Backup smaller format - what's in your bag

[esearing]

The only issues with shooting LF is that I often see more opportunities at a location than I am willing to shoot with 4x5. I carry an agfa isolette 6x9 120 camera but am thinking I will eventually switch that out with a leica and a couple of lenses. Possibly even something digital like a sony mirrorless with the leica lenses.

What if anything are you carrying in the bag for extra shots?

[appletree]

I am still undecided if I will carry my Leica M2 or my Hassie 500 C/M. Probably my Leica. A buddy of mine shoots digital and has a mirrorless (Fuji, IIRC) and it is pretty slick. Never considered shooting digital, but it is nice.

[Jmarmck]

I have several choices but I normally carry a D800e where ever I go. Maybe a 645. I now have a RB67 but it weights almost as much as the 4x5.....with lens.

[Gary Tarbert]

I have a sigma quattro and a d800e i never take both , So if i am shooting LF will take the quattro , And the 800e just for small format only

[Jac@stafford.net]

Late model Zeiss Super Ikonta 6x9.

[Corran]

I try to stick to one format per outing.
Sometimes that means throwing in a 6x12 back into my pack so I have that option. But I have included a small 120 folder or 35mm rangefinder of some sort many times. Probably 80% of the time I don't use them or don't even finish a roll, which leaves me hanging with a half roll of usually the wrong film for the next time I want to use that camera.

Personally I'd rather add in a few more film holders than another camera. Usually if I'm hiking if I don't want to shoot it with LF I don't see a reason to shoot it with a smaller format.

[IanG]

For some years it ws my Leica M3 with just a 59mm Summicron, the past 8 years it's been a TLR - a Yashicamat 124 in Turkey and now a Rolleiflex Automat here in the UK. It's not so much a backup rather an alternative and I've found I like the square format at times.

When I was a more prolific shooter, often out walking & shooting all day, a 6x9 back for my Wista was my true backup with AP/APX25 film.

Ian

[Bill_1856]

A little digital is my prime -- it's the 5x7 which is the backup.

[Alan Gales]

Fujifilm X-100s.

[Winger]

If I'm going somewhere that I intend to be relatively close to the car, I'll treat the car like a camera bag and take several formats, just in case. If 4x5 is my main format and I'll be hiking, then I usually stick a dSLR or my Pentax 645N in the bag. I have way too many cameras, so I decide what to haul based on my mood that day.

[Vaughn]

Rolleiflex -- hardly notice it amongst the 8x10 gear.

[Peter Lewin]

am thinking I will eventually switch that out with a leica and a couple of lenses. Possibly even something digital like a sony mirrorless with the leica lenses.
Actually I went exactly this route, substituting a Sony Alpha7 for my Leica M6 as my "take-along" camera. I originally thought I would use it with my Leica 28mm and 50mm "prime" lenses, but since Sony's own 28-70 zoom (sold bundled with the Alpha7) covers the same range, has all the electronic linkage, and weighs no more (possibly less, I haven't weighed anything on a scale) than the two Leica lenses, I usually just take the "wholly Sony" combination. I actually prefer the Leica (something about how it feels in my hands, and of course film to print from) but there is something about using the digital and being able to review the image immediately which is winning me over. Of course my #1 love is still my 4x5.

[Alan Gales]

I actually prefer the Leica (something about how it feels in my hands, and of course film to print from) but there is something about using the digital and being able to review the image immediately which is winning me over.

Last Saturday a whole bunch of us went out to dinner to celebrate my Father-in-Law's 85th birthday. I brought along my little Fuji X-100s and took pictures of everyone. It is real nice to review the image immediately so you can tell if someone blinked or moved or something. When I used to shoot 35mm or 645 for stuff like this I always made sure that I took insurance shots to cover Murphy's law.

[Heespharm]

Fuji gf670 great back up... And it has bellows too

[Darko Pozar]

Leica X1. Extremely compact with a lot of punch in resolution. I find it better than my D810.

[Andy Eads]

Rolleicord Va - about 1/3 of my keepers are from the Rollei.

[Renato Tonelli]

A Rollei 35. I've taken a Leica M2 with a 35mm lens but Leicas are not so light.

[Tin Can]

A little digital is my prime -- it's the 5x7 which is the backup.

:)

My Nikon P7000 is most likely my best camera and gets far more usage than 10 others combined.

It's too good to replace.

[Drew Bedo]

I too carried an Agfa Isolett given to me by my father-in-law, in 6x9. sometimes it was a smaller folding Agfa in 6x6. Now I only shoot 4x5 and my wife backs up with a DSLR.

My Leica M-3 is just too valuable now (replacement value) to exposae to the vapors in Yellowstone or to take out of the house for that matter. Its a little like wearing a Rolex without also wearing a tuxedo.

[mdm]

I used to have a little Panasonic lx5 with me, it made beautiful photos but it died in the monsoon rain in Islamabad, and I have not replaced it till now, having just ordered a Fuji x100t. Can't wait for it to arrive, I miss having a digital for when I don't have time to develop film, and for colour.

[invisibleflash]

Fuji, Leica, Pentax, M43

[Greg Y]

The last couple of years I used a panasonic DCLx5 or a nikon P310....or even an Iphone. I got some great images .....& then missed the feeling of printing them. So I've gone to the Rolleiflex as a back up or even a substitute when taking the 5x7 is impractical. I just went one step further & got an MP (film) for the take it everywhere camera.

[appletree]

Last Saturday a whole bunch of us went out to dinner to celebrate my Father-in-Law's 85th birthday. I brought along my little Fuji X-100s and took pictures of everyone. It is real nice to review the image immediately so you can tell if someone blinked or moved or something. When I used to shoot 35mm or 645 for stuff like this I always made sure that I took insurance shots to cover Murphy's law.

See this is my thing/thought process. It would be nice to have for church events, hanging with friends, taking a "test" shot, needing quick photos, selling stuff on eBay, product photos for my website, etc etc.

All my photography budget has gone toward my 4x5 kit this year, but at some point I am really leaning toward a digital mirrorless body able to use my Leica lenses, if I so chose.

[Bruce Watson]

The only issues with shooting LF is that I often see more opportunities at a location than I am willing to shoot with 4x5.

A large part of the LF experience is learning to ruthlessly edit. In the field. On the light table. You have to break yourself of the habits of small format (which is, shoot everything and sort it out later). You have to learn how to choose, and choose wisely.

One of the best ways to do that is to fully commit to LF. So, you don't carry anything that's not part of your LF kit. That includes "backup" cameras.

And you have to be willing to not burn the film too. You have to be willing to spend the time setting up on an image, evaluate the image under the dark cloth, and decline it. Hard to do. But if you're hiking up the mountain with a limited number of film holders, you need to learn how to get the most out of them. And sometimes that means shaking your head and tearing it down without burning a sheet of film. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn, that one.

[Drew Wiley]

For potshots on road trips I carry a "beater" Pentax 6x7 system - everything reliable, but not horribly valuable in terms of replacement cost if someone were to
break into my truck while I'm out backpacking or hiking with the view camera, which is my primary instrument.

[appletree]

A large part of the LF experience is learning to ruthlessly edit. In the field. On the light table. You have to break yourself of the habits of small format (which is, shoot everything and sort it out later). You have to learn how to choose, and choose wisely.

One of the best ways to do that is to fully commit to LF. So, you don't carry anything that's not part of your LF kit. That includes "backup" cameras.

And you have to be willing to not burn the film too. You have to be willing to spend the time setting up on an image, evaluate the image under the dark cloth, and decline it. Hard to do. But if you're hiking up the mountain with a limited number of film holders, you need to learn how to get the most out of them. And sometimes that means shaking your head and tearing it down without burning a sheet of film. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn, that one.

I believe this advice will be critical to me. My habit always has been shoot more, develop later, and hope for the best. The thought process of "film is cheap, sometimes a moment to take the photograph is once (whether out of the country or hiking or whatever).

I worry though that this would be nearly impossible for me, I think, mainly because so many times what I envisioned or thought I would work out well ended up with such underwhelming results. Whereas images I never thought twice about ended up being some of my best.

But perhaps this is just a function of my inexperience, lack of lighting control (for many years I didn't even use a light meter in the field), and my fear of losing an image due to technical mistakes or wrong f-stops/dof/shutter speed/etc.

I guess there is no right or wrong way though. Pros and cons sort of thing. I could imagine that by having on LF kit it would help improve my technical skills and eye for the art/outcome, otherwise I use the many shots as a crutch to just select the best out of the bunch.

[Tin Can]

I believe this advice will be critical to me. My habit always has been shoot more, develop later, and hope for the best. The thought process of "film is cheap, sometimes a moment to take the photograph is once (whether out of the country or hiking or whatever).

I worry though that this would be nearly impossible for me, I think, mainly because so many times what I envisioned or thought I would work out well ended up with such underwhelming results. Whereas images I never thought twice about ended up being some of my best.

But perhaps this is just a function of my inexperience, lack of lighting control (for many years I didn't even use a light meter in the field), and my fear of losing an image due to technical mistakes or wrong f-stops/dof/shutter speed/etc.

I guess there is no right or wrong way though. Pros and cons sort of thing. I could imagine that by having on LF kit it would help improve my technical skills and eye for the art/outcome, otherwise I use the many shots as a crutch to just select the best out of the bunch.

I burn a lot of X-Ray film cut down to any format I want.

The cost becomes nearly nil, with Rodinal developer.

I learn composition, framing, lighting, exposure and developing. Currently a big fan of stand development. My contact prints on Fomalux resemble 1910 movies!

When I grow up, I will use real film. I'm 64 and glad of it. :)

[Drew Wiley]

View cameras (and the cost of large film) can certainly help your discipline. Rather often I'll set up the 8x10 and just look at things through it, and not even take the shot unless I'm fairly certain it's a keeper. After awhile, you even start shooting your small cameras as if they were view cameras, and become far more
conscious of the composition itself, and not just the nominal subject. You become aware of the borders of the image, the texture and tension between the pictorial
elements, nuances of ever-changing light. It's a wonderful experience, something the machine-gunners simply speed past.

[Jmarmck]

I found this to be true on my last trip out west. I started shooting on the road between Oklahoma City and Albuquerque. In some instances not even stopping the truck (digital).
I was shooting nearly 300 shots a day on the road. On day three when I started pulling out the LF gear the number of digital shots steadily declined.....so did the LF.
By the time I left DV I was commenting in my mind, "nope, not worth the effort, much less the film". Of course I was also thinking about the couple thousand digitals I was faced with editing.

I remember being at Skidoo and not even taking a shot (not that there is much there). I had to walk a half hour west up a hill till I setup.

[Greg Y]

Bruce W, While I agree with you philosophically & I do like to use the biggest negative I can....there is often a context around image making. I prefer to use my Deardorff....but sometimes carry another camera not as a backup for LF subjects, but for occasions around the context of image making....for example during a road trip. I doubt AA would have gotten this photo with a view camera, & it is one of my favorites. 132090

[Darko Pozar]

Bruce W, While I agree with you philosophically & I do like to use the biggest negative I can....there is often a context around image making. I prefer to use my Deardorff....but sometimes carry another camera not as a backup for LF subjects, but for occasions around the context of image making....for example during a road trip. I doubt AA would have gotten this photo with a view camera, & it is one of my favorites. 132090

The smaller format offers me a window for spontaneity. There is always an opportunity to photograph something within it's "decisive moment" which could be lost whilst negotiating the larger format camera facing the opposite direction.

[Daniel Stone]

View cameras (and the cost of large film) can certainly help your discipline. Rather often I'll set up the 8x10 and just look at things through it, and not even take the shot unless I'm fairly certain it's a keeper. After awhile, you even start shooting your small cameras as if they were view cameras, and become far more
conscious of the composition itself, and not just the nominal subject. You become aware of the borders of the image, the texture and tension between the pictorial
elements, nuances of ever-changing light. It's a wonderful experience, something the machine-gunners simply speed past.

Bingo. I've exposed exactly (6) sheets of 5x7 film this year. I'm rather embarrassed to say that, but out of those 6, 4 have been "keepers". I now shoot my Pentax 67 and GX680 kits like I do LF, surveying a scene, assessing lighting, metering and filtering techniques, etc... It's literally turned my photography on its head. I don't photography much anymore, but when I do, it's with purpose and having a set goal in mind. This helps me direct my techniques more accurately, spend money(well, spend less!) more wisely, and in the end, it also aids in reducing my level of trash/waste produced. I even approach digital photography in the same way.

[David Karp]

Sometimes I take my Canon S95 with me while I am hiking and photographing with a large format camera. Sometimes I even set the S95 to 4x5 proportions and try to frame out a photo before unpacking the big camera. Usually, I don't use it much, but it is small and light and I don't notice it at all. I have thought about packing my Olympus E-M1 in the pack with the big camera, but so far I have not done it.

Recently, I went on a photo trip with my 86 year old dad. I used my Whole Plate Improved Seneca, 4x5 Walker Titan SF, E-M1 and Mamiya 645. Since we mostly worked out of the car, it was easy to have all cameras and lenses handy, so I did. I shot a couple of 120 rolls of Delta 400 through the Mamiya, which I had not used in a long time. It was fun. One time, I had the Walker set up for a shot and was waiting for some weather to happen. While waiting, I pulled out the Mamiya and made some shots of other things in the area. I think it worked out well, but have not yet developed the film. Another time, I made a number of photos with the 4x5 and when done I popped the E-M1 on the tripod and made some more in color. Of course, you can't carry all these cameras around while hiking, but it was a luxury to be able to use more than one camera/format.

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Well when I shoot my 14 x 17 my back up is my point and shoot........................... 8 x 10! :)

[Alan Gales]

A large part of the LF experience is learning to ruthlessly edit. In the field. On the light table. You have to break yourself of the habits of small format (which is, shoot everything and sort it out later). You have to learn how to choose, and choose wisely.

One of the best ways to do that is to fully commit to LF. So, you don't carry anything that's not part of your LF kit. That includes "backup" cameras.

And you have to be willing to not burn the film too. You have to be willing to spend the time setting up on an image, evaluate the image under the dark cloth, and decline it. Hard to do. But if you're hiking up the mountain with a limited number of film holders, you need to learn how to get the most out of them. And sometimes that means shaking your head and tearing it down without burning a sheet of film. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn, that one.

I started out back in the early 1980's with a 35mm camera. Either someone gave me this advice or I read it somewhere. I don't remember but the advice was to keep my 10 best shots in an album, update them as I got better and review them periodically. I was to increase my 10 best to 15 best and then to 20 best as I took more images.

One day while reviewing my 15 or 20 best photos I noticed something. Almost all my best shots were taken with my camera on a tripod. They were not any sharper than my hand held shots. They were just better. After some serious thinking and remembering taking each photograph I came to realize that my tripod was slowing me down. The result of slowing down was that I was thinking more about each subject. After seeing this I forced myself to slow down and really evaluate a subject before setting up my camera. My amount of keepers went way up.

I agree with you, Bruce. It is a hard lesson to learn and sometimes a hard lesson to keep putting in practice but the results of hard editing makes for more keepers and less trash.

[polyglot]

Sony A99 and Mamiya RZ67. Not so much backups though as for different purposes - horses for courses. Usually I will have only one with me - for example I don't take the little cameras if I'm going on a hunt with the 4x5, and I don't bring the 4x5 to parties.

I can't take a candid snapshot of someone by candlelight (f/1.4 1/30 ISO3200 and image-stabilised, producing a visually-clean and sharp 8x12" print) with my 4x5, and I can't do movements and capture truly high resolution and dynamic range without my 4x5.

[esearing]

thanks all for your input. After missing a couple of bargain Leica M6's I found a buy it now on a Bessa R3M with a 50mm f2 lens for less than the M6's best price.
Also just went on a trip with the family to Smokey Mountains but it was hard to shoot the 4x5 while on the road though I saw many places I wanted to capture. I managed a few images but they were not happy waiting for me. And I learned that the top of Clingman's Dome is a bit windy for a large bellows camera.
I shot some digital but after working with film lately it felt odd.

[Fr. Mark]

if I can't use the monster 8x10and mine is 30 pounds..., then 4x5 press camera, then film slr or Olympus XA, last resort or sometimes only camera I have is my iPhone. Sinar P 4x5/5x7 coming into use soon. May completely re-adjust priorities. I also find it also depends on the situation and purpose of the photos.

[John Kasaian]

5x7 Speed Graphic is my little camera, followed by a littler Rolleiflex, and an even smaller F2 with the tiniest being on Olympus digi point & shoot that doesn't like me.

[Gary Tarbert]

2x Sigma quattro's DP1(28mm )DP2 (45mm)and when released in a couple of months the zero (21mm) brackets are 35mm equivalents amazing little cameras these just have a little something that is special ., Would not take all three but always the DP2

[mdarnton]

I always have a Leica on me somewhere, with some lens between 15mm and 50mm, depending on my mood. Currently the one in my bag has a 28mm on it.

Regarding the slowness advantage of LF, I have been using my large cameras only for portraits, which is something I've always done a lot of in 35mm. The big camera on a tripod not only slows me down, but it also slows down my victims. They have to find a position, wait for me to get the camera ready and focused, and then I tell them they can't move a muscle while I get film in and shot. The result is a completely different type of photo that's often a lot more intense. When I started using 8x10 I was shooting four shots in a session, as opposed to 40 or 50 with digital 35mm. I guess that was the remaining influence of the old way, because now I'm down to two shots, and almost invariably the first one is the keeper. Recently I shot a real portrait job in LF, shot around 20 shots, and the percentage of keepers was huge compared with what I had previously with small digital.