Camera set up for hiking

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Question,
For those who hike to photograph, what do you bring? Weight is a consideration for sure. Especially when in the Grand Canyon.

I use a Chamonix 45H -1, have three lenses, Nikkor 75mm f/4.5, Schneider Super Angulon 90mm f/5.6, and a 210mm. Plus at least 5 film holders, extra film small changing bag. 6x Horseman loupe, dust brush, small set of filters and my light meter.

I an considering taking a 150 and 300 aling with 75mm instead of 90 and 210 or 90, 150 and 300.

Of course I also thought of just taking a single lens, but that wouldn't save any real weight. And then my tripid of which I found a new one that weighs in at around 3 lbs which is significantly lighter than my gitzo and more compact.

Thoughts?

[Vaughn]

Well, I have taken many 7 to 11-day solo backpack trips with my 4x5 down into the Grand Canyon. Granted, this was many years ago when a 90 pound pack would only slightly kill me and collect a not-so-minor toll on the knees. Ah, to be young like that again...I'd say screw that!

Wish I had a decent image of the Grand Canyon.

The first 4x5 was a heavy Deardorff Special clone with a Computar Symmetrigon 210/6.3 and a major light leak. Learned my lesson, or so I thought. When the lesson was finally drilled in, I got a Gowland PocketView 4x5 and a Caltar II-N 150/5.6 (camera and lens together weighs 2.5 pounds). Plus a 7 pound Gitzo Studex (No.2 Ballhead). Six holders, changing bag, light meter, a small bag with other essentials (brush, cable release, allen wrench, etc). I wrapped some electrical tape around one of the trip legs, just in case I needed some -- came in handy when one of the Gitzo legs cracked around the threads -- don't use your tripod to hold up your backpack at night to keep it away from the various rodentia.

Now that I am older and questionably wiser, I take shorter hikes (4 nights and not down into the Grand Canyon) with my 110 year-old 5x7, one lens, and with 6 to 10 loaded holders (no changing of film)...what I got is what I got. I usually hike in with the camera on the pod and over my shoulder, and on the way out, the camera is in the pack which now has room. The hikes are relative easy -- 1.25 miles down to Redwood Creek, then up the creek bed a few miles and basecamp. I finally got to see a good-size Catholic cathedral (Santiago, Chile) earlier this year, so now I know I prefer the ones I find along Redwood Creek.

I hope to take another hike down there next month -- might take two lenses...or if just one, the FujiW 180/5.6. Lighter and works nicely in the confines of tall trees.

I tried the light 4x5 with a very light carbon fiber tripod. Too light and too short -- bloody hassle to use...slightest touch, the camera was all over the place. So I still use a Gitzo -- either a Reporter Perfomance or the Studex (about a pound difference). The Gitzo is strong enough to use as a crutch is a knee fails me.

If I were to gone for a week or I am feeling weak, I'd probably go with the 4x5 -- or if I was hiking a long distance, perhaps just the Rolleicord with that carbon fiber pod.

[Leszek Vogt]

Hiking into the canyon (via Kaibab Trail) was a piece of cake, but coming out was really no fun....via Bright Angel Trail. It may have been little different if the heat build up in the canyon wasn't there - it was June or July. Hope you are young enough to pull this off. My buddy Rick and I, we went to the river and back to S. Rim in 14hrs *NUTS*.

This took place in 1974 and by looking at the photos (near the tunnel & bridge) I was wearing a tshirt and had a cut off sweat shirt + 135mm lens in a plastic bag. That's it. Yes, only had the 35mm rig with me (Nikon F) + 50mm lens. No water no nada. Did I mentioned *nuts* ?

No point dramatizing the whole experience, but we both would feel different if we were able to stay at Phantom Ranch over night. We had to return to the rim, or become AWOL at nearby Nellis AFB. It became the most phys enduring thing in my life (heat + lack of water)....and still is. Lots of memories.

Either way, go as light as you can, take lots of water, stop often take some shots.....and hopefully enjoying cooler weather. If I went again (?), and with LF, I'd pick 2 v. light lenses from 90/100/110 or 180/210 + super light camera. There is a way of breaking the hike back in two: hike to Indian Gardens one day, and the second day hit the switchbacks early (when it's cool) to get to the rim.

Enjoy the canyon...it's a wonderful place. Believe me, riding the raft (2008) was more pleasurable;)

Les

[Alan9940]

For 4x5, I settled many years ago on a Toho FC-45X with a complement of 4 lenses: 90mm, 135mm, 200mm, and 300mm; all lightweight lenses. For example, my 200 and 300 are Nikkor-M's. The entire pack for this outfit, sans the film holders, weighs in at about 10 pounds which is light enough to carry just about anywhere. For 8x10, I use an Intrepid for backpacking along with 3 lenses: 240mm, 360mm, and 450mm; again, all light weight lenses. I use carbon fiber tripods for both sizes which helps keep the weight down. Film holders? Not much you can do about that nowadays. In the days of yore, we had ready-loads, Mido holders, etc. Today? Is a Grafmatic with 6 sheets of film lighter than 3 standard 4x5 film holders? Dunno...never did a comparison, though I do own 6 Grafmatics and do use them on occasion.

[Vaughn]

Les...your tune might be different if you had stayed a week down in the Canyon -- hiking down is the hard part...hard on the knees with a heavy pack. On two of my trips in with the heavy pack, my first day was 14 miles of downhill. Both times I had to spend an extra night at my first camp because of knee problems, with careful hiking for the next 9 days. One of the reasons I do not have great images. Hiking up did not make my knee hurt.

I usually hiked during the last two weeks of April -- starting to warm up some, but the flowers were blooming and water was usually available in the side canyons. I worked a summer (May thru Sept 1977). Took a lot of day hikes and over-nights...a different place in the summer!

[aaronnate]

Are you going into the canyon? An experience I was working my way up to until I blew out my knee, and then ended up with a total knee replacement. Another dream flushed due to my body-by-bad-decision lifestyle.

[Tin Can]

Since everybody is talking about the hike...

1975 I was 24 and healthy.

Stopped at South Rim for 2 days. Hiked in without a permit, but stopped at the 1/2 way warning sign. It was getting hot and we obviously did not have enough water. I wanted to go back. My buddy wanted to go on down.

Then 2 women our age from Ohio were doing the same thing we were. No permit.

I convinced everybody to walk back out. We didn't have enough water for 4 people. Ohio had no water.

I had no camera as I was on a 'NO CAMERA' buy postcards vacation. I now regret that.

I don't regret the night with the 2 women.

[Doremus Scudder]

I've written about my hiking kit(s) before, but will again in an attempt to enrich this thread.

My basic day-hiking kit consists of a Wista DX and four lightweight lenses plus accessories. I carry a Nikkor 90mm f/8, a 135mm Plasmat of some brand, a 203mm f/7.7 Ektar (really light and compact!) and a Nikkor M 300mm f/9. Often I'll add a fifth lens, usually a Fujinon A 240mm (also really light and compact. I carry a Pentax digital spot meter and six 4x5 filmholders in a separate pouch. I've got six filters in a filter wallet and have step-up rings on all my lenses so I can use them on every lens. Tripod is a Manfrotto 3205 with a 3025 compact three-way head. For "wide-angle" situations (say I'm hiking in the slot canyons or whatever), I'll replace the 300mm with a 75mm Fujinon SW f/5.6

If I need to be really light, I'll replace the 90mm with a 100mm Wide-Field Ektar and the 203 with a Fujinon A 180mm, ending up with 100mm, 135mm, 180mm and 240mm plus accessories. And, I have a set of Mido holders that allows me to carry 20+ exposures worth of film for about the weight of 5 regular filmholders. These are fiddly and a PITA to load and have to be babied when shooting but are really worth it in terms of weight.

For day hiking, I carry the camera, lenses and filters in a lumbar pack. My lightweight GoreTex darkcloth usually is strapped on the back. Meter and accessories go either in a fly-fishing vest or in my coat pockets. Filmholders go in a small pouch, usually over my shoulder and the tripod gets carried in a hand (and can be strapped onto the pack if I need both hands for scrambling. I like my lumbar pack since it carries well and has a shoulder strap that allows me to unbuckle the belt and work out of it as a shoulder bag; nothing ever has to touch the ground except for the tripod feet.

I just got back from 35 days camping and hiking in the SW. I carried a version of this kit practically every day on hikes from 4 to 12+ miles. It worked just great.

Best,

Doremus

[CreationBear]

but that wouldn't save any real weight.

Good question, but what I would be interested in is what the gram-weenies among us "splurge on" in terms of weight/cubes. For myself, it's a sling pack that I don when working around the camera--a place to tuck a film holder, GG, lens caps etc. so they won't get lost/dirty/wet. (FWIW, as time erodes my pain threshold, I'll admit to packing a set of Arc'teryx knee caps if a lot of streamside "rhodo crawling" is on the agenda.:))

[Vaughn]

Doremus made a good point. Rather than a separate pack for the camera gear I use to carry, I have the holders in a shoulder bag just big enough for 5 holders and light meter (cable release, notebook, etc in its zippered pocket.). That way, when I am out photographing from my camp for the day, I carry the camera on the pod and the small bag over my shoulder. Minimum extra weight (one need some type of bag to hold the holders anyway) and I can work without setting anything on the ground.
This small bag also gets packed last in my main top-loading backpack and can be accessed without removing it from the main pack -- so if I see something while I am hiking with my main pack on, I can set the camera up, put the main pack down and quickly access the meter and holders.

[Peter Collins]

Well, it also depends on what you think you will find there to inspire you to photograph. Sometimes the quite small can grab one's attention. Also, the Canyon has been shot a gazillion times. What will you see that might be new? Maybe some thinking along these lines will suggest a kit.

For something reasonably close, a variety of lenses will do. Compensate by moving the tripod. Just what I have done in other places.

[Drew Wiley]

Think about a gallon or two of water first, then afterwards, just what you REALLY need in terms of camera gear. It's been a long time since I've been to the Grand Canyon, but tended to lean toward longer views homing in on features of interest in the distance, so would recommend having a least a 300 along; but that's a personal preference. Pretty much a 200 Nikkor M and a 300 of the same would do it for me. It takes some patience to avoid cliche photos at the South Rim; breaking-up nasty weather helps.

[Leszek Vogt]

Les...your tune might be different if you had stayed a week down in the Canyon -- hiking down is the hard part...hard on the knees with a heavy pack. On two of my trips in with the heavy pack, my first day was 14 miles of downhill. Both times I had to spend an extra night at my first camp because of knee problems, with careful hiking for the next 9 days. One of the reasons I do not have great images. Hiking up did not make my knee hurt.

I usually hiked during the last two weeks of April -- starting to warm up some, but the flowers were blooming and water was usually available in the side canyons. I worked a summer (May thru Sept 1977). Took a lot of day hikes and over-nights...a different place in the summer!

Vaughn, have I done bit of thinking <that's a ha ha> we could have hiked across to the North Rim. We made no preparations....we totally improvised this. OK, I was 24 and any sort of pain or arthritis may have existed, but on another planet....certainly not anywhere near my cocoon. Going to the river via Kaibab T. was quick (7mi) and it seem effortless and fairly steep at some spots....almost forcing one to trot, but we knew that we couldn't return the same way as there were no water runoff of any kind on this trail.

My knees are still pretty good, but I'd talk differently if I dragged hefty backpack down into the canyon. Indeed, Summer in the cyn can actually be deadly (most folks don't know this). Anyhoo, had plenty of AHA moments and if I'd ever do something faintly similar, I just might reserve the "long-ears" on the way back....don't mind smelling like one :).

Les

[Drew Wiley]

Just stay at the rim and take selfies; that's thrilling enough. More people have recently died doing that than probably every fatality inside the canyon itself. I heard that it was over 250 to date who backed up too far and went over the edge. A new thrill sport : Parachuting without a parachute.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

So I live just 2 hours from the Canyon. This was an example, but I have been down it twice, once to Indian Gardens (14 mile round trip roughly) and then to Phantom Ranch from South Kaibab and up the Bright Angel and the Devils Corkscrew. Going down is only hard on the joints if not done properly with training. Going up is a different story and every micro ounce counts! Last trip I had a 35lb load including backpack. Enough food for 3 days exactly and water. I went down end of November. The trip up was easy on the joints, but the sheer stamina needed was something else. It is one thing with no back pack coming up, but slap on 35lbs, let alone an additional 20-30 for camera gear and you are on your own. By the time I had got out at Bright Angel trail head, my black Under Armour Shirt was stained white from all the salt I lost, I was in grey spandex shorts, and I had not drank an ounce of water (I don't dehydrate easily) My pack was 35lbs when I left Phantom Ranch and was 35lbs at the top.

I am inquiring for long hikes and maybe not easy ones. If I know there is water on the way, I have water filters, purifier that I would carry for replenishment along the way. Food will be dehyrdated, msr burner, survival gear and Garmin emergency gps so I can navigate as well as summon help. I am not chopping off my arm or my leg if I get stuck! Plus, I carry a map of the area I am in in MGRS as well as the military compass I carried in the Marines. Best ever. gps is good, but if you don't know land navigation, especially in the desert, your dead,end of story. Plus one small tent, sleeping bag and ground pad along with clothes.

Anyway, the survival part weighs around 35-40 lbs for 3 days and probably almost twice that if it was a week or more. So, If I can keep my camera gear to 20lbs or less that is ideal. A 7 day trip would start out close to 100lbs, but I am sure I could get that down. Going in the Canyon with a 60+ lb pack is not smart depending on where you go. And if you get stuck and need help, the rescuers will not take your pack out. It stays where they get you and if your lucky it ends up in lost and found.

I pretty much shoot exclusively with the 75mm, but I can see need for a 150 and 300. Or a 90/150/300,but my 90 is a big lens. Slot canyons are also on my list.

[Vaughn]

I am going to start calling you Doom & Gloom Drew! But there was a recent fatality on the Angel's Landing Trail in Zion, not too surprising.

Steven, I suggest drinking water, lots of it -- there is no such human beast who "don't dehydrate easily". One needs to be reasonably hydrated in order to burn fat for energy. Being well hydrated will help to keep your energy up for the uphill.

The Bright Angel Trail has a drinking faucet or two on it (above Indian Gardens) if they are still functional (the South Rim gets it water from below it, so the supply pipe is nearby). I prefer the Hermit Trail (it has a spring part way up from the Tonto, too). Far less people. The Desert View (Tanner Trail) to Horseshoe Mesa, then back up to the rim (Grandview Trail) was a nice un-marked trail -- though is probably a well-beaten path by now. It was difficult to follow without a map 40 years ago. Hermit's Rest to the Bass Trailhead is nice, too -- except the dry 16 mile hike back to Hermits Rest along the rim is a bit boring (a straight dirt road away from the rim with not much of a view)...I think one can arrange for a ride back for $$. Took a week trip in late December -- not a cloud in the sky and it never got above freezing in the Canyon except for the rare times one was in the sun...no mosquitos, though. Not my coldest hike, but close enough!

My big hikes in the Canyon were in the late70s/early80s -- in my 20s; played full-on basketball all winter, built trails and such in the wilderness all summer. Gave up basketball in 1997 when the triplets were born -- wanted to save the knees for backpacking with them. But I never got them to into the Grand Canyon -- too far away from home to travel and hike.

[angusparker]

Not that I hike any distance but the Chamonix 45 plus a 125/5.6 and 300/9 is my choice with the same filter size (52mm) so I can bring one set of screw on filters - orange, yellow, and green (instead of red which I rarely use). Then I bring as many loaded film holders as I can stand. But if it was a multi day trip I’d bring 3 holders and unload and load the film each night in my sleeping bag, putting the exposed film in a light tight plastic bag with card pouch you use for mailing exposes film.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I am going to start calling you Doom & Gloom Drew! But there was a recent fatality on the Angel's Landing Trail in Zion, not too surprising.

Steven, I suggest drinking water, lots of it -- there is no such human beast who "don't dehydrate easily". One needs to be reasonably hydrated in order to burn fat for energy. Being well hydrated will help to keep your energy up for the uphill.

The Bright Angel Trail has a drinking faucet or two on it (above Indian Gardens) if they are still functional (the South Rim gets it water from below it, so the supply pipe is nearby). I prefer the Hermit Trail (it has a spring part way up from the Tonto, too). Far less people. The Desert View (Tanner Trail) to Horseshoe Mesa, then back up to the rim (Grandview Trail) was a nice un-marked trail -- though is probably a well-beaten path by now. It was difficult to follow without a map 40 years ago. Hermit's Rest to the Bass Trailhead is nice, too -- except the dry 16 mile hike back to Hermits Rest along the rim is a bit boring (a straight dirt road away from the rim with not much of a view)...I think one can arrange for a ride back for $$. Took a week trip in late December -- not a cloud in the sky and it never got above freezing in the Canyon except for the rare times one was in the sun...no mosquitos, though. Not my coldest hike, but close enough!

My big hikes in the Canyon were in the late70s/early80s -- in my 20s; played full-on basketball all winter, built trails and such in the wilderness all summer. Gave up basketball in 1997 when the triplets were born -- wanted to save the knees for backpacking with them. But I never got them to into the Grand Canyon -- too far away from home to travel and hike.

I do agree on being hydrated. I have to force myself to drink sometimes. Bright Angel has three stops from top to Indian Gardens. 1.5 miles apart. I would like to hike some less traveled routes as tye Canyon has become over populated.

[Drew Bedo]

travel Wide with 90mm 6.8
Four or five film holders
Meter
Mini-tripod

[Steven Ruttenberg]

travel Wide with 90mm 6.8
Four or five film holders
Meter
Mini-tripod

Nice. I am considering only 2 lenses, a 75 and 300, with option for 150.

[Drew Wiley]

Angel's Landing, Vaughn? Yeah, I heard about that one. It's been quite awhile, but I was on the opposite side of Zion canyon with an 85lb pack, and the ledge trail was too narrow for the width of the pack, so I went hand over hand OUTSIDE the cable, with my feet braced on the edge of the cliff, and my body hanging over the void. It was snowing at the rim. Them was the days! But right now I'm trying to heal a pulled shoulder muscle from a slide down some steep wet foliage with a much lesser weight of Sinar gear. Somehow I managed to aim between patches of poison oak rather than into them. I don't have much heat tolerance anymore, having lived in the fog zone here for so long now. But some SW canyon backpacking is still on my bucket list again. I like going in November when the flashfloods have subsided but there is still a lot of fall color (other than aspens up high, which are bare by then). This afternoon I was examining an 8x10 color contact interneg from my last such trip, and might print it next week.

[Vaughn]

I got up to Scouts Lookout, which is where the narrow, with chains, section of trail starts that goes up to Angels Landing. With too many people, with a 5x7 on the pod over my shoulder, and too many years on me, I decided to just continue up the West Rim Trail instead. Beautiful -- one eventually looks down on Angels Landing.

Zion Canyon from Scouts Lookout
Scanned 5x7 platinum/palladium print

[Drew Wiley]

Those deep shadow values must be lovely in the actual print, Vaughn! I came back with something totally different. I encountered a small but remarkable slot canyon up high. I normally avoid that kind of subject matter because it has become such a cliche; but this one was unique in having bits of intense green foliage as a counterpoint to the rich warm stone colors. Then it had iridescence of the sky reflected in the desert varnish walls; and all of this came out wonderful on Cibachrome. My black and white work was not very successful in Zion on that trip, but I made up for that further east.

[Drew Wiley]

What are you smoking this time, Randy?

[esearing]

Nice. I am considering only 2 lenses, a 75 and 300, with option for 150.

The Schneider Symmar 150/235 convertible or 180/315 convertible are both fairly sharp with the front element removed for the longer focal length when stopped down. Both are small and relatively light, and it depends how large you want to enlarge for acceptable sharpness.

[orgraph]

I use Nagaoka 4x5, "Congo 90/6.3 + Fujinon 150/6.3 + Nikkor 300/9" or "Congo 90/6.3 + Congo 120/6.3 + Fujinon A 180/9 + Nikkor 300/9" or "Congo 90/6.3 + Symmar 135/5.6 + Fujinon A 180/9 + Nikkor 300/9". 6 film holders, "Feisol Carbon CT-3342" tripod...

[C. D. Keth]

I hiked a lot with a similar setup to OP’s but I opted for 2 grafmatics and only one or two lenses. I never expose more than 12 sheets in a day. That and using my rain jacket as a dark cloth let me keep my things down to a pretty small camelback backpack. I find it much more fun when I am minimally encumbered.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[John Layton]

For hiking with LF...more specifically with my favorite LF format (5x7), I've recently cobbled together my plywood "Minimalist." Ridiculously simple/cheap, and yet very sturdy and smooth operating, featuring only those movements that I absolutely need for the majority of my landscapes. Weighs 3.5lbs. with a 150 G-Claron attached.

Features: Bellows (from old project, a bit stiff but sturdy) 15"max, 2" min. Optics supported: 90 through 305. Rear infinity cutouts for 90/120-150(broad slot defined by either front or rear lock)/210/305, with infinity defined in combo with single, front witness mark (for handheld or quick setup). Front rail section features sliding focus slot. Front swing and tilt, front fall (mostly to ensure lens coverage in combo with "extreme" tilts). All movements feature relatively large sliding contact surfaces for smooth, wiggle-free operation, partial lock adjustability (very important!) and sturdy lockdowns, dampened/secured with dense, hard rubber gasket material (perfect slip/grip ratio!). Camera needs to be tilted sideways for vertical shots. 150mm rear slot, starting at lens axis, extends laterally to the right, for effective rear vertical rise sometimes necessary in combo with front tilt to preserve lens coverage specifically for 150...which can otherwise be challenged by strong vertical front tilts. QR plate mounted in middle of rail.

Whew! At any rate...this camera goes perfectly with my lightweight Feisol "Tall Traveller," and while I typically abhor the use of a ball head with LF - this camera is so light that the lightweight/compact "Photo-Clam" head works great. I either shove this (with rail detached) into the top of my backpack, or carry it, tripod-mounted, over my shoulder with lens mounted, and Photo Backpacker 5x7 "Cascade" film holder pack with shoulder strap, and a third very tiny shoulder bag with up to two other lenses, filters, t-shirt dark cloth, Zone-6 spot meter, and close up glasses. So carried, I can work this kit without placing anything on the ground except the feet of my tripod.

Best thing...if this thing breaks - I (or you...please copy!) can bang out another one with circular saw/drill press/router table/screws-n-glue in a couple of hours.

Kind of ironic...after spending so much time designing/building increasingly complex, feature laden cameras - to have come to this, but in the end its becoming an issue of needing to do what I can to keep getting myself into the higher trails/peaks with LF as I really start to feel the physical effects of aging. I still get out the "big guns" when I can - but find myself reaching for the Minimalist with greater frequency lately...to both hit the trail and to simply "grab and go" when the spirit moves me. Photos:

201115 201116 201117 201118

[Peter De Smidt]

Great idea, John!

[Tin Can]

John, perhaps you can add a few tips on marking and installing your infinity stops?

[Vaughn]

My Gowland PocketView 4x5 is the same idea, but a monorail metal version weighing 2.5 pounds with the Caltar II-N 150/5.6 on it.

Hiking with it on the tripod with a shoulder bag for the holders and meter is a sweet way to work. A close friend, photo teacher and photographer once told me that carrying the camera on the tripod was worth the risk. In changing light, the ability to set up very quickly can make the difference between getting the image or not....and if the image is worth it and will result in sales..it will pay for a new camera (or repairs) if needed. An interesting viewpoint -- and one I do not follow if I am overseas and I can not immediate repair or replace the camera...but often do locally.

[John Layton]

I also have a Gowland Pocket View. Great little camera!

Now to address Tin Can's question about the Minimalist camera infinity stops:

To begin…I cut the front focus “slot,” which runs from just in front of the quick release plate and extends to a out 3/4 inch from the front end of the bottom “rail.” Then, with front standard mounted to this rail and the back/bellows assembly resting loose on top of the rear of the rail, I pulled the front standard back against the rear of the focus slot…while using a machinist’s square held at the rear of the lower front standard crosspiece to hold it square with the focus rail and locking it in place with the front lower thumbscrew. Making sure this squareness was maintained, I then drew a witness mark into the top of the focus rail, using the front bottom edge of the front standard crosspiece as the straight edge. I drew the mark using a fine point pen, with enough hand pressure to make a “dent” in the wood of the rail.

Then, with the front focus securely locked at the witness mark, I mounted a 90mm lens and slowly moved the film/focussing back, while holding the machinists square agains the lower mount of the focus back to keep it square with the rear rail…until infinity (something far away) came into focus. At this point I very carefully held this focus while drawing a witness mark across the rear of the bottom film back mount. This mark would then become the rear line defining a slot that I would rout across the rear rail, this slot being exactly wide enough to hold the film back mount firmly.

I repeated the above procedure with my 150mm lens, then my 210mm, using the same front witness mark described above. I could not use this front witness mark for the 305mm lens (as the rail does not extend rearward far enough), so I simply created a locating shelf at the rear of the rail and secured the back to this, while bringing the 305 into infinity focus, again with the use of the machinist’s square…finally drawing a witness mark on the front focus rail to use exclusively with this lens.

After creating the rear slots, I carefully created centered holes in each, which, in combination with a 1/4” threaded brass insert installed in the bottom of the film back, facilitate firmly fastening the rear standard to a chosen slot.

A further change (not indicated in the photos). I wanted to create a rear slot for use of the 120mm (SA) lens - but being so close to the 150 slot, I simply enlarged the 150 slot forward, so that the front edge of this defined infinity for the 120. Separate locking holes then hold the film back firmly at the chosen location.

Yet another change was to create further front witness marks for 90, 120, and 150mm lenses - indicating 12 and 6 feet distance (in addition to the original infinity mark…in anticipation of occasional handheld use with these focal lengths. I used different color pens for this, each matched to a specific lens to avoid confusion.

Planned changes/additions: I do plan to fabricate a couple of additional focus rails - a “shorty” version for use with 90/120/150mm lenses, a “stretch” version in anticipation of a future 450mm lens, and a folding focus rail which will facilitate quicker setup/breakdown of the camera. Finally, I’d like to replace the rather stiff bellows with something a bit more supple. As is, the bellows is quite mashed together when the 90mm lens is focussed at infinity.

Hope this helps!

[Vaughn]

Don't know why I did not see that yours is a 5x7. My present 5x7 is an Eastman View No.2 which I use the same way as the 4x5. A lighter version would be sweet. Not many Gowland 5x7s out there...and my wood-working skills are not up to making something as sweet as your 5x7!

[Tin Can]

John, Thank you for detailed explanation!

I hope many see this and try it

I plan to make one for a single lens first, baby steps

There is great joy in DIY :)

[Greg]

I have hiked with other photographers who have carried their cameras mounted on tripods carried over their shoulder. Once when hiking up wet gorge rocks just south of Rochester NY, my friend slipped and "totaled" his Bronica S2a. Years later I was walking carrying my Sinar mounted on my tripod over my shoulder in the middle of a field. Stepped into a hidden woodchuck? hole and tripped from my balance being top heavy. When the camera and tripod hit the ground, fortunately the GG back did get detached, but amazingly no damage. Just yesterday was hiking down a wet muddy trail (forgot my walking stick) wearing a photo backpack and slipped and skidded a couple of times but always caught my balance. With having both arms and hands free, was able to avoid falling down. With a lot of the trails I take require scrambling (3rd and 4th class in places), it just wouldn't make sense to carry a camera and tripod over my shoulder. In a park many a time I have and still do carry a tripod with camera attached over my shoulder. No universal rule of thumb here for sure.

[Vaughn]

For sure! Fortunately I can one-hand the tripod and camera with no problem, which makes it easier to walk on un-even ground with. But it does limit ones mobility in certain situations.

Hiking down on one of Zion's trails I hear a strange metal clunk behind me -- the lens (on a matboard lensboard) had fallen off behind me and hit a rock (nothing by rock around -- at least it did not end up bouncing the couple thousand feet to the canyon floor!). Bent the rear of the lens (straighten with pliers) and it is still good to go. I duct-taped the lensboard onto the front standard after that...actually gaffer's tape. I used it last week in Yosemite. I tend to carry the camera lens-down to reduce the strain on the back's springs.

[Greg]

Hiking down on one of Zion's trails I hear a strange metal clunk behind me -- the lens (on a matboard lensboard) had fallen off behind me and hit a rock (nothing by rock around -- at least it did not end up bouncing the couple thousand feet to the canyon floor!). Bent the rear of the lens (straighten with pliers) and it is still good to go. I duct-taped the lensboard onto the front standard after that...actually gaffer's tape. I used it last week in Yosemite. I tend to carry the camera lens-down to reduce the strain on the back's springs.

Wasn't so lucky one time on a steep section of a trail in lower western Mass. Took my 135mm lens off the camera and placed it on a rock next to me. Next thing I heard was it "clinking" down the steep scree slope... Wasn't worth hiking down to recover it, it had to have fallen and bounced for 200 feet plus. Photo Gaffer's tape always an absolute necessity to carry. One time even helped out a passing hiker whose water bottle had sprung a leak.

[Vaughn]

And I usually have a few rounds of electrical tape around one of the tripod legs of my old Gitzos...came in handy when one of the legs snapped off at the threads. (I exceeded the weight limit). I had the lens cap of my meter bounce down the cliff face at Pinnacles National Monument (now Park) -- I hate littering.

[Drew Wiley]

Don't feel guilty, Vaugh - some climber probably found that lens cap handy as a malleable piton or chock; at least it's stronger than using the usual beercan pop-tops. But I do like the colored chalk rule at Pinnacles if climbers must be allowed to do their thing. And now there a few California condors around to clean up the climbers whose pop-tops or lenscap innovations failed.

[Vaughn]

The colored chalk rule has been around for awhile -- was required the last time I photographed there in the late '80s.

One must deal with hardware left in the rocks everywhere these days...Yosemite, of course, but even in some of the rocks down along our coast here in NoCal. One can usually point the camera up a little to exclude the skeletons of the no-so-good climbers.

[John Layton]

Be careful Vaughn…point your camera too high, and you’re bound to inadvertently capture at least one - possibly many more - “box kite mummies.”

Remember box kites…and how hard they could pull? Well, back in the day when box kites were more popular, the kids (usually kids, but some lighter weight adults in a high wind) flying them would sometimes ignore their parents sage advice: “Junior, if you feel yourself being lifted off your feet - let go!”

Kids who hung on could indeed be pulled off their feet, and very occasionally they would reflexively continue to hang on tightly, until they found themselves considerably above a safe level. Thankfully, this is also the time when they’d typically pass out from a lack of oxygen, and would shortly thereafter expire.

Thing is, the combination of rigormortis and desiccation pretty much ensured that the dried corpse would continue to remain firmly attached to the string of the now forever-drifting box kite - completely at the mercy of the earth’s upper wind currents. There are lots of these mummified kids floating around…although as the popularity of box kites fell off some time ago - most of these drifters are by this time fairly ancient.

A number of years ago, I began to notice some curious black spots in the upper sky areas of my a number of my landscape photos - and, seeing as my film holder dust mitigation and processing techniques are, well, perfect…I could not help but assume that these “anomalies” were actual, sky-borne objects. Upon microscopic examination of these curious specs, I discovered the horrible truth…followed by a deep feeling of gratitude that I had, so long ago, taken my parent’s warning (“let go!) to heart.

These days? I only shoot time exposures! I’ve found that by always using shutter speeds of at least one second (usually much longer), I can keep those dried up drifting kids out of my photos…thank you very much!

And I’m one lucky dude…because those skeletons at the bottoms of cliffs? (see Vaughn’s treatise above), they don’t move - and the only means of getting rid of them is to go over to the dark side, scan the offending negative(s), and use the evil clone stamp!

[Vaughn]

These days? I only shoot time exposures! I’ve found that by always using shutter speeds of at least one second (usually much longer), I can keep those dried up drifting kids out of my photos…thank you very much...

When John Pfahl was working on his series along the Niagara River ('80s), he had trouble with seagulls messing up his skies, he used his seagull filter -- just a ND filter to make the exposures long enough to eliminate the seagulls. I thought it quite clever.

[Drew Wiley]

I remember when people had to crawl over a body wedged below Lost Arrow in Yosemite to climb it. My sister gave me a huge lecture never to allow her son, my nephew, then living with me as a student at the University here, to climb Lost Arrow due to its reputation. I told her he promised not to do it, because he just had the previous weekend! A few months later he came back from climbing the heart route up El Capitan with some bone fragments he found on a ledge halfway up, and brought them to my workplace to ask what kind of animal was involved and could get up the cliff like that. I looked at the suture pattern and said it was no animal. He started turning pale. Then to make things weirder, there was an old gal working there listening in, who was once part of the Camp IV scene, and based on the route description, personally knew the individual involved. They had a macabre saying about him around Camp IV that he set a speed descent record of El Cap that has been matched a few times, but never exceeded. On that same climb my nephew and his buddy had been tossing spare headlamps off the cliff at night and letting out loud screams when the tourist wagons came around so they could spot climbers climbing with headlamps after dark. They got their money's worth. But he never collected random bones again.

[Vaughn]

Well, there was that gal with a borrowed poorly packed base-jumper's chute off of El Cap. In theory, the smaller the faller, the faster the disaster (less wind resistance). Gallows humor at Camp IV is no surprise, for sure.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I just came back from Yosemite. My first trip. I made every mistake possible photographing that weekend. Ugh.

[Kiwi7475]

I just came back from Yosemite. My first trip. I made every mistake possible photographing that weekend. Ugh.

How was it? Was it really crowded?

[Drew Wiley]

Vaughn, a different chute gal jumped off Half Dome and didn't clear the face well, got banged up, and then, almost miraculously got the chute tangled in a tiny pine almost at the base of the totally vertical part. And luckily, my nephew and and one of his routine climbing companions were in the middle of the face. But it still took them two hours to reach the far left of the precipice. By then a formal rescue was underway; but it took a total of eleven hours to get her completely off the face and into an ambulance. Broken hip and various other bones. Of course, not knowing exactly what was broken means that they had to retrieve her very carefully and methodically. At least she was secured to the face by that point, but in horrible pain. She eventually recovered, at least physically. One more reason why I don't like Natl Parks being turned into theme parks with people walking tightropes, jumping off cliffs, etc. But I suppose all of that kind of activity, along with rattlesnakes, grizzly bears, and avalanches, is comparatively benign compared to using selfie sticks near the edge of a precipice.

[Vaughn]

I just came back from Yosemite. My first trip. I made every mistake possible photographing that weekend. Ugh.

Or so you think! Have trust in your creativity! Hope you got some keepers anyway! Did you check on the shows (Yosemite Renaissance Show and the Ansel Adams Gallery) in the Valley? Something to do if the weather turns nasty.

I was there last week -- very few people...but they are confined to a smaller space. The Valley roads and parking restrictions were in play for the 'firefall' -- which did not happen this year (unless the touch of rain I had my last day was enough to get the falls running). I had the 11x14 set-up for hiking, but worked mostly from the road, keeping the hikes short along the Merced River -- lower end of the Valley and down towards the entrance station,. I took a short hike with the 5x7 to work up close to the base of Lower Cascade Falls. No clouds to work with, but only one image out of the 8 images I made had any sky. Oh -- strolled around under my favorite oak and exposed a roll and a half with the Rolleicord, too, when the old heart said to take a break from the 11x14.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

How was it? Was it really crowded?

Saturday and Sunday were a freaking nightmare. Monday and Tuesday much better. Cold in morning and evening. Warm rest of time. Around 55-65 degrees I think in afternoons.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I hope so. Looked good on gg so we shall see. Went to Ansel Adams museum. Saw a picture worth 32K. And a really big one made around the 1920s. Only 1 0f 2 known. On loan from a family.

I hiked to a fall forget name, but trail is 1.5 miles or so straight up. Had my 4x5 and such in back pack. Around 35 lbf. It sucked as I am out of shape cardio wise. A lot of people too. Stayed at Yavapai Lodge.

[Vaughn]

You are confusing the two Parks, Yavapai Lodge being on the Rim of the Grand Canyon (I assume you stayed at the Yosemite Lodge near Yosemite Falls.) The Valley is 3000 feet lower than the Grand Canyon Rim. Of course, hiking the Rim Trail at GCNP is relatively flat!

You hiked to the Vernal Falls Bridge, I'll assume, which means you choose one of the two most popular hikes for day visitors. A 400' rise over 1.6 miles. If you plan to return to Yosemite, spend time at GCNP and get your lungs built up for the altitude! Also wait until the HWY 120 opens in the Spring so that visitors get more spread out -- and you'll get to explore out of the Valley itself.

The hike up to the top of Yosemite Falls is another good one for views -- even if one does not make it all the way to the top of the falls...Columbia Rock has a great Half Dome view. But it will make the hike you took seem like a stroll -- the last time I was there my boys carried my pod and film holders, and I carried the 8x10. They all disappeared on me and I had to carry everything down...the rascals!

Unfortunately the road the Glacier Point will be closed all this summer for repair/upgrading -- or fortunately if one is willing to hike up the 4 Mile Trail and have the place almost to oneself!

Middle of the week always has the least visitors. On weekends, one needs to start early in the morning before the day visitors arrive at the Park. It takes many visits to learn the area and to learn how to avoid the crowds.

Taken from one of the 'secret' spots in the Valley:

Upper Yosemite Valley
4x10 Platinum/palladium print

[Drew Wiley]

Well, in Feb through March and often up to June the lower canyons hill country is an alternative, and some years can have the most spectacular wildflower shows anywhere in the country. But people just gotta get up to Yos Valley as fast as they can. The main problem this time of year, especially with a bit of a drought, is that they're taking an early opportunity to jump-start mopping up messes and making road repairs before the tourist season. But unless it's the midsummer herds, it's pretty easy to find your own little spots by simply avoiding all the "must-see" trails. I grew up quite near Yosemite, but have taken only a handful of shots in the Valley itself, yet every one of them was different from anything else I've ever seen anywhere in terms of specific vantage point.

[C. D. Keth]

the last time I was there my boys carried my pod and film holders, and I carried the 8x10. They all disappeared on me and I had to carry everything down...the rascals!

Upper Yosemite Valley
4x10 Platinum/palladium print

Sounds like you either need leashes or shock collars for your boys.


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[John Layton]

...or box kites! :cool: