Please...General help with traveling with Large Format

[louisjconnelly]

Dear all, I Am leaving for Paris in a week along with my 4x5 Deardorff special. I have began looking into traveling with large format and come across a few helpful tips but i am still quite the novice as it is my first LF camera, and also my first trip using LF. Is there anyone who can help me with any useful pointers regarding any obstacles i might meet or need to consider whilst on my trip?
Regards
Louis

[Vaughn]

As a minimum, pack camera, lens(es), meter and film as carry-on. If possible, include film holders and pod. Film in original seal box if possible. If no room as carry-on, the pod should go in the check-in suitcase.

Have a bunch of fun!

Vaughn

[Frank Petronio]

Check out whether or not you can use a tripod in Paris, in the places you want to photograph....

[louisjconnelly]

Once i have exposed the film is it possible to take the film out of film holders and store in a light tight box (film box), so i can continue to re-use the film holders while away? or is it not good for exposed film to come into contact with other exposed film? and if possible can i mix film types in the same box... sorry if this sounds like a silly question...
Cheers.

[Vaughn]

Exposed film in film box -- put a little tissue in the box to keep the film from moving around too much. I have had negatives ruined that way (granted I was on a bicycle for 5 months and riding on a lot of gravel roads). Ilford films use to come with a piece of paper between each sheet...which is nice to protect the negs from rubbing on each other.

Put card stock dividers in the box to separate the types of film.

The Deardroff Special is a lot of camera...not the lightest way to go...but a nice camera, anyway!

[John Kasaian]

Take along a film changing bag.
Reverse the lensboard and carry the lens on board your 'dorff.
Bringing back opened boxes of exposed sheet film might be a problem---I'd consider getting the stuff processed in Paris and have it shipped home.
It wouldn't be much fun to loose a weeks shooting in Paris because of an enthusiastic TSA employee.

[Eric Brody]

Be sure to put your film in a carry on and allow it to go through the x-ray scanner. Under no circumstances put the film in checked baggage, it will be ruined. I have traveled with iso 400 transparency film as far as Africa from the US (35mm slide, not LF) and had no discernible fogging when the film was placed in carry on baggage.

Relax and have fun in Paris.

Eric

[cjbroadbent]

There's a tripod charge and permit for Paris sidewalks but if you use a darkcloth over your head you are considered a nut and nobody will bother you.

[Louie Powell]

Once i have exposed the film is it possible to take the film out of film holders and store in a light tight box (film box), so i can continue to re-use the film holders while away? or is it not good for exposed film to come into contact with other exposed film? and if possible can i mix film types in the same box... sorry if this sounds like a silly question...
Cheers.

I routinely do just that.

I work in b/w using the Zone System. I take along three empty film boxes marked N, N-, and N+. I also have several of the black plastic bags that film comes in. And I carry a changing bag just in case the bathroom in the hotel has a window and can't be totally darkened for changing film. Finally, I also take along a role of blue painter's tape - I use this to seal the boxes for the trip home.

Unexposed film, empty boxes, and the changing bag go in a carry-on bag and goes through normal carry-on scanning. Yes, it is possible (in the US) to ask for a hand search, but evidence suggests that a couple of passes through carry-on screening is not result in noticeable damage to film, while asking inspectors who are familiar with digital and 35mm and not at all familiar with sheet film could be asking for trouble.

I put exposed film in plastic bags before I put it in a film box for two reasons. First, this provides an extra measure of protection for the film, both against physical damage and against the possibility of the box being inadvertently opened along the way. Second, this makes it possible to do a further differentiation between N-1 and N-2 exposures. I mark the bags using small self-adhesive rubber 'bumps' normally intended to be applied to the bottom of things to prevent them from scratching fine furniture or hardwood floors - one bump for the N-1 bag, two bumps for the N-2 bag.

[eddie]

i just did a trip to utah last month. i carried my 8x10, 4x5 (chamonix) and mamiya RB on board with me. i packed a bit of film to carry on. NYC was no problems. coming back the TSA in SLC just wanted to look at the cameras. they took a peak in, swabbed it and sent me on my way. all were very nice.

i shipped my film ahead of me just because i had no room in my carry on! tripod in my checked bag along with extra boxes and empty film holders. i took 10 8x10 holders and a few more in 4x5. i shot 100 sheets of both 4x5 and 8x10 in 15 days of shooting.

i would suggest you just let the carry on x ray machine "look" at your film. just be nice and talk with the security people....just prep them on what you have and what that means...i kind of say that is film and camera stuff and we can not open the film boxes...this is BEFORE i ever get my bag on the table. i have had no problems in any of the countries i have traveled in.

ship your film if you like. i shipped my exposed film home only because i was worried i was going to accidentally open the box and ruin my own film! so i taped it shut and shipped it home.

have fun.

eddie

[anglophone1]

If you want to get your film processed in Paris, then Picto is the place to go, three labs, go look at http://www.picto.fr. Was used by HCB!
Clive
Antibes, France
www.clive-evans.com

[ignatiusjk]

Dear Louis, I have traveled many times to Yosemite from Ohio and what I do is pack all of my 4x5 gear in my back pack and use that as a carry on.My tripod goes in my suitcase.My 4x5 gear consist of Wista field 4x5,300mm,90mm,135mm,150mm,210mm lens two Polaroid 545 holders,dark cloth,loupe,. I use Fuji Pro160 quickload film and Tmax readyload film,I do not use film holders they take up to much room. Try getting a good back pack that can fit in a overhead storage bin.

[butterflydream]

When I go abroad I carry table top tripod made by leica and used it on cafe table, car roof, post box, or whatever available. It wasn't 4x5 but MF / 35mm cameras so I'm not sure if it would work for you. But as I test just now it works fine with my Chamonix 045N and 135mm Sironar-N. It also worked perfect with my Silvestri.

[ljsegil]

Has anyone tried getting the new Photobackpacker P2 Kelty backpack on the domestic airlines? With the side pockets removed and without filling the depth of the front pockets its dimensions seem to be just at the 45" limit that most of the airlines use, but then there is the issue of the suspension and waist belt which clearly don't conform to a simple rectangular shape. I'm hoping to use mine for an upcoming trip, but am concerned about being forced to check the pack at the gate. Anybody had any luck, or not?
LJS

[Peter Collins]

You might look at the Osprey Sojourner. It is two things in one: a roll-on carry-on and a backpack carry-on. The backpack harness stows behind a screen which is like pocket that doesn't stick out, making a trim package.

cheers!

[ljsegil]

Bump to plea for anybody's experience with the Photobackpacker P2 Kelty Redwing backpack on the domestic airlines. Traveling soon, would like to bring a reasonable (at least to me) set of gear, and the gear already lives in one of these. Cinched down, it just makes the 45" guideline most of the domestic airlines seem to favor, but it sure looks big (and on my back, heavy), and there is the harness issue.
If anyone has tried to travel with one of these, I would very much like to hear of your trials and travails, or hopefully neither.
Best,
Larry

[BradS]

Bump to plea for anybody's experience with the Photobackpacker P2 Kelty Redwing backpack on the domestic airlines. Traveling soon, would like to bring a reasonable (at least to me) set of gear, and the gear already lives in one of these. Cinched down, it just makes the 45" guideline most of the domestic airlines seem to favor, but it sure looks big (and on my back, heavy), and there is the harness issue.
If anyone has tried to travel with one of these, I would very much like to hear of your trials and travails, or hopefully neither.
Best,
Larry

Larry, Since this bag is at the limit (actually a bit over), it very much depends upon the airline and the airport...and even the person inspecting it as you pass through security. I almost always fly out of Oakland or SFO....one of the airlines has...ah, they have a kind of plate on the front end of the x-ray machine that severly limits the size they will allow. Others are usually pretty relaxed when they see that you're carrying serious camera gear. It is better to not risk it though. The hardliners send you back to the baggage check area and tell you to check you bag...!!!!

You might go down to the airport a couple days prior and do a trial fit...? Don't know if they would allow this or not. It would be qworth asking.

I have a Lowe-Pro Mini trekker classic for air travel. It is small but I can get the 4x5 camera, three lenses, a light meter, my reading glasses and a handfull of filters and all the other little things in it. This is what I carry on. Film is carried in a small "personal bag" - separate from the camera. I also bring along a changing bag for the inspectors to hand inspect the film boxes. Film holders go into the checked baggage. Have travelled quite a bit with this set up and have never had a problem with the size. I used to carry on the tripod too but after being hasseled about it at SFO, I now put it in checked baggage.

[Aahx]

My most recent trip this last September to Wyoming/Montana/Idaho I brought with me all of the following

Fiesol 3472 tripod (center column removed)
Acratech GV2 head
Photobackpacker (granite gear variant) backpack
Chamanoix 45-N
5 boxes of Quickload film (4 chrome, 1 b/w)
4 lenses w/cable releases (Fuji 300 f5.6, Nikor 90 f4.5, Schneider 150 f5.6, Schneider 240 f5.6)
Minolta spot F
Fuji Quickload back
Fuji PA -45 insta back
6 boxes of insta 4x5 film
Schneider 6x apo loupe
Darkcloth
Iphone 3G with PhotoCalc app installed (Iphone used as a timer for insta film, with app used for sunrise/sunset times).
Mini Mag Lite flashlight

Also brought Pentax 645 with 80mm lens (my point and shoot) and 35 rolls mixed color/b/w medium format film.

Now how I got it all there:

I took all the lens/camera inserts out of pack (with lenses/camera in them) and packed them into a Pelican 1550 case along with the film holders, loupe, Darkcloth, & light meter and shipped it to initial location (Belgrade, MT) via Fed Ex insured for 5k. I also shipped down all the film in a second box. Total cost down from Alaska $150.00. Trip back I insured all for 6k total cost back up to Alaska $230.00. Mind you this is when gas prices were at there peak. Film has since been developed and no problems with fogging, etc evident.

In my suitcase (I have a LLBean soft case that is pretty large). I put now empty folded flat backpack, Tripod. This still left room for my clothes, toiletries, and hiking boots. My carry on was a medium small tote bag with my Pentax, roll film, flashlight and 2 fleece jackets and rain/wind cover for padding. Along with some gloves and a hat for cooler days.

Upon arrival I simply re installed everything from Pelican case into backpack for trip duration, and then repacked everything prior to returning to Alaska.

I gave list just to show what can be done, and how I did it to help on making your choices for your trip. Good luck and have fun with it.

[Frank Petronio]

An empty no foam Pelican 1550 can hold a lot, fit overhead, and on small commuters be rugged enough to safely GATE check. But they can break too, as mine did.

The Think Tank backpacks are more rectangular, so they can hold more. Just toss the dividers and cram more in -- small neoprene cases and lenswraps to bad the delicate stuff.

The Think Tank website has a lot of good carry-on advice.

[Richard M. Coda]

Copied from my friend Roger Palmenberg... post on our Imageworks website...
http://www.imageworks.org/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=37

Having just returned from an, albeit too short, vacation, I thought it useful to share experiences with the large format camera. Our trip was wonderful – too short, but wonderful. I now have a real appreciation for the term ‘French Country’.

Processing film locally was part of the plan from the get-go. That being said, I dutifully packed two 1-gallon foil packs of dry powdered D-76 developer and Kodak fixer together with four 8x10 trays, black plastic sheeting, gaffer’s tape, twine, film hangers, and a little bit of Photo-Flo with my clothes into the single checked bag. Copies of the developer and fixer Material Safety Data Sheets were downloaded from the Kodak website and placed in the baggage with the chemicals. Equipment in the checked baggage was a changing bag, carbon-fiber tripod, six empty film holders, light meter, focusing aid, dark cloth, and other small items (timers, thermometer). A complete inventory of the baggage contents and a copy of my passport were placed on top, inside. Yes, there was plenty of room for clothes….

My carry-on bag contained a 35mm camera with one lens, a small DV camcorder, a 100-sheet unopened box of T-max 100 sheet film, two empty film holders, several rolls of 35mm film, some spare clothes, and writing material. I also carried a backpack containing the 5x7 view camera and two lenses (300mm and 170mm).

The hand-carried bag and backpack went through two security check points each way. No, the scanner operators didn’t want to listen to my request for hand checking the film. The checked bag was checked – there was a printed card inside, left by our friends and protectors, the TSA… There were no baggage transportation, delivery problems, or delays.

This ‘kit’ is more than adequate for shooting and processing in any place that can be sealed light-tight – like a bathroom. Chemistry was made up in empty water bottles (5-liter size). Locally purchased white vinegar was used as the stop bath (diluted 10:1 with tap water).

A bathroom at our rented house was sealed with the black sheeting – it worked great…. Trays were placed on the countertop and on a small rack beneath it. Tray processing produced clean, dense negatives and allowed ‘fine tuning’ of my locations, shots, and exposures. Four sheets per batch were processed. A drying line was hung in our bedroom; the film clips were a big help. Dried negatives went into protector sleeves.

My only problem was the small kitchen timers (cheap ones from Wal-Mart) – I wanted them to have a nice, glowing dial to tell me how much time was left…. Well, another problem was, of course, time spent in the darkroom meant less time with our friends and family and enjoying more of the terrific local wines. Next time – I’m up for alternative processing with the negs….

Could I have simply carried the 100-ASA film both ways? Yes, of course. Doing so meant not really knowing the logistics of local processing and I was able to reduce paranoia-induced problems (X-rays, snoopy baggage checkers). I now can consider other in-country opportunities. Oh, I was unsuccessful in seeking local Kodak photochemical suppliers….

[Atul Mohidekar]

This backpack might be useful...

ThnkTankPhoto - Airport Acceleration V 2.0 Backpack
Description says: "Legal carry on backpack fits all international carry on requirements when the laptop case is removed. It can be decreased in size and weight immediately by removing the laptop case."
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_ArprtAccel.php


// Atul

[louisjconnelly]

Thank to all who replied to this thread, everything was very helpful, my trip to Paris was a success. My Deardorff, although slightly heavy was amazing to work with.
Thanks again.
Louis Connelly

[sultanofcognac]

I was in Paris last week and had (and never have had) a problem shooting in Parisian streets with a tripod. The only real problem is the foot traffic. :eek: Don't block the sidewalk or you'll have no end of problems. If you have an official press pass the gendarmerie are usually cool with that - be nice, speak slowly (if you don't speak French) and agree to whatever they ask. (hint: don't ask if they want their photos taken, and don't do it 'accidentally').
Early in the AM is the best time to shoot, as Paris doesn't 'wake up' until 9am. ;) Best option is to buy your film in Paris.
Check out the shop "le grand format" (www.legrandformat.com) at 50, boulevard Beaumarchais in Paris
or: DUPON MONTMARTRE (www.dupon.com) at 74, rue Joseph de Maistre, 75018 also in Paris --- the montmartre is also a great place to shoot - check out the large cemetery.
I use Dupon in Bordeaux (which is but 90 minutes from my house) - they normally turn around LF processing in a day, two max. It's a damn sight more expensive than in the USA but definitely worth it to ensure you don't loose anything to Xray machines or mishandling from the TSA goons.

"Have fun" is the best advice one can offer!:cool: