Hey, how’s it going, I’m Andy Jones and this is episode 60 of the Photography Q&A podcast.
This week's question is, “Is there an alternative to heavy cameras and lenses?”
I have been asked this many times over the years, and have wished that my setup was lighter on lots of occasions. Especially at weddings, carrying your cameras, lenses, and speedlights around all day can cause back problems. My daughter refused to use my zooms because of the extra weight.
Lately, I’ve been shooting a lot of macro photography. My setup isn’t light as I use a Canon 1D MK4, Canon flash, and a Laowa 100mm macro lens. The lens is amazing so I won’t be changing that. The flash isn’t that heavy and is comparable to other flashes, but the 1D body is a monster at 3lbs/1.4kgs. This setup weighs in at a little over 5lbs or 2.3kgs. When you are trying to stay still and manually focus it isn’t easy.
So let's look where you can save weight.
I’m going to use Canon cameras as examples because that’s what I use. As I just mentioned, top-of-the-range DSLR camera bodies are big and heavy. The entry-level Canon T7 weighs slightly over 1lb, less than ½ a kilogram. Compared with a top-of-the-range professional 1DX at 3 lbs, the T7 is a light body, but the T7 can’t do what a 1DX can do.
You have to decide what you want the camera to do and then weigh your options.
If you really want to save weight by using a lighter camera you can get a mirrorless body. The Canon R6 and R3 weigh around 2lbs, and that will save you from having to carry 1 lb extra in weight compared to the 1DX DSLR. Mirrorless bodies don’t have the mirror and pentaprism mechanism that DSLR bodies need, so they can be made smaller and lighter.
Sony is a perfect example of this. The A7R4 weighs in at just 1.4 lbs or 0.65 kg.
If you are just starting out and can’t see yourself carrying heavy equipment around, the way to go is a mirrorless system, especially Sony.
If you are looking to work professionally and sell your images you need to use professional lenses. Your options are to buy zoom lenses or prime lenses. Professional zoom lenses are heavy, my 24-70 2.8L weighs over 2 lbs or 1 kg. My 1D MK4 body and the 24-70 lens together weigh 5.2lbs or 2.3 kgs.
If you find pro zooms too much to carry around, try prime lenses.
The Canon EF 50mm 1.8 STM lens weighs just 0.35 of a pound or 160 grams The Canon EF 85mm 1.8 weighs less than 1 lb or 425 grams and the RF version for mirrorless cameras weighs about the same. So prime lenses are half the weight of zooms.
Another advantage prime lenses have over zooms is a wider maximum aperture. Zooms are limited to f/2.8 while primes start at f/1.8 and go to f/1.2.
So ideally if you used a mirrorless Canon R6 body with prime lenses, the setup would weigh 3 lbs or less. Which is a huge difference compared to a 1DX with a 24-70 zoom weighing in at over 5 lbs. You don’t have to carry the equivalent of a bag of sugar, and all you have to do is zoom with your feet.
There are plenty of hobbyist photographers that spend lots of money on top of the range cameras and lenses. If you are not one of those people and are happy with your entry-level or mid-range body, your best option is to use primes. The setup will be light and the prime lenses will give you tack-sharp images.
If you find your camera setup too heavy but are not in the position to replace it you could try using a tripod or monopod. Tripods are not suited to all situations, but monopods can be used on lots of occasions. Although if you are moving around while shooting you still have to carry your setup plus the weight of the monopod. They do take the weight of your camera and lens when taking the photos.
As I mentioned earlier I’ve been shooting a lot of macro photos and find my 1D a bit cumbersome. So my daughter has loaned me one of her Canon 60D bodies. It is 1.5 lbs lighter and has a flip-out LCD screen that will help me when focusing manually. I tried it this morning and it is way lighter, which is great, but the images are not in the same league as the 1D pics. So I’ll put up with the extra weight for now, and maybe upgrade to a mirrorless system when I win the lottery.
OK, that’s it for this episode, I’ll be back next week. Bye for now.