PDA

View Full Version : Photo Vest



wiggywag
27-Jul-2012, 11:43
Hi! I'm considering buying a photo vest and would love to get some recommendations and links. Pros & Cons with different models etc... Thank you :)

Richard Wasserman
27-Jul-2012, 12:01
When I'm feeling particularly stylish I wear a Duluth Trading vest. It holds lots of stuff and is well made. http://tinyurl.com/ckggxa7

bob carnie
27-Jul-2012, 12:07
Make sure you get the Tilley Hat to complete the outfit.

If you do not have a beard grow one..

Kevin J. Kolosky
27-Jul-2012, 12:11
Ive often driven past their store on Park Point in Duluth and never stopped in. Can you stuff a couple of 4 x 5 film holders in those pockets?

Len Middleton
27-Jul-2012, 12:30
Make sure you get the Tilley Hat to complete the outfit.
If you do not have a beard grow one..

Bob,

Should the vest match the Tilley (or Stetsen hat), the cargo shorts, or the colour of socks worn with the sandals?

Or match the beard colour?

bob carnie
27-Jul-2012, 12:44
Len

I am a black knee socks with brown sandals kind of guy.

though I see your point about colour coding ones look when going out in public.

Bob

Len Middleton
27-Jul-2012, 12:54
The alternate might be to become a portable MacBeth chart...

Richard Wasserman
27-Jul-2012, 14:11
Sheesh, I have a beard and a Tilley hat. I'm a walking talking stereotype.....



Make sure you get the Tilley Hat to complete the outfit.

If you do not have a beard grow one..

jeroldharter
27-Jul-2012, 14:18
You might consider a Scottevest.

The inside pockets are large enough for an iPad or a Kindle so some 4x5 holders would be no problem.

I keep filters, loupe, phone, notes, 3.5x reading glasses (used in place of a loupe most of the time), etc. in mine. Handy as a travel vest also. Kind of a covert second carry-on bag if you fill up the pockets.

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml

Joseph Dickerson
27-Jul-2012, 14:38
Domke or Cabela's.

The Domke has bigger pockets but is longer, not the most comfortable for walking long distances. Cabela's has smaller (and maybe fewer) pockets but 4x5 holders (including Grafmatics) will fit with the pocket flaps closed. I think the Cabela's is a bit lighter material making it cooler (temperature wise, not culturally). :rolleyes:

JD

Robert Skeoch
28-Jul-2012, 08:49
I have a Domke... seems to work fine.
In the past I had a Kodak one.... it was great but no longer made.
Also Banana Republic made them years ago... those were nice as well but no longer made.
Tilley makes one that is too hot.
Billingham makes one that is too much money.
So I use a Domke one.

Brian Ellis
28-Jul-2012, 08:55
Don't do it. It'll make you look like a dork and with 10-15 pockets you'll never remember what's in which pocket.

bob carnie
28-Jul-2012, 09:01
I was going to say photo knob but dork works well.

But what do I know, I plan to use one of those baby buggie things to lug things around.

Don't do it. It'll make you look like a dork and with 10-15 pockets you'll never remember what's in which pocket.

Len Middleton
28-Jul-2012, 09:31
Hi! I'm considering buying a photo vest and would love to get some recommendations and links. Pros & Cons with different models etc... Thank you :)

One of the things you have not indicated, is what are you looking at carrying in the vest, versus the camera bag? That will obviously impact your choices...

Other than small light stuff that you want on hand (e.g. loupe, light meter, phone, viewer, etc.), one significant advantage of a bag or pack is that you are no longer carrying the weight when you set it down.

Watch you do not overload yourself with what you carry in the vest, as that weight stays with you...

cowanw
28-Jul-2012, 09:41
The main use for a vest, for me, is to carry my big mediun format lenses and bodies through the airport ticket counter, so that my carry on is light enough for the Toronto bean counters.
To this end, the only vest I have found that has large enough pockets for a Contax 645 is the Manfrotto, which has zip expansion pockets.
Only for wear, between the house and just past the airport security; God help me if I have a heart attack then, it would be like going to Emerg with dirty underwear.

wiggywag
28-Jul-2012, 15:38
Thanks for all the suggestions. Domke and Cabelas seem to be good options. Im doing 8x10 and 7x17, so I will not put film holders into the vest, but maybe couple of lenses, light meter, filters, notebook and an iphone.

Michael Cienfuegos
28-Jul-2012, 18:15
You might consider a Scottevest.

The inside pockets are large enough for an iPad or a Kindle so some 4x5 holders would be no problem.

I keep filters, loupe, phone, notes, 3.5x reading glasses (used in place of a loupe most of the time), etc. in mine. Handy as a travel vest also. Kind of a covert second carry-on bag if you fill up the pockets.

http://www.scottevest.com/v3_store/New_Travel_Vest.shtml

It looks like a strait jacket :(

Joseph Dickerson
29-Jul-2012, 10:30
Wiggywag,

I suspect that my approach to using a vest is a bit different than most folks. I actually carry most of the gear in a backpack on the trail and use the vest pockets to hold the stuff I don't want to put on the ground when I set up to shoot. Saves a lot of up and downs to the backpack, not to mention a lot of zipping and unzipping. Before Frank gets here...I'm talking about the backpack!!!! :p

Meter and filters reside in the vest but lenses, holders, etc. stay in the pack until I've actually set up the camera. The exception is if I'm just taking one lens and walking a short distance with the camera already on the tripod.

Both the Cabela's and Domke vests are really well made. My Domke must be at least 20 years old by now and still looks new.

I stopped worrying about looking like a dork when I bought my first kilt, but that's another story. :rolleyes:

JD

cowanw
30-Jul-2012, 07:10
Ever since this thread came up, my news web sites have been advertizing the Scottevests exclusively. The power of connectivity.

Greg Blank
30-Jul-2012, 09:11
I would rather drive around with a platform mounted on top of my car.

Richard Wasserman
30-Jul-2012, 09:54
But just think how awesome it would be to shoot from a platform while wearing a photo vest and a Tilley hat! I assume you already have the beard.

I stopped worrying about how I look while working a long time ago. I think a vest is the last thing to be concerned about by anyone carrying all this gear and sticking their head under a blanket in public.



I would rather drive around with a platform mounted on top of my car.

jp
30-Jul-2012, 10:16
Be a rebel and get a flourescent ansi safety vest like the highway crew. I'm sure they must make them with film holder sized pockets. Nobody will mess with ya because you look official.

welly
30-Jul-2012, 18:25
I stopped worrying about how I look while working a long time ago. I think a vest is the last thing to be concerned about by anyone carrying all this gear and sticking their head under a blanket in public.

You make a very good point. I'd really like a photovest. I don't feel like a complete photographer without one but I think my girlfriend would dump me if I started wearing one. She's accepting of my ducking under a blanket but I think a vest would be stretching it a little.

Andrew O'Neill
30-Jul-2012, 19:32
Be a rebel and get a flourescent ansi safety vest like the highway crew. I'm sure they must make them with film holder sized pockets. Nobody will mess with ya because you look official.

Very, very expensive!

dsphotog
30-Jul-2012, 20:42
I don't wear hats, they mess-up my hair...
I like the Domke vests, although they look a lot like a fishing vest...
Once I was parked on a river bank (in a section where fishing is illegal)
wearing the vest, while gathering my 8x10 gear in the trunk of my car, just as a state fish & game warden stopped to investigate, I pulled out my tripod, he waved and kept driving.

bigdog
31-Jul-2012, 21:40
Once I was parked on a river bank (in a section where fishing is illegal) wearing the vest, while gathering my 8x10 gear in the trunk of my car, just as a state fish & game warden stopped to investigate, I pulled out my tripod, he waved and kept driving.

Next time I go fishing illegally, I'm taking my tripod ...

Alan Gales
31-Jul-2012, 23:37
Too damn hot. I would have to live in Alaska to wear something like that and of course even there I could only wear it in winter and if it was an unusually cold winter it would help.

E. von Hoegh
1-Aug-2012, 13:17
But just think how awesome it would be to shoot from a platform while wearing a photo vest and a Tilley hat! I assume you already have the beard.

I stopped worrying about how I look while working a long time ago. I think a vest is the last thing to be concerned about by anyone carrying all this gear and sticking their head under a blanket in public.

The awesomeness would be increased if you had an attractive female assistant to wear the vest with nothing underneath.

John Kasaian
2-Aug-2012, 08:07
No photo vest! Wear old fishing vest with plenty of blood stains on it instead. When digi photographers give you lip about using film or looky-lews ask how many pixels or if its a Hasselblad give them a wild eyed stare and talk to yourself in arguementative tones(cutting open a grapefruit with a machete and slurping vodka out of it helps)
You are aware that you have a reputation as a curmudgeon with a big camera to uphold, don't you?

E. von Hoegh
2-Aug-2012, 08:19
No photo vest! Wear old fishing vest with plenty of blood stains on it instead. When digi photographers give you lip about using film or looky-lews ask how many pixels or if its a Hasselblad give them a wild eyed stare and talk to yourself in arguementative tones(cutting open a grapefruit with a machete and slurping vodka out of it helps)
You are aware that you have a reputation as a curmudgeon with a big camera to uphold, don't you?

I've found that an old Remington pump leaning against the tripod keeps the idiots at bay.

Alan Gales
2-Aug-2012, 10:12
The awesomeness would be increased if you had an attractive female assistant to wear the vest with nothing underneath.

Maybe you can talk to Frank about shooting one of his models wearing only a photo vest and posting the photo on here. :cool:

E. von Hoegh
2-Aug-2012, 10:14
Maybe you can talk to Frank about shooting one of his models wearing only a photo vest and posting the photo on here. :cool:

That shouldn't be too difficult.

Joseph Dickerson
2-Aug-2012, 10:48
Maybe you can talk to Frank about shooting one of his models wearing only a photo vest and posting the photo on here. :cool:

I do not want to see a photo of Frank wearing only a photo vest no matter who he's shooting! :p

JD

Alan Gales
2-Aug-2012, 12:05
I do not want to see a photo of Frank wearing only a photo vest no matter who he's shooting! :p

JD

It might be nice for the ladies on the forum. How many ladies out there want to see Frank in his photo vest?

wiggywag
2-Aug-2012, 14:01
I told my wife that a vest would be a great idea when we travel as an extra carry on bag on the airplane. Suddenly, she did not want to travel with me anymore.

Len Middleton
2-Aug-2012, 14:09
I told my wife that a vest would be a great idea when we travel as an extra carry on bag on the airplane. Suddenly, she did not want to travel with me anymore.

You have not indicated if that is the downside, or not...

Greg Blank
2-Aug-2012, 14:26
Great idea, and quick thinking, I like the Safety vest idea a lot. I first started out as a landsurveyor here in Maryland running the transit. A couple of times women stopped thier cars and asked "what I was taking pictures of" Most people now just say that is a really old camera....I laugh.

Originally Posted by jp498
Be a rebel and get a flourescent ansi safety vest like the highway crew. I'm sure they must make them with film holder sized pockets. Nobody will mess with ya because you look official.


I have one of those, sans pockets. I keep it in my car. I was working on the side of a busy road and I had a lot of looky-loo's that were watching me rather than the light that turned red. I almost caused a multi-car crash. I noticed nobody pays attention to the crews with tripods, but some guy out there with a big camera draws a lot of attention. Wearing the vest makes me "invisible" to curious people. They figure I am just a surveyor or something and ignore me.

Two friends of mine in grad school were making a photograph with costumes. One was wearing a lab coat with a clipboard, the other was a few dozen yards away in a hazmat suit. They were trespassing on an old demolished site outside of Savannah, GA. A dumptruck came by on a dusty path next to them and stopped to tell them they weren't allowed to be there. Thinking quickly, the one in the lab coat looked at his clipboard, then glanced back at the guy in the hazmat suit in the distance, then back at his clipboard. Then he told the driver he needed to see his radiation card for safety. The driver stammered that he was just driving to work and sped off.

msk2193
2-Aug-2012, 19:28
Try these guys...

http://www.vestedinterest.com/still.htm

Kanichiro
5-Aug-2012, 16:34
Wearing a vest to some may well make you look like you're carrying a concealed handgun.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=concealed+carry+vest&qpvt=concealed+carry+vest&FORM=IGRE

msk2193
5-Aug-2012, 18:29
Wearing a vest to some may well make you look like you're carrying a concealed handgun.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=concealed+carry+vest&qpvt=concealed+carry+vest&FORM=IGRE

One of the main reason to wear one when shooting downtown at night!