[pct-l] Camera weight

Ned Tibbits ned at mountaineducation.org
Mon Jan 13 12:11:05 CST 2014 

The weight of a camera while attempting a thru hike has never been an issue 
with me.

On my PCT thru, I carried two Nikon F2 cameras, one with B&W film (circa 
1974) and the other with Kodachrome 24 slide film. Sure my pack was heavy (I 
couldn't pick it up at first and my partner had to help me until I got 
strong enough a few days into the hike), but I figured that I probably would 
not be back someday to see the area, so I needed to get good pictures the 
first time.

Today, I still carry a large Nikon D800 with an assortment of lenses and a 
large tripod to capture the incredible feeling of the scenery as I realize 
it. Of course, my daily mileage can be low, but my enjoyment of the 
mountains is high!



Ned Tibbits, Director
Mountain Education
www.mountaineducation.org
-----Original Message----- 
From: Gary Minetti
Sent: Monday, January 13, 2014 4:50 AM
To: Angelina Kovtun
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net ; Marcia Powers
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Camera weight

Angelina,

I struggled with the same issues.  I really wanted to bring my longtime 
companion, my Nikon SLR.  Ultimately, I went to the dark side and bought a 
Canon G12.  It fit into a nice case which I attached to my sternum strap.  I 
really liked the ease of access and the hd video.  I ended up taking almost 
4000 images.  That said, I missed the overall image quality that my Nikon 
would have given me - and each time I saw someone carrying a SLR, I second 
guessed my decision.

My two cents worth is this - if you are going to switch out for the PCT, do 
it soon and spend lots of time getting to know your new camera.

Enjoy your planning.

Gman
Class of 2012
On Jan 13, 2014, at 12:03 AM, Angelina Kovtun wrote:

> Wow thank you all for your great advice!
>
> Irish, I'm so glad there's someone out there with my camera and my passion 
> for high quality images :-D I do think I would be super unhappy if I 
> didn't bring a camera of that performance level on the most awesome 
> adventure like PCT. I am debating if it'll be worth it to sell my beloved 
> Nikon D300s with Macro 105/2.8, Tele 18-200/3.5-5.6, and little 35mm/1.8, 
> plus flash 600 and instead acquire new mirrorless technology such as 
> Olympus OMD E-M1..... My Nikon is seriously like a child or a favorite pet 
> to me and it's hard to imagine to part with it but it is a very fair point 
> you guys made that such weight might not help me reach my goal. My other 
> gear is not that light either.... And my legs are going through something 
> else this winter...
> So much to consider!!!!
>
> I'll need to digest everything over the next couple weeks and make some 
> decisions here!
> Thanks again
> -Angelina
>
>
>
>
> On Sunday, January 12, 2014 8:36 PM, Marcia Powers <gottawalk at me.com> 
> wrote:
>
> Good points, Irish. I was just trying to point out the possible outcome 
> off some choices.
>
> Of the many lessons I learned our first thru, the one that sticks foremost 
> in my mind is how little we actually need to be safe, healthy and happy. 
> And, there are many ways to reach that balance.
>
> Of course, YMMV.
> ...GottaWalk
>
>
>
> On Jan 12, 2014, at 8:01 PM, Diarmaid Harmon <irishharmon at comcast.net> 
> wrote:
>
> As I said earlier it all depends on what you want to achieve. Please 
> remember not everyone is a super light weight hiker and a lot of people 
> will sacrifice a little extra weight to carry the one or two items that 
> they feel they need to accomplish their goal. If the hiker wants to make 
> sure they capture the wonderful experience by using a heavy camera then 
> thats their choice. I have seen people hiking with everything from small 
> chairs to heavy air pads. What is weight to one is a necessity to another. 
> This mind set that unless you remove each and every ounce you can you will 
> fail is going overboard in my mind. I finished the trail with a heavy pack 
> by most standards and I had no problems. I still hike with a heavy pack 
> compared to the ultra crowd but I am used to it. I believe you need to 
> hike the hike that suits you. A six pound camera to you may be way 
> overboard to me it is the tool I choose to bring.
>
> Just my humble opinion of course.
>
> Irish.
>> On Jan 12, 2014, at 3:43 PM, GottaWalk <gottawalk at pacbell.net> wrote:
>>
>> On Jan 12, 2014, at 3:31 PM, Diarmaid Harmon <irishharmon at comcast.net> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> "It is not so much about what the camera weighs more about what you want 
>> to achieve."
>>
>> For a thruhike I think I a really important consideration is pack and 
>> gear weight. Is gear (and thus a heavy pack) more important than 
>> completing the thru? Would a long section hike be acceptable if the body 
>> couldn't hold up to carrying the heavy pack?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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