Biking: Photography essentials?

[Jean Noire]

Hi Roger,
Please tell us more about the latter!
I have a Kawasaki W650 equipped with a single rear luggage carrier. How much is the vibration likely to damage cameras and other equipment? Is there any other way than padding to protect gear.

Regards,
John

Sorry Roger, Just noticed that you posted a link - pretty useful.
Many thanks,
John.

[bdial]

I read this title as BIKINI photography essentials.

Regards, Art.

That's just what you WANT it to read...

Even so, water, a few lenses, a bike of some sort works for photographing Bikinis too. The water is optional, I suppose.

[Mick Fagan]

Marko, I take a Nikon body with a body cap on, that way I can pack it in many ways, usually sideways in a small bag which came with my Horizon 202. I usually take an F3 body.

I usually include 24, 55 & 105 Nikkor lenses as well as an orange filter.

1 roll of film in the camera body and another two rolls just squeeze inside the bad. I also carry a small lint free cotton rag/cloth for wiping my hands as I often get dirty hands on a bicycle.

I also take the same outfit on a motorcycle and carry it in the tank bag, which is about the safest place on a motorcycle.

Mick.

[Vaughn]

I use to haul around my 4x5 (Gowland Pocketview), a 150mm lens, Gitzo 300 series pod and 6 holders...in panniers and the pod strapped to the back rack. Did the same with the 5x7 (w/ a 210mm lens). But now I use an 8x10 and short of a trailer, haven't figured a way to haul it on my bicycle.

Vaughn

[copake_ham]

Too bad the thread got hijacked - I was really hoping to learn how others here combine bicycling with photography. It might help me resolve a long-standing dilemma.

Since I am almost exclusive a day-trip roadie - I rarely carry a camera while cycling. My intent with riding is to keep pedalling - I rarely stop during a ride except if we deliberately plan a ride to start with a breakfast at a nearby diner. However, even on those rides, once we re-mount the bikes we don't stop until the ride is done (except perhaps to get more water).

As a result, there is little opportunity given our (i.e. my wife and I) riding style for me to also take photographs while biking. One compromise I've been trying lately is using rides to scout out shooting opportunities which I can then return to with my gear in the car.

Years ago, we did do a lot of long-distance, loaded-bike touring. In those days I used my trusty Nikon Nikkormat FT-2 plus 28mm, 50mm and 105mm lenses. All of this, with clothing as padding, was packed into one of my rear panniers with other photo-related gear. The camera and lenses, plus film etc. were also double packed in plastic baggies for weather protection.

The problem I found was that when I would stop to take some photos - it became a major time delay on the tour. You had to unpack, set up, shoot, dissemble and re-pack etc. Fortunately, I ride faster than my wife so I would sometimes get a sufficient lead that I could shoot and have her pass me while I re-packed. Then I would be able to catch up to her.

But, truth be told, while I loved being able to shoot while touring - it was a major PITA to do so. And it's certainly dissuaded me from carrying gear on my more usual day-trips.

Any thoughts on how to combine the two activities w/o diminishing either one would be very welcome. The one thought I had was to do more "destination riding" to a photo op locale. But then again, there is the problem of wanting to ride "light" but knowing I'd want to bring tons of gear!

[Dan Fromm]

When I was an active cyclist my regular camera was a Nikkormat FTN. Much too big and heavy and klunky to travel with me on my Paramount, also too expensive to risk hurting if I spilled and with all those corners etc to hurt me back. I got a $25 Retina II and metered by sunny 16 or with a Gossen Pilot (I think, unless it was a Scout. The tiny selenium cell meter). I never fell on the Retina, but it seemed a lot less dangerous than the Nikkormat.

[mark]

I stopped taking a camera all together. I found the two activities to be contradictive. One is excercise to get my heart and endorphins going on a dirt trail somewhere (the roads are so terrible around here a road bike will not last so I stick to dirt). The other is to slow things down and just be. I found I got no enjoyment out of either when I tried to put them together. Guess I can't multitask.

[kombizz]

If I take my moped, I would take my lovely Minolta Dynax 7 plus few lenses, and the Unilock tripod.

[Andy K]

I stopped taking a camera all together. I found the two activities to be contradictive. One is excercise to get my heart and endorphins going on a dirt trail somewhere (the roads are so terrible around here a road bike will not last so I stick to dirt). The other is to slow things down and just be. I found I got no enjoyment out of either when I tried to put them together. Guess I can't multitask.

I can't go anywhere without a camera. The day I do will be the day I see the photograph! I ride a mountain bike all the time too, both off and on road (I just switch tyres from knobbly to slicks), I always have room for a camera.

[narsuitus]

Here are the photography essentials that I carry in a belly/fanny pack when I travel by bicycle (or motorcycle when I had one). Which option I select depends on factors such as: the purpose of the trip, the length of the trip, the subject matter, the distance, the weather, etc.

Option A (35mm Rangefinder/Compact/Point & Shoot)
ISO 200 and/or ISO 400 film (at least one 36 exp. roll per day)
Minolta Hi-Matic 9 or Canon QL17 or Nikon L35
Pocket Tripod or Monopod (optional)
Extra batteries for camera

Option B (35mm SLR + 1 lens)
ISO 200 and/or ISO 400 film (at least one 36 exp roll/day)
Nikon N70 or F2 or F4
35-70mm f/2.8 or 28-200 or 55mm macro or 35mm f/1.4 or 50mm f/1.4
Small flash unit with long sync cord (optional)
Tabletop Tripod or Monopod (optional)
Hand-held Light Meter for F2

Option C (35mm SLR + 2 lenses)
Nikon N70 or F2 or F4
35-70mm f/2.8 or 28-200mm zoom
35mm f/1.4 or 55mm macro or 400mm
Hand-held Light Meter for F2
ISO 200 and/or ISO 400 film
(at least one 36 exp. roll per day)
Tabletop Tripod or Monopod (optional)
Small flash unit with long sync cord (optional)

Option D (35mm SLR + 3 lenses)
Nikon N70 or F2 or F4
35mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.8, and 180mm f/2.8 routinely
105mm macro, 55mm macro, 28mm f/2.8 for close-ups and landscapes
Hand-held Light Meter for F2
ISO 200 and/or ISO 400 film
(at least one 36 exp. roll per day)
Small flash unit with long sync cord (optional)
Tabletop Tripod or Monopod (optional)

Option E (medium format film)
6x7cm or 6x9cm rangefinder camera
Enough film to shoot at least 24 photos per day
ISO 200 film (50% of film carried)
ISO 100 or lower film (25% of film carried)
ISO 400 or higher film (25% of film carried)
Hand-held Light Meter
Monopod or Tabletop Tripod
Cable Release