Weighty matter

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Stephen
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My wife has just managed to wangle a second-hand D7100 out of me, part-ex with her D5100. As we are both ageing photographers, weight of a lens is becoming a problem. She has a Nikon 18-200 VR (early version). Is there a comparable lens which is less weighty? I love my primes, but she isn't a fan.
 
I don't think so covering that focal length. Although I don't use it much I have the old 18-70 which is superb and very compact, cheap as chips as well to buy used.I suppose to save the weight your giving up focal length and VR
 
In what specific ways does the weight bother you? Getting something lighter may not be the only solution.

This ageing photographer with an arthritic right hand has solved the general porting problems with good bags with generously sized comfortable shoulder straps, avoids camera neck straps, and for carrying a camera in the hand and holding for photographs I use a monopod -- it adds a very comfortable handle to the camera. Of course it adds quite a bit to the weight, but provides such a big easy grasp that even with the extra weight it's much easier to carry in either hand, and for holding up to shoot the big handle makes the weight much easier to hold up. Much less work for the hand gripping muscles, more for the much bigger and stronger arm muscles. For extended shooting periods the monopod has the quickly deployable options of extending it to prop the foot into the trouser belt, onto the ground, etc.. Seems odd that adding weight makes it much easier to carry and hold, but it really does.

When I do a lot of shooting my failing right hand gets rather sore and tired holding the camera with a finger on the shutter. I carry a radio remote shutter release for that. That detaches the shutter from the camera, and makes it easy to fire the trigger with the fingers or thumb of either hand. Of course these are solutions to my own particular carrying and camera use problems. Just as an illustration that depending on your specific problems, there may be other solutions to the "camera getting too heavy" problems than just making it lighter. I'm now carrying a much bigger and heavier camera for much longer walks than when I started retirement ten years ago.
 
Another option would be to look at mirrorless such as the Olympus em10, everything is much smaller and lighter
 
Yes, m43 lenses are 25% smaller and lighter purely because the sensor has a 4:3 ratio. And not a long and thin shape like APS-C.
 
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Thanks for that. I've tried to convert Sal to a prime lens for low light conditions. Holding it steady and ensure it is set a reasonable shutter speed isn't always easy.
 
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