[The Kellyboy]

Hello,

I've just completed The Wales Sportive (112 miles bike) and The Wales Marathon & whilst sweating my way around the course I was thinking about recording next year's experiences using my K5 - whilst competing. There were plenty of great photo taking opportunities, but alas, I had no camera.

Does anyone know of a really good way of carrying a dslr that would enable me to run and take pics at the same time (I think doing it whilst cycling would be a bad idea).

I know I can carry it in a back pack, but it will be a bit cumbersome and slow to get the camera out - not a problem at the drink stops, but photos whilst running would be even better.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Matthew.

[Na Horuk]

Wow, congratulations!
Photos while running.. actually during running.. is near impossible because the photos will look all shaken up. You would either need to use a very fast shutter speed, or a flash (second curtain) to freeze the subject (but keep the background all shaken, and you would have to use a narrow aperture or ND filter). Composing and focusing would still be very hard, even metering might be off.
The other problem is that running shakes the camera quite a lot, the SR mechanism and mirror might not like that. But I think some people DO jog with their DSLR, I hope they chime in.

But there are some carry rigs that hold the camera snug to the body, so those might be worth checking out. They look like holsters with a couple straps

Edit: Maybe something like a Q or K-01 would be more practical - fewer moving parts and more compact+lighter. And for sports stuff like biking and running people often use the GoPro cameras, though Im not sure if those do stills or just video.

[goubejp]

I have bought a Q for this usage

[Kobayashi.K]

I definitively would not recommend using a K5, its too heavy (body = 680 gr). Another option could be a K-50 (body = 590 gr). You can combine it with a pancake lens to keep it small and light, for example a DA40 Limited, but this combination still weights 840 gr (including AA batteries).
So, I agree with Na Horuk and goubejp that a Q (Q-10, Q-7) is a much better option, or a similar solution like Ricoh GR.

[Na Horuk]

Or the Pentax WG-3. Small, weather and bump resistant, but of course, it doesnt take DSLR quality photos

[Kobayashi.K]

And what about a GoPro (Be a Hero!).
GoPro Official Website: The World's Most Versatile Camera

[todd]

And what about a GoPro (Be a Hero!).

what an awesome video!

[crewl1]

Saw lots of riders with go pro cams mounted on their helmets this weekend by the beach.
Not sure about running or swimmimg though.

[6BQ5]

I have also had the idea of running/cycling with my K-30 pass through my head but it did just that : pass through. Not only would it be bulky and heavy but I would be tempted to start manipulating the dials and settings to get the shot just just right. Even when I take my P&S Fuji around the backcountry roads here during my rides and runs I find myself paying more attention to the zoom level and the centering of my subject than I should. The least distracting is using my camera phone. I quickly gave up the whole idea of shooting while training or participating in an event because I'm nit ready to come to a full stop.

Get a Go Pro and see what images you get. It may not be "perfect" but the perspective it shoots froms may add a neat twist to your experience!

[The Kellyboy]

I have bought a Q for this usage

Hi goubejp,
I'm interested in how good the Q is. I've read the reviews on here, and it all sounds very good. What's it like in practice whilst cycling / running. Today I ran a 10k race with a Fuji s7000 bridge camera and taking the photos was no problem and it's a much bigger camera. But the image quality isn't the best. I'm torn between the Q and the Go Pro (but I'm slightly on the side of the Q for image quality and the wide angle lens options).

[JohntheThird]

For trekking I have fixed my camera bag as a pouch in front of my 80L backpack. I used four keycords for it to strap it on four corners to the shoulder straps and hipstrap of the backpack. I loved it, camera always protected and at hand and not swaying around.

For running you don't need a 80L back pack, but I guess you could do the same with a 2L camelbag or similar.

See attached picture of the camera bag (lowepro toploader) attached to the front of my backpack.