My goodness - the weight!

[Bstanley]

This morning I was doing a bit of window shopping on the Adorama site - looking at the equipment that I imagine buying - 'Some Day'.

For some reason the weight caught my eye - yikes!

Now I know why you full frame folks are always discussing this strap or that to help carry the camera more comfortably.

A Canon 5D Mk II weighs in at 28.5 oz, then add on a walking around 'L' lens like a 24-70 f2.8 (33.5 oz) and you are looking at hanging at least 4 pounds around your neck, wow.

I take it all back zackiedawg, I am not sure that I am dedicated enough to photography to trade-in my 16 oz Rebel XS (6 oz 18-55mm kit lens) for that much toting - although I have to admit I am enjoying my 70-200mm F4L a lot - even though it outweighs the camera by 100%. I don't carry it around my neck though, it's pretty much dedicated to the tripod.

And I'm not even going to think about you 2 camera folks.

Seriously - at the end of the day at WDW do you just say - tomorrow I'm bringing the P&S?

 

[photo_chick]

I hit the weight issue just going from a Rebel XT to the 50D... it is a huge difference around my neck. That and the size is one reason I don't have any plans to go full frame right now... maybe if I settle down in a studio because I can't imagine lugging that size camera around.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

As you mentioned - the strap. LOVE the Black Rapid.

 

[boBQuincy]

I went from a 30D to a Xsi because of the weight. When it was time to upgrade the 30D I held a 40D and 50D and just didn't want all that mass.

Maybe the T3i will be full frame and we can have a lightweight option for that!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Pshaw! The 5DM2 isn't that heavy. I walked around WDW with a 1D and a 70-200 f/2.8 using only a hand strap and it didn't bother me. And I'm not that big. A little exercise never hurt anyone.

 

[Bstanley]

6 Lbs on a hand strap...The name Torquemada comes to mind.


Bob, I'm with you. I'm no longer thinking Full Frame, I'm thinking T(x)i now.

This is actually good news - it will take significantly fewer monthly Safety Checks to save up for a T(x)i than it will for a 5D II

 

[zackiedawg]

Maybe we're just all masochists? I personally like heavier-bodied cameras. Call me crazy! When looking at DSLRs, I was turned off by the small size, light weight, and small grips of the Canon APS-C models and Pentax Kx...the Nikon was a little beefier, the Sony even beefier than that. I like APS-C over full frame, just works for my style of shooting...but I tend to go towards the heavier APS-C cameras. My A550 isn't a lightweight. And of course, I typically walk around with a Tamron 200-500 lens attached, or the even-heavier Minolta 300mm F4 lens attached - for miles and hours a day...so the whole rig is definitely in the over-5lb range. I have a nice Kata neck strap that can be used many ways - around the neck, wrapped around the wrist, or in long mode as a cross-shoulder strap. Love it! It makes carrying the heavy lenses easy - you just don't use the neck with the big lenses. And the heaviest lenses I usually tote around mounted to a tripod, as they would be a lot of stress on the camera's lens mount. So my typical walking rig, which I hold in one hand, is tripod, camera, and long lens - running probably in the range of 14Lbs. I keep the tripod fully extended but legs together, holding it by the legs parallel to the ground, with the camera lens pointed downwards in front of me, camera body on top, and camera strap double-wrapped around my right wrist. When that gets tiring after a few miles, I switch to hoisting the tripod over my shoulder, lens facing backwards, strap still wrapped around my wrist, holding the legs against my body.

Maybe you adapt to the weight after a while. Or maybe we're just dedicated to photography so much that we accept the pain. Maybe your own size makes a difference (I am a small man by noone's definition, in any dimension!).

Ironically, my P&S camera is the smallest, lightest thing made. So I go quite the other direction when it comes to the backup camera (I always imagine someone of my size using an ultra-compact camera looks akin to an adult sitting at a child's tea party table holding the little miniature tea cup).

 

[mabas9395]

Its all relative.

Going from my first digital P&S to a digital Rebel XT (no grip, just kit lens) seemed like a huge jump in size/weight. Over the years I have upgraded bodies, lenses, added accesories (battery grips, flashes, etc). So now, in one night I might go from a gripped 50d with a sigma 150-500 at my son's baseball game, then strip it down and go with an ungripped 50d with a 50mm 1.8 for my other son's Cub Pack Meeting. That is like night and day. But was once heavy compared to my P&S is now my lightest configuration.

I might start my son's baseball game with the sigma 150-500 then as the sun goes down, switch to my 70-200 2.8. I used to think the 70-200 2.8 was heavy, but after a few innings with the 150-500, its not as bad.

But for me, I don't care how heavy it gets. I'll gladly wear 5-6 pounds around my neck because I love how much better my photos are since I got into dSLR photography (and yes, I'm one of those guys who has to compensate for a lack of talent with bigger/heavier gear).

 

[MICKEY88]

And I'm not even going to think about you 2 camera folks.

Seriously - at the end of the day at WDW do you just say - tomorrow I'm bringing the P&S?

Optech dual harness..!!!

I just spent 3 days at the All Chrysler Nationals in Carlisle PA, carrying my 2 Sony A700s,with battery grips and 2.8 lenses.... no neck pain, no back pain, just sunburn pain

 

[chrisney]

Seriously folks, the weight can be an issue. I now have two bad disks in my neck that didn't exist before I got "heavily" into photography. As in multiple hours, several days a week. I use a Canon 5DMKII and a 40D, often with the 70-200 2.8L or the 100-300L. The pain is beyond belief...makes birthing babies without any pain meds feel like a stroll around Epcot during cool weather. There will NEVER be another camera hanging from my neck. Black Rapid has a new-ish most loyal fan. No pain. I have both the single strap which is born across your body and the two camera shoulder strap which is especially wonderful. It's a ridiculous amount to pay for camera straps, but heck...it's cheaper than surgery!

 

[MICKEY88]

Seriously folks, the weight can be an issue. I now have two bad disks in my neck that didn't exist before I got "heavily" into photography. As in multiple hours, several days a week. I use a Canon 5DMKII and a 40D, often with the 70-200 2.8L or the 100-300L. The pain is beyond belief...makes birthing babies without any pain meds feel like a stroll around Epcot during cool weather. There will NEVER be another camera hanging from my neck. Black Rapid has a new-ish most loyal fan. No pain. I have both the single strap which is born across your body and the two camera shoulder strap which is especially wonderful. It's a ridiculous amount to pay for camera straps, but heck...it's cheaper than surgery!

the price is exactly why I went with the optech dual harness, it's 30 dollars as opposed to over 100 for one rapid strap

 

[Spectro is #1]

I'm with zackiedawg, I like a camera to have some beefiness to it. I have a Nikon D90 and never take the battery grip off of it unless i am using a tripod. I too use a black rapid and love it. It is a great strap.
I would move up to a 300s which is also a cropped DSRL. I have seen a few full frame Nikons in the parks. A couple of 700s and one D3. Too big and too expensive for hobby photography at a crowed theme park. By the way, all of the full frame cameras I have seen had the stock Nikon strap. I never tried a Cannon strap so I can't comment on its comfort level but the Nikon strap is very uncomfortable especially in the heat. For a camera that is several thousand dollars you think they would have upgrade from the stock strap.

 

[AlbertZeroK]

I'm with zackiedawg, I like a camera to have some beefiness to it. I have a Nikon D90 and never take the battery grip off of it unless i am using a tripod. I too use a black rapid and love it. It is a great strap.
I would move up to a 300s which is also a cropped DSRL. I have seen a few full frame Nikons in the parks. A couple of 700s and one D3. Too big and too expensive for hobby photography at a crowed theme park. By the way, all of the full frame cameras I have seen had the stock Nikon strap. I never tried a Cannon strap so I can't comment on its comfort level but the Nikon strap is very uncomfortable especially in the heat. For a camera that is several thousand dollars you think they would have upgrade from the stock strap.

I'm with you all too, give me a big body, of course, I'm like 6'2" and large enough to make a presence. But oddly, I have been carrying an ungripped t2i with a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 in a small think tank digital holster on my belt and been rocking it pretty regularly.

Weight is relative, I'm pretty big! But still, I have two Black Rapid straps I hang over my shoulders and also have a think thank belt with the racing harness. A few weeks ago, I took three cameras (50d w/grip, t2i w/grip, t2i nogrip) with my Bigma OS 50-500mm, canon 70-200 f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, 30mm f/1.4 and 17-55 f/2.8. Add a flash and some spare batteries and I was happy all day long! Yesterday I did a small beauty pageant and rocked my quantum battery pack on the belt!

Personally, I love the weight and when you wear all that gear, people give you more room. I'm a very polite guy, but it's night and day difference with others when you rock that much gear.

Needless to say, my wife and daughter rarely like going with me when I'm all geared up.

 

[curtiswheat]

Personally, I love the weight and when you wear all that gear, people give you more room. I'm a very polite guy, but it's night and day difference with others when you rock that much gear.

I'm with you! I do a lot of on location shooting as well as studio work now and my first digital was a Canon Xti. Being 6' 2" and big hands i felt out of place carrying that little body.

 

[MinnieForMe]

Wow! I'm only 4'10 so my Pentax K-X feels like a giant to me! It is all relative! LOL!