Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]"B. D. Colen" wrote (clipped) > in regard to what heavy cameras eventually do to the necks and shoulders on > which they hang; and in regard to how heavy they make an equipment bag... Hi B.D. I never thought about weight factor years ago when I became a working pro with Speed Graphics, big wet cell 30 lb. strobe packs on the shoulder. Then the weight factor grew as we began switching to 35mm cameras, more of them with piles of lenses in the bags. Eventually a number of things happen. Later in life you begin to have back problems from hanging everything always, in my case, on the left shoulder, the left side of your body is stronger than the right and becomes medically seen as more developed. None of which do you any good! Today I carry less and use a light weight photo vest to spread equipment weight across the breadth of the shoulders and equally over the body. If not, your body is a basket case one big ache the next day. Trust me.....pills don't work to relieve the pain! You can't be zombied out on pills and work efficiently as a photographer. > But there is something otherwise quite odd about camera weight, be the > camera an EOS, F5, etc., and that is that if the camera is well balanced, > and does what you want it to do as your photographic tool, it somehow > doesn't feel heavy...Interesting phenomenon...>>>>>>>>>>> This is so true and that's how you become seduced into carrying more and more, as you don't relate to the weight, simply because you "think" you need it all at your finger tips as the situations change rapidly. At one time I espoused: "I'd rather have a sore back at the end of a day than not have the lens I required to get the picture. Than miss the picture and not have a sore back!" Whoa!!!!!!! Was I ever wrong! I'd be much better off physically if I'd lost a few images! But then the older we get we do become a "little bit smarter?" We learn to shoot more efficiently, take our time and keep gear and life in "KISS" mode! "Keeping it simple stupid!" A lesson I try to pass onto younger guys and gals packing great big equipment bags today. ted