How best to tote around long lens/camera? (Page 4): Yes, these work. I use one with the same gear as the op. I'm 81.

old poet

GerryER wrote:

Would one of these help?

Nicama Dual Camera Vest:

Yes, these work. I use one with the same gear as the op. I'm 81.

Gort55 Loc: Northern Colorado

Webguydave wrote:

So….bought the wife - a bird watcher- the lens of her dreams ; a Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6! She couldn’t be happier!
But - it’s heavy ( and more so with a D500 attached) and long, not something you can hang around your neck and hike around in.
A backpack is possible, I suppose, but getting the gear out and shooting isn’t a quick or easy affair… thoughts / suggestions? TIH!!😄

Try this -- movo nsa-1 universal swivel available from Amazon for $7.95

jzett

I have the same lens with a D610. I cradle them between a bent elbow and my side with the camera strap attached around my neck. No weight on the neck and the camera readily available.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Webguydave wrote:

So….bought the wife - a bird watcher- the lens of her dreams ; a Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6! She couldn’t be happier!
But - it’s heavy ( and more so with a D500 attached) and long, not something you can hang around your neck and hike around in.
A backpack is possible, I suppose, but getting the gear out and shooting isn’t a quick or easy affair… thoughts / suggestions? TIH!!😄

I am 74 but I still hand hold my Sony a1 with the Sony 200-600, BUT, if I am walking long distances or riding my bike I use a Cotton Carrier, you adjust it so that it minimizes weight on your shoulders, once it is properly adjusted, it puts little weight on your shoulders and makes it quite pleasant to walk around with.
Below is a image of me on the Everglades Levy with the cotton carrier and Sony a1 with the Sony 200-600 lens. It has a quick disconnect and is very secure.

Michaelgmuth

I have a Nikon D500 with grip and a Tamron 150-600 G2 and use a Thinktank glass limo backpack which has room for the camera, lens, and hood all attached. I'm 72 and carry the camera by large tripod foot on the lens. Shoot mostly handheld. The backpack works well.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

While I have the Tamron 150-600 G2, I am more inclined to use my bridge camera because of the size & weight.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

ecobin wrote:

You bought it, you carry it for her!

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

GerryER wrote:

Would one of these help?

Nicama Dual Camera Vest:

This is what I use. Camera comes out FAST. Better be good at hand holding.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

Webguydave wrote:

So….bought the wife - a bird watcher- the lens of her dreams ; a Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6! She couldn’t be happier!
But - it’s heavy ( and more so with a D500 attached) and long, not something you can hang around your neck and hike around in.
A backpack is possible, I suppose, but getting the gear out and shooting isn’t a quick or easy affair… thoughts / suggestions? TIH!!😄

Sell it and buy a Nikon P1000 - has 2000mm equiv lens and weighs less than a quarter of your D500 setup

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

billnikon wrote:

That is a heavy combo for a woman or man. I shoot ... (show quote)

I carry my Z9 with the 200-500 and FTZ on a strap but I always wear a strap cross body. It takes strain off the neck and keeps the gear from bouncing around. I also don’t take that gear if I’m hiking more than a couple of miles. In that case it’s the OM-1 with the Olympus 100-400.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

wireloose wrote:

I have a nearly identical rig but with the A1. Find it is easy to carry with the mh1 locked and the monopod over my shoulder, lens sideways across my back. I don’t bump into things and it’s quick to deploy.

I occasionally use the monopod & monogimbal. It is easier to carry but I usually prefer to shoot handheld. I only use the monopod if I’m at some place like a rookery where I might want to point at a nest or something for longer times.

spaceytracey Loc: East Glacier Park, MT

GerryER wrote:

Would one of these help?

Nicama Dual Camera Vest:

YES!

Judy795

From a small woman’s perspective, the Cotton carrier is great for a smaller lens, maybe even 70-200 size. However with the D500 and the 200-500, which I also have, you would need to mount the disk for the CC on the lens foot. That would make the camera too high and the lens would still be too low. I have never found a way of carrying that combo far, except maybe in a backpack. It was useless to me in Antarctica cause I couldn’t plow through the packed snow like the taller men could.
My solution was to get the 500 PF and put one end of the strap on the lens foot and the other end on the camera, and sort of cradle it under my arm.
I plan to sell the 200-500.

Jerry Coupe Loc: Kent, WA

Depending on where your wife goes for her birding, one suggestion is to look for a jogging stroller (the 3-wheel type). I talked to a photographer who used one to pack around his Nikon 400 mm and 600 mm lenses. He even used it when shooting bears in Alaska.

If you are bushwhacking, probably not a good option, but if following gravel or paved trails, it could be a big plus.

BigOldArt Loc: Seminole, FL

Webguydave wrote:

So….bought the wife - a bird watcher- the lens of her dreams ; a Nikkor 200-500 f/5.6! She couldn’t be happier!
But - it’s heavy ( and more so with a D500 attached) and long, not something you can hang around your neck and hike around in.
A backpack is possible, I suppose, but getting the gear out and shooting isn’t a quick or easy affair… thoughts / suggestions? TIH!!😄

For the sake of us amateurs, How many X does one get with a lens like that?