32 oz Nalgene bottles is what I take for long hikes above treeline. One is electrolytes. In the desert that amount may double.

I used to take as much gear as you. I found that I probably missed a lot of shots because I was always screwing around with the gear. Now, each hike is more specific. If I’m after mountain goats up high then it might be the D500 with 200-500mm and that’s it. If it’s landscape/flowers then a body with 28 and 40 mm lenses. If it’s a let’s see what happens trip then I take a 18-400 lens with my D500. A side benefit is I’m learning to be more creative with what I take because I don’t have every lens I own with me.

Good luck with whatever you do.

Switch to m43 and learn to take only 1-2 lens at a time

Most people will not likely become those masters whose shot worth tens of thousands each. You’re just having fun, not working , missing shots is totally fine

I run into the same problem when I go hiking. I like to be ready for pretty much anything that comes my way. I shoot a Pentax K-1 as my main camera.

The lenses I take with me are: 28-105 f/3.5-5.6, 100mm macro, 150-450, and a 1.7 TC.

About the only gap is 100-150 and I can always crop an image from 105mm if need be.

I have the 24-70 2.8 and the 70-200 f/2.8, but I've been using the above and it seems to work for me.

I also have an Olympus E-M5 mk II and the 14-45 and 45-150 lenses along with the 30mm macro. So I will occasionally take those instead of lugging the Pentax gear around.

24-105 and 200-600 on Sony A7r iv. I don't struggle with 60-70lb bags over hilly and/or mountainous terrain with switchbacks, but I can pack out under 60 lbs for 3-5 days so long as I can filter water. I stopped carrying a jet boil, and the rest of my gear is light enough. Food related stuff adds up. I really hate having to hump a bear vault, but I can stash other stuff in it. I hike on homemade pemmican and peanut butter. It works for me.

Leave the 70-300 at home, and why are you carrying 3-4L of water? That seems excessive.

Bro just my camera and 70-200 2.8 weight over 6 lbs!

You really only have a couple options:

1. Don't bring so much stuff
2. Get lighter gear
3. Get stronger
4. Keep doing what you're doing and deal with it.

I'm not being snarky, but there isn't really a perfect solution for you since you can't just attach balloons to the strap lugs and make your camera neutrally buoyant.

Just take the longest lens you got and make it work this why I be dragging my 70-200 GM II f/2.8 every where I go 😭😭

Take one lens and one lens only, you'll get better pictures.

Imagining that you need to cover 24 to 500 is not smart.

A bag is only going to get you so far. Some will have better padding (which will make the back actually heavier). If you really want to help look for some will have some belts or clasps that pull the straps together to help distribute the weight better but that makes it more difficult to put on and take off. Tamrac makes some nice backpacks that do this. I have an older Tamrac Expedition that does the "Professional:Anvil" series is basically the updated version of them, but if you're carrying 16-18lbs you're carrying that weight. If I absolutely have to carry nearly 20lbs, I'd take a 1lbs heavier backpack with a sternum strap and a hip belt to help distribute the weight.

My best recommendation is if you're having trouble with the weight either deal with it and enjoy the workout, try to plan ahead as far as what you need and except the limitations of not having a full range.

If you're going out for birds, then don't bother with the 24-70mm. If you're going out for scenery don't bother with the 200-500mm. If you're going out birding and really want to have some wide options get a 28mm, 35mm, 50mm f/1.8 (or even a 24 or 28mm f/2.8) prime that will let you go wide without carrying a 24-70mm. If you want to go a little wider than what you have, you can always stitch a panorama and if you need to go slightly tighter you can always crop.

You can also look at other lenses Sigma makes 100-400 or 150-600mm f/6.3 lenses that are lighter than the 200-500mm. You lose a little in aperture but you save a pound or two in weight and you might not need the 70-300mm (do you really need to cover 70-100mm?).

I agree with all the suggestions to pare down on selection. But also, any opportunities to balance the load more? Peak Design clip on a strap would be my first guess. Subtle changes in load balance and ergonomics can make pretty significant loads super sustainable.

I see folks unpacking (no pun intended) it a little in this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/peakdesign/comments/zyu638/using_a_large_lens_with_capture_clip_on_backpack/

The clip itself is rated for 200lbs. So the big deciding factor would be the pack strap. I've used a clip through the mountains of Peru and never doubted it for a second.

Assuming your 24-70 is a 2.8… you don’t need 2.8 for scenery. So get a 24-105. More range and f4 should be fine for scenery. You’ll be stopping down most of the time anyway. And lose the 70-300.

There’s too much shit on me.

Once when checking in my bags at the airport I noticed my camera bag was heavier then my backpack. I soon switched to a mirrorless fixed lens camera (Fuji X100 with 35mm equivalent lens) and I’ve never once regretted it. I’ve since upgraded the camera but still only have a 35mm lens and it’s fantastically liberating. No more neck strain or heavy bags, no more fretting about what lens to use. If I want a close up I just use my legs and I can walk/hike much farther than before. Not to mention getting to know one lens really well is great - I typically know what the photo will look like before lifting the camera to my eye. Give it a try!

I changed to Olympus for exactly this reason. I used to carry the full range of gear with me. As I got older and health issues hit I used to choose one lens to carry with me. Did I miss shots? Of course. If I saw something that needed a different lens, I’d grab that lens and take another wander. I can now carry from 14-600 equivalent in one pack. Job done, well, after saving for a few years to make the switch.

I go out with a 50mm and a 420 - 800mm and it is absolutely fine.

So it looks like we’re all focused on the camera, but what kind of backpack do you have? I would get a good backpack with an internal frame and waist strap and call it good. I would go to rei, 511, cabellas or something like that and test out backpacks. Then buy a camera insert that will fit any backpack. It is truly amazing what a good backpack can do for your back.

I have different gear for different scenarios. While I love my Nikon gear, I have Micro 4/3 gear for when I need to go light. You can cover the range you want with a much lighter set of gear. There are obvious compromises; the Olympus camera I use focuses fast enough for most animals but too slow for airshows. The pixel resolution is less. But it sure is a lot easier to carry!

Olympus O-M5 + 12-200mm