photography on your FJR

[Benhur]

Hi All,

I am a photography bug...if I am not daydreaming of my bikes, i am daydreaming of photos I want to take....I try to combine them whenever I can, so I would be really interested in hearing whether you guys do the same thing...

At the moment I have a nikon j1, which is virtually dedicated to on bike use...However I am looking at starting to take my Nikon D800 on trips with me...my concerns are primarily protecting the D800 against vibrations and the weight of all the "professional" stuff...

I would really welcome your input as to

1. what photo gear you lug around with you

2. how you carry and protect it...position and type of bag..

R.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

You live on the island of Malta? I'd love to see some images from there so feel free to post them in the pictures thread here for us.

I think there are a few photographers on here that can understand where your coming from. Most just use small P&S camera's that they keep in there tank bags, I use a all in one bridge camera, and I think an even smaller number run with the full DSLR setup with multiple lens like it sounds you do. I prefer to keep my small camera gear in the rear top case mostly for ease of access. I've carried mine in there in a simple cushioned camera bag for the past 2-1/2 years and any bike vibration or road bumps haven't hurt it one bit.

I don't know how much gear you plan on taking or how many extra len's, but if your running 10lbs or more camera gear it might fit more snug in your side cases and keep the extra weight off your tail section...especially if your stuffing other day ride gear in there as well?

In my top case I have a variety of things like...extra helmet shield, warm & cold gloves, ENO hammock, baseball cap, Tri-pod and maybe a couple bottles of water. I can snug my all in one camera bag right in there and it all rides nice in either my Shad SH26 or SH45 topcase.

I hope this helps. But don't over complicate it or worry about it too much. As long as you have cushioned camera bags your fine. But when your talking about a $3,000.00 high end camera along with several thousand dollars worth of lens...I can understand what your concerns might be for your professional grade camera investment.

While my camera does have it's limitations compared to a true DSLR I like that its compact & versatile and seems to work well for 90% of the situations I run into. I can fit a full size Tri-Pod in my SH45 top case and I usually carry a 10 stop ND filter for bright sunny days, a 4 stop variable filter for lower light situations as well as a Polarizer filter. That's it.

Good luck to you and please post some images from your area when you get a chance.

 

[Eric L]

I have a canon 5dmkIII and generally don't bring it on the bike unless I pad the snot out of it. I do just fine with the iphone and a nikon J1.

 

[Benhur]

will be happy to post up some images for you guys....as soon as I get home I will post up some photos which are bike related

...happy to do so.

I do have a sort of online portfolio where there are some photos of my side of the world....its www.imagebarrel.net...you are welcome to visit it of course

at the moment, I have always gravitated to keeping my photo stuff on the tank....with the reasoning that the tank being at the centre of the bike would vibrate the least and would provide a better weight distribution...but I tend to try and improve things....which is why I posted up..

R.

I have a canon 5dmkIII and generally don't bring it on the bike unless I pad the snot out of it. I do just fine with the iphone and a nikon J1.

what lenses do you use on the J1?

 

[ionbeam]

Most of the pictures we take are from a 'bike camera', a pocket camera that has a very fast response from the time the shutter button is pressed until the picture is taken. If we are going someplace special I will bring my Destination camera, a Canon D60 and some very $pendy L series lenses. I carry the Canon gear in my side case, the camera in a padded case and the lenses in the OEM padded cases. I put some of my riding clothes/gloves etc under the photo stuff for padding. Been doing this with $$$ camera gear for 30 years without inced I'm not gonna say it. If I'm following Fred W then dirt roads are likely so I use extra padding to prevent the camera from bouncing up and down.

There is a difference between a photo and a Picture. To 'Roller's point, shooting Pictures is mostly art and only partly mechanics. Looking at the list of filters that he is carrying he is using hardware to get DSLR flexibility out of an almost DSLR camera. A solid full size Tri-Pod and cable release really opens up your shot capability. I like my DSLR's IR release.

 

[Benhur]

here you go

this link should work...there

https://s939.photobucket.com/user/nebeur/library/

 

[Lauren_TK]

I have a Nikon D90 and a bunch of lenses. I have a Tamrac bag that I figure is padded enough to live in the top box on trips. In fact, it takes up most of the top box.

Before I had the top box, I simply strapped the bag to the pillion.

Thousands of miles later, there are no issues.

 

[Benhur]

A solid full size Tri-Pod and cable release really opens up your shot capability. I like my DSLR's IR release.

this is vital for me...I carry a portable gitzo tripod wherever I go...when i am thinking photos

 

[mcatrophy]

I use a "bridge" camera, a Fujifilm Finepix S100FS. This has the weight and bulk of some SLRs. I simply put mine in a padded camera bag, I chose one that's a tight fit so bits don't rattle around inside. I then "throw" my camera, in its bag, into my pannier or tank-bag. The latter is very convenient, I can stop, unzip the tank-bag, unzip the top of the camera bag and just take out the camera.

The bag is a Loweprow, lots of nice pockets and stuff, shower proof as is, but has a built-in rain cover as well.

(Click on image for larger view)



More pics here.

 

[wfooshee]

I carry a Nikon D7000, a flash, and several lenses in a well-padded shoulder bag that fits in (and fully consumes) one of the side cases. It's been through a low-side on the side with the camera with no issues to any of the equipment.

When I get somewhere, I can pull the camera bag out and put it over my shoulder and go to work. I go to a local state park for critter photography almost every weekend, and when I travel on the bike, the left sidecase is dedicated to photo stuff.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

A solid full size Tri-Pod and cable release really opens up your shot capability. I like my DSLR's IR release.

I couldn't live without my tri-pod now, especially with long exposure shots.

I don't even have a quick release. I simply use the 2 sec delay and it accomplishes the same thing.

I use a "bridge" camera, a Fujifilm Finepix S100FS. This has the weight and bulk of some SLRs. I simply put mine in a padded camera bag, I chose one that's a tight fit so bits don't rattle around inside. I then "throw" my camera, in its bag, into my pannier or tank-bag. The latter is very convenient, I can stop, unzip the tank-bag, unzip the top of the camera bag and just take out the camera.
The bag is a Loweprow, lots of nice pockets and stuff, shower proof as is, but has a built-in rain cover as well.

(Click on image for larger view)



More pics here.

Cool...another bridge camera guy. FujiFilm really has increased the power of these all in one's. To me for motorcycle riding these cameras are hard to beat because of their versatility. One small camera in one small camera bag and maybe a $350 - $700 investment and you can take some really nice shots. Minimal gear and not a huge multi-thousand dollar investment. I think I spent $400 on my camera when it came out in 2011.

I see your in the UK. I actually really love your countries "Practical Photography" magazine. I get it over here quite a bit. It's not pretentious and is just a very realistic and practical guide with some good advice & real world tips.

 

[UberKul]

Hi All,
At the moment I have a nikon j1, which is virtually dedicated to on bike use...However I am looking at starting to take my Nikon D800 on trips with me...my concerns are primarily protecting the D800 against vibrations and the weight of all the "professional" stuff...

I would really welcome your input as to

1. what photo gear you lug around with you

2. how you carry and protect it...position and type of bag..

I've carried everything from the full semi-pro DSLR kit in a huge shoulder bag in the trunk to wearing the P&S around the neck. The bigger the kit the less photos get taken. Lens changes astride the bike on the side of the road are a PITA but the crop and depth of field on a P&S creates a rather bland photo. Other than a very small tripod I'm down to a M4/3 camera with attached medium zoom that fits in the tank bag and a P&S. That system is small enough that I could put 7mm-300mm worth of focal length (14-600 in 35mm) and the camera in a large tank bag if need be. It is to the point now that if it does not fit in the tank bag it stays behind (on the bikes). Even tried several chest mounted holsters but find them too awkward and flinch at the idea of having to have a DSLR surgically removed from my sternum in case of an off. As much as I hate to admit it, the little point and shoot gets about 80% of the moto keepers.

 

[Eric L]

will be happy to post up some images for you guys....as soon as I get home I will post up some photos which are bike related

...happy to do so.
I do have a sort of online portfolio where there are some photos of my side of the world....its www.imagebarrel.net...you are welcome to visit it of course

at the moment, I have always gravitated to keeping my photo stuff on the tank....with the reasoning that the tank being at the centre of the bike would vibrate the least and would provide a better weight distribution...but I tend to try and improve things....which is why I posted up..

R.

I have a canon 5dmkIII and generally don't bring it on the bike unless I pad the snot out of it. I do just fine with the iphone and a nikon J1.

what lenses do you use on the J1?

just the stock 10-30 - its only for 'snapshots'...

 

[PapaUtah]

I carry an Olympus E-5 and a couple of Zuiko f/2.8 SWWD lenses and a slew of various filters. Keep it in a nicely padded Nikon bag in the right saddlebag. Haven't had any problems. Have also added a GoPro Hero+3 camera to the arsenal. Haven't totally decided on a mount but am leaning towards a chest mount. I will take any suggestions any of the current GP owners have as to the best mounting position.

 

[Lauren_TK]

For my Gopro, I use both chest and dash mount.

It depends on what story I am telling.

If I am the lead bike, I will wear the chest mount. If I am on the chase bike, I will mostly use the dash mount.

During a single trip, I will move the camera from dash, to chest, to dash as often as needed. For instance, if I know some great scenery is going to show up on the right side of the bike, I'll stop, put the camera on the dash, and then swivel the camera right.

If you want one "set and forget" setup . . . dash.

 

[lonerider]

Don't use a tank bag, so I like to keep a Sony DSC-RX100 in the pocket of my jacket for when I need to take a picture while on the bike or don't have time to access my tail trunk, where I carry either an NEX 6 or NEX 7 with a couple of zooms, a prime lens, and polarizers. The Sony mirrorless cameras take up about half the space of my full size DSLRs, so I usually leave the Canons at home when I'm on the bike. Usually pack camera and lenses separately in padded cases. Also found a tripod that folds small enough to go in a saddlebag.

 

[SkySoldier]

I use a Samsung TL110 attached by its lanyard to a D ring on my jacket and in a pocket. I don't believe its made anymore but it works well and I don't think I'll need more than 14 Megapixels. Also, the old reliable, an Iphone 5. On the bike is a GoPro 3 attached (presently) to the MC enterprises engine guards. All have their merits..

 

[BanjoBoy]

Dunno 'bout them fancy cameras; I got a cheap ass Canon ELF, (Think it wuz like $200) so I can click off pics on the fly. If I drop the thing, I won't be to bummed out.

 

[Valkmike]

When I'm touring I keep my gear to a minimum, Nikon D300S with a 18 - 300 zoom lens and my tripod. Along with a couple of filters, this gives me great flexibility for most situations.

I use a small 'fanny pack' type of case which is a good padded snug fit for camera and lens and use one of the side cases to keep it in. The tripod goes in a tail pack along with other touring odds and ends. It's worked well for me so far, no issues with any type of damage to the gear.