Air travel with 600 f/4 (2024)

Jerry-M said:

I just watch Steve's great video review of the Sony A1 and noticed he was in Costa Rica and Africa with the Sony 600 f/4. I would appreciate any tips on traveling with a 600 f/4 from those who have done it. I'm especially interested in how to make it work in the small aircraft necessary to get to places like the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Thanks in advance for any help.

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I've done quite a bit of air travel with several generations of Nikon's 600mm f/4 lenses. I've used a Moose Peterson MP-1 pack for much of that but when traveling with a lighter kit and especially on smaller craft I've used a Moose Peterson MP-3 that carries the 600mm f/4 lens but without a camera body attached. Unfortunately I sold that smaller pack during a time I wasn't traveling much for my photography and regret it now. I've never been forced to check even the larger MP-1 pack though I've had a few close calls on full flights. These days I'll pay for an earlier boarding group when traveling with big lenses to reduce some of that risk.

FWIW, we've historically had very small turbo props and more recently small regional jets in and out of the Jackson Hole airport and I've still been able to carry on the packs mentioned above. I've also traveled with a Gura Gear Bataflae 26L which is my favorite carry on pack but it just barely fits a Nikon 600mm f/4 E FL and only if the hood is removed completely and in my checked luggage but it's smaller than either of the packs listed above.

I have had a few instances where I could not carry my Nikon 600 on board. Then I took it out of the case, attached a body, and gave the gate agent my empty bag and carried my camera on board (you allowed to carry a camera in addition to your carry on and personal item). Got a few strange looks but .. A friend who plays violin was once told she had to check her instrument (my guess it is worth $25-50,000 perhaps more but would take her a year+ to find one that worked for her), so she took it out of the case and said she would hold it on her lap on the way to europe. They eventually allowed her to place the instrument in the case in the overhead bin.

I use a gura gear bags. The 600 fits without the hood in all the bags (largest size, I am surprised that DRWyoming could get a 600 in a Bataflae 26L. I did not think it would fit.

RichF said:

I am surprised that DRWyoming could get a 600 in a Bataflae 26L. I did not think it would fit.

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It's definitely a tight squeeze and my older 600mm f/4 G lens wouldn't fit at all.

DRwyoming said:

It's definitely a tight squeeze and my older 600mm f/4 G lens wouldn't fit at all.

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I tried to my 600 F4 E into my wife's kiboko 30L II and it was very tight. Fits comfortably into my G32. I'll try again before the next trip. I struggle with the zippers on my G32.

RichF said:

I tried to my 600 F4 E into my wife's kiboko 30L II and it was very tight. Fits comfortably into my G32. I'll try again before the next trip. I struggle with the zippers on my G32.

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FWIW, here's what the Bataflae 26L looks like with the 600mm f/4 E FL (sans hood) and a light wildlife kit (Tamron 100-400mm, 300mm PF, D5, Teleconverter, some filters) open view and zipped up. It must have loosened up a bit with use as when I first tried this I had to reconfigure the pack so the lens ran right up the middle but it now fits easily with the lens on one side.

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NorthernFocus said:

I only traveled once with a rented 600 f4. I carried it by itself in a gym bag lined with foam and was allowed to bring it aboard a regular commercial flight as my second carry on. But I have traveled extensively with a 500 f4 on everything down to single engine bush planes. I used to carry the 500 in a backpack with the rest of my kit. A couple of times I was forced to gate check my bag so I took the 500 out of the bag and carried it aboard with me. After that I switched to a separate bag with the 500 by itself(no body attached) and everything else in the camera bag. In my case I made my own lens bag out of a dry bag lined with closed cell foam. Ironically in my experience caring for camera gear less of an issue on the smallest planes. They are typically familiar with photographers and their gear and will load it very carefully on top of the rest of the baggage.

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I will ask the Flight attendants if they can store the camera bag for me. Have had mixed success - I am million miler on United and some of the time, they say yes, other times the gate agent/flight attendant are not even interesting in listening. Don't want to bother.

The beginning of this video covers what Steve uses. I bought one and just flew with it last week and it worked beautifully (600 with hood).

https://backcountrygallery.com/whats-in-my-bag-africa-edition/

Stephen Berger said:

The beginning of this video covers what Steve uses. I bought one and just flew with it last week and it worked beautifully (600 with hood).

https://backcountrygallery.com/whats-in-my-bag-africa-edition/

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I agree, it's a fabulous lens. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to take it traveling by air. Were you able to manage it in a carry on? Some of the airlines have such limited weight allowance for carry ons, like 7 kgs. One time I wore a jacket while checking in and loaded up the pockets with batteries and accessories and had a camera body in a belt pack under the jacket.

Jerry-M said:

I agree, it's a fabulous lens. I'm just trying to figure out how I'm going to take it traveling by air. Were you able to manage it in a carry on? Some of the airlines have such limited weight allowance for carry ons, like 7 kgs. One time I wore a jacket while checking in and loaded up the pockets with batteries and accessories and had a camera body in a belt pack under the jacket.

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Oh, yeah, I was talking about the bag he used to go to Africa. He specifically mentions in the video that it worked for smaller planes and it holds the 600 with hood. https://guragear.com/collections/all-products/products/kiboko-v2-0-30l

Jerry-M said:

I just watch Steve's great video review of the Sony A1 and noticed he was in Costa Rica and Africa with the Sony 600 f/4. I would appreciate any tips on traveling with a 600 f/4 from those who have done it. I'm especially interested in how to make it work in the small aircraft necessary to get to places like the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Thanks in advance for any help.

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Jerry,
In Australia, the airlines are quite strict with the 7kg carry on weight, irrespective if the case fits inside the max carry on dimensions. It's always a bit of a gamble, and the last thing you want is someone at the gate refuse you to take it on and you have to check it. I bought myself a Pelican Air case which is fantastic. I can try to take it onto the plane, but if I run into someone demanding it to be checked, I have no problem knowing the contents will be ok. This case also doubles as a normal travel case now for holidays - I simply remove the padding / dividers.

Depending on the interior size of the case and the length of the lens, I'd recommend going with either the "TrekPack" dividers, or the padded dividers. TrekPack is thinner, but you carefully have to consider layout as it's a 'once cut' setup, whereas the padded dividers are thicker, but attached to each other via velcro so always readjustable / configurable based on needs for a trip.

Just be sure you get one with wheels. The "air" cases are very strong, dust and waterproof, and strong enough to sit on. Only downside for me it that the lid doesn't include an organiser lid like the other rolling camera bags like ThinkTank do. There are independent manufacturers that make these type of organisers - just check it fits in your case

As others have indicated, getting a 600mm f4 into a backpack and onto a small plane is do-able if your are resourceful and have big vest pockets for other stuff. IF it's just a matter of limiting the carry-on while also checking a bag, you can put the hood into the checked bag, along with your tripod, gimbal, and flash gear (if any).

The issue is, how much other high-value optical stuff do you have to deal with and what to do with it? I was tempted recently to sign on to a trip to Belize that included a return to Belize City at trip's end on a small Tropic Air plane that has no bin space and a 15 pound weight limit for lap-held carry-ons. If all one had was a camera body, a 600mm f4, and say, two TC's, you could put these into a GuraGear or Mindshift backpack and also your pockets and probably get away with it. But in my own case, I would also have binoculars, at least one more lens (a 200-500mm, say), a point and shoot for scenics, lithium batteries, a few other odds and ends. Getting the pack under 20 pounds would be a real challenge and my pockets would be stuffed. I am the nervous type; this is not my preferred way to do things. This is why for international trips I now use Olympus M43 gear; it is smaller and lighter and these kinds of situations are do-able

Don't even think about using a rolling bag for small plane flights, as even the major airlines will very likely force you to gate check them on regional planes like some Bombadiers. Last May I had to gate check my ThinkTank International at the gate in Dallas for a short flight to Houston. Ugh. Gate agent was completely intransigent. Gate checking is not as onerous as regular, in the main hold checking, and nothing bad happened. But I sure didn't like it.

More and more people are going the Pelican-case route and checking the bag. This prospect makes me really nervous. But I guess it's an option.

RichF said:

I will ask the Flight attendants if they can store the camera bag for me. Have had mixed success - I am million miler on United and some of the time, they say yes, other times the gate agent/flight attendant are not even interesting in listening. Don't want to bother.

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I am not very imposing or ingratiating, I'm afraid. And I am not a million miler. Especially in today's air travel climate, gate agents are not prone to do people like me any favors.
Let me add that if you are with a photo tour group instead of traveling alone, things are sometimes different, and easier. In my limited but more-than-once experience on regional Latin American flights, it seemed that the gate people really, really, did not want to go through challenging six or seven affluent-looking American photographers with all their gear about weight limits and carry-ons. They seemed prone to looking the other way. Understandable.

GrandNagus50 said:

I am not very imposing or ingratiating, I'm afraid. And I am not a million miler. Especially in today's air travel climate, gate agents are not prone to do people like me any favors.
Let me add that if you are with a photo tour group instead of traveling alone, things are sometimes different, and easier. In my limited but more-than-once experience on regional Latin American flights, it seemed that the gate people really, really, did not want to go through challenging six or seven affluent-looking American photographers with all their gear about weight limits and carry-ons. They seemed prone to looking the other way. Understandable.

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I have found that in 3rd world countries, gate agents ignore the rules (for the most part). ONly once had to gate check a bag in africa.
I try to be nice to gate agents and understand the challenges they face, and politely ask for their help. Explain that the camera is expensive and some fragile. If it will not fit, I ask them if it can be handled with care.

perhaps Steve has some ideas?

Have an upcoming trip where the airlines have advised against hard sided luggage, like a Pelican, as their smaller aircraft (e.g. Cessna Caravan) have to stuff everything into the belly hold and soft sides pack better. There is an option for a backpack to be inside which works - did that in the flights to/from the Osa Peninsula. This airline also has a 44 lb max

hand/carry on.
Has anyone had any luck with renting or just shipping a large lens to places like Botswana to avoid the airlines issue?

Jerry-M said:

I just watch Steve's great video review of the Sony A1 and noticed he was in Costa Rica and Africa with the Sony 600 f/4. I would appreciate any tips on traveling with a 600 f/4 from those who have done it. I'm especially interested in how to make it work in the small aircraft necessary to get to places like the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica. Thanks in advance for any help.

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Getting it to the Osa isn't a big deal at all. They have weight restrictions, but still allow you to take it for like a buck fifty per pound it's over. I wouldn't go crazy, but if your close, no worries. We have people bring 600mm lenses all time time (and other big glass) and the worst that happens is they pay a bit extra. Of course, you'll need to put it in the back of the cabin, but no biggie.

NWGuy said:

Have an upcoming trip where the airlines have advised against hard sided luggage, like a Pelican, as their smaller aircraft (e.g. Cessna Caravan) have to stuff everything into the belly hold and soft sides pack better. There is an option for a backpack to be inside which works - did that in the flights to/from the Osa Peninsula. This airline also has a 44 lb max

including

hand/carry on.
Has anyone had any luck with renting or just shipping a large lens to places like Botswana to avoid the airlines issue?

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I would think shipping a big lens overseas to avoid airline problems would create a potential "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situation.
Overall, it seems like problems with oversize/overweight can almost always be avoided either because the airlines overlook them or you can, as Steve suggests, pay for overweight. The problem is that there are those few, unexpected situations where a particular gate agent somewhere decides to be hard-nosed. It's kind of a numbers/percentages game, and there are no guarantees.

GrandNagus50 said:

I would think shipping a big lens overseas to avoid airline problems would create a potential "out of the frying pan, into the fire" situation.
Overall, it seems like problems with oversize/overweight can almost always be avoided either because the airlines overlook them or you can, as Steve suggests, pay for overweight. The problem is that there are those few, unexpected situations where a particular gate agent somewhere decides to be hard-nosed. It's kind of a numbers/percentages game, and there are no guarantees.

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A crazy, off the wall idea, not terribly serious, but ... put your cameras in the same hard case as a gun. Airlines are very careful with guns. One time I had a flash kit in a hard side pelican case and the airlines though there was a gun inside the case, so I had to go to the security off to pick it up.