Time to head for the gym?

I returned to photography 'properly' just a few months ago, after a twenty-odd year gap (except for one underwhelming experience with an early Canon DSLR). The improvements in sensor technology drew me back in and I'm more than happy with what I've found so far.

I intend to focus on sports, and to that end have bought gear that suits that aim: 7D body, 15-85mm walkaround plus a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II and a 300mm f/2.8L for reach (plus a 1.4TC for extra reach when needed). Oh, and a 135mm f/2.0L because.....well, just because I love that lens. Of course I also needed a battery grip, spare batteries, spare cards, a decent monopod, cleaning gear, business cards, etc, etc.

All of this fits in a Lowepro backpack fairly neatly.

Then I picked it up Jayzus! Do Canon make their lenses out of lead? I can just about stagger along with it on my back.

Racetracks can be big. One walk around the whole thing could be several kilometres. And it gets quite hot here in Oztralia.

Where's that gym?

Consider a monopod for the 300 so that you can take the weight off your arms while shooting.

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #12444788
Consider a monopod for the 300 so that you can take the weight off your arms while shooting.

It's already there (see list). Couldn't do without it! The thing is, it doesn't reduce the TOTAL weight when lugging it around circuits or venues. I'm not sure yet what will give out first - my back or my legs.

Sorry, missed the 'pod part...

What about something on wheels?

A wheelbarrow similar to this for example: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk …ree-Postage-/280673410137

David

Get a second, smaller bag. Put one (maybe 2) spare lenses, one spare battery and a spare card in there. Leave the rest in the car.

hollis_f wrote in post #12445260
Get a second, smaller bag. Put one (maybe 2) spare lenses, one spare battery and a spare card in there. Leave the rest in the car.

Hmmmm, the trade-off is: backpack a few pounds lighter, but a twenty minute walk (or more) back to the car if I need another lens/card/battery. That's one race missed. I see your point though.

How many times did I haul a Linhof or Sinar 4x5, huge wooden tripod, plus a bag with half a dozen Grafmatic backs, extra lenses and other stuff up to the top of blast furnaces or rolling mill stairs when I worked for the photographic unit of an heavy industrial plant. That was more than 24 years ago, and I was heaps fitter.

How many times did I carry two or three Nikon (ever felt the weight of a Nikon F2AS Photomic with MD2 motordrive attached?) film bodies plus a bag full of lenses on shoots??

Mate,, you need to man up and stop acting like a big girl's blouse

Here is a trick I learned many years ago. When you get out of your car, have your lenses in your backpack and have your camera ready over your shoulder with your mid range zoom attached. Makes life easier.

Put your gear on the back of a wannabe assistant!
"Must have" items went into a beltpack which put the weight on my hips, where it belonged: My post #32. Tamrac belt in Post #68.
Show me your camera bag

Our track photographer rides around in a Vespa to get as close as he can, then has relatively short walks thru the fence into the track infield or wherever he's going to shoot. Maybe you can do something similar?

Dave

Steve of Cornubia wrote in post #12445315
Hmmmm, the trade-off is: backpack a few pounds lighter, but a twenty minute walk (or more) back to the car if I need another lens/card/battery. That's one race missed. I see your point though.

Not if you do this...
On the mono is a 1DMkII with a 300/2.8 and teleconverter
In the pouches are short lenses, batteries for both the 40D and 1 Series, 2 flash units, spare AA's memory cards, usually a bottle of Gatorade and some muesli bars, and a whole lot of other cr@p that I think I need and sometimes comes in handy.

mono pods are good. I don't like them though. They get in my way if I have to move away quickly. haha.
I just go to the gym....and when I don't use a mono(because I do every now and then) I can show off my awesome muscles.