Backpack for 4x5 and 35mm SLR system

[Chris_6172]

I have spent quite a few hours searching the net and reading camera bag company pages looking for a bag that will hold both a 4x5 field camera and a digital SLR setup. It would seem that I am searching for the Holy Grail of camera bags, seeing that I have not discovered anything yet. I am not looking to carry a huge amount of either system, which I have outlined below. Is there anybody out there crazy enough to do this on a regular basis? If so, please help.

Here is what I am (OK, want) to carry:

4x5 field camera
Polaroid and Fuji quickload film holders
Some film
Two lenses (75 to 210mm range)
Dark cloth
Light meter
Loupe

Nikon D70 w/ attached 18-70mm lens
Nikon 80-400mm lens

And room for a few small accessories (filters, lens tissue, etc.)

Oh yeah, and a tripod...

Am I out of my mind, or would it be easier to buy a small pack animal?

[David A. Goldfarb]

My birding kit is usually a Gowland 4x5", two small lenses, and a couple of Grafmatics along with my Canon F-1N and 600/4.5 lens and the usual accessories in a ScopePak. These were made sold by Domke when I bought mine, and now I think someone else is making them. I carry the tripod with a strap over my shoulder. If I want to carry a lot of film, then I can add an extra side pocket or two on the back.

I suspect your kit will fit into something more like one of the large Tenba, F64 or Lowe backpacks.

[Chris_6172]

Thanks for your input.

I have owned (and still own) several Lowepro and Tamrac bags. The problem with those two companies is most of the bags have an internal divider setup that makes it a hard fit to put a big square object like a large format camera in them. I have seen the Tenba and F.64 bags but I wasn't sure how well they would hold a 35mm setup.

[Lee Hamiel]

Chris:

I am going to suggest the large F.64 backpack - this one:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=91694&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation

My wife got me one for Christmas & it's great.

I am a perpetual bag analyzer for 35/MF/LF & finally feel I have what I need depending on the situation. I also have Domke bags for the other stuff.

In the past there was discussion about the build quality of these bags & in my opinion it's very well done & I'm guessing they improved a few things along the way.

The main compartment is perfect for a 4x5 or 5x7 or 8x10 & you can configure as you see fit. May want to get an additional lens bag, etc. to lash to the outside. It comes with 2 outside pockets - I have one with 5 4x5 filmholders & the other with 3 graftmatics with some slack.

Good Luck

[Scott Fleming]

IF I could carry that much AND I wanted to ... I'd get a good pack frame and hang two different camea bags off of it. I'd do it this way for access purposes. If one stuffed all this gear into a regular large backpack .... getting it out and in and out again would be a real drag. I use a regular midsized backpack with an internal soft frame if I know I'm going to try and walk more than five miles. I've developed a system of containers inside that keeps stuff separate and padded. Still I wouldn't want to be constantly setting up and taking down with this sort of system.

[Eric_6227]

Hi Chris. I am in the same boat (or quest), wanting to bring along a digital SLR and 4x5. Check out the Tamrac Adventure 7 Model 5547. It is designed to not look like a camera bag, and has a compartment system for digital SLR on the bottom, and a large open compartment on the top that looks perfect for a square 4x5 field camera. Anyway, that's my hope. I just ordered one from B&H. It seems to be a reasonable size (and there is an Adventure 6 which is smaller). Not for overnight hikes, but great for getting around. Here's the link: http://www.tamrac.com/welcome3.htm. The bag should arrive on next Wed so I can let you know how it goes.

[Chris_6172]

Thanks again to everybody for the info.

The 5547 is a good idea, but it might be a bit small.

Lee,
Does the F.64 bag hold both a 4x5 and 35mm setup?

[Frank Petronio]

I got a Technika, two Copal 0 lenses, 40 Readyloads and holder, spot meter, cleaning supplies, D70 and 18-70, a 15 inch Powerbook and charger, a novel, notebook, toiletries and more into a Lowe-Pro CompuTrekker and it was carry-on legal. Putting the Readyloads and holder into a Gnass Gear wrap saves a lot of room - you have to lose the Readyload boxes.

Sometimes you can bring a tripod onboard, other times you can't - so don't plan on it. As for the 80-400, stick in your jacket?

[Chris_6172]

Frank,

Could you please send me a picture of how you have your bag arranged? I also have a CompuTrekker but I was not able to figure out a way to configure it well (it has those two dividers that run the complete length of the bag). Where do you put the Gnass Gear wrap?

[Colin Graham]

I modified a Kelty redwing and it works great. It's actually built to have alot of weight in it and the compression straps makes it easy to load a tripod on the side. I carry six lenses, a 4x5, 8 holders a wooden tripod and sundry other crap. And could still probably fit a dslr in it.

[jonpiper]

How about Kinesis? http://www.kinesisgear.com

Their modular system has proved very useful for me. I was able to carry a pared down 35mm system for my wife, my Mamiya 6 kit, and a 3-lens 4x5 kit (with several graphmatics and tons of 120/4x5 film) with me. Do I in retrospect wish I'd only brought the Mamiya? yes. But it was nice to be able to bring all that gear and be able to separate it out as needed. Whenever I wanted it all, I brought the pack. When I only wanted the Mamiya (which all fit ain a very small bag), I could either put a strap on the bag, carry it on the belt, or keep it in the pack (with a nice 3-liter water bladder which came in handy quite a few times... nice for the plane trips too).

Anyway, it worked great for me, and I can't do anything but recommend it. Probably not the cheapest route by the time you get all the little bags for inside the pack, but unlike most packs you can access your gear and keep the bag standing up (which it does pretty well by itself).

[Keith S. Walklet]

I guess I could be considered a glutton for punishment. My "normal" pack is an early version of the LowePro Super Trekker in which I carry a Toyo 4x5, 3 lenses (360, 210, 90), Readyload holder, 40 sheets of Quikload, a Calumet 6x9 roll back, twenty to thirty rolls of 220, a Pentax 67 with three lenses, (135, 45 and a 2x doubler), and Canon Digital Rebel with at least one zoom lens. The tripod straps on down the middle of the back on this beast between long thin pockets that hold my dark cloth, water, rain gear, flashlight, snacks, etc. Tent and sleeping bag strap on underneath when I overnight. The rest goes in the oversize pockets of my Domke vest including all my Lee filters, spotmeter, loupe, etc. The whole mess usually weighs in at around 70 lbs. When I am travelling light, I'll unload the 4x5 system and put in a couple more DSLR lenses. If I really want to pare down, I'll go with the LowePro Trekker AW and the Pentax. In each instance that the 4x5 is packed, it is always dead center at the bottom of the pack with the film and holders on either side. Lenses get stack up the middle. The 67 system is equally distributed left and right, with one place reserved for the DLSR. Hiking poles make navigating much easier on and off trail. Can't imagine life without them.

[Chris_6172]

Keith,

Wow! I asked if somebody was as crazy as me and found somebody that beat me hands down. Could you please email me a picture of the inside of your big Lowepro (if you have one)?

Thanks Jon for the Kinesis link, there might be some potential there.

[Mikael Tran]

My vote for the Lowepro Super Trekker II as well. It has all the accessories kit and built with much intuitions and hi-tech fabrics. I am currently using the Lowepro Photo Trekker II, it's one size smaller, though the largest size of its kind for carry-on, but still has all the essential features as the Super Trekker II.

[Lee Hamiel]

Chris:

I'm pretty certain you could fit it all into the large f.64 backpack with no problems.

Thing that's nice is the separate top/bottom compartments & also that the straps wrap around the front nicely if you don't want the straps all over the place when you're not using it as a backpack.

Also a vote for the Kinesis line as I have some of their stuff & very pleased with it as well as customer service.

[Frank Petronio]

I've forgotten the most important space saving technique - throw away the silly dividers. Or at least most of them - use the larger longer ones to keep the heavier camera from banging around but otherwise protect things with wraps and smart packing. The idea of having a tackle box with a niche for each lens and item is what eats up the room in these camera backpacks.

I took the thinking further and now avoid using "camera" backpacks altogether - currently I have a couple of sizes of moderately priced daypacks. I wrap my camera stuff in Domke lenswraps, Zing Neoprene cases, small ditty bags - clear Ziplocs works just fine, and other soft sided protectors from various sources. Earlier I had several smaller Kinesis cases, which were excellent but even these proven to be larger than I needed.

When I went to 8x10 I gave up hopes of backpacking it although I am sure it could be done, especially if I found a nice "sleeve" so I could slip the body into a larger case. As it is, I carry holders, meter, gadgets in a pack and toss the camera on tripod over my shoulder for shooting. But for 4x5, slipping a field camera into a Kinesis or Gnass case, the Readyload system into a Gnass Film Holder case, and the lenses either into individual wraps or special Gnass cases makes a lot of sense - then just use whatever backpack suits your needs. Zing makes a nice "pro SLR" everyready neoprene cover that fits my D70 - I would never use it other than for in the pack protection - but it is nicely fitted and protective.

So check out:
Zing
Kenesis
Gnass Gear

A free yourself from the tyranny of Lowe-Pro, etc.

[Ron Marshall]

I had a large Lowepro for my Sinar, but the load was too much for more than short hikes. Now I put my Toho 45 in a 1lb daypack with four lenses in a gnass case.

[Chris_6172]

I have noticed that the dividers kill all the space also. I have been half way tempted to design my own: buy a backpack, some padding, and some velcro and then have it sown to my specifications.

I emailed Kenesis last night and asked them if they had a setup that would hold my list of gear. Their reply made it sound like it might be possible, although a very tight fit. It would also be a bit expensive once I bought every piece that I needed.

So it looks like there is no "perfect" solution, which is no surprise. I guess now I just need to figure out which combination/system would work best for my needs.

Thank you all.

[Chris_6172]

Are the Gnass lens cases large enough to hold lenses with the lensboards on?

[Ron Marshall]

There are several sizes of Gnass cases. The one I have has an internal dimension of 4.25 inches. My lenses are on Technica boards.

There is also a larger size 6.5 inches.

http://www.gnassgear.com/products/product_info.cfm

[Chris_6172]

Silly me...
I could have answered that question myself by reading the specs.
Thanks

[Keith S. Walklet]

Here you go Chris...

Click here (http://www.quietworks.com/FRAMES_FILES/Favicon/Pack.html) to see a snapshot.

The 45mm lens for the 6x7 is on connected to the 2x doubler since it is shorter than the 135mm. Both lenses have the Lee adaptors permanently attached to the lens. There is another couple adapter rings for the 35 and 4x5 lenses in the clear zipper pouches on the pack lid. The green pouch just above the 4x5 contains another set of filters for the 4x5 lenses (I carry the Lee filters primarily for use with the 67 and 35DSLR, though do use the 1/2 grads with the 4x5).

The lenses in order from the 4x5 are the 360 Nikon, 210 Scheider, 90 Schneider. The DSLR lens is the 28-135 zoom. The Calumet roll holder and Kodak Ready-Load are face-to-face on one side of the 4x5 and the QuikLoads in the box on the other side (which often is shed to make room for more film). Each of the 220 boxes contain five rolls. I usually keep each lens and holder in its own ziploc baggie, but took them out for the sake of illustration.