I don't think you will like a loaded waist belt while riding the bike.
Unless you are really long-waisted it will rub you raw as your legs flex. I
use the LowePro Top Loader Zoom case a lot. When using a backpack I suspend
the case from the front of the pack straps so the camera is on my chest and
I always have quick access to the camera. Mine is modified to accept two
SlipLok lens cases on the sides. The TLZ is big enough to carry a body with
winder on a Tamron 60-300 Zoom. If I don't need access to a long lens I
carry a smaller case but still suspended from the pack straps. The only
disadvantage I see in doing this is that you need to unhook the connection
on at least one side to take the pack on and off. I carry a lot of things on
the front of the pack straps. One has a knife, the other has a big can of
pepper spray for the bears, and there is a harness that has a holster for a
357 magnum, and a pouch that can hold binoculars or other stuff. The TLZ has
a padded shoulder strap so it can easily be carried as a regular camera case
also. For biking, the TopLoader type case can also be fastened to the handle
bars. Buy one of each and try everything. /jnm
>>>>Big Snip<<<<
How comfortable are belt packs in active use? I'm looking for something I
can wear when mountain biking -- I know a backpack works, and I know it
keeps things on bits of me that are relatively suspended, so everything
doesn't rattle around too much; putting it on a belt pack means it's that
much closer to the trail.
The other problem I have is that I'd want to carry a fairly long lens with
me for opportune wildlife shots (granted, I've only had one really decent
chance for this stuff, which, by some miracle, happened to be the time I'd
brought the camera with me) and it's too large to fit in the smaller LowePro
cases -- so I'd need one of the ones that takes side pouches for lenses,
which leaves quite a lot of stuff bouncing around my waist.
Trying one on in the shop and jumping up and down it seemed okay, but I
don't know how well it would work when riding, I'll admit. On the upside,
it'd be a lot less sweaty..
Other considerations are that I'd like to end up with something I can use
to carry camera kit around when _not_ hiking/biking/etc, so I'm looking for
something I can carry not as a waistpack; the LowePro OffTrail2/OffRoad seem
to come in this category, but they're pretty large. Positive side: I can
carry more kit with me. Negative side: why not just get a backpack at that
stage? If it's a really large backpack, I can always carry the camera kit
inside the big one, and if it's a hiking-sized pack it probably wouldn't
interact that well with a waist bag anyway.
I'm looking for something that'll hold a body, long zoom, macro lens,
wide-angle, possibly extension tubes, possibly teleconverter, flash(?)
tripod(?) and a bunch of film/other bits and bobs, which puts me at the
large end of belt packs, or the small end of backpacks, in a sort of awkward
mid-ground.
Any opinions/experiences will be very welcome!
thanks,
-- dan
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