PDA

View Full Version : Lets see your lightweight field kit!



Tim Meisburger
26-Sep-2015, 20:41
Here is mine:
http://i1120.photobucket.com/albums/l496/Tim_Meisburger/20150927_100204_resized_zpsno8iol0q.jpg (http://s1120.photobucket.com/user/Tim_Meisburger/media/20150927_100204_resized_zpsno8iol0q.jpg.html)

Starting from top left, black t-shirt, bag with six loaded film holders (12 shots). In the pocket of bag a grey card, notebook, quickdisk, and guide for night shots. Below that a self-timer, loupe and reading glasses on top of the hand-sewn neoprene camera case (which has a sheet of masonite sewn int he back panel to protect the groundglass), holding an Ikeda Anba 4x5. Three lenses (90mm Super Angulon, 135mm Fujinon, and 180mm Dagor) with a few filters in the lens bags. Last, an Amazon Basics carbon travel tripod. Total weight is 5.6 kg or 12.33 pounds.

I was packing for a trip to East Timor and had this stuff out and thought I would go ahead and share it. This is my kit for trips when I only take carry-on. The only thing not shown is the backpack (I use my business backpack, which normally carries my laptop and notebooks). For other trips with checked bags I have a different kit with a stouter tripod, Ebony 45s camera, and a 210mm instead of the Dagor and a 360mm telexenar.

Doremus Scudder
27-Sep-2015, 03:07
Just a photo of my kit in "action," so to speak, on the Oregon coast.

I carry a Wista DX and five lenses (90mm f/8 SA, 135mm something, 203mm f/7.7 Ektar, 240mm f/9 Fuji A and a 300mm Nikkor M on a top-hat lensboard). One of the lenses if folded up with the camera, three others go, along with the camera, into a lumbar pack that also carries two sets of six filters (52mm and 67mm) in filter wallets. My white Gore-Tex darkcloth gets rolled up and strapped onto the back of the lumbar pack.

Meter, viewing filter, barn doors lens shade, loupe, 4x reading glasses, cleaning stuff, flashlight and other accessories go into the pockets of a short-waisted fly-fishing vest (pictured) or, if the weather is colder, into the pockets of a Gore-Tex parka (an expedition shell with lots of pockets that I bought just for this purpose).

I carry a small pouch slung over my shoulder or strapped onto the pack with six filmholders and one of the smaller lenses. Tripod gets carried in a free hand most of the time, but straps onto the pack with the darkcloth for times when I have to scramble.

The lumbar pack is equipped with a padded hip belt and a shoulder strap so that when the belt is released I can swing the pack around to one side and work out of it like a camera bag. When setting up, I first set up the tripod, then hang the film pouch from the center post lock knob (adding a bit of weight for stability) before I release the belt on the pack and swing it around to my side. The nice thing about this set-up is that nothing ever has to touch the ground. I've worked knee deep in water before, no problems.

Tripod is a Manfrotto 3025 with a 3-way 3205 head which I like because I can loosen all three locks and have it function similar to a ball head, but can also control pan/tilt/swing separately. I could go with a lighter carbon fiber tripod if I had the budget for it...

The whole kit weighs in at 22-24 lbs. It can be less if I need it to be. For really lightweight I leave the 90mm SA and the associated 67mm filters behind and take a 100mm WF Ektar instead. I ditch the 300mm as well, empty the extraneous junk out of my vest pockets, etc. and can get down below 20lbs easily.

Best,

Doremus

Tim Meisburger
27-Sep-2015, 08:50
I keep thinking a fishing vest--the old kind with the big pocket in the back for the camera--would be the trick way to carry this stuff around. I mostly have this lightweight kit for carry-on air travel, as if I'm just hiking around I don't have any problem with my regular kit.

Drew Bedo
27-Sep-2015, 12:34
Tim; What does it weigh?
Doremus: What does it weigh?

In a similar thread a few weeks ago the averagr weight for a walking around 4x5 kit seemed to be in the neighborhood of 25 pounds.

My houlder bag (LowePro Magnum 35) holds a Wista made Zone VI, 90/150/210 lenses, 8-10 film holders , BTZS hood/meter/loupe/tape etc . . . a CF tripod with a magnesium ball head and weigh 23-27 pounds (depending on what else I bring).

My arthritic hips and L4/L5 disk do not consider 25 pounds to be light weight. I frequently use luggage wheels to drag it all around.

Doremus Scudder
28-Sep-2015, 02:31
Tim; What does it weigh?
Doremus: What does it weigh? ...

Hi Drew,

I was estimating earlier. Now I've just weighed my kit here in Europe, which is similar to my U.S. kit. It comes in at exactly 10 kilos (22lbs). That's including the tripod and pack. I could easily make it lighter.

FWIW, my Euro-kit consists of a Woodman camera body (got a new Wista on the way, though!), five lenses (90mm f/8 SA, 135mm WF Ektar, 180mm f/9 Fuji A, 210mm f/5.6 Fuji L and a 240mm f/9 Fuji A), five or six filmholders, filter wallets with two sets of six filters each in 52mm and 67mm. Pentax digital spot meter, viewing filter, darkcloth, 4x reading glasses and loupe, exposure record, and cleaning stuff plus business cards, passport, hankies, and other misc. stuff (including a lensboard with a pinhole and a spare ground glass).

It all fits in a rolling carry-on size backpack. I carry it on my back most of the time. In my Euro-home city of Vienna, I carry it on my back on my bicycle. The tripod gets strapped onto the bike rack. When traveling, it gets rolled through airports and the like (with smooth floors) but gets carried on my back normally, the tripod in a free hand. It's not as well distributed weight-wise as my U.S. kit, but can get rolled around some. I do have to work out of the rolling pack while it's standing on the ground below my tripod, but that hasn't been a problem since I do largely city photography here in Europe (not nearly so much rock climbing...).

Here's my Euro-kit:

140282140283

All the stuff is on the left, the rolling backpack on the right. Tripod (not pictured) is another 3025 Manfrotto with the 3205 head. Also not shown are the homemade cobbled-together corrugated cardboard boxes that I use for lens and camera storage while they are in the pack. They're light, tough and easily stackable.

I could easily leave a lens or two home, pare down on the extras and get below 20lbs.

Best,

Doremus

Tim Meisburger
28-Sep-2015, 03:14
Hi Drew. I mentioned the weight in the original post (I have a luggage scale). 5.6kg, which is 12.33 pounds. I can fit it all in a Jansport daypack.

Cor
28-Sep-2015, 04:06
My lightweight set can be more or less seen here (http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?36782-Show-off-your-Large-Format-camera!&p=1271185&viewfull=1#post1271185).

I carry a small incident Gossen Sixtomat (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gossen_Sixtomat_Light_metter_002.JPG), and I was wondering if there is something like a lightweight, small spot meter? A Pentax Minolta, or Sekonic etc are quite bulky..

Best,

Cor

Drew Bedo
28-Sep-2015, 05:49
140287[ATTACH=CONFIG]140288[/ATTACH

My kit: To be simplified.

Zone VI
90mm, 150mm, 210mm, 389mm
Filters, meter, film holders etc.

As shown, and with a CF tripod, it all weighs 26 pounds (11.8Kg).

Had the opportunity to see the other half of the family in Hungary (Buda-Pest & Szeged) back in 2012, but couldn't get to Vienna. Couldn't pare it all down to fly with family , so only have good memories of the trip.


Doremus: One thing I have since done is to standardize on 72mm filters and adapt each lens to that with step-up rings. This eliminates one wallet and simplies my work-flow. I will eliminate the really big 380mm lens and carry fewer film holders, or go to two Grafmatics alone in the future.

Raymond Bleesz
28-Sep-2015, 06:04
This thread took my attention because I do not have a "field camera" such as pictured in this thread, but what I have is a Arca S field & because of the rail, it does not exactly fit into conventional bags. I am wondering if there are any members who deal with the AS & what they do re:

biedron
29-Sep-2015, 20:38
This thread took my attention because I do not have a "field camera" such as pictured in this thread, but what I have is a Arca S field & because of the rail, it does not exactly fit into conventional bags. I am wondering if there are any members who deal with the AS & what they do re:

I use the Photobackpacker P2 or P3 bag with the C12097AS case to hold an AS 4x5. The most compact will be the telescoping rail system with two 15 cm rails; both standards moved onto one of the 15cm rails, and that put in the case. The rest of the rail system goes along side the case in the bag. However, I'm pretty sure the other system, the folding rail, folded in half will also fit in the case. Since the rail sets the height requirement of the case, I use the extra space in the case itself to store either a grad filter set or a Lee lens hood or similar flat item.

For an 8x10 AS I had Bruce make a custom case (none of his standard cases will fit an AS 8x10) to go in a P2/P3. Unfortunately he can no longer make custom cases due to lack of material. Before I got the custom case, I wrapped the 8x10 camera up in the dark cloth and just stuck that in the P2. Worked well enough.


Bob

Richard Warom
1-Oct-2015, 22:28
Recently bought a new back pack as the one I had was to short in length and to deep so was like carrying a short top heavy house around. The new one was cheap from Amazon but I'm pleased with the quality it is longer and not nearly so deep. I gave it a good trial run yesterday climbing a steep hill on moorland and was very pleased with it although with the tripod and film the gear weighed 8kg I found it very comfortable and after a couple of hours still felt so. The Gear: Shen Hao TZII 54B, Gossen Starlight, Horsman lupe, Lee filter holder and 4 filters, Nikor W 150, rubber lens hood, Horsman 6x9 roll film holder, 1 Grafmatic and 1 DD slide holder, few small bits and pieces, small water bottle and Gitzo carbon tripod with Manfrotto 410 head also small collapsable tri leg stool.
Richard

Richard Warom
1-Oct-2015, 22:31
I forgot the Harrison silver dark cloth that I had shortened and a cable release.
Richard