LF or not? Trip advice needed...

[Bill_1856]

Take a P&S, and buy some AA books and/or postcards.

[Kirk Fry]

Are you traveling with someone else? Large format is not usually a family occupation. I kind of solved the set up time with a crown graphic set up for infinity. No focusing required (Well you can use the scale doohicky). Pictures in under 2 minutes, especially if you don't have to meter. Hand held 4X5 opens up all sorts of possibilities. Panoramas can be done by stitching. I always seem to do better with less stuff to worry about. Yosemite is hard to photograph because that other guy got there first. Have fun. (A 450 mm on a long bellows 4X5 could be real fun on the trail from the valley to glacier point.)

KFry

[eddie]

hey,

i travel extensively in foreign countries and domestically with my camera gear. i lived in thailand for years. i always had my RB and my 35mm. i brought a 50,90, and 250. i found i rarely used the 50 YMMV but when i needed it it was great.

domestically when air travel is a factor i pack differently. a few trips to the utah area lately has seen me bring my 8x10 and 4x5 chamonix as well as my 35mm rig and my rb. i used them all. i was gone for 2-3 weeks. i used them all. 35mm the least.


on a driving trip back east i bring it all.

my last two trips to europe has seen my 4x5 and my 35mm. i just needed to be mobile while in country and had no car. this set up was great. light and fast. i have a 90mm f8 and a triple convertible 150 (230/330) that i use. it is very very small and i find i do not convert it much and if i do only to 220. the tripod was the most cumbersome part of it all. i would have loved to bring the RD but with lenses film etc i just could not. it worked great!

back to you. are you driving to Ca or flying? if driving take it all. IMO if you had to leave something behind ii would leave the 450 and the 180. IMO the 127 and 180 are pretty close in FL. or maybe leave the 127 and take the 180 and 50mm combo. i find i use my 90mm on the RB 80% of the time. you could probably get buy with just the 127 if need be. most of yosemite stuff is far off...

the same idea applies to the 450 on the LF kit. not sure how big the LF lenses are but i would take a wider one if possible. i love my 90 f8 on 4x5. it would work on 5x7 but may not give you what you need. a 111mm or a 120 maybe a good choice.....but if you do not have one take the 150....especially if it is small.

bottom line take them both. maybe just leave 2-3 of the lenses home if you need tro save weight. if not bring them all. as i saw for car camping/traveling if you are taking the car bring it all! no need to duffer! OTOH if you must carry it all on your back the opposite applies....or make someone else carry it.

keep us posted on what you do and how it goes. post some pics too.

eddie

[Jim Rhoades]

Took one of those dream trips out west a few years ago. It was so windy I only shot 6 negs of 8x10 in three weeks. Everything else was slides with a F5. I was really sorry I did not bring my TLR Rollie because I don't like color and B&W in 35mm is not so hot either.

The next trip I'll have the 8x10 with half the film and only for Pt/Pd. A 4x5 Linhof for silver. Any metal folder is better in the wind than wood. And oh yeah, the TLR. No color, no 35.

[Drew Wiley]

I'd keep it simple. You want to enjoy your trip and be able to concentrate on your
compositions, and not worry about babysitting a lot of superfluous gear. I spend a
lot of time in the Sierras and would absolutely opt for the Canham setup. MF is handy in very windy conditions or somtimes during winter storms, but in Aug you
primarily get big slow-moving thunderheads in the afternoon behind the peaks. Just
realize that Hwy 395 itself as well as Yosemite Valley are going to be hot and hazy,
if not downright smoggy. You will want to allow time to take the various side roads
up to higher altititude where the air is cleaner. The best way to ruin a trip I can think
of is to try to pack in too many "must sees". Better to spend quality time with fewer
locations, and allow yourself time to dayhike.

[George Stewart]

I often have the same dilemma - what camera(s) to take?

If figure that as I get older, my ability to haul equipment will diminish. Also, since I live in what I believe to be an area devoid of artistic landscapes, I must bring the biggest (read highest quality equipment) that I can carry. My typical trip out west, via aircraft, consists of an 8x10 camera, two lenses and 200 sheets of B&W, holders, etc. I also bring a DSLR and three lenses, not only for backup but for color work, as well.

Additionally, the DSLR can make mincemeat of some landscape work; for example, HDR-panoramas that exceed the quality of 6x17 are easy and shot in less than a minute.

The most difficult part of these trips is the air travel with valuable equipment. I generally, have the biggest carry on backpack I can bring, plus a photo-vest with other expensive stuff (lenses) in the pockets. I also carry a plastic bag for the film, that counts as the "smaller personal item." I haven't had a problem, and all the stress melts away when I finally reach the seat in the airplane. Make sure you are early for the flight so that you can get on with your stuff.

[anchored]

You haven't mentioned whether you're driving or flying... if driving take it all! Shoot the 5x7 loaded with transparency or B&W films during periods of ideal light. Use the RB67 loaded with negative film during periods of less-than-ideal light. Using medium format film in a large format camera, at least in my opinion, defeats one of the values of the RB... and that is, rate of capturing images. Not sure about others, but when shooting my large format camera (Linhof) I rarely shoot more than 12 images during a day. When shooting a medium format camera (RB67) I'll expend perhaps 6-8 rolls a day.

In addition... take a DSLR or even a pointy-shooty digicam for scouting trips and when light conditions are poor enough that you aren't sure the resultant images will be "keepers."

This is exactly as I did on a trip to Death Valley last year and returned with a very high return. In all honesty, the bulk of the keepers were captured by the RB67.

However, if you do have to restrict equipment... I'd definitely carry the Canham (and a DSLR).

Glenn

[htswv]

Thanks for all of the advice folks...it is greatly appreciated.

To answer some questions:

I'll be flying out to Reno and renting a car for the entire duration of the trip. I'll be travelling alone....so no human pack mule will be available..lol. I know I can't physically pack two camera systems of that size on my back at the same time at that altitude...so a choice will have to be made as to what camera to take on any given hike/trip. I really like the RB67 kit I have but as some have mentioned it weighs about the same as the 5x7 Canham outfit. I also have a 35mm Nikon FM that I can take but do not have a digital outfit...I just can't make the break to digital.

I plan on spending most of the time in the Eastern Sierras (Lee Vining/Virginia Lakes area) and doing dayhikes and side trips from there (Bodie, Bristlecone Pine Forest, Tuolumne Meadows area, Mono Lake, possibly Lone Pine). I'm not even sure about venturing into Yosemite Valley. I may spend a few days at Lake Tahoe just to chill out and relax at the end of the trip.

[Ben Syverson]

Take the Canham and Nikon FM (with one lens)... The choice is easy.

The RB67 is a studio camera IMO, which is why they also made the 7 series.

Imagine you brought both the RB and the 57, and you're about to head out for a hike. Why would you ever pack the RB over the Canham? You're there, you've gone to all the trouble, why wouldn't you take the extra minute of setup time to shoot LF?

Just a thought...

[Donald Miller]

From my personal experience and predisposition I have found that when I was tempted to bring along the camera store (I have done that occasionally) I made shi**y photographs. The reason I believe that is true, for me, is that working with one format and a very limited selection of lenses forces me to see consistant with the camera rather than trying to make a camera do the seeing for me.

My advice, again based upon my experience, take the largest camera and the fewest lenses.