Packing a backpack, camera without or with a lens
Wednesday 13 April 2022, 20:10 by Nando Harmsen | 5,627 views | 4 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
A backpack is a handy item for carrying your camera and lenses. How do you pack a backpack? Do you put a camera in with or without a lens attached? In this article, I explain why it is usually better not to attach a lens, and when you should.
There is a good chance that you use a backpack to carry your photography equipment. This camera backpack naturally contains a camera and one or more lenses. Perhaps a flash or other accessories that you use for your photography.
You then put the camera backpack on your back and set off. When you arrive at your location, you take the camera backpack off your back and take out the camera. Do you already have a lens on your camera, or do you first have to put one on?
Most photographers I meet during my workshops, masterclasses and photography trips already have a lens attached to their camera. In theory, the camera is ready to use. The only question is whether it already has the right lens on it.
How do you know that you need a 24-70mm lens? Or a 16-35mm lens? Can you estimate in advance whether you will use a 70-200mm lens when you leave home? So there is a good chance that the wrong lens is attached to your camera.
This is why I always keep my camera in my bag without a lens attached. At the location, I decide which lens I need and then put it on my camera. In other words, I take the suitable lens straight away and attach it to the camera.
If I had another lens on the camera, I would first have to change it for a different one. In fact, once I had finished taking photos, it might be necessary to put that particular lens back on, depending on how your bag is arranged. Otherwise, it might not fit in the bag.
In short, I am quicker and more efficient by putting the camera in a camera backpack without a lens attached. This can even save space, creating room for an extra lens or something else.
A camera backpack is for carrying your equipment. It therefore makes little sense to have your camera ready to use in the bag. It is different when you only have one lens. In that case, you always have the right lens on your camera.
A photographer who uses an 18-200mm lens or something similar is unlikely to have or use another lens with them. In that case, it is a good idea to put your camera with the lens attached in your camera backpack. It can even be useful to have a sling bag that you can rotate to quickly access your camera.
A photographer who sets off with a specific purpose may also want to attach a lens in advance. I can imagine that someone who is going to photograph wildlife or birds would want to have a telephoto lens on the camera already. That is the lens they will use. You know best whether you belong to this group.
Of course, how you pack your backpack is a very personal choice. You should do whatever you find easiest. Ask yourself whether having a camera with a lens attached is the ideal situation for your photography. And remember that this can apply to all camera bags, not just a camera backpack.
How do you put your camera in your camera backpack? Do you do it with a lens attached, or not? Let us know in a comment what you prefer and why.
About the author
Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.
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4 comments
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Donald Willemsen
wrote on Thursday 14 April 2022 at 14:33
| reply
I have a backpack for my photography gear, but I rarely use it anymore. The reason is that I have difficulty walking and a loaded backpack disrupts my balance and thereby increases the chance of falling. These days I use a WCS hard case on a trolley that I can pull along with me. Still, I usually leave the hard case in the car. I have a harness from Cotton to which I can attach 2 bodies. One body has a 10-22mm wide-angle lens on it and the other a 55-250mm. Those are the lenses I use the most. Another advantage of the harness is that the weight isn't all in one place, but is distributed, which means I can keep my balance better. I walk with a walking stick and I always have one hand free while walking to catch myself in case I unexpectedly do fall. If I photograph in the city, I can use a rollator and hang my backpack on it, but in nature a rollator is unworkable. If it really can't be done any other way, I can still use a wheelchair and hang a backpack on it.
Translated from Dutch.
For me, it therefore means constantly planning and looking at what I need for my mobility on each photo trip. If I travel by plane, my photography gear will definitely go in the backpack as carry-on luggage. I take my rollator with me too, because I can also sit on it to rest.
In any case, besides planning what photography gear I take with me, I also have to plan what I need to take for my mobility. Going out on my own is becoming increasingly difficult. Fortunately, my wife also enjoys photography, so we often go out together. -
guest wrote on Tuesday 19 April 2022 at 10:56 | replyYes and no. I agree with you about not having a lens on the body...but then the 2nd body to save space..but in nature/sandy environments you preferably want to change lenses as little as possible without getting dust particles on your sensor.
Translated from Dutch. -
Nando
wrote on Tuesday 19 April 2022 at 15:39
| reply
@Guest:
Translated from Dutch.
in itself a good point, to already have a lens on your camera in dusty or wet conditions.
I also want to emphasize that there is generally a great fear of changing lenses, regardless of where. Changing a lens on a beach or in a sand drift really poses no problem in terms of dust or sand. Well, if it is very windy.
I have been changing lenses for decades under all kinds of conditions, from rain to storms, on beaches and in forests, in concert halls and during weddings. This has never caused any problems and my sensor has not become any dustier or dirtier because of it. -
Guido wrote on Tuesday 19 April 2022 at 16:33 | replyDona Willemsem's tip is very welcome. This is something I'll look into as well.
Translated from Dutch.
Nij I only use a long zoom, 18*300 on an APCs Nikon D7500. Never changing lenses. But no more prime lenses either.
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