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View Full Version : Is there a bag for an open 4x5?



Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 10:43
I am off to a 3000 miles road trip through the entire US this summer and, while I have a camera bag that will fit all my digital gear and my closed 4x5, I would really like to find a simple padded bag to leave my 4x5 (Chamonix 45n) sitting in it already assembled with lens on in the trunk of the car (the idea came to me looking at my lunch box). This would considerably reduce the setup time to take pictures from the side of the road.

Is there such a bag?

Thanks
Francesco

Richard Wasserman
22-Mar-2009, 10:48
Where did you buy your lunchbox? I would go back there and take a look. There are many padded coolers, lunchboxes, etc. in many different sizes available. Maybe one will work, or with some creativity, be made to work for your Chamonix.

John Bowen
22-Mar-2009, 13:06
I just use a plastic milk/file box and set the darkcloth in the box, then put the camera on top and wrap the camera with the dark cloth. Works great and costs about $5.

Sounds like an adventurous summer is ahead. Have fun!

C. D. Keth
22-Mar-2009, 13:20
Will the back seat be full? When I do that kind of thing I leave the camera on the sticks and lay the whole thing across the back seat.

Toyon
22-Mar-2009, 13:24
You're either going to have to go more miles or pick a smaller country.

bbjorkum
22-Mar-2009, 13:29
Will the back seat be full? When I do that kind of thing I leave the camera on the sticks and lay the whole thing across the back seat.

I would not recommend it. If you crash, the only reason you die is because your 4x5 smashed in your back head ...

Jim Noel
22-Mar-2009, 14:23
A 3000 mile road trip in the United States will just barely get you from one coast to the other, You need to be thinking of 5000-6000 miles if you intend to take any side trips which are necessary to see very much of the country. As an example, I o once drove over 2500 miles during a 2 week stay in Death Valley, and never left the valley.

Archphoto
22-Mar-2009, 14:35
I think in the same way: a cooling box with extra foam on the bottom and sides.
Take a measuring tape with you for the correct (about) sizes.
If you want to put the camera behind you: fasten it with the seat-belt or put it on the floor (even safer). Keep in mind that in a crash every thing loose will become projectiles !

Have a great trip !

Peter

venchka
22-Mar-2009, 18:12
Will the back seat be full? When I do that kind of thing I leave the camera on the sticks and lay the whole thing across the back seat.

I do this with my Zone VI on a Gitzo 3530 with one section of the legs extended in my Volvo S70. I use the seatbelts to secure everything. Darkcloth folded between camera and seats to guard sharp corners. Works for me.

Henry Ambrose
22-Mar-2009, 18:48
Buy a cheap cooler. They come in many sizes. Get a fairly large one and put all your camera gear in it. Its really hot in most of the U.S. in the summertime so keep the cooler on the back seat if possible. That's how I carry camera gear on long car trips and it works great. I have many Pelican cases of all sizes but a cooler looks like nothing to steal compared to special equipment cases.

Drew Bedo
22-Mar-2009, 19:11
I have never don this, so I only speak from caution and not from experience. I would be concerned that keeping the camera open, with the lens mounted and traveling in the trunk would lead to vibration problems...things shaking loose, screws backing out and joints loosening.

Ansell Adams (pause while we all genuflect) said that he practiced setting up his gear until he could do it in two minutes. That played a major role in being able to capture that one image of the moon rising over that church-yard.

What I have done at times is to leave the camera mounted on the tripod a, but folded down. When you see an opportunity, you will have to make a lens and filter choice. As you work through that you can set up the tripod, open up the camera, and then mount your choice in glass. Does that work for anyone else?

venchka
22-Mar-2009, 19:54
I have never don this, so I only speak from caution and not from experience. I would be concerned that keeping the camera open, with the lens mounted and traveling in the trunk would lead to vibration problems...things shaking loose, screws backing out and joints loosening.

Ansell Adams (pause while we all genuflect) said that he practiced setting up his gear until he could do it in two minutes. That played a major role in being able to capture that one image of the moon rising over that church-yard.

What I have done at times is to leave the camera mounted on the tripod a, but folded down. When you see an opportunity, you will have to make a lens and filter choice. As you work through that you can set up the tripod, open up the camera, and then mount your choice in glass. Does that work for anyone else?

A good variation on carrying the camera/tripod on the back seat.

Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 19:55
Well thank you all for your many replies! Went to the city today and wasn't expecting to come back to so many replies :-)
Yes, you are right, my bad English tricked me again: by "entire US" i mean length-wise. The trip is from San Francisco, through Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, South Utah, Rocky Mountains (the million dollars Hwy) and from there, all the way to Washington on route 50 and then up to New York, where I live.

I actually wanted to go the other way around, initially, starting from here and driving all the way to San Francisco, but found out that renting there a one way car to NYC cost half price than renting in NYC a one way car to SF (mysteries of rental cars).

As you can imagine I won't have too much time to stop and setup the camera every time, and unfortunately I haven't had much time to play with it since I bought it, so at some point I was even thinking of leaving it at home and concentrate on my 2 Canon 5D bodies.

But then I thought that if the camera was already mounted in a protective case (I do like the cooler idea because it is something cheap I can buy easily in SF before starting and don't have to carry in my luggage all the way there -- I will have a couple of days to get ready in San Francisco before leaving, while visiting some relatives of my wife).

I haven't used LF film on the camera yet (only MF rolls) and I am not at the point I can say I am comfortable handling the loading / unloading myself during such an intense trip. Looking at the trip plan, some nights I will barely have time to eat a quick dinner, download all my files and back them up on an external hard drive, put all the batteries in charge and jump into the sack, ready for an early morning rise. If I have to add to that also loading and unloading of films I might go sleepless LOL...

So I am thinking of just using 6x9 on 120 color rolls or maybe Fuji quickloads... expensive but VERY convenient for a trip like this, I think.

Suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks again for all your great ideas (don't worry, won't use the back seat and leave the camera on its tripod. I have a quick release system and I use the tripod also for my other cameras, so I need it ready).

Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 20:02
Buy a cheap cooler. They come in many sizes. Get a fairly large one and put all your camera gear in it. Its really hot in most of the U.S. in the summertime so keep the cooler on the back seat if possible. That's how I carry camera gear on long car trips and it works great. I have many Pelican cases of all sizes but a cooler looks like nothing to steal compared to special equipment cases.

Because you brought up the heat thing, and because I will be driving through places like the Death Valley all day long, do you suggest to actually have cooling packs inside the cooler as well? I know condensation can be a problem for digital cameras so i wasn't thinking of actually cooling neither the digital camera bag, nor the "cooler". But I am open to suggestions. I am sure that in this forum many people have handled trips of this kind to destinations like the ones we have chosen with LF cameras even bigger than mine, so I am very curious to hear any kind of suggestions you might have.

Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 20:04
I do this with my Zone VI on a Gitzo 3530 with one section of the legs extended in my Volvo S70. I use the seatbelts to secure everything. Darkcloth folded between camera and seats to guard sharp corners. Works for me.

That's how my Canon 5D will travel :-)

Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 20:05
You're either going to have to go more miles or pick a smaller country.

Hehehe... you are totally right :-) see my post few mins ago describing the actual trip in a little more details

Francesco Gallarotti
22-Mar-2009, 20:08
I just use a plastic milk/file box and set the darkcloth in the box, then put the camera on top and wrap the camera with the dark cloth. Works great and costs about $5.

Sounds like an adventurous summer is ahead. Have fun!

Thanks! I hope the car AC doesn't break in the middle of the Death Valley! Hehehe..
I like the file box idea, but I like even more the idea of a large cheap Walmart cooler to seat in the trunk. Not a bad idea to insulate the camera as much as possible from the heat of the desert, when not in action (i envision using the large format mostly at dusk or sunset when the light is a little more interesting than midday in the desert)

Oren Grad
22-Mar-2009, 20:44
I have an old Tamrac shoulder bag with configurable dividers that was intended for 35 or medium format, but I've used it many times to carry an unfolded Horseman VH/VH-R or Nagaoka 4x5 with lens mounted so I can set up very quickly. Right now I have my VH-R field kit in it. I make a large central compartment for the camera, and smaller compartments on either side - I can put a couple of extra lenses on one side and rollholders or 4x5 film holders on the other. There are also side and front pockets that can hold roll film or other small accessories.

Henry Ambrose
23-Mar-2009, 06:02
No ice packs. If its in the back seat it should be fine.

mpirie
23-Mar-2009, 12:00
Tenba do a bag that's like a cooler bag and opens at the top with side handles (but no doubt is much more expensive). Personally I use a large Tenba that I bought for my medium format kit. It has removable pockets and cells inside so can hold a ready to shoot 5x4 like my Toyo as well as a couple of lenses and has pockets for all the rest of the junk we drag with us!

Mike

kev curry
24-Mar-2009, 00:28
I have a metal eye screwed to the floor of the van and from that I attach a short lenth of bungee cord via hooks to the hook under the base of the tripod. I leave the camera set up and mounted with the legs short and fully splayed. I keep the bungee really tight so theres no way it could topple over when driving around. I also leave the collars on the legs lose, so that when I detatch the bungee from the pod the legs are ready to extend, its a good time saver.