Camera set up for hiking

[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.


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[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:

[Peter De Smidt]

Great idea, John!

[Tin Can]

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