Jon I had also thought of doing that. I could slide everything to one end of the rail andinseet the rail vertically with stuff to cushion the set up.
Jon I had also thought of doing that. I could slide everything to one end of the rail andinseet the rail vertically with stuff to cushion the set up.
Or for that matter, just slide everything to the end and put the rod over your shoulder, like Huck Finn running away from home.
Some people, if they realize that they only will use a 150mm lens or so, will cut the rail shorter to make it more manageable.
I carried a monorail camera (a later Calumet made by Cambo) in a Kelty external-frame backpack, with the rail across the top of the pack and the camera body extending down into it. When I folded the top flap over the pack, only the ends of the rails stick out. That pack had a metal hoop around the top edge of the pack opening, and I had to reshape it to allow the camera body to be lowered down through it.
But nothing can make that camera lighter.
If I were attempting long trail hikes with a fixed-length monorail camera now, I would convert a baby jogger.
I was pretty fit when I hiked with that 45-pound setup down into the Maze in Canyonlands. And to no avail--the pictures were not worth the effort. I would have been better off with a more portable camera that didn't pose so much difficulty. Better to live with smaller prints than pictures reflecting exhausted mental processes.
Rick "who hikes now with a Pentax 6x7 kit in a Lowe Photo Trekker Classic" Denney
When I packed it, I compressed the standards to the middle of the rail, and just packed stuff below and above, since the widest (deepest) part of my pack is in the middle, rather than the ends.Originally Posted by stradibarrius
I have to admit I switched to a Tachihara for field work.
Jon
my black and white photos of the Mendocino Coast: jonshiu.zenfolio.com
I guess it will be a kindness if I don't tell you about my Ebony 4x5. You will see it soon enough. :-)
Lots of good advice above.
You might also contact Photo Backpacker. Bruce makes custom camera "cradles" that work great in the Kelty Redwing, and probably other, backpacks. They don't seem to be as well known as they should be, or maybe I just hadn't noticed them before but, I just received one for my Sinar F1 and it works great. Holds the camera securely, and protects it from the inevitable bumps a backpack will receive. Only takes a moment to slide both standards and the tripod block to one end of the rail and tuck it into the bag. The camera body and rail are secured with velcro straps so that nothing is flopping around inside the pack. Really well designed, as is all of Bruce's stuff.
Your Calumet is approximately the same shape/weight as a Sinar. I'm sure Bruce could accommodate you. The Kelty Redwing will also be adaptable to almost any camera you should acquire in the future.
Like RD, I also used to carry a Calumet/Cambo in a Kelty external frame pack. It's definitely another option. Kelty still makes the external frame pack, by the way. I just bought one for my grandson. Little twerp's growing too fast for an internal pack. His is practically identical to mine, which is probably 40 years older. Somethings just keep on keepin' on.
JD
You could easily spend more on a backpack than you did on the camera. Unless you need the movements I'd get a Crown Graphic. You can put them in practically any backpack with lens attached.
Well I have found that it fits fine in My Kelty Redwing. So I will be able to make it work. If I find that 4x5 field work is my thing then I will get a wood field camera.
Metal not wood!!!
Or trust me, a Crown Graphic (plywood no less).
If you have never used a crown graphic, try one, once. It took me 30 years to discover how handy they are. No they are not view cameras, but they do produce beautiful large negatives kind of like a view camera. They look clunky but they handle great. A super graphic and a speed graphic are too heavy. Think of the crown as your mini digi cam. kfry
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