Two bodies..........

[ChrisSearle]

Having one camera body and several lenses and often operating in hot, humid and dusty environments has made me wonder about having two SLR bodies with my two most commonly used lenses attached. Trouble is thats even more weight and one more object dangling from my shoulders.

How many of you use two DSLR setups when you're out and about? Would you recommend it or am I better off changing lenses in the field?

[iveljay]

I use a twin DSLR setup partly for the reason you give but more often when carrying out an unrepeatable assignment. As I tend to use very wide lenses a lot I cannot just buy a zoom covering the ranges I use.
I have adopted this approach from the 1980's - a film camera full of grit is even more useless than a digital with a mucky sensor!
Also if your first camera dies you can carry on shooting without having to return to base.
As you say it can get heavy and bulky, and I have a bag with both waist and shoulder supporting harnesses for full kit work away from base. Faster working than a rucksack design, but all that + a Benbo tripod can be a pig.
At the end of the day it is all a form of insurance and you have to balance the cost and inconvenience against the possible alternatives.
Best of luck whatever you decide!

[Sandra (Taylor)]

I've dione it again! I've clicked on that link "Two bodies" thinking it was something interesting and it's about cameras which I am as much interested in as sticking pins in my eyes!! Won't be caught out again.............

Sandra

[postcardcv]

How many of you use two DSLR setups when you're out and about? Would you recommend it or am I better off changing lenses in the field?

I got a second body a year or so ago an am very glad I did. I keep one body permantly attached to my main birding lens and a shorter lens on my second body. When I want to take macros or landscapes I use the second body, meaning my main lens/body is always ready if a bird pops up. Having used two bodies for a year or so I'd hate to go back to a single body set up.

[citrinella]

Having one camera body and several lenses and often operating in hot, humid and dusty environments has made me wonder about having two SLR bodies with my two most commonly used lenses attached. Trouble is thats even more weight and one more object dangling from my shoulders.

How many of you use two DSLR setups when you're out and about? Would you recommend it or am I better off changing lenses in the field?

Been using two bodies since the 1980s. The initial prompt came from wanting two kinds of film - 50/64 ASA vs 400. Soon realized that birds show best when you have the wrong lens on, know just when you are ready with the right lens. Now I always have the right lens, guess the birds never show ;-)

Was shocked at how heavy my first DSLR was. Sure they could do better, much better.

Mike.

[gmax]

How many of you use two DSLR setups when you're out and about? Would you recommend it or am I better off changing lenses in the field?

Well, I do use two setups, they are quite useful, but I believe much depends on the kind of photographic session you are in and what your most probable subjects are ... for example, in this period chances are that I usually spot goldcrests in the canopy ... it would be quite hard removing in time my "glued" TC from my combo, so having a spare camera with a fast 300mm lens at hand is the best solution.
There's a disadvantage though .. as you say, more weight! Yesterday I went for a mountain walk in search of griffon vultures ... glad I had carried my 300mm kit when I browsed my shots later in the evening, but that was not my opinion while carrying a 10kg backpack along a steep trail ... :-O

[greypoint]

I used to have two camera bodies for those times when having a long lens on the camera meant having to change it to get the odd wider angle shot. My current way of solving this is DSLR with long telephoto plus lightweight bridge camera for shorter range stuff - saves on weight.