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Here's the photo gear I originally used for the Mt. Tam Blog (2013-2014). Total weight for the full bag and tripod was 21.4 pounds.
[UPDATE: The Lowepro MiniTrekker zippers finally passed away, so I replaced the bag with a really nice Tamrac in 2019. Amazingly, everything else remains the same as of October 2020.]
[UPDATE: Now it's December 2024, and I've been shooting almost daily (I've been retired for 2-1/2 years now) with a Panasonic FZ-80D point-and-shoot superzoom camera that is surprisingly adequate (camera bag picture below).]
[UPDATE: In early 2026 I got a Nikon Z8, and a 180-600mm zoom with a 1.4X extender, giving me an 840mm reach. By the middle of the year I'd stopped carrying the FZ-80D on my daily walks and rides, feeling like the compact-camera photo project had run its course.]
I haven't updated this page in quite a while! I had the Lowepro Mini Trekker for years, along with a Nature Trekker that was actually too big and heavy for carrying around.
The binoculars and eyeglasses went in the side pouches. The pouch beneath the binocs holds cleaning stuff, spare battery and CF/SD cards. The focusing rail is in a plastic bag to provide a soft buffer against the lens. A Kirk BL-D800 quick-release L-bracket is attached to the camera body. [I still have all this stuff in 2026, although I use a 105mm Micro Nikkor f/2.8G VR now.]
I've tried the Adorama and Really Right Stuff focusing rails, but I prefer the Kirk rail.
I'd already had the Kirk BH-3 ballhead for years back in 2013. This is the third tripod it's been mounted on. The Manfrotto and Feisol tripods didn't last, but the Gitzo felt better right off the bat and has already lasted longer than the other two did. [I'm still using it in 2026 and have no plan to replace it anytime soon, although it could definitely use a refurbishment.]
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| The Lumix compact superzoom (FZ-80D) in its small case inside my e-bike's trunk bag (blog post). |
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| My stuff's been in a Tamrac bag a long time, as you can tell by the duct tape trying to hold together the plastic pockets. (I finally cut the plastic pockets away in 2026.) The camera gear is basically the same as it was in 2013, except for the next thing.... |
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| In January 2026 I finally broke out the bucks to buy a Nikon Z8 with 180-600mm lens and 1.4X teleconverter, all in a Think Tank Glass Limo bag. |
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| I've been so bike-centric in retirement that I wanted a way to carry the new telephoto gear without having to use the car, so I replaced the rack with a two-tiered MTX-2 model made by Topeak. I also replaced my old "original" MTX trunk bag which has fold-out saddle bags. But for the Z8 system I needed something bigger, hence the waterproof Ortlieb bags (only one of which is on the bike here). |
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