Photography is a pain in the neck..

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Hi! I have quite a heavy set-up and have posted this image in several threads. This is how I carry my bird photography rig through the bush. Magpul strap with QD fittings that can attach to single point on either side of the L-bracket. You can pick it up and shoot as you see it, but I will attach to a single point depending if I want landscape or portrait orientation. e.g BIF - landscape, egret up close - portrait. However I think being prepared for macro and birds on one walk is a bit much. If you see something nice when out birding, go back later with the macro gear. Also consider spending a few hours in one spot and let the birds come. Great for water-fowl and particularly waders on a beach. Get low and let the in-coming tide bring them to you.
When moving to different sites in the car, the rig in the image can be released in two "pops" and then go on either my tripod or monopod that are always on the back seat. Furthermore all my lenses (14mm astro, 90mm macro and 2 zoom lenses) can be quickly attached and used in either landscape or portrait on my Flexshooter Pro Mini ballhead. So a pre-dawn birding trip with the camera set for hand-held BIF on the Magpul strap can turn into a tripod sunrise shoot in less than a minute.


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Hi! I have quite a heavy set-up and have posted this image in several threads. This is how I carry my bird photography rig through the bush. Magpul strap with QD fittings that can attach to single point on either side of the L-bracket. You can pick it up and shoot as you see it, but I will attach to a single point depending if I want landscape or portrait orientation. e.g BIF - landscape, egret up close - portrait. However I think being prepared for macro and birds on one walk is a bit much. If you see something nice when out birding, go back later with the macro gear. Also consider spending a few hours in one spot and let the birds come. Great for water-fowl and particularly waders on a beach. Get low and let the in-coming tide bring them to you.
When moving to different sites in the car, the rig in the image can be released in two "pops" and then go on either my tripod or monopod that are always on the back seat. Furthermore all my lenses (14mm astro, 90mm macro and 2 zoom lenses) can be quickly attached and used in either landscape or portrait on my Flexshooter Pro Mini ballhead. So a pre-dawn birding trip with the camera set for hand-held BIF on the Magpul strap can turn into a tripod sunrise shoot in less than a minute.


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Nice set up. I used Magpul QD fittings with a harness that I had converted to that purpose and which connected at the foot of my 100-400 S, which was connected to my new Z9. While very busy shooting a woman with two horses and alternating rigs the QD fitting failed (or I did) and the camera and lens crashed to the ground on a gravel path. And yes, in the excitement of switching cameras I failed to hear, or not hear, the click the QD fitting should have made as I attached it to the harness. Had I adopted your setup, I may have been saved. Nevertheless, I switched back to a more conventional harness with swivel connectors and safety straps for piece of mind. Always had trouble either connecting or disconnecting the QD fittings to the lens foot or camera. However seeing your simple set up, I may experiment for walk about. Thanks. PS, both camera and lens survived nicely but for a couple small character scratches, praise be to Nikon.
 
Get something like a Black Rapid strap. It screws in to the tripod foot on your lens and goes over your shoulder. That's what I use, otherwise I just carry my camera/lens using the tripod foot as a handle. Carrying a camera with a long lens around your neck is bad for your neck and for your equipment.
Yes, I also have one and use it all the time.
 
Thanks for mentioning the Spider Holster system. I also appreciate the comfort that the hip belt affords, but was disappointed to find the Spider Lens Plates to be incompatible with the RRS lens collars I have.
Yeah that is a bummer. I do swap lens feet for the convenience of the hip carry, and luckily the spider lens plate on the nikon lens foot does fit into a RRS tripod/monopod head.

For shoulder straps I like the luma labs strap with QD connector to attach to a RRS lens foot.
 
Backpack with a good waist strap (which will transfer most of the weight off your shoulders / neck and onto your hips / waist) would be a good solution. You did mention no backpacks - but what about a compromise here: something like the Lowepro Protactic 350AWII (smaller / lighter backpack than the big 450 that most people get), and... a Peak Design Capture Clip, so you don't need to remove your backpack to use your camera? Probably not good to clip the 500, but the light 70-300 would work well on the Capture Clip.

There's also that "Cotton Carrier" system - basically a big harness with camera clips similar to Peak Design's Capture Clip. And it's not a backpack.

Personally I use a backpack (Nomatic's new Peter McKinnon 25L everyday model - best backpack I've ever owned), an 8L shoulder / sling bag (also McKinnon's new model - amazing!), and I bounce between 3 different straps - BlackRapid's RS-4 Classic Retro (it has a front length adjuster which I love), Peak Design's Leash strap (lightest of the Slide straps), and my good old simple Domke gripper strap.

Hope some of this info is helpful :)
 
For a heavy lens and camera combination like the 600mm f/4 and D5 or D850 I have long used the Kirk SS-1 Security 'Strap that B&H sells for $80. It has a padded strap and a clamp that attaches to any Arca-Swiss foot or base plate. Takes seconds to attach and I have it so it is at waist level and zero issues walking through the brush. I prefer to use the Kirk Security Strap and not have the lens and camera attached to the gimbal head and having it all slung over one shoulder.


No need to modity the camera or base plate or lens foot to use the Kirk strap and there is now way for it to accidently some loose as has happened with other straps with "quick release" mechanisms (QD or SS2 type) that can and have released when not wanted and damaged gear.
 
When walking I have been leaving my tripod at home or in the car. (I tried a monopod but it is flimsy or I do not know the proper way to use it) and have the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 on the camera and the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 in its container with the strap slung on my right shoulder, I swap them out 1-2 times a walk. There are times I wish I had a wider FOV lens or a Macro type lens for insects and flowers but I do not yet have or know what lens to get for that.

Replace your 70-300 with the 28-300mm Nikon. the 28-300 is excellent for invertebrates and flowers and will still give you the reach of a moderate telephoto plus a good landscapers lens.

I use the SpiderPro Camera System - a belt and holster to save my neck. I use a wrist strap on the camera for safety and if I briefly need both hands. The SpiderPro doesn't work so well with long telephoto lens.
 
I currently have 2 ways of doing my wildlife photograph. Main way is to haul out a tripod and shift it around to various parts of my local lake.
The second is to put the D500 camera strap on my neck and walk around the lake paths and hope I see something close enough to image.

When walking I have been leaving my tripod at home or in the car. (I tried a monopod but it is flimsy or I do not know the proper way to use it) and have the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 on the camera and the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 in its container with the strap slung on my right shoulder, I swap them out 1-2 times a walk. There are times I wish I had a wider FOV lens or a Macro type lens for insects and flowers but I do not yet have or know what lens to get for that.

Within an hour my neck is getting stiff and I start back to the car. I am seeking a better way to carry these items without a big bulky backpack that I have to stop take everything off swap lenses repack the rest and hope the subject is still there waiting patiently for my shot.

Another concern is the fact that I am planning to get a MUCH heavier Z9 in the future so if the D500 gets uncomfortable the z( might become unbearable…

Do those long wider straps that let the camera hang off your neck and shoulder for “more comfort” and swing around for shots really work and really more comfortable? What options do you all for walking photography 2-3 lenses and still be quick to shoot, swap lenses etc.. or am I wanting the impossible? I am pretty much now deciding if I want birds in flight take one lens and if I want small stationary song birds take another but only one lens with no chance to swap as the conditions present themselves.
Hi AstroEd
I hope this makes sense and excuse my poor drawn image. I have used this for years. Regards Joel

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Switched to cotton carrier several years ago because of neck pain……..tired black rapid and peak design With same issue, neck pain. Both carrying 7dmkii 100-400 ii. CC is not pretty but it works.
 
Do those long wider straps that let the camera hang off your neck and shoulder for “more comfort” and swing around for shots really work and really more comfortable? What options do you all for walking photography 2-3 lenses and still be quick to shoot, swap lenses etc.. or am I wanting the impossible? I am pretty much now deciding if I want birds in flight take one lens and if I want small stationary song birds take another but only one lens with no chance to swap as the conditions present themselves.
I like and use the peak design wide straps. Carry the camera cross body and have one hand resting on it to bring it up as quickly as I can. Have used other straps that are anchored at one point, at the tripod mount, don't like that much. It swings around too much for me. For a second lens I use an outdoor vest with a lens in there. Two pockets are huge. What I don't like about it is the number of pockets, invariably jam a lens cap into one of 20 pockets, exaggeration, then spend time looking for it. This is because I am absent minded!!!
 
Thank you all for the ideas. Still deciding. My camera is a bit heavier and ungainly to me now as I finally added the vertical hand grip with battery pack. Thing feels huge now lol.
 
Has anyone tried, or is using a Think Tank holster system?
Thanks
I'm keen to try the Digital Holster 50 V2.0 on their Speedbelt harness to carry a 500 PF on my D6 (or D850) or 100-400 S on my Z9. My plan is to have this rig relatively accessible hiking, so it will be carried with a fstop backpack, which has its own hip belt.

 
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I do a lot of hiking and a couple other threads discussed related solutions. I came away with two potential options; a cotton Carrier harness or a BackLight 36L. I assume the cotton carrier works great for shorter lenses but my 600 f4 is a bit too long. I settled on the Think Tank BackLight 36L. It is very easy to slip the shoulder straps off, swing it around, remove the camera, and swing back around to put the shoulder straps back on. If I remove the top divider I can even carry a 600 with Z 9 attached and have it taken out of the backpack ready to shoot quickly. The only real delay is having to reverse the lens shade. For shorter walks just the lens strap is fine though my shoulders are slightly sloped and I need to keep pushing it back in on my shoulder and holding the lens next to my body to keep it from swinging.

 
Personally I've stopped walking around in the hope of crossing an animal's path and taking a shot. This usually leads to very average photos I'm not proud of, except for saving the encounter on the memory card. Especially since I bought the nikkor 400/2.8G which is quite heavy, but I can still walk quite some kilometers with it.
Now I just set trail cameras in spots I estimate are both likely to be visited often and offer a good photography environment. I leave the trail camera between 2 weeks and 2 months depending on how regularly I get snapshots of critters to define a behavior pattern, then I set a hide that I leave here for.... As long as I can actually spend time there. And I go. Often for nothing, but then it's not for nothing, it delivers a lot more rewarding photos than walking around (at least to my taste).
I used to go out a lot, walking and taking photos on the go but this rarely worked out very fine (snapshot feel, animal not really at peace doing its usual stuff, very little time to react, focus and compose....).
The popup hide you can pack in a bag strapped on your back and trail cameras has been real game changers to the way I approach (casual, hobbyist) wildlife photography.
The drawback is that it's often a several hours outing for just one animal and half a dozen good pictures. The bright side is that the pictures are much better.
 
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I currently have 2 ways of doing my wildlife photograph. Main way is to haul out a tripod and shift it around to various parts of my local lake.
The second is to put the D500 camera strap on my neck and walk around the lake paths and hope I see something close enough to image.

When walking I have been leaving my tripod at home or in the car. (I tried a monopod but it is flimsy or I do not know the proper way to use it) and have the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 on the camera and the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 in its container with the strap slung on my right shoulder, I swap them out 1-2 times a walk. There are times I wish I had a wider FOV lens or a Macro type lens for insects and flowers but I do not yet have or know what lens to get for that.

Within an hour my neck is getting stiff and I start back to the car. I am seeking a better way to carry these items without a big bulky backpack that I have to stop take everything off swap lenses repack the rest and hope the subject is still there waiting patiently for my shot.

Another concern is the fact that I am planning to get a MUCH heavier Z9 in the future so if the D500 gets uncomfortable the z( might become unbearable…

Do those long wider straps that let the camera hang off your neck and shoulder for “more comfort” and swing around for shots really work and really more comfortable? What options do you all for walking photography 2-3 lenses and still be quick to shoot, swap lenses etc.. or am I wanting the impossible? I am pretty much now deciding if I want birds in flight take one lens and if I want small stationary song birds take another but only one lens with no chance to swap as the conditions present themselves.

I use two different approaches.

The first is a Peak Design strap (wide one https://www.peakdesign.com/collections/straps/products/slide) slung over my right shoulder, which I use to carry my D850 mounted with 500 PF. Even though the rig is comparatively heavy, I find the PD strap to be very comfortable, even when I hike long distances. This frees my hands to carry a carbon fiber tripod and head. I also have a small waist pack for extra batteries, filters, wipes, and sometimes another lens.

If I want to carry more equipment, I’ll load most of it into a beach dolly, but this only works is you have a reasonably clear path. The nice thing about the dolly is that you also can load up nice to haves, like a folding chair, water, snacks, etc. I like the kind with the big balloon tires, which is handy on soft surfaces, like sand.

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I use a nylon webbing strap with the Kirk SS-1 that clamps on any ARca-Swiss foot on a heavy lens but for something like the 100-400mm or 500mm PF all I need is the camera strap and that is an Op/Tech neoprene that stretches to take a lot of the shock weight off my neck and the neoprene material conforms to me shoulderr and so no worries about the strap slipping off and the camera crashing to the ground. I paid more than $100 for "pro strap" and its thick plastic pad would slide off my shoulder in a heartbeat.

My primary concern is that if I take a tumble the camera and lens are protected. A cotton carrier is going to increase the odds of damage to camera and lens in a fall which on rough hilly terrain or even on fallen leaves is not that uncommon.

Lots of great carts are designed for hunters to haul heavy gear or a carcass and they fold up for transport. Some are for fisher folk to go out on the sand. I have the latter but found that it encourage me to take too much stuff.

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I currently have 2 ways of doing my wildlife photograph. Main way is to haul out a tripod and shift it around to various parts of my local lake.
The second is to put the D500 camera strap on my neck and walk around the lake paths and hope I see something close enough to image.

When walking I have been leaving my tripod at home or in the car. (I tried a monopod but it is flimsy or I do not know the proper way to use it) and have the Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5 on the camera and the Nikkor 500mm f/5.6 in its container with the strap slung on my right shoulder, I swap them out 1-2 times a walk. There are times I wish I had a wider FOV lens or a Macro type lens for insects and flowers but I do not yet have or know what lens to get for that.

Within an hour my neck is getting stiff and I start back to the car. I am seeking a better way to carry these items without a big bulky backpack that I have to stop take everything off swap lenses repack the rest and hope the subject is still there waiting patiently for my shot.

Another concern is the fact that I am planning to get a MUCH heavier Z9 in the future so if the D500 gets uncomfortable the z( might become unbearable…

Do those long wider straps that let the camera hang off your neck and shoulder for “more comfort” and swing around for shots really work and really more comfortable? What options do you all for walking photography 2-3 lenses and still be quick to shoot, swap lenses etc.. or am I wanting the impossible? I am pretty much now deciding if I want birds in flight take one lens and if I want small stationary song birds take another but only one lens with no chance to swap as the conditions present themselves.
Check out my suggestion from 1 July 22, it really works !
 
When I am taking all my gear for the day, I just throw my backpacks, tripods, drinking water and anything else in one of the carts below. No sore shoulders and I have everything I need with me wherever I go. And before you say that you can't pull that over large logs etc. well your right but if I am going into areas that are extremely rough terrain I will only take one camera and lens and make do with that.
I made a cart out of a low tire-pressure kayak cart similar to this:
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I splinted it open with a lexan kitchen cutter-board fastened to a broom handle. I can carry a blind+tripod+backpack+folding chair+whatever else anywhere I want with this if the trail is wide enough for the cart. It goes over logs in the trail, mud, sand etc. Everything is put together with heavy-duty cable ties so if I need the wheels back for my kayak, I just have to clip the cable ties.
My wheels are like, but not the same as the unit in the photo.
 
Has anyone tried, or is using a Think Tank holster system?
Thanks
I'm keen to try the Digital Holster 50 V2.0 on their Speedbelt harness to carry a 500 PF on my D6 (or D850) or 100-400 S on my Z9. My plan is to have this rig relatively accessible hiking, so it will be carried with a fstop backpack, which has its own hip belt.


I did, years ago. Everyone’s different, but for me I liked it for smaller equipment like their packs designed to hold a couple 24-70-sized lenses or flashes. Two “double pouches” was my preferred setup. (Imagine carrying four 85/1.8-size lenses.)

The bigger packs that could hold an SLR with a 24-70 attached created leverage away from the belt that made them tug at the belt, making it lop-sided Like a cowboy’s gun holster belt.

The long holsters would also do that to an extent, but they also would be floppy at the bottom. You have to place them in a specific spot to make them not bounce off the front/back of your legs when you walk.

I had a holster that would hold a 500PF long ago (I used it for a Canon 300/2.8IS), and I don’t think I’d want to hang that on a belt. Too much weight on one side, and you’d need some real hips to keep the belt from sagging down.

I was just thinking the other day that I should give them a shot again, because I frequently go out with a long lens on a strap and a small camera like my X100V and a TC for the big camera. It would be much more comfortable to carry that on their belt holster than in my sling.
 
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