This is the ultimate camera for hairy bikers! Here’s what’s in my tank bag (and gym sock)

Nikon Z fc as a biker camera.

Weird stuff happens when you’re a teenager. I became obsessed with two things. It would have been three, but Baywatch was ten years too late.

First up, my love of photography went stratospheric, fueled by the utterly adorable Pentax ME Super, surely one of the best film cameras of all time. Then there was the not-so-small matter of a Triumph Thunderbird 650cc motorcycle that set me on an enduring twisty road of enjoyment.

I finally hung up my leathers 25 years ago, thinking that my biking days were done and dusted. That was until last year when, out of the blue, my son bought me a big, fast bike as a completely unexpected gift – exactly the same make, model and color as my last bike. What a guy! I blame the parents.

What’s with the gym sock? Bear with me… (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

I’ve covered a few thousand miles since getting back in the saddle. I’ve been to some gorgeous places with countless photo opportunities along the way. And that’s the frustration, right there.

With extremely limited luggage space (jacket pockets and occasional fuel tank bag with magnetic attraction) I’ve been limiting myself to using my mobile phone for taking photos along the way.

Mobile phones can take nice photos these days, this one taken on a Samsung S20 FE. But I find taking photos on a phone a completely inferior and unsatisfying experience (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

Don’t get me wrong, some phones are capable of taking very good photos – mine included. But it’s just not the same as using a ‘proper’ camera. The whole shooting experience with a phone leaves me cold. And the relatively tiny image sensors don’t give me the quality I crave.

The same goes for super-small compact cameras, especially if I later want to make prints with one of the best photo printers. And while we’re at it, the Canon Pixma G650/G620/G660 is currently my favorite A4 / letter-sized photo printer.

Here’s the same scene, shot on a ‘proper’ camera. Not only did I feel a whole lot more engaged taking the shot, but I’m vastly happier with the results (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

Frustration has given way to elation, now that I’ve found my perfect fix. In the marriage of biking and photography, the Nikon Z fc has sealed the knot.

The camera has an aesthetic that any biker would be proud of but, more importantly, coupled with the ludicrously small Z DX 16-50mm VR retractable zoom lens, it fits in my small magnetic tank bag with room to spare.

When size matters, or rather the lack of it, the Z fc with its retractable standard zoom can fit in the tightest of spaces (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

I hate to see good space go to waste so I’ve also popped some spare batteries into the bag, a pair of shades, and a Z DX 50-250mm VR telephoto zoom.

The last of these items, like the first, has a retractable design that keeps stowage size to a minimum.

The Z fc and its two 16-50mm and 50-250mm lenses make for a really compact yet powerful kit, with great image quality and a combined ‘effective’ zoom range of 24- 375mm in full-frame terms (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

And to avoid everything clonking together on the journey, the Z fc is wrapped in a microfiber cloth that can double up on cleaning duties (squashed flies on a helmet visor spoils the view) and the telephoto zoom is wrapped in a gym sock (clean).

So there you go, that’s my ultimate hairy bikers’ outfit – a Nikon Z fc, two zoom lenses and a gym sock. And a bike.

Cleaned and minty-fresh, I’ve found that a washed gym sock gives the ideal wraparound protection for my retractable telephoto zoom (Image credit: Matthew Richards)

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