Bringing gear for snowboarding concerns...

[poker]

I went snow boarding last Sunday for the first time this season. We will be going again this Saturday. I would finally like to bring a real camera. My concern is breaking my stuff since I'm not the greatest snowboarder.

I'll bring my Canon 7D. I have a full warranty on it so if I break it, I'll be covered. I don't want to bring a bunch of lenses. Which should I bring?

17-40
24-70
70-200

None of my lenses have IS.

Is a flash a must?

I just don't want t o break anything. My unease is very apparent in my words

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[Photo-John]

I'm sorry, but you need to buy the Canon 18-200mm IS now

Seriously though, that's my go-to lens for outdoor stuff where I don't need pro quality. And I actually use it for pro work more than I like to admit. It's easy to carry and gets the job done for 90% of what I want to shoot on the snow. I can put the camera and lens in an old Tamrac hip pack and I carry that in my ski pack. I always ski with that kit (or an equivalent) in my pack. It's no problem and I've never (knock on wood) broken anything.

A flash is not necessary. Neither is IS for that matter. Not in decent light, anyway. You want fast shutter speeds to freeze action so if you need IS, you're shooting too slow.

[zerodog]

I have been bringing my 24-70 with me lately and like that range. But sometimes I wish for more distance. So John is right on this one. The 18-200 would be ideal.

I would only bring one of your lenses and stick with it. Do not worry about carrying tons of lenses and trying to swap them out on the mountain. It would be a PITA. And it is good practice to setup a shot for what you have with you.

[poker]

thanks for the info. I'll rent a 18-200 but if I can't then I'll take the 24-70. the 18-200 sounds like a great walk around lens for our trip in spring.

hopefully I'll have something to share this weekend.

[NoKnees]

I have nothing more to add really, just another vote to invest in the 18-200, or a similar version from Tamron or Sigma. I use an 18-250mm Tamron when I'm traveling light with just a single lens. For now though, the 24-70 would have to do based on your current list.

I also ride with my camera in an old Lowepro hip pack most of the time. Place it on your trailing hip (left goofy, right regular) as most falls will be back or foward, and sometimes over the nose on pow days. The back hip has been a very safe place for me when I don't have it buried in a regular backpack...

One thing to remember, don't rush to open up your camera bag and use the camera when you change environments quickly. Going from hot to cold and cold to hot will cause condensation and fogging if you are not careful. Let the camera acclimate for a while before you take it out of the bag for use...

Have fun!

[Danbaileyphoto]

I'd go wide and tele and leave the 24-70 at home. Generally, you can get more dynamic imagery when you have wide and long lenses, and you'll save weight and bulk. Plus, I don't think you'll miss much if you don't have that small 30mm range that you'll be leaving behind.