Lightweight backpacks

Rakesh, I feel your pain of heavy DSLR gear. As I collected the large glass for quality of photos the weight on my back was getting out og control. every time I went out to shoot, whether day hikes or backpacking, I knew there was a better way. I studied previous shoots to determine my focal lengths used, to limit what to bring on trips. As a full frame Canon user I use the 5D for trips, for its size and weight compared to the 1 series. I also use fixed focal length Olympus lenses with an adapter for my camera. These lenses are so small and light and are of L lens quality. With a slik CF tripod and small ball head, I am at only 4.5 pounds of extra weight. This is with a 24,50 and 100 lenses and a little foot zooming. A comparable 4/3 system is only a half pound less than what I carry.

Mark,

I stopped carrying the dSLR so that I could carry my 4×5 instead :) I discovered that the Nikon D300 with only 3 lenses (all primes) and a teleconverter weighed in at about the same weight as my Arca-Swiss with 3 lenses and 4 cut-sheet film holders.

My SLR, a Nikon D300 is a big, beefy "pro" camera… and the lenses are, since they're made for SLR's, pretty hefty. My 3 core lenses (80mm, 135mm, 300mm) are small and light, since they're non-telephoto designs.

I know it's a bit crazy, but for the kind of landscape photography that I do, a digital SLR just doesn't cut it. (25 megapixels doesn't compare to the 150 megapixels I can get from a dram scan of a sheet of modern Astia or Velvia.)

I'm a nut… what can I say? :) I've been working on lightening everything else in my pack and building up my body strength so that I can carry the 4×5.