It's a bad day to own heavy equipment :(

Hey Everybody. I have a little situation brewing and I need some advice. For the past year or so, I have been using a 70-200 2.8 IS and a 5d MKII. I do all of my shooting unsupported and sometimes will shoot up to7 hours in a day. Since the equipment is so valuable and I am shooting in public areas, I am holding it the entire time. Unfortunately, I have had some bad luck this past year with tendonitis in both of my elbows. It is mainly from lifting, but I think that holding a hefty camera like that for hours on end a few times a week has made the problem worse. I certainly do not want to slow down with my photography, so I need some advice. Would a tripod be very practical for shooting weddings, models, and sports? I could see it being ok for outdoor sports and some modeling stuff, but I tend to move around a lot when I shoot. My other option is to sell the 70-200 and look into a 85 1.2 and a few other primes. I have never used primes before, but I know that if you can deal with only having one magnification, they are amazing. If I had to switch over to primes, what should I look at? The 85 is a given, and I would probably look into the 24-70 2.8 IS whenever that decides to come out since it can't weigh as much as my current lens.


~Mike~

I find that a monopod is a lot more portable and less intrusive than a tripod.

I'll second Daniel's advice on getting a monopod. Attached to the 70-200's tripod foot, you'll get good balance, use a quick-release system for extra convenience. A good carbon fiber monopod will take the load off and not add much weight, while still providing good mobility.

Mike,


Sorry to hear about your tendonitis trouble. I think a monopod is a great idea. Another thing I might suggest. I saw a couple of folks at the bird sanctuary the other day using a holster for their cameras that attached to a kind of plate on their chest. It was a quick release mechanism and they said it seemed to help their arms and neck a lot when they were out shooting for a long time. I know it could get your camera out of your hands for a bit, and that could help. I am not sure of the brand, but I am sure a few quick intArweb searches would bring you something you could use. I am sure you arent the only person around having trouble.


I hope you find something that works.


Dave.

Good suggestion, Dave. Cotton Carrier is one such brand, I'm sure there are others.

Hi Mike:


OP/TECH is another brand that has a harness system that holds a camera in front of you until you want to use it. There are two versions. One is made of a stretch like material and the other is non-stretch. I use the stretchable one when I

Mike - I love my monopod and wouldn

Hi Mike


Sorry to hear about your tendonitis. I agree with the others about the monopod. A few months back I decided to switch to primes for my wide to medium tele range but I couldn