Would you take a IS lens Snowboarding?

[MikeTrill]

Opinions please!

Last year I took my 300D the 18-55 kit lens and a 100-300 5.6 USM lens snowboarding.

By this I mean, I was snowboarding WITH the lenses, not just taking photo's of snowboarders from the safety of a bar. I carried the body and the lenses in a lowepro backback.

I'm going again in March next year (Lake Louise, near Banff), and I'm not sure if I should take any decent glass with me. I assume that I may fall!

I hope to have a 100-400L, am I asking for trouble submitting a lens like this to potential punishment or are they designed to take a few knocks?

Also, changing lenses in the cold, am I asking for trouble if I swap the lens in the cold?

Any advice opinions greatfully received.

[rabidmoose171]

Try not to fall on your back...

I probably wouldnt risk it, knocking them into the ground cant be good, depends on how hardcore you snowboard, you may just have simple falls you can control.

The bags are pretty padded but glass is glass...

[jojohohanon]

The one thing I would be careful about is getting condensation inside the lens / body when coing into the warm hut after a day on the slopes.

Probably safe, in that it will dry out, but you might want to remove batteries to be extra sure not to short something. Also keep in mind that batteries work poorly when cold, so you may want to keep the battery warm in your pocket when not actively taking pix with the camera.

fogging in another thread:

http://www.photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=107825

[ScottE]

I often take my camera equipment skiing, but I ski much more conservatively. I control the speed and don't ski anything where I am likely to find myself wiping out.

Scott

[kram]

I wouldnt do that - but its more a reflection of my skiing skills than my understanding of equipment safety :)

[kaitanium]

i have considered it, how else would you get yourself carving the slopes and looking good while doing so?

[kram]

Hands in your pockets and looking everywhere but downhill are some options to look cool - and this way, its only your bones at risk...

[Longwatcher]

Just need to ask yourself if you can afford to replace them if you fall.

In my case I would probably be willing to risk my older D60 and maybe my 10D and my 28-135IS, but wouldn't risk my 1DsMkII and 28-70, 16-35 or 70-200/2.8L IS at this time, but the 100-400 is a maybe on the 10D. I just don't see me taking the 100-400 on the slopes though.

All the above said, if I was there to take pictures and not necessarily to ski/snow board, I would have no problem carrying my 1DsMkII and all three standard 'L' lenses in a backpack on the slopes. I would just be a touch more careful.

Lastly in my specific case, I ski, I don't snowboard regularly (I have tried it, not my thing) so for snowboarding I would only be willing to risk my Kodak P&S.

So what is your pain threshold for your camera?

[robertwgross]

I don't snowboard, but I do carry my rig when I cross-country ski. I would never carry the 100-400 lens mounted on the camera body, because if I fell hard enough, it would snap that sucker off like a twig in a windstorm. The lens, itself, is rugged. The camera body, itself, is somewhat rugged. The lens mount where they meet is the weak point. And, if you did fall on it, and if it did not break, it would put one hell of a dent in you.

What I do is to use a shorter, lighter, zoom lens that I can keep mounted and keep it all in a padded holster. I carry that in front or in back, depending on what kind of terrain I am on. Most typically, I ski do the bottom of one piece of hill, and then I stop and set up. I stick my zoom lens through one wrist loop of a ski pole and use that like a monopod. That gets me around much of a requirement for IS.

However, I have never seen a boarder with poles, so that doesn't help much.

---Bob Gross---

[MikeTrill]

Guys, thanks to you all for the advice!

I think I really knew the answer, but I thought I was being over protective...

I will stick with my secondhand EF 100-300 (£100/$200). Problem is if I do get the 100-400, I will take it with me and it will beg me to take it down the hill, and I have no will power or self control...

[Jon]

You can't take pictures with it if you don't have it with you. If the pictures are important to you, take it. If you're mainly out to board, take a P&S that won't cramp your mogul-running style.

[S45_fornow...]

I used to do a lot of skiing when I lived in MT. I took my film SLR with me many times in my pack, but when I had it with me I skied ultra conservatively with the idea that I was out for pictures and not to have the epic run of the day.

BTW, I broke the only video camera I've ever owned when I forgot it was in my pack and proceeded to jump into an icy couloir only to find myself eating Sh*t and sliding about 100 vert on my back after entry.

[glenhead]

I don't know about this - does the lens enjoy winter sports? Just be sure to start it out on the bunny slopes, unless it already knows how to control a board. I didn't know they made boards small enough for a camera lens - live and learn, die and forget. Well I never. What will they think of next.

[plater]

I take my camera quite often. Not when I really want to rip it up though. I use a Lowepro Dry Zone back pack with a 20D and a couple IS L lens. I ski ahead and get set up for a shot. Hand held radios help comunicate when you are ready. Notice the video camera in the hand of the snowboarder in the 1st pic. I was skiing along side of him.The other shot I got set up for. It was around 0 deg F
Bruce

[WepWaWep]

On any trip that I decided to take my camera, from skiing to mountain biking, taking pics was the focus. I would set up ahead and wait for everyone to come to me. On the flip side, they then had to wait for me, but it was a lot of fun. Take the good stuff and be mellow. Then, leave it at home and go tear the snow off the slopes.

[MikeTrill]

These are typical of the photo's I got earlir this year. To be honest at that time, I had only had my 300d for a few weeks, and thought that 'sports mode' was the answer to all my snowboarding requirements.

35676

35678


The shots looked good to me on the LCD, it wasn't till I got back to the UK I realised how wrong I was. If I had been able to review the shots in full at that time, I think I would of been able to get some better pictures. There was nothing wrong with the camera/lens just a lack of knowledge on my part.

If I get a 100-400L I think it may go with me up and down the hill!

P.S. The stunning model on the snowboard is my wife!
P.P.S. I had to say that as she may read this post!

[MikeTrill]

I don't know about this - does the lens enjoy winter sports? Just be sure to start it out on the bunny slopes, unless it already knows how to control a board. I didn't know they made boards small enough for a camera lens - live and learn, die and forget. Well I never. What will they think of next.

Good point:)

Maybe I should get a EF 600mm prime and take that, I expect it would actually be a snug fit on a snowboard :confused: