Overwhelmed by the weight of 8x10 setup

[chacabuco]

Having recently taken the plunge into 8x10 I feel a little overwhelmed with the weight and size of the gear. I have a Toyo 810M which is not the lightest of cameras to begin with and picked up an older Bogen 3058. Also a Gitzo 1570 head.

Can anyone reccommend a somewhat smaller/lighter tripod that would still be sufficient for the Toyo - which weighs about 16lbs? Maybe I need to sell the Toyo and look into getting a wooden field camera.

On the plus side, carrying and setting up the 4x5 seems so easy now, though the ground glass has become increasingly cramped!

Thanks

[Walter Calahan]

Get yourself a 3-wheeled jogging baby stroller big enough to carry all your gear. Then you push it to the shoot site.

I prefer a wood Ries tripod for my 8x10 gear.

See tripod and camera set up: http://www.walterpcalahan.com/Cheers/Info.html

[ic-racer]

16lb camera and 17lb tripod. That is a lot for a field setup. However, as you scale down the weight you compromise sharpness.

I'm using a 9 lb 8x10 camera and 14 lb Bogen, but with your setup, you will likely have more stability.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Having recently taken the plunge into 8x10 I feel a little overwhelmed with the weight and size of the gear. I have a Toyo 810M which is not the lightest of cameras to begin with and picked up an older Bogen 3058. Also a Gitzo 1570 head.

Can anyone reccommend a somewhat smaller/lighter tripod that would still be sufficient for the Toyo - which weighs about 16lbs? Maybe I need to sell the Toyo and look into getting a wooden field camera.

On the plus side, carrying and setting up the 4x5 seems so easy now, though the ground glass has become increasingly cramped!

Thanks

Wow, My 11x14 weights in at 16lbs. and my tripod at 17lbs. I still carry the camera, holders and lenses on my back and the tripod in my hands. Slow going but not impossible. So get an 11x14 and keep the tripod! Go to the gym more!!!

Jim

[cdholden]

or you could just hire Jim Fitzgerald to carry your gear for you!

[jp]

An aluminum $60 surveyor tripod will save a bunch of weight. Nobody will trip on the legs either if you set it up in a foot-traffic'd area since they are often bright colors or bright finish. Put any head you want on it.

No Pain No Gain; some practice and exercise builds strength and it will get easier to lug each time. Sorta like you don't realize a 1-2 yo child is heavy till you pick up a newborn; you've gotten used to dealing with the weight.

Lenses and film holders add quite a bit of weight too.

[RichardRitter]

Yes I remember the days of lugging around a 14 pound 8 x 10 camera and a 17 pound tripod. Did not go far with the camera and also notice that by the end of the day the images I would produce were not as good as the start of the day.

But that was all to the good now when I go out with the 13 pound 11 x 14 I know what I am getting into.

[Scott Davis]

Gitzo makes (or at least used to make) a nice all-aluminum legset that would go nicely with your 1570 head - I have a 1425 (I think that's the number) 3-section legset that handily holds anything I've got up to my 14x17. I've got the 1520 pan-tilt head (I think that's the number) mounted on it and the whole deal weighs in somewhere around 12 lbs. The 14x17 is a Canham wood field, which by itself comes in around 20-22 lbs. I've got a rolling luggage cart (which I'll soon have to replace - the bungees I use to hold the camera case on are starting to bend the tubes of the cart frame) that I use to haul the camera and three holders in a Tenba air transport case. I tuck the tripod legs under one of the bungees and have a (relatively) compact transport setup which keeps my hands free to carry the lens and light meter bag. I'd look into a lighter weight 8x10 though- I have a Zone VI ultralight 8x10 which weighs in at under 10 lbs, and a Canham woodfield will weigh about the same.

[tgtaylor]

My Gitzo G1348 easily handles my Toyo Robos which, at 12 lbs, is close to the 15 lb weight of the M and the G1348 weighs a tad under 5lbs without the head. As a bonus, you don't need a center column unless you want to use a ladder.

The G1348 was discontinued a few years back and it's replacement, weighing less but claiming to hold more weight, is not as sturdy IMO.

[chacabuco]

Thanks for all the input. Reading the responses and thinking about it, it not so much the weight that bothers me (despite the title of this thread), its just that the whole setup seems so cumbersome/awkward to me.

I think the 3058 is the main culprit as it is so unwieldy . I got used to the simplicity of the leg locks on my smaller 3221 and being able to carry the camera and tripod on my shoulder made the whole process more intuitive.

That said, I'm sure the main thing I need to do is get out and shoot more (thought the gym isn't a bad idea) and get used to the new setup.

Ill look into your specific tripod and transport suggestions too.

Thanks!