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My Backpacking Photography Equipment

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(Note: I update this article periodically, most recently in August 2019.)

I do a significant amount of backpacking every summer, and almost every season I spend as much as a few weeks on the trail in the Sierra Nevada, in addition to other non-backpacking trips to the Sierra and elsewhere.  I’ve been a backpacking photographer for nearly five decades, and I’ve evolved (and continue to evolve) an approach to backpacking photography that works well for me.

Ascending to Kaweah Gap
Ascending to Kaweah Gap

Decades ago, I carried a couple of small 35mm film cameras and a few prime lenses on the trail. (I think my favorites were a Pentax ME Super and a Pentax MX with a small set of primes, a tele-extender, and some extension tubes. But I digress….) Some years later, when I first used a digital SLR,  I worked out a pretty good back-country photography kit based on a small “Rebel” style  Canon 350D/XTi. For many photographers there are real advantages in using one of the smaller cropped sensor bodies – less bulk, less weight, smaller lenses, and quite fine photographic quality. One of the four-thirds system bodies can also be a great compromise for some, and the newer mirrorless cameras offer some very interesting and lighter possibilities — though check their battery capacity first. However, I eventually  moved to full frame, and acquiring a full-frame 5D forced me to think more carefully about what I carry.

(Update: In early 2013 I acquired the Fujifilm X-E1 Digital Camera along with a few of the excellent Fujinon lenses. In 2016  I updated to the Fujifilm X-Pro2 plus Fujifilm’s 16-55mm and 50-140mm lenses for an alternative lightweight trail setup. More on this follows.)

Subalpine Meadow, Summer
Midday summer sky reflected in a subalpine tarn, Yosemite National Park

While I would like to have all of my gear with me, the load would be unmanageable. (At least at this stage of my life. When I was young, strong, and foolish in different ways than I am now, I would sometimes head out onto the trail with loads weighing up to 75 pounds. No more! On the other hand, pack train support is a viable option in some cases.) Ironically, while I have lightened my load of backpacking equipment considerably during recent years – moving more in the ultralight direction – my photographic equipment load has increased. The bottom line is that I consider very carefully what I carry, considering the upsides and downsides of each piece of equipment and occasionally making compromises if I think a piece of gear can be left behind on a given trip.

Here’s what I might carry these days when I go out with my full-on landscape photography system:

  • Canon EOS 5DS R  — (Until recently I carried a Canon EOS 5DII — which Canon replaced with the Canon 5D Mark III — and I previously used a Canon 5D) – Heavier and bulkier than the cropped sensor bodies, but worth it to me for the higher resolution and the better small aperture performance. The Nikon D810 would be an alternative if I were a Nikon shooter and Sony photographers might choose the a7RII Mirrorless Digital Camera.
  • A standard zoom lens is typically on my camera by default. They cover a range from decently wide to slightly long.
    • The Canon 24-105mm f/4L II IS (I have the older version I) is a great standard lens for many purposes. If I’m willing to forego a bit of reach the 24-105mm range can be a viable one-lens option. The 24mm wide end is also wide enough for many situations. The inclusion of image-stabilization (IS) helps when shooting handheld when I’m on the move. For this type of lens, the weight and size are not too bad at all.
    • The EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II offers somewhat better image quality and  is a fine lens for tripod-based photography when I’m willing to carry a bit more weight.
    • The EF 24-70mm f/4L IS is a fine lens that is smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the f/2.8 24-70mm lens, and there are good reasons to regard these as advantages. It also has image stabilization and enhanced close-focus capabilities. (I have not used this lens.)
    • Current versions of the Canon 24-105mm f/4L II IS,  EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II, and EF 24-70mm f/4L IS lenses at B&H.
  • I usually carry an Ultra-wide zoom lens. (When I use a two-lens system, either this type of lens or a 70-200mm accompanies my standard zoom. )
    • The Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lens  is my preferred lens for some types of landscape work, often done early or late in the day when I’m not carrying the backpack and can therefore more easily work slowly and with a tripod.
    • For many years I relied on the Canon 17-40mm f/4 L lens to cover ultra-wide angle photography. It is still a useful lens and an excellent value at much lower price. Its image quality is not as good as that of the excellent 16-35mm f/4 described above, though it can perform reasonably well at smaller apertures typically used in much landscape photography.
    • (EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lens and Canon 17-40mm f/4 L lens at B&H.)
  • A Telephoto Zoom lens is very useful. Not only does it provide almost twice the “reach” of the mid-range zooms, but it can work well for close-up work where the longer focal length provides narrower DOF and good bokeh. The lens gets its own padded Lowepro case and usually rides inside my main backpack.
  • Teleconverter — I often carry a small and light Canon Extender EF 1.4X III, a 1.4x teleconverter that gives my 70-200mm lens the reach of a 280mm focal length. A slightly larger and heavier and more expensive Extender EF 2X III is also available, and it gives the 70-200 a 400mm maximum focal length. (Extenders also decrease the maximum effective aperture, and those considering the 2X model should verify that it will work correctly with their cameras, since not all bodies will autofocus with lenses that don’t have a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or larger.)
  • Circular polarizing filters — These filters are useful in many ways. They can control reflections when photographing water and foliage; they can increase the definition of clouds; they can function as a sort of stand-in neutral density filter.
  • 9-stop neutral density filter —  This is a useful filter for certain types of images that require longer daytime exposures. (To be honest, most often I do not carry it into the backcountry.)
  • Batteries — I take a lot of photographs sometimes, and I also like to do night photography. I don’t want to be caught short, so I typically carry at least three batteries and often more, especially if I think I’ll be doing night photography and/or using Live View a lot.
  • Solar Charging System — On very long trips a solar charging system is necessary to recharge batteries on the trail. I have written a bit more about this later on this page.
  • Multiple large capacity CF cards — I carry a lot more card capacity than I think I’ll actually need since cards are light and relatively inexpensive these days, and I’d rather carry too much than run out of storage capacity. These days, using dual-slot cameras, I use two 128GB cards per camera. I set the camera to save duplicate copies of the raw files on the two cards, giving me some additional peace of mind should a card fail. (In the unlikely event that I fill the 128GB cards and run out of space, I can reform the second card and  and continue shooting on the second card, foregoing the second-card backup.) On pack-train supported trips I may bring a very small laptop for making backup copies from the cards. (Some tablets could work here, too.)
  • Tripod — A backpacking tripod almost by necessity requires some attention to compromises among size, weight, cost, reliability, and stability. For non-backpacking use I prefer a very large and rather heavy tripod that I would not want to carry or try to attach to the pack I use for backpacking. So while I miss the solid functionality of that tripod, issues of weight and packed size lead me to use smaller and lighter gear in this case. Photographers will be comfortable with different types of compromises here, so the choice of the right tripod will be a very individual and subjective one. In the backcountry I use a Gitzo GT2542L “Mountaineer” Tripod, which has be updated to the Gitzo GT2543L “Mountaineer”. (This “L” model is about 5″ taller than the regular Gitzo GT2542 “Mountaineer”.) Although not every backpacking photographer needs such a large and expensive tripod, I prefer this relatively tall Gitzo model. With four-section legs it packs to a reasonable – though not exactly tiny – size, yet when legs are fully extended it holds my camera at eye level. I use a center column so that it will go even higher or accommodate uneven ground. The Gitzo Mountaineer models have a well-deserved reputation for great construction and for providing stable camera support. After using it extensively since 2011, including an multiple backcountry photography in the Sierra, I can recommend it without hesitation.  (Gitzo GT2543L “Mountaineer” and Gitzo GT2542 “Mountaineer” at B&H)
  • Acratech Ultimate Ballhead — This tripod head weighs only about one pound and works very well – this is a great backpacking ballhead, and one that I can use for some of my “regular” photography as well.
  • Lowepro Toploader Zoom AW bag — I use this with a chest harness to hold the 5D plus the 24-105 (with hood), along with most of the other photo gear. The bag is sturdy and includes a rain-cover – though the whole thing can go into my main pack in case of truly bad weather. (The 17-40 could ride in the backpack in a smaller Lowepro lens case, but most often it fits crosswise into the bottom of the Topload bag.)
  • Canon remote release
  • Assorted accessories – Lens cleaning cloth, sensor brush, blower, Philips wrench, etc.
Fractured Granite, Reflections
Fractured Granite, Reflections

I never have had the courage to weigh the whole mess, but I think it is somewhere in the 12-15 pound range… or more. By the standards of my ultra-light backpacker friends (whose total backpacking base load may be 12-15 pounds… or less!) this is an outrageous amount to carry. On the other hand, fellow photographers may be wondering how I managed to get by with only limited lenses and a small tripod!

(Speaking of weight and bulk… In August 2008 I met a fellow at Moraine Lake in SEKI who was carrying two Nikon DSLR bodies and four lenses! Later that summer I met an experienced Yosemite back-country photographer equipped with three complete systems: full-frame DSLR, medium format digital, and large format film! Not surprisingly he had arrived with the assistance of a pack train. I have met another well-known and highly regarded black and white photographer and his wife in the backcountry, and each of them carried more than 30 pounds of medium format film gear. I guess all of this makes me a photographic wimp!)

I also have a lighter alternative system based on a mirrorless cropped sensor camera.

  • My Fujifilm X-Pro2 24MP mirrorless crop-sensor system is considerably smaller and lighter than my DSLR system. Many backpackers looking at a high-end Fujifilm system may prefer the Fujifilm XT2, a 24MP cropped sensor mirrorless camera with a design that feels more like a DSLR. The Fujifilm XT20 provides the same sensor in a body with fewer features and a lower price. These cameras have progressed to the point that they can produce truly excellent image quality — enough that I can make stunning 20″ x 30″ and larger prints. One thing to consider is that the battery life is shorter in these cameras than with typical DSLRs — I may get only about 300 or fewer shots from a battery with the Fujifilm camera, while I could get over 1000 with my 5DsR. (Though using “live view” mode on the DSLR can essentially erase this advantage.) And, of course, there are alternatives to Fujifilm from other manufacturers who also produce high quality cropped sensor systems.
  • Lenses for cropped sensor cameras also tend to smaller than lighter than their equivalents on full frame cameras. (I won’t get into all of the gory details here but, for example, a 23mm lens on my Fujifilm camera gives me the same “reach” as a 35mm lens on my full frame system.) I carry two lenses, Fujifilm’s 16-55mm and 50-140mm lenses, which are angle-of-view equivalents to approximately 24-82mm and 70-210mm full-frame system lenses.

Note: Some photographers are now using the full frame Sony Alpha Mirrorless Digital Camera, which provides high MP resolution, full frame format, and lighter camera weight than DSLRs. Note that battery life, as with all mirrorless cameras, is shorter, and that the weight savings probably don’t extend to your lenses, at least if you use the same types of lenses that you would otherwise use on a DSLR.

There area some things that I do not take:

  • I do somewhat miss my full size Induro C313 tripod, but not nearly as much as I expected – and certainly not enough to carry the extra bulk and weight. My Gitzo mountaineer is perhaps a tiny bit more spindly, but it really is a solid tripod.
  • I usually do not miss my longer and heavier EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens. I may have missed a very small number of shots by leaving it at home, but I’m generally more interested in short telephoto to wide angle in the back-country. (I might take the 100-400 instead of the 70-200 if I were headed into an area where knew that the extra reach would be needed – for example, if certain wildlife opportunities were my goal – but I would begrudge the weight!)
  • I do not carry prime lenses. Zooms provide excellent image quality, far more flexibility, require fewer lens changes, and are probably not really much if any heavier than carrying an equivalent range of high quality primes.

The large Lowepro Topload bag with the chest harness is (pardon the awful pun) a mixed bag. It really is a fine product and the chest harness system is effective. You can even use it as a virtual shoulder bag by disconnecting a couple of the four strap attachment points. It is great to be able to fit much of my photo equipment into one sturdy, weather-resistant, manageable and accessible bag. There are downsides, though – not the fault of Lowepro, but just the result of trying to accommodate all of the needs of the backpacking photographer with one bag. One unavoidable issue is the size of the bag, especially when carried on the chest. In rough country it is a disadvantage to be unable to see your feet! I have become adept at looking around the sides of the bag in many situations, though I have to be more careful of my footing in when traveling cross country. Trekking poles become even more useful. During extended cross country sections (such as class 2+ routes) I sometimes feel more comfortable removing the bag and carrying it inside my main backpack. Having issued these disclaimers, I still rely on this bag and recommend it strongly.

Submerged Boulders, Lake, and Cliffs
Submerged Boulders, Lake, and Cliffs

File Storage

Several important issues come up when we consider the safe storage of digital images on the trail. The most obvious concern is that you carry enough storage card capacity for the number of photographs that you intend to make. The second concern, and it is arguably just as important, concerns how you will store and back up your precious files on the trail.

Fortunately, memory cards are relatively cheap and have very large capacities these days. Available capacities can store thousands of files on a card. Most photographers won’t make so many photographs on one trip that they won’t fit on a single card, though carrying at least one extra is wise in case you encounter a problem with your primary card.

If you anticipate making more photographs than you can fit on a card, it usually simply makes sense to bring more cards! Again, they are small, light, capacious, and inexpensive these days.

Ensuring the security of your files on the card is a bit more complicated on the trail. You probably aren’t carrying your laptop, so you can’t backup to that. (On stock-supported trips I do sometimes bring a small laptop and a separate external drive for backups.) A first-line of defense is to use a camera with two car slots and set it up to write duplicate copies of each photograph to the two cards. This provides a backup in the event of a card failure.  Extra-cautious photographers might remove one of the cards and store it in a separate location. (I’m usually not that cautious.)

There are small external drives that have built-in card readers. Given their costs and power consumption issues, I don’t carry them, though I have friends who do use them.

The Issue of Power

Digital cameras use electricity. I’ll bet you knew that already! Batteries have a finite life and then they need charging. On short trips this isn’t an issue, but if you go out for more than a few days it is important to plan and consider the options.

If you tend to shoot handheld and use a typical DSLR, you may get many hundreds or even a few thousand photographs from  single battery. Unless you are a very productive photographer, a single battery — probably with one backup — will likely get you through most trips.

However, the battery concerns loom larger if you don’t fit that description. For example:

  • If you use a mirrorless camera you may only get a few hundred frames per battery.
  • If you use “live view” mode (as I do) you may get only a few hundred or fewer exposures per battery.
  • Extensive review of your photographs draws more power.
  • If you do any night photography you can use up more than one battery in a single night.

If the trip isn’t overly long, the most effective solution in terms of both cost and weight is simply to carry more batteries. I often carry four or more, and this can get me through a week of photography in many cases.

On longer trips or if you consume batteries at a prodigious rate, you may need to use a solar charging system. Given their cost and weight, carefully consider the first option of carrying more charged camera batteries — it takes quite a few camera batteries to add up to the weight and cost of the solar chargers. Also keep in mind that the high power chargers may tend to keep you (or at least the charger system) in camp, as they need to sit out in full sun for hours. (You can hang chargers off the back of your pack while walking, but there are some issues with that solution, especially for photographers.)

I use solar charging equipment from Voltaic Systems, but mostly for trips with pack-train support. Smaller systems that can provide enough power for a daily battery charge are viable and can allow you to reduce the number of batteries you carry. Note that reliable solar-chagring systems are not always light or inexpensive — they can weigh and cost as much as a number of batteries. Another option is to charge the system’s battery at home and then bring the battery without the solar panel on the trail.

One More Thing

As photographers who are willing to go to great lengths to carry ourselves and our gear into beautiful and wild places in order photograph their beauty, we have a special obligation to protect these wonders and the solitude that surrounds them. We should be careful to minimize our impact on these places, and once there we should treat them with care and respect.

In addition, I think it is worth striving to reveal through our work the deeper and more fundamental beauties of such places. While bagging — and showing off — another shot of a familiar icon has its appeal (and yes, I do photograph icons sometimes) inventing a visual world that seems to consist exclusively of such atypical and often iconic things presents a false view of the subject and misses the opportunity to look for something deeper in our own photography. Much of the best back-country photography that I have seen reveals things that are only known to those who spend long, quiet time in these places, returning over the years to develop a deeper knowledge and understanding of their subjects.

Finally, I have become increasingly aware of the (often unintentional) role that photographers can play in encouraging the overuse and over-popularity of certain fragile and special places. I’m not one to try to keep “private places” for myself – they aren’t mine anyway – but I think we all need to exercise a great deal of discretion about saying too much about places that cannot handle even a few more visitors. This has been difficult for me, since I love to share my stories about the places I visit, but I’m now convinced that it is more ethical to concentrate on the photographs and the experience while saying no more than necessary about the geographical specifics.

Questions, comments, observations? Feel free to post below!

Notes:

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.

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Commentary, Equipment

More Speculation…

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About a year ago (in 2006) I posted some Idle Speculation About Canon Products that included ideas about where Canon might go with future DSLR products. (It also included one or more dumb errors, but what the heck… I haven’t edited the original in case you want the pleasure of finding them.)

I keep waiting for Canon to call up and ask for my advice but the phone never rings. What’s up with that?

In any case, the recent Nikon product announcements and resulting teeth-gnashing in Canon online forums got me thinking again about what I would do if I were God of Canon Product Introductions. Since everyone else is commenting on this stuff, why shouldn’t I? So, by product category, here are my thoughts:

Consumer P&S Cameras – I’m not even going to go try to say anything intelligent about this category of big-selling low-end point and shoot camera, except to recognize that it is an important part of any camera company’s planning, both for direct income from the segment and for building brand loyalty among buyers who may eventually move up to the DSLR market.

High-end P&S camera – I believe there is actually a lot of potential in this segment, though it appeals to such a diverse group of buyers that it can be hard to hit all the bases and create a well-designed, usable camera. However, from what I’m hearing, the new G9 sounds like a great little camera – small, high MP, decent lens (though not wide enough). We’ll have to see what the sensor noise is like, especially at higher ISOs.

Entry-level DSLR – The Canon 400D/XTi is actually quite a fine camera in this category. While the Nikon models are doing very well, there isn’t too much that Canon can do to upgrade this camera without competing with their own existing models higher up price range. However, Canon does have one special opportunity here. Below I’ll mention a way to make the next higher camera (the 40D) more competitive; if this happens, the door would be open for Canon to significantly update the 400D-class crop sensor model without competing with its own products. The result for Canon could be to free them to make the “best in class” entry-level DSLR without risking sales of their other models.

“Prosumer” APS-C DSLR – The new 40D has a fine set of specifications… for last year.

It is a fine camera and it will take excellent photos, the price is decent, it now includes dust reduction, higher frame rates, and a 10 MP sensor. But everyone else has these features now, too, and Nikon’s slightly more expensive D300 has a better feature set. While the 40D is good enough for just about anyone in this product category, Canon no longer sells the best product in the high-end APS-C sensor camera category. This must really be tough for Canon, especially because Nikon’s announcement one-upped them within days of the announcement of the 40D.

However, Canon does have a potent weapon here. Canon has been the only major company offering full-frame DSLRs. Even though Nikon now offers one FF body, Canon arguably still sells the best FF (1DsMKIII) and the most affordable FF (5D). While it would be just about impossible to sell a camera in the 40D product category that distinctly outperformed the D300, Canon probably could produce a “full-frame 40D” at about the cost of the D300, thus providing a unique (and distinctly marketable) advantage: “the only affordable full frame DSLR.”

This is not the kind of change that is going to happen over a couple months, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see such a camera announced within the next year. It could happen even sooner if Canon simply repositions the current 5D or similar body at a price point around or just below $2000. While this would have been impossible a year or two earlier, I think this is quite possible (and perhaps quite necessary) now.

Not Sure What to Call It, But Right Now It Is the 5D – Last year I might have described this as “entry-level full-frame” or “semi-pro full-frame,” but those titles don’t seem quite right. The 5D has increasingly become the Canon DSLR of choice for those who want the advantages of full frame and higher MP count, but are not about to spend $8000 on the 1Ds models. This category gives up little or nothing to the 1-Series in terms of image quality, though it isn’t weather sealed and it isn’t fast, being limited to the same 3fps burst rate as the 400D. There has been no competition for the 5D – perhaps one reason that the price has stayed relatively high.

Although the Nikon D3 competes more directly with the Canon 1DMKIII, it also competes with the 5D since it, too, has a full-frame 12MP sensor. By updating the two-year-old 5D Canon can probably continue to own this product category. An upgrade is due and could include a 16MP sensor, a slightly faster burst mode (5 fps or so), and features that have become standard on other new models, such as dust reduction, larger LCD, and so forth.

(Canon does have to be a bit careful here since many serious photographers currently opt for the 5D over the much more expensive 1Ds series body. For this reason, features like weather-sealing are unlikely to show up here.)

Sports/Photojournalism – The recently announced 1DMKIII created quite a stir, and has generally been regarded as a significant upgrade in this category. This was tarnished a bit by reported focus problems, but that will likely get sorted out before long. However, Nikon seems to have taken dead aim at the 1DMKIII with the D3, which it one-ups in several ways. Most significantly perhaps, it almost equals the speed of the 1.3x 10 MP crop-sensor 1DMKIII but with a full-frame 12 MP sensor! For what its worth, Nikon can credibly claim to offer the “best of breed” in this category, albeit at a somewhat higher price. In the real world, either camera will perform the tasks it is designed for extremely well. I’d guess that the next iteration of this 1D series will use a full frame sensor, but that it won’t be rushed out in less than 18 months.

High-end, High-MP – That’s the 21+ MP 1DsMKIII. Canon has (until Nikon or Sony announce something) no competition here. If anything, this camera can compete with MF cameras to some extent.

To summarize, Canon’s biggest problem would appear to be at the 40D product category level, but they could leverage their experience with full frame sensors to create a category leading camera at this level.

Some final notes:

  • I use Canon gear. I’m not worried about competition from Nikon (or Sony, etc.). I’m not even remotely thinking about switching brands.
  • Canon’s position in the DSLR market has not been seriously challenged recently. Competition from Nikon and others is good news for photographers, no matter what their brand loyalty.
  • The “lead” will probably switch back and forth from time to time.
  • Multiple companies can produce great equipment. The myth that one is “best” and the others are “worse” is silly.
  • Dan

BTW: One reason I posted this long piece here is so that I can point to it rather than retyping the same thing in discussions elsewhere on the web. Oh, and it will be fun to look back in a year or so and see how right – or wrong! – I was. :-)

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.
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Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Commentary, Equipment

A Question About the Lowepro Slingshot 200AW

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Wendy asks:

I am writing you because I saw your rave about the LowePro Slingshot. Since you use one and I cannot find the answer online could you tell me if my gear would fit in the 200? I have a Canon XTi with grip, Canon 70-200 f/4 which I would like to leave attached (w or w-o the hood), Sigma 17-70, Canon 60mm, 18-55mm and Canon 350xt body. Throw in the battery charger, disk reader and if necessary I will carry my underwater Inon strobe just in case I am unable to carry my pelican case on the plane. If you don’t mind 1 more question. I would like to get a monopod-so many brands-anything in particular I should look for. Weight is a consideration, cost-would like to keep it under $100, would I need a ball head? Manfrotto, Slik? Currently I have been using my Taylormade driver as a monopod on the golf course to shoot a pair of eagles and their baby! A tripod is more than I want to carry.

Yes, I am a big fan of the Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW. It is relatively small for a bag that will carry a basic kit, the single shoulder strap design is very flexible, and it has a waterproof cover. That said, I’m not sure that the 200 is going to be the right bag for you.

While it might be just barely possible to squeeze all that equipment into the Slingshot 200 AW, I think that accessing it would be a real problem – you’ d have to pack the bag very carefully and very tightly. I certainly recommend that you try this out at a photography store before you buy, both to make sure that the gear will fit and to make sure that once you load it up you’ll still be able to access the equipment.

When I shot with the 350D(XT) I found my 200 AW would just barely carry the camera with the EF 24-105mm f/4 L attached (hood reversed) plus with the EF 17-40mm f/4 L (no hood – I used the 24-105 hood on it with the crop sensor body), the EF 70-200mm f/4 L (hood reversed), and the EF 50mm f/1.4. I carried a few other odds and ends (batteries, filters, etc.) in the small outer pocket and the upper pocket. (The upper pocket is large enough that it could carry a prime lens, though it isn’t padded.)

There is a larger version of the Slingshot, the 300 AW. I haven’t used it, but I’ve heard that it is a fine bag – though if you really load it up it may be too heavy for the single shoulder strap suspension, and a real backpack model may be more appropriate.

(One final note on the Slingshot. I’ve used mine heavily for a year and a half or so and it has generally performed well. However, last week I discovered that one of the main zippers is coming apart where it curves around the “top” of the bag. I’ll have to reserved final judgment until I find out what Lowepro has to say about replacement or repair when I contact them later this month. UPDATE 8/29/07: Lowepro really came through on this. Today I received a brand new Slingshot 200 AW from the Lowepro customer service center – only two business days after I sent my damaged bag to them. I’m very impressed!)

I’m afraid I can’t offer any really good monopod advice since I don’t own one. I sometimes do use a tripod as a monopod (leaving the legs pushed together) but that’s about it. I do like using the ball head when I use the tripod this way since I can adjust the shooting angle of the camera independent of the leg angle – this is useful if you are shooting down (from a balcony at a concert or theatrical event, for example) or up (photographing birds, for example.)

Post that monopod question at one or more of the photo discussion web sites: DP Review, photo.net, Fred Miranda, etc.

Good luck,

Dan

Equipment

How About That 5D?

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Jim writes:

I have been viewing your blog for the past six months and love your work.

Currently, I am using a Rebel XT and thinking about moving up to a 5D and I noticed you just did. What’s your take on the 5D? Is it worth the extra weight in lugging around the trails and is there anything you prefer on the XT when compared to the 5D.

Thanks, Jim.

That can be a more complicated question than might be apparent at first. I really do like the 5D for its greater dynamic range, greater ability to capture fine detail, good wide angle performance, and ability to use f/11 and f/16 without diffraction issues.

That said, there are also good arguments for the smaller crop sensor cameras including the XT or the newer version, the XTi – especially if you are photographing on the trail. These cameras are certainly lighter and smaller and can use smaller and lighter lenses to capture the same angles of view. They can also produce fine images if you use good lenses and good shooting technique. I regularly made 13 x 19 prints from my XT and successfully printed up to 16 x 24. If you don’t print larger than this, the size and weight advantages of the crop sensor cameras may trump the other advantages of the full frame bodies.

Another factor may be which lenses you currently own. If you have a crop body but no great lenses yet, it can make a lot of sense to upgrade lenses first, with an eye to developing a set that will work with your future full frame camera. While DSLR bodies have a fairly short life span these days, good lenses will last – and they’ll improve your photographs on the both the current and future cameras.

In the end the decision between crop and full frame camera bodies is a personal one. For me it is worth the extra size and weight but that may or may not be the case for others.

Dan