Walks/hikes

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villain1973uk

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Lee
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When on a 5+ mile walk do you bother taking dslr/tripod etc or just take a point and shoot, im off to wales soon and plan on doing a good walk but not sure it will be to much carrying all the gear that far, any thoughts?

Cheers.
 
Only you know what sort of photography you like to do. And that should provide the answer.
 
It all depends on whether you're walking to take pictures or taking pictures while walking?
 
If it's the first time I'm walking at a particular location, I'll usually take my point and shoot with a small travel tripod. I'm always on the lookout for compositions and if I see one I'll experiment with the p&s.

If I think it's worth it, I'll revisit with my DSLR at a better time of day.
 
I always take the dslr no matter how long the walk is. I have a p & s but I've never got on with them. Leki do a walking pole that doubles as a monopod - better than nothing and better than taking a tripod for a long walk.
 
Personally, I always take the full gear with me on a long walk (DSLR body, three lenses, monopod that doubles as a walking pole). I've had friends and family who have walked with us pointing out that i'm carrying many extra pounds in weight up a Lakeland fell, or wherever - but, as I explain in response, that is for me to worry about & that I'm not asking any other member of the party to carry any of the photographic gear for me.
 
Always take the DSLR. It's why I spent so much damn money so I'll be making sure I get good use of it.

Carry your DSLR in a backpack (I assume you'll have a bag of some sort for water and snacks, no?) If you want to point and shoot use your phone. If you then come across something you want to put a bit more thought in to then you have your DSLR in your bag at the ready..?
 
A new walk I would always take the DSLR.

Mind you the point and shoot (Sony RX100) always goes - easier for video clips.
 
I rarely take a tripod as I'm normally out with the dog and family. But I always you to take my DSLR, this was part of the reason I switched to mirrorless. The Capture Clip makes a great way of securing it to any bag I'm using.
 
I'm in the middle somewhere. Sometimes I have a camera to take photos of a walk to publish. Other times I walk into the mountains for myself, and take my camera to snap what I see for those times I cannot, or don't have the energy/etc. Neither scenario do I take a tripod as I find them heavy/way too expensive or useless anyway. Apart from in the pitch dark taking star shots, when a handy rock or rucksack, might provide the requisite steady, in-body or optical stabilisation has always been good enough.
These days I have a Sony A6500, small, light, IBIS, and overall superb.
 
If I'm by myself I might take my Sony A7 and a few manual primes (my A7 and three manual primes fits into a small bag and doesn't weigh a lot) but if I'm with someone else I'll probably take my A7 and just one lens, maybe a manual prime or my 35mm f2.8 which weighs next to nothing. These days I think that smaller cameras are very good too and if I'm in the mood I just might take a MFT and a quality lens or three.

I hardly ever bother with a tripod and in fact the last time I took it out all I did was carry it. Silky water shots aren't my thing plus they're just such a faff on.
 
I just spent a week in lakes... most of the time took D750 with either 50mm or 24-120. On major walk just took little waterproof Olympus point and shoot cause I knew I wouldn’t have got the D750 out my bag! No tripod any day.
 
Depends on the time of day and weather conditions. If it's middle of the day blue sky and somewhere I've been lots of times before then likely only 100-400 for wildlife in case we see something. If it's dawn / sunset or interesting light due to the weather then I'll pack the tripod etc. as well.
 
Micro four thirds - in my case an Olympus EM5 ii. In reasonable light you can't tell the final renditions apart from those taken with a DSLR. A body plus three zooms getting from 18mm to 400mm FF equivalent weighs about the same as the 6D plus one zoom lens and for landscape the increased DoF is a bonus.
 
If I'm with others, they tend to get fed up if I'm unpacking and setting up gear - and when they've had enough of it, they walk slowly on, meaning that I'm rushing to get the shot and then rushing to catch up - so in those circumstances, I just take a compact (often a bridge camera nowadays).

If photography is on the main agenda, then I take what I expect to want to use, if it isn't then I will either take a compact or a DSLR with a 17-50mm lens. Like Eloise above, there are times (usually dictated by the type of walk and the weather) when I would not get the DSLR out of the bag. Personally, I find that there are times when travelling light and not getting the camera gear out makes the walk and the company much more enjoyable.

Addendum: If I had a decent 'midway' camera such as a micro 4/3, I reckon that it would get a lot of use in such circumstances.
 
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