P.S. I have just spent a week in Tasmania with my customized backpack and strap set-up, and it worked really well in the field. The pack is about a 45 liter Tatonka pack, which is heaps big enough, and in that I carried a 19-35mm, a 28-80 f2.8, an 80-200 f2.8, an FA 100mm f2.8, and an AF500 flash. One of the lenses was mounted on my z-1 hanging off the shoulder straps of the pack. I probably walked 120 kilometers over the course of the week carrying all this a gore-tex coat some filters, and heaps of film. If all the gear is comfortably seated in the daypack on my back, it really isn't that heavy to carry. The secret is using a pack with a proper harness system. This makes all the difference in weight distribution.
Shaun Canning PhD Student Department of Archaeology School of European and Historical Studies La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086. Phone: 0414-967644 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: Shaun Canning [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, 11 October 2002 3:13 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: New lens got me thinking Yep, got to agree with John. I have the Tokina 300mm f2.8 and AF converter combo, and it's a screamer. Works like a charm. Naturally, it is all a little soft wide-open, but stopped down to 5.6 or 8, and its great. Although, even wide open this combo is pretty good. I have a Tokina 80-200mm f2.8 as well, which is also beautiful to use. I am not worried about the weight, as I am no shrinking violet myself and don't feel the weight much. Having said that, I have made up a strap rig that clips onto my camera and the straps of my daypack to take the weight on my shoulders rather than on my neck. It works like a charm. It's amazing what you can do with 4 feet of webbing strap and some tri-glides! Cheers Shaun Canning PhD Student Department of Archaeology School of European and Historical Studies La Trobe University, Bundoora, Vic, 3086. Phone: 0414-967644 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -----Original Message----- From: John Mustarde [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, 11 October 2002 12:25 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: New lens got me thinking On Wed, 9 Oct 2002 23:12:06 EDT, you wrote: >Maybe I'm better off without the 80-200/f2.8. >Just some food for thought. What do you think????? > If you're gonna carry the weight, get big glass - 300/2.8. Forget the 80-200/2.8 - you already know you the kit you like, and you already know you want something longer. So for just a little more than a first-rate AF 80-200/2.8 you can get a used Tokina AT-X 300/2.8 and a Pentax 1.7x AF Adaptor which makes a really sharp semi-AF 510/f5 lens. Heck, if you want to ecoomize, just skip the lens and get the Pentax AF adaptor for your 200/2.5. Makes a great combo. -- John Mustarde www.photolin.com
