Photo Dork or Photo Stud?

[articulate]

Okay, I'm thinking about a photography vest to wear while driving on trails . . .

Mock me all you want, but for now it's just a thought.

Here's the deal: I'm swapping lenses alot, and am playing with more filters. Plus, I still use film. I find myself ramming a second lens into my pocket just so I'd have it at ready disposal if necessary when I jump out for a few photos. I kind of look like a fool with bulging pants pockets.

This is the problem with becoming a more discriminating artiste - carry more crappola . . . depending on the tenets of artistry to which you adhere. Right now, I'm a schmuck who thinks he needs to carry equipment on his chest.

"The critical component to expedition photography is rapid execution of equipment exchange, which hinges upon wearing the proper clothing."

Confess here and now if you have one of these things, use it, don't use it, love it, hate it, sleep with it, or - of course - drive while wearing it. If I must switch to a more serious tone, what is your experience with photo vests?

 

[Scenic WonderRunner]

GO Dork Lite..........!!!!!!!!!!!!

How about..........

Calling it...........Dork Lite.............?

As in not totally a dork....because we know how Kewl you really are.:rockon:

Just kinda dork......because none of us would wear that...... but we love YOU for wearing it anyway..... and we are sure it helps you share all these fantastic pics with all of us!

SO.................!

Go Dork Lite!:costumed-smiley-007

You just can't go wrong!..........:sombrero:............ :friday:




................:26_7_2:

 

[desertgirl66]

Hey, I have a vest almost just like that!! Hmmmm-I never thought dork! Am I missing something?? Overland Video uses something very similar to that~~~~ :bigbossHL:

 

[\\'anderer]

I bought one at the thrift store for .25, but haven't had the guts to wear it yet. I will someday. I have wore them in the past.

Seriously, they come in pretty handy,especially for small items like filters, multi tools, batteries, memory cards, film, 8-tracks,etc. Be careful about bending over with a flap unsecured, things can, and will fall out. Lenses may be better stored somewhere else. Living in the desert I preferr a "gasp" hip type camera bag to keep from soaking the vest while hiking. In cooler weather it's fine.

To sum it up, Function over fashion, I say go for it, you may start a new ExPo fashion phenomon.

 

[j_nigrelli]

if you ever fall overboard, you're going to the bottom.

carry less stuff.

 

[jeffryscott]

Just buy another camera body so you don't have to change lenses :exclaim:

About the vest though. I've used them, convenient in some ways, and in other ways, they aren't. They are also hot in the summer.

I'm using one of these and find it extremely nice. Never even carry a bag anymore:

http://www.newswear.com/mdocumentarydetail.htm

It carries my lenses, plus whatever accessories (strobe, batteries, etc ...) I need. The picture looks bulkier than it is.

Several folks at work are using this system - it is more versatile, but I didn't know about it when I bought the above:

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ProMod.php

this is the deluxe one with all the bells and whistles.

Both are more involved than a vest, and for the small things a vest is probably more convenient, but when you start changing lenses, moving quickly from spot to spot, I find the vests more of a challenge.

 

[desertgirl66]

Dang!! I appreciate all the belts and packs and stuff!! Whew, it all looks like alot of stuff to deal with. But, I think the belts are probably most adaptable to all situations, including holding a water bottle. The vests are pretty much old fashioned technology.

 

[jeffryscott]

Dang!! I appreciate all the belts and packs and stuff!! Whew, it all looks like alot of stuff to deal with. But, I think the belts are probably most adaptable to all situations, including holding a water bottle. The vests are pretty much old fashioned technology.

It hadn't dawned on me until I read your post Kristina ... vests are old school. But they are only old school because the lenses are so dang big now. In the old days with fixed focal length lenses, the vest pockets were sufficient. But with the size of today's lenses, to make pockets that big makes the vests so bulky.

 

[mountainpete]

Ok... I'm not going to comment on the dorkiness of the vest. A lot of us here are about function over fashion and I think this is one of the places that applies... if you are serious about photography. Otherwise you're a dork

But what I will say comes from my experience with fly fishing vests - similar principles. The biggest consideration is when you try on different vests make sure to weigh them down. You will feel quickly whether or not the vest pulls on your neck or on your shoulders. Easy way to test is to bring along a few water bottles - drop them in the pockets and walk around. (I carry a water when I fish so that's why my fishing vest is so heavy!).

I remember I bought this really nice Columbia vest once and as soon as I put some weight in the pockets it seriously bugged my neck. On top of that if the day was hot it really rubbed the back of my neck. For fishing I'm now partial to the modular vests - I use a Springbrook Ghillie Chest pack.

Make sure you look at the Tilley vest. Not cheap and not design for photography, but very well made.

Pete

 

[mountainpete]

Add... a Tilley vest like this: http://www.tilley.com/detail.asp?catId=13&gender=m&extractBy=CategoryId&id=9&productNo=TE51

 

[goodtimes]

A lot of us here are about function over fashion and I think this is one of the places that applies

Actually, there is a condition that must be applied to the "function over form" rule that so many of us subscribe to. The more complete statement goes like this:

"Function over form...unless it makes you look like a dork". In this case, function definately gets trumped by form (fashion).

 

[mountainpete]

 

[articulate]

I can always rely on a vast array of opinions on the world wide web . . . and I salute you all for it.


Dave, j_nigrelli: I expected to see responses like these, and your points are well taken. No doubt that a good artist selects his tools carefully, uses them well, and likely has just a few. But I'm a young punk who has yet to discover his best allies with respect to equipment. However, I'm not thinking of using a vest so I can carry MORE stuff . . . just the stuff I already have. I use three lenses (one of which is a 50mm prime ), need to reload film, etc.

I like that modular bat-belt idea, Boy Wonder! I forgot about those things. The photographer at our wedding had a cool holster for a second lens on a belt like that. Clever. Good for mobility and you don't have 8 million pockets to figure out.

Okay, so I'll admit that a vest is going to be far overkill. Unless I get on board with the Overland Video staff, I might not need a vest (but I ain't going to the Arctic in winter . . .). This is a fun topic anyway. I wonder if vests are like snorkels: :snorkel:

 

[goodtimes]

I wonder if vests are like snorkels: :snorkel:

Only at the mall.

 

[Pskhaat]

You know my answer. I just want to remind you of it.