I’ve added some notes on the OMM Trio to the Gear & Tech section on the main website. I’m experimenting with the Trio as a camera bag for my Canon DSLR and hoping to gain some benefits:-
- A better solution for carrying my DSLR camera. I currently use a standard camera case, the Lowepro Rezo TLZ20, with the strap diagonally across my chest and the case on the hip area.
- Better balance of the load between back and front. Carrying just the camera at the front is only a small step in this direction, but it all helps when backpacking. This important biomechanical concept is fully embraced in the bodypacks made by the Aarn company in New Zealand, and their site has some very interesting reading. Their designs are perhaps too revolutionary to have gained wide acceptance in the UK and they are currently looking for a new distributor here.
- Reduction of neck pain when walking a significant distance on the flat. I’m sure the root cause of the pain is the unnatural balance and posture when walking at a brisk pace with a backpack, but the weight of the camera case pulling on my neck aggravates the problem. A slightly better balance of the load, combined with the weight of the camera on the pack front straps rather than directly around my neck, may well help.
The Trio is still awaiting its first field trial, I’ll add a report on that soon.
A solution would be a lot easier with a compact, and some of them are excellent for their size, but I’m very reluctant to downgrade from the DSLR to a small sensor and give up the use of filters.
13 Comments
I think it is a superb bit of kit. Used now for four trips and can’t think how I could backpack with out it now. I was thinking of doing a write up about it and will be interesting to see your thoughts. I did stop using the DSLR. I found on the last time I carried it it was not that good carried in the Trio. It seemed to bulky with the DSLR (Nikon D40X) in it. I use a compact now and have other things like: mini tripod, compass, snacks, maps, GPS etc in the Trio. Handy bit of kit.
I have the old style OMM chest pouch and couldn’t get on with it. I didn’t like having something covering my chest. I use a reversed Inov-8 Race Pro 4 belt pack. For me this works much better. However, I suspect it wouldn’t carry a DSLR. Most belt packs are not suitable to use this way as the fastening clip is in the middle so it is in the small of your back. The Innov-8 has the fastner to one side. It only weighs 200g and carries a surprising amount (it’s supposed to be 4L). It’s a great way to have all your bits and pieces to hand. It’s also more convenient when taking off the main pack as there are no buckles to unclip and doesn’t dangle off the straps, something that annoyed me about the chest pouch. As always, these things are a matter of personal preference
http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/2008/05/22/cg-08-gear-review-1/
Martin,
A compact is very tempting logistically for backpacking, but you know how it is, it’s very hard to downgrade in technology!. The 350D and 17-40L lens is a damned good camera setup. It would be useful to borrow or rent a compact for one trip and take every photo with both cameras and compare them.
Robin,
A reversed bumbag does have an attractive simplicity. It would have to be below the pack waistbelt at the front though … I’ll try that, I have an old one in the attic somewhere.
Hi Geoff,
This is particularly useful for me as I had considered this very solution to carrying my DSLR. Now knowing it fits does help but I have to admit I’ve fallen off the backpacking/DSLR wagon. I very much appreciate the images from my Dynax 5d, especially being able to use RAW and the level of detail over a compact, but I’ve made that sacrifice now with a wide angle Canon Ixus. I think with the weather picking up though and my pack getting ever lighter I could be tempted to give the Trio a go………
I’m teetering on the brink of the backpacking/DSLR thing too, I keep swaying one way then the other. Inertia will probably win for a while yet, as it always does, in the meantime I’ll try the Trio probably tomorrow.
I have my Race Pro belt pack ABOVE my hip belt. I find it more comfortable. You can see what I mean from these pictures Alan took: http://alansloman.blogspot.com/2009/03/scenes-from-carneddau.html
Robin,
Hmmm, that sounds really good. I have a vision now of a waist pack with a high-end compact.. but then… the DSLR quality… and the polariser filter… oh bloody ‘ell!.
I’ve been lugging my DSLR’s (currently Nikon d200 with 18-200 lens)for a few years now and I must have tried many different set ups for carrying my camera. First attempt was the Low Pro chest harness, in principle it worked very well but because of it’s size too bulky for climbing/scrambling. Next was the various waist packs which although allowed fast access to the camera but again got in the way when climbing and scrambling and always felt it was being pushed down by the rucksack. The latest attempt was a small North Face shoulder bag, not too bad but kept swinging around.
I bumped into a Dutch couple walking in Glen Coe and they both had DSLR’s where their rucksacks had been modified, the camera was attached to the shoulder straps of the rucksack which took the whole weight of the camera. I’ve done the same to my bag and should try it out soon.
I was in the Climbers Shop in Ambleside recently buying a OMM 20L bag and saw the OMM Trio chest pouch which looked to be exactly what I wanted. Unfortunately, although the camera and lens fitted, the cords holding it were under a lot of strain and looked like they wouldn’t last long on an outing.
I’ve been down the compact camera route but the DSLR wins on quality and flexibility every time.
cheers
Rog
I’ll have to see how my modified set up to my rucksack stands up when I’m out and about.
Rog,
I’ve seen those harnesses, the ones that spread the load over both shoulders, and tried a waistpack to see how it felt in conjunction with the pack, but the OMM Trio seems the least cumbersome at the moment. I’m getting on well with it now, it’s very stable and quick to fit once I have my pack on. It’s hard to tell about the supporting cords but my confidence has grown a lot after a few outings.
I’ll be sticking with the DSLR: right now I’m in the middle of a gargantuan exercise of going through our thousands of photos back to the days of our old Ixus 2MP compact camera, and as soon as I reached the compact photos the overall decrease in quality was striking. Of course we have improved our skills since then, but the DSLR is a major factor I’m sure.
Geoff, I bought a compact (Ricoh GX100) and Trio for use on this year’s Challenge. I found neither to be brilliant. As you say, the compact doesn’t seem to deliver after using a DSLR. As for using the Trio as a camera bag - it was very useful to be able to access camera, snacks, compass, notebook etc, but I found the camera sitting in a pool of water one rainy day.
I think I’ll re-try using a DSLR camera bag clipped on in a similar fashion to the Trio. I’ve got a waterproof CCS Warthog
www.thedarkroom.co.uk/products_class.php?productID=A108
It’s got a shoulder strap, but I have clipped it onto the rucksack shoulder straps in the same way as the Trio. I was initially put off this idea by the bulk, but now that I’ve got used to the Trio I might find the CCS acceptable. The Warthog’s waterproof too
We had a CCS bag years ago, but it blew off a crag on Round How and was last seen disappearing down the icy mountainside. It was an excellent performer, but for backpacking with the bag attached at the front, I too am put off by the bulk of any of these standard camera bags, particularly the front-to-back depth which is much larger than the Trio.
In serious rain I put the whole thing inside my pack.
Hi Geoff,
Following my comment above and with the Scottish Coast to Coast getting ever closer, I’ve bought the OMM Trio. First impressions are good and I especially like the simplicity. It’s odd but using it to hold my SLR with a loaded pack makes it seem as though I’ve not increased the weight at all. I guess on an actual outing it probably will be more noticeable but I think there is definitely something in shifting the weight forward.
On the Scottish trip it will just be an overflow for my compact camera, phone, cards/money and snacks - so not a lot of weight but I have the same issue you raise about the attachment points and I think the sewing kit needs to come out at some point.
Do you find that you generate additional heat having the pouch on your front.
My experience exactly, the balance of weight makes a surprising difference and I don’t feel any more laden at all with the DSLR on the front.
I haven’t noticed anything really in the way of excessive heat or sweat on my front, I almost forget I’m wearing it. When I take it off I can feel the cooling effect of the breeze where it was, but I would expect that: it’s bound to get warmer behind there and generate a little sweat but I wasn’t aware of it. It hasn’t been tested on a hot and calm humid day but then I’d be sweating all over anyway!.