Your ideal 4x5 backpacking kit?

[Ross Martin]

Hello All,

I'm interested in knowing what your favorite 4x5 field kit (real or imagined) wo uld consist of for overnight backpacking and day hiking. Cost not a concern, bu t having enough focal lengths to cover a variety of compositions of nature in al l her wilderness glory would be a paramount. Extensive camera movements not nee ded, but sturdy/small/light might be the priority. What lenses would you pack? W hich 4x5 camera and lightweight tripod? Which packs or combination of packs to get your photo and camping gear into the wilds? Thanks in advance for your will ingness to share your ideas!

[fw]

Lenses ; 90mm f/8 & 300mm f/9 Camera ; Toyo Field, w/darkcloth and bellows hood, spirit level and Meter ; Pentax digital spotmeter Film ; Velvia/Astia Quickload, plus about 5 filmholders with Tri-X. Filters ; Yellow/Orange/Green/Polarizer Tripod ; Manfrotto Lightweight tape measure (for close-up work)

I'd like to know what cases people use for backpacking with 4x5, and whether people find a focussing loupe helpful in the field.

[David Grandy]

I don't camp over night so I don't need to pair my kit down. I usually just take a hike into the woods, planning on coming back after a few hours. "Say this Blair Woods is really nice."

Anyway this is what I haul around: LowePro Photo Trekker AW; Toyo Field Camera (the old 5X7 one but configured for 4X5); 65mm f8 SA, 90mm f8 SA, 150 f5.6 Xenar, 210 f5.6 Symmar convertable, 300 f9 M Nikkor; Cabin loupe; 10 film holders, Polaroid 405 back, 20ish assorted gel filters; FlareBuster; Minolta Autometer IVf; various shutterspeed and reciprocity failure charts; dark cloth; a few glass filters, a small tripod chair; and a Beurleback tripod with a Gitzo head.

In the car I leave extra film, a changebag and a roll film back.

My lenses are mostly small. I wish that I could say that I planned it this way but I bought the best I could afford and they all turned out small. The only lens that I would pay the weight premium for more coverage would be the 65 and I'm still drooling over the 72mm SA. The 300M is my new toy, sharp, small and surprisingly bright for f9.

My "most valuable player" peice of equipment is the little tripod chair. It weighs about half a pound and lets me sit in front of the groundglass and take my time, rather than kneeling on a pebble. Around here the chair totally underwhelms my friends but I like it a lot.

I can't imagine using a field camera without a loupe of some kind and the Cabin is great. The FlareBuster is what you think it is. I'd have a dedicated lenshood if one existed for my camera, but this is OK.

I had all my lense's shutterspeeds checked and made up a cheatsheet for indicated/actual performance. It's much cheaper than getting them fixed, and fixing won't last long anyway. I don't care if they're off, as long as they're CONSISTANTLY off! One sheet of laminated paper keeps them on hand and dry and I just did the same thing for film reciprocity failure info.

[Roger Rouch]

Current: Super graphic 203 Ektar 127 Ektar Incident Light Meter 7 Film holders T-shirt dark cloth Bogen 3020

Dream: Linhof Super Tech V Nikon 75 Rodenstock 115, 150, 210, 300 mm Bogen 3020 Pentax spot meter Graduated ND - 1 + 2 filters. Polarizer filter. 20 film holders Real dark cloth Llama

[James Chow]

I recently did an overnight backpacking trip in Sequoia NP, hiking up from 7200 ft to 9300 ft (one-way distance was about 7 miles). This is what I brought..phototrekker AW pack w/ Toyo VX125 monorail, 90/5.6 super angulon XL, 210/5.6 apo-symmar, 300/9 nikkor M (all in Linhof boards), Toyo 4x loupe, compendium hood, 95-110mm center filter for the 90 XL, 95mm B+W kaseman circ. PL, 95mm B+W UV, 0.6 Lee grad ND, 4 Toyo holders, quickload holder, half box of quickloads, sekonic L408 meter. Darkcloth was my Pearlizumi cycling windbreaker.

That was part of my equipment. Then there was Rollei 6008i 6x6 slr with spare film insert, 90/4 apo-symmar and 40/3.5 super angulon lenses plus maybe 15 boxes of 120 film along with a Gitzo 340 tripod and Linhof profil 3 head and RRS quick release attachment. All this stuff weighed about 40 lbs, plus another 5 lbs for 1 qt of water,water filtration system, food, and a minimal amount of clothes (was cold at night...35F). I talked my friend into carrying my sleeping bag in his pack, as he only carries a 35mm slr.:-) I brought the same equipment along in Thailand PLUS the 180 and 300mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter for my 6x6, but I didn't have to bring the food/clothes.

Needless to say, this was way too much equipment (had to leave the 180/2.8 and 300/4 tele-xenars for the 6x6 at home...4 kg for those two lenses). Next time, I'll rethink my strategy...probably medium format for multi-day trips if I don't know what to expect to see, or the LF if I know there are just a few shots I expect take, but not both.

[Alan Gibson]

Sometimes my kit is quite the opposite to James Chow's: I take Snibgo1, which weighs 1.5kg including the 47mm lens and film holder. No tripod. Possibly some filters. Minolta Spotmeter F.

That doesn't fit Ross's requirements. For more flexibility, I take a Calumet Cadet wide-ange, not the world's most sturdy camera but quite light, with a loupe permanently tied on, usually with the 47mm and 72mm, and perhaps the 180mm. With dark cloth and a pile of film holders this fits easily into a cheap but tough rucksack. When I also need the bivouac, sleeping bag etc it all goes in a large Lowe Pro rucksack ("Specialist 80+20"). I'm not keen on the photo packs, preferring 'real' packs, with clothing for padding.

If I had tons of money, but still had to carry it on my back, I'm not sure I would change much. I would look for something sturdier than the Calumet, but it would have to be just as light and easy to use. Of couse, if I had a mule and assistant, it would be quite a different story...

[Doremus Scudder]

Hi all! My present kit, which is more than light enough for backpacking includ es a Wista 45D (a Wisner Pocket Expedition would be nice!), 90mm f8 Super Angulo n in a recessed board, 135mm f5.6 Symmar, Ektar f7.7 203mm, and 300mm f9 Nikkor in an extended board (all the lenses except the 90mm have been adapted to accept 52mm filters). These and a few filters fit into a medium size fanny pack which can be attached to my backpack when on extended trips. The tripod of choice woul d be a Gitzo mountaineer, but I have been using a Bogen 3011 with the small Gitz o ball head successfully for years. My dark cloth consists of two pieces of tent nylon, one black and one white, sewn together with small pockets for rock wiegh ts in the corners, and plenty of velcro fastenings. I also carry a short fisherm an's vest for accessories, holders etc. For really long trips where weight is a concern I shoot ready-load T-Max and leave one or two of the lenses at home, but most of the time I take them all and schlepp along 6-8 holders with Tri-X as we ll as a box of film for reloading (which is done at night in a well washed-down tent and inside a new black plastic garbage bag). This is versatile photographic ally, can be carried alone in really rough terrain leaving both hands free, and weighs less than many 35mm outfits. Regards, ;^D)

[George Nedleman]

I made my own camera backpack from a Jansport day pack. The following equipment resides in custom velvet lined splendor:980 Horseman, 65 5.6 Schneider,105 3.5 Topcon,180 5.6 Topcon 3 6X7 roll film backs pENTAX S-METER,5 filters, (tripod in a pouch), dark cloth, loupe. It tops out at 20 lbs W/O domke photogs vest which is great.

[Ellis Vener]

In a Domke J1 bag: Canham DLC; Horseman 6x9cm roll film back; Polaroid 405 back; 65mm f/4.5 Grandagon, 90mm f/4.5 Grandagon, 150mm f/5.6 Fuji, 210mm f/5.6 Nikkor W, & 300mm f/9 M-Nikkor, (all lenses wear Heliopan KR1.5 filters and their own Linhof cable releases and are mounted in Linhof Technika lensboards); Minolta Spot F meter; Toyo 3.3x focusing magnifier and a Schneider 4x loupe; Darkroom Innovations darkcloth; film; 67mm & 77mm Heliopan circular polarizers and adapter rings for all lenses; a lens brush and blower; a stop watch; a couple of small bi-directional levels. All small & fragile items are in their own padded Zing neoprene bags. All this also easily fits into a medium size backpack with room left over for a Fuji Quickload holder and two-three boxes of Quickload film. Sometimes I also carry a Sinar 100mm filter holder and neutral density grads and a Heliopan 0.45 center weighted filter for the 90mm f/4.5 (usually this is not necessary.) I might wear a Domke photovest. Plus Powerbars and water!

[Blake]

Currently packed and ready in a army surplus A.L.I.C.E. pack is my linhof super tech 111, 90 6.8 angulon, 120 6.8 angulon, and a 240 rodenstock (not packed but ready), a bogen junker(don't remember the # but it's a big heavy sucker) a junker horseman 7x lupe, a bruised and ancient pentax spot, a gossen scout, a dozen cfh's in a ammo can (px tx tp). I have a small nasty old orange "shock" bag with brushes, lens tissue, filters, extra cable release, gaffer's tape, levels, a penlight and various odds and ends and enough spare-room for the 240. My tech is wrapped in a black sweatshirt that protects it a little from bumps and doubles nicely as a darkcloth. It's ugly and cheap but it works.

My dream outfit would have to be a phillips 11x14 or a restored banquet camera and lenses to suit. I doubt I'll ever get another 4x5 for a coupla reasons; I don't think the linhof will ever be "used up" and if I start again I think I'll go with a medium format panoramic like a Horseman or a Alpa in 6x12 and that's a perfectly unrealistic dream but let me have it...ok?