How do you change lenses on a trip?

For years I traveled with only an XSi with only one super zoom lens in a small Canon shoulder bag. Pull out the camera, took pictures, store the camera back. Finally, this year I got a few lenses - a standard zoom, a telephoto, an UWA, and a fast prime for low light. Everything is stored in a Lowerpro 250 (I think) backpack. In a week I am going to Costa Rica. How do you guys change the lenses on the go? Do you take the backpack off, put it on the ground, get the lens you need and put the backpack on again? And then you see animals in the jungle, and need to do the same procedure over to pull out a telephoto? And then back again? I know it is a stupid question, but somehow it got me really thinking!

If you're carrying all your gear in a backpack, that's how you do it. If you have a shoulder bag or better yet, a lens pouch or two on your belt, it'll be quicker and easier. One thing that makes things easier is to leave the front lens caps off and leave an empty spot to drop the lens you're taking off. Less juggling that way.

I use a shoulder bag (and 2 bodies) so I don't have to stop and put things down. If I need to change lenses, they're right at my side and I can keep moving while I change them.

It is the single reason why I don't like the idea of photo backpacks.

when I was in Costa Rica my 70-200 stayed on the camera most the time for wildlife, occasionally stopping to swap out for the 100 macro

if wildlife in the rainforest (or dryforest / cloudforest ) is your aim then you should be moving slowly anyway, stopping to change lens isn't going to be a massive problem

if you aren't going slowly and properly looking then you can go the whole day without seeing any wildlife so it won't matter what lens you have on

to see things like the poison arrow/dart frogs you will have to stop and investigate off the track

I spent 6 months in costa rica and the only time I saw a snake was when I went out at night with some reptile experts there doing some conservation work for example

just leave the telephoto on for most the time and you probably won't need to change that much though, if you do want to change up if you have been moving slowly a lot of the wildlife tends to stay fairly still for you to have time to change lens unless you startle them

sloths you can change lenses all day to take pics of them though ;]

for landscapes they don't tend to move much either giving time to change lens

if you startle an animal and it shoots off that is going to lose you far more shots than anything else, move slowly, be perspective, investigate and try and avoid groups of tourists

don't worry about it, just enjoy the time there and don't expect to see everything you thought you would

Be perspective?

perceptive sorry ;]

Anything that you carry on your back is going to be sloooow to use. My first camera bag was a Lowepro Fastpac. Forget changing lenses, the bag had to put on the ground if you wanted to change a lens, safely.

I have since switched to shoulder bags, using 3 different ones, depending on circumstances. The one I use the most often is the Crumpler 6MDH. 1 body + 3-4 lenses etc... carried cross shouldered.

I recently bought a belt/harness system to shoot events (2 bodies) but haven't used it, yet. Should work out quite well, I think.

Lbsimon wrote in post #11903171
Do you take the backpack off, put it on the ground, get the lens you need and put the backpack on again?

If you make the mistake of using a backpack for anything but transporting your equipment, that's what you will have to do.

I highly recommend a shoulder bag that lets you work out of it without removing the bag from your shoulder. I could change a lens while still moving and never risk dropping anything.

I have heard many horror stories about folks who operate out of a backpack and have either had a failure to remember to zip up the bag or have had actual zipper failures, both of which result in equipment falling to the ground and being broken.

I have a holster that can hold 3 lenses. One on camera, and one on each side. It can take anything up to a 70-200 f4L. I wear it shoulder-bag style across my chest. I can sling it around real easy and everything is at my finger tips. Beyond that I have a LP belt bag for another lens, or flash.

Backpacks are for school kids.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right, the idea is to enjoy the trip, not to swap lens all the time. I do have a good Tamrac shoulder bag, and will take it with me, rather than a backpack. It may be tight for four lenses, a Rebel, and a flash, but will still fit.
At the same time, could it be a good idea to replace a Sigma 17-70 / 55-250 combination with an EF-S 18-200? A 10-20 will be with me in any case. My plans are to shoot landscapes and animals. Taking pictures of people is secondary, my wife will be doing it with her P&S.

Lbsimon wrote in post #11904591
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right, the idea is to enjoy the trip, not to swap lens all the time. I do have a good Tamrac shoulder bag, and will take it with me, rather than a backpack. It may be tight for four lenses, a Rebel, and a flash, but will still fit.
At the same time, could it be a good idea to replace a Sigma 17-70 / 55-250 combination with an EF-S 18-200? A 10-20 will be with me in any case. My plans are to shoot landscapes and animals. Taking pictures of people is secondary, my wife will be doing it with her P&S.

If you have the EFS lens already on hand then I'd say to go with that. If not then stick with what you have.

two things to minimize swaps:
use wide range zooms
have a second body with other lens mounted and ready

On safari last May we had our 7Ds hooked up with our 100-400s and our 40Ds hooked up with rented 500s. That combo plus a 1.6x extender gave us a practical range or 100-850. No time to do lots of lens swaps on a safari...and every time you do a swap...you expose the camera and lenses to dust contamination.

Lbsimon wrote in post #11904591
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You are right, the idea is to enjoy the trip, not to swap lens all the time. I do have a good Tamrac shoulder bag, and will take it with me, rather than a backpack. It may be tight for four lenses, a Rebel, and a flash, but will still fit.
At the same time, could it be a good idea to replace a Sigma 17-70 / 55-250 combination with an EF-S 18-200? A 10-20 will be with me in any case. My plans are to shoot landscapes and animals. Taking pictures of people is secondary, my wife will be doing it with her P&S.

I'd use the sigma 17-70 at almost all of the times if i where to shoot animals and landscapes. Cropping a picture is always an option afterwards, that way you won't loose the shot if it's taken at range. And i would not try to think of it when to switch lenses, but more how to use the lens on the camera the best way for the given situation.

The 18-200 will not give you any better IQ, but it will give you more flexibillity. Though i would never replace the 17-70 with an 18-200, i'd be to concerned with IQ. Otherwise one might just use a p&s if IQ isn't an issue, imho.

On our last trip to Costa Rica, a friend had a bunch of stuff stolen from our parked (and locked) van.

You might want to consider keeping your kit small enough so that you can keep it with you continually.