Who skis with a camera stored on their shoulder/sternum straps

Is anyone out there skiing/ski touring with something like a smaller mirrorless camera w/ lens strapped to their backpack shoulder straps or sternum strap? Something like a Sony A7c with whatever lens...

I used to have a Canon Powershot G10 (?) that I skied with all the time and always had in a pouch-case on my sternum strap. I got more good shots with that camera than I have with the smaller P&S I replaced it with or with the DSLR i picked up about 8 years ago. I want a dedicated camera that I will take skiing and I don't want to have to store it in my pack. But I'm also skeptical of getting a camera that could be only modestly more capable than my next cellphone camera.

I'm waffling between a Canon G5xii, a Sony A7c, or something exotic like a FF compact w/ fixed lens (Fujifilmx100v, Ricoh GRIIIx). I want the Sony most of all but I'm not sure I'll take it skiing.

I carry a Sony a6000 with the 18-135mm lens in a ThinkTank Digital Holster attached to my sternum strap. Works great. I also have friends I ski with that carry full frame mirrorless or even professional grade DSLRs the same way.

I have a a6300 with the 18-135 and I use this: https://www.peakdesign.com/collectio...oducts/capture

I usually take the camera off and throw it in my pack while skiing unless it's super mellow.

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Originally Posted by adrenalated

I carry a Sony a6000 with the 18-135mm lens in a ThinkTank Digital Holster attached to my sternum strap. Works great. I also have friends I ski with that carry full frame mirrorless or even professional grade DSLRs the same way.

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Would you be willing to post a selfie-of-sorts that shows how that sits on your pack/torso?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I have a a6300 with the 18-135 and I use this: https://www.peakdesign.com/collectio...oducts/capture

I usually take the camera off and throw it in my pack while skiing unless it's super mellow.

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That's an interesting concept...but I do like to stop and take the camera out to shoot my partners or some other image between transitioning at the top and again at the bottom of a pitch...

It's interesting that both of you guys have the same camera rig.

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Originally Posted by Christopher3000

Would you be willing to post a selfie-of-sorts that shows how that sits on your pack/torso?

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These show it well enough?

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Originally Posted by adrenalated

These show it well enough?

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I've rolled like this many times with my D750 and it's been the best.

I've used the Peak Capture system, but my setup is too bulky for skiing with on that single connection. I've got an Op/Tech strap and have used their reporter connectors on my pack for some lighter duty stuff. Those aren't very secure on their own, but a handy way to bring a camera with your pack - https://www.optechusa.com/reporter-backpack.html

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Originally Posted by adrenalated

These show it well enough?

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Yup, for sure, thanks. Interesting to see the airbag trigger in there as well; I did just obtain an airbag pack.

Would you care to explain your choice of an a6300? Did you think about an a7whatever?

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Originally Posted by Christopher3000

Yup, for sure, thanks. Interesting to see the airbag trigger in there as well; I did just obtain an airbag pack.

Would you care to explain your choice of an a6300? Did you think about an a7whatever?

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I tour with an Sony A6400 and 18-135. And I use a peak design capture clip. If it's snowing or powder out, I just put a drawstring bag over it and cinch it down. I've tomahawk down soft couloirs with that setup.

If it's dry and icy, I'll pop my camera in the backpack for the down.

I opted for the APSC body because my FF lenses were too big for what I wanted. Here's a comparison between two similar focal lengths

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Originally Posted by Christopher3000

Would you care to explain your choice of an a6300? Did you think about an a7whatever?

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I have the a6000, not the 6300. a7x wasn't in my budget, I wanted a more compact camera, and quality is good enough for what I do (post pics on social media, occasional medium size prints for my wall)

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Originally Posted by adrenalated

I have the a6000, not the 6300. a7x wasn't in my budget, I wanted a more compact camera, and quality is good enough for what I do (post pics on social media, occasional medium size prints for my wall)

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Thanks!

Not quite what you're describing, but I carry an SLR in one of two Lowepro cases that work with a chest harness. With this setup, I can carry a full-frame DSLR with a shorter lens (usually 24-70) in the smaller case, or a 70-200 in the larger one. This doesn't interfere with a pack, and I can easily stop, grab the camera to shoot a few frames, and put it back without any delay.

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Originally Posted by wasatchphotog

Not quite what you're describing, but I carry an SLR in one of two Lowepro cases that work with a chest harness. With this setup, I can carry a full-frame DSLR with a shorter lens (usually 24-70) in the smaller case, or a 70-200 in the larger one. This doesn't interfere with a pack, and I can easily stop, grab the camera to shoot a few frames, and put it back without any delay.

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Solid 3rd post. I can't imagine skiing with a FF and a 70-200. My balls would hate me. Although I do have a 200mm nikon prime that is about the size of my hand. That works.

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Originally Posted by adrenalated

I carry a Sony a6000 with the 18-135mm lens in a ThinkTank Digital Holster attached to my sternum strap. Works great. I also have friends I ski with that carry full frame mirrorless or even professional grade DSLRs the same way.

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Which digital holster? The 5 maybe?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

Which digital holster? The 5 maybe?

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Yes, the 5. Fits the a6000 with either the 55-210 or 18-135 attached no problem. Any longer lens would require bumping up to the 10.

I have never found a great solution to skiing with a camera but this is my favorite so far:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._7x_Sling.html

I bought one of these in 2008 and replaced it last year after my previous one got lost in a move. It stores a big lens like a 70-200 and a dslr with another big lens without an issue. I tour and ski with it on my stomach (which is pretty nice when it's super cold and sucks when it's warm), it only takes a second to take the camera out. it's also pretty great riding lifts - i can ski with it on my back and rotate it on the chair so lifities won't complain about a backpack. Now that cameras and lenses are smaller I've been packing in (crop sensor style small lenses) 24-105 equivalent, a small prime, and a longer zoom. Why? Who knows. iPhones are so damn good. But sometimes they come up on ebay or marketplace and they're pretty cheap.

The fancy chest harness mountain smith bag that attached to the straps was a little more mobile when I skied. Maybe it wasn't set up right, but I never got it dialed in and stopped using it.
But it's also weird that I've never seen another person rocking a bag like this, so it could be pure personal preference. When touring it can be a little bulky to throw into a backpack if the terrain is consequential, you would need a larger pack than a small stash or similar to accommodate it.

The only picture I can find of myself skiing with it (2011)
https://nyskiblog.com/wp-content/upl...10/9-ML242.jpg

I got a good shot that day of tBatt:
https://nyskiblog.com/wp-content/upl...1/10/tBatt.jpg

Anyway, I am going to checkout those peak design things, maybe that would be an improvement if I only wanted to carry one lens.

Another Sony crop-body user here (a6600) with various lenses, carrying in an inexpensive LowePro toploading holster case as a chest rig, and it's my favorite setup so far for general use. The case just fits the camera with the longest lens I have, the Sony 70-350mm G, and fits perfectly with the Tamron 17-70mm. A 30mm prime is a little short but a cloth down in the bottom of the case pads it out nicely.

The case is the LowePro Photo Active TLZ 45 AW. I clip it to the webbing ladders on my pack straps so it's independent of the sternum buckle. I like leaving one side of the case always clipped to the pack strap so it comes on and off as a unit.

I use the Lowepro Adventura TLZ 20 II and it's very snugged for A6400 and 18-135.

Update: I went with a Hyperlight Mountain Gear regular size Camera Pod for my A7c w/ Sigma 24-70 2.8. It is just barely big enough for the camera w/ lens but it sits nicely on my sternum strap and is easy enough to open quickly and whip out the camera. Highly recommended, especially if you have a slightly smaller camera.

BTW the camera is sweet too. I somewhat regret not getting a 24-105 as a "one lens" starter as the 105 mm long end would be more useful than the 2.8 as a skiing lens. But the compact size and versatility is really fun, and the shots are often sharp enough that I can get nice close-up action shots with cropping.

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Originally Posted by Christopher3000

Update: I went with a Hyperlight Mountain Gear regular size Camera Pod for my A7c w/ Sigma 24-70 2.8. It is just barely big enough for the camera w/ lens but it sits nicely on my sternum strap and is easy enough to open quickly and whip out the camera. Highly recommended, especially if you have a slightly smaller camera.

BTW the camera is sweet too. I somewhat regret not getting a 24-105 as a "one lens" starter as the 105 mm long end would be more useful than the 2.8 as a skiing lens. But the compact size and versatility is really fun, and the shots are often sharp enough that I can get nice close-up action shots with cropping.

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Nice dude. The Sigma+FF is a heavy setup, but sounds awesome. The 24-105 is a great oudoor lens, but the 2.8 lens will be more versatile if you want to use for indoor stuff.

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Originally Posted by f=ma

Nice dude. The Sigma+FF is a heavy setup, but sounds awesome. The 24-105 is a great oudoor lens, but the 2.8 lens will be more versatile if you want to use for indoor stuff.

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Thanks! Yeah, I guess in hindsight I wish I'd done the 24-105 and, down the road a little bit, added the versatility with a wide, fast, (cheap) prime. I guess what it came down to was that the Sigma was a quite bit cheaper than the Sony 24-105, and the total size of the kit I got is about as big as I think I could tolerate hanging from a sternum strap.