Walking in the woods with DSLR, is it safe?

[weepete]

Aye, go for it. You'll be fine.

 

[Temma]

I agree...its never a good idea to go photographing in a area that's not known to be the safest unless you have a group of friends or photographers then you are probably pretty safe. It's sad that we have to think about these things.

I grew up on the South Side of Chicago in the '60s and '70s, so I take such things as a given.

Most places I go are of little or no practical concern, albeit with the realization that anything can happen anywhere.

My major concern is dropping my camera. I use the OEM strap that came with my used Canon T4i. It's not the best thing in the world, but it gets the job done and I've never dropped. the camera. Whenever the body's not on my tripod or my tabletop macro rig, the strap is around my neck.

 

[DonaldC]

The only suggestion I would add to the above, is to put a quality UV filter on the front of the lens.


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[Overread]

A UV filter will protect against scratchs and light dust; but it won't protect against a twig, a branch or stones or a drop or any real impact. Glass on the front of your camera is pretty darn thick, it actually takes a lot of force to break it. Filter glass is very thin and very easy to break.

So against dust, liquids and light stuff a filter can protect the front element; but against any real impacts it will only shatter; shatter and send sharp abrasive glass all back onto the front of the lens. What might have been a tiny mark could become far more with a filter attached.

So do keep in mind that protection from a filter is only small so in many cases its simply not needed.

 

[BrentC]

I hike through the woods all the time with my 300mm attached and swinging at my hips as I walk. Just grab a hold of it in tight quarters so it doesn't bang against trees or rocks.

 

[Light Guru]

Cameras can't focus well in the woods, this is why we don't have any good pictures of Bigfoot.

 

[DarkShadow]

Im a outdoor woodsy person and took every camera I had or have through the woods. I got more hurt then the camera ever did. I actually fell face first when I had a Pentax K-3 and a sigma 120-400 when I tripped over a steel pipe sticking out of the ground and landed on top of my gear. beside the mud on the lens hood nothing happen to the camera at all. I took the worst of it when my chest came to rest on the plastic covered metal body, that chit hurt a lot.

 

[TCampbell]

The cameras aren't that fragile... they can take a bit of a beating (I wouldn't be deliberately abusive but I wouldn't live in fear of taking my camera out of the house either).

If you're really concerned, pick up a bag. LowePro makes some "holster" stye bags (they call them TopLoader bags) as does ThinkTank Photo. These are bags that are just big enough to hold the camera & lens and not really designed to hold spare gear (no room for extra lenses, etc. but small stuff like batteries or memory cards would be fine). There are also sling-type bags and messenger style bags.

I use a Black Rapid "sling" type strap and just occasionally I'd wanted to ride a mountain bike to get to a photo destination. So I rigged carabiner to clip the strap to a belt loop so that the camera was really limited in how much it could move while I was riding.

 

[Woodsman]

When I walk with the T3 and 250mm its light and the neck strap is enough. No worries there. I had a concern about taking my D7200 and Sigma 150-600 for the woods walk with the dog for awhile, mostly because I have been known to trip on occasion. So now I take it but take careful steps and cradle the big mama in the crook of my arm so the body does not take the weight of the lens as I walk. No problems, the lens hood protects the lens from any accidental bumps on twigs and such.

 

[DarkShadow]

I trip over everything.LOL

 

[table1349]

I trip over everything.LOL

Have you ever considered looking down at the ground every once in a while.

Man, I definitely do not want to be in you area when you are driving.

 

[DarkShadow]

HaHa I am a excellent driver better then walking. I always look down and still trip over things.LOL. I think I don't lift my feet high enough when I step, been like that since I was a kid.I almost fell yesterday when my boot got caught on a vine of some sort.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Look ahead of where you walk so you spot obstacles before you get there. Ive ran through the woods and never had issue. Even more important when I'm mountain biking lol

 

[Overread]

Dark it does sound like its more your legs not picking up enough - I can be much the same and sometimes I think its linked to fitness. Fitter people tend to find it easier to have a high step; whilst those who are less fit or who might walk a lot but don't really use the full leg motion, are more apt to not lift the leg higher than is needed just to put it in front of the other - thus leading to trips.