Backpack?

Cameras, lenses, tripods..
smbooth
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Jul 2012, 00:20

Backpack?

Postby smbooth » 07 Aug 2012, 21:05

How does one carry there LF camera. Ive just picked up a couple of front loading packs off ebay for $20.00 that I hope to by able to convert to be able to carry the B&J810 in over short distances. Has any body fitted out a backpack to do this?

User avatar
Alastair Moore
Site Admin
Posts: 668
Joined: 26 Jul 2012, 09:29
Location: Darwin, Australia
Contact:

Re: Backpack?

Postby Alastair Moore » 09 Aug 2012, 09:53

I tend to carry my camera on my tripod and everything else goes in a small backpack. Fine for 4x5 but probably less so for 8x10. I did look into the Photobackpacker(http://www.photobackpacker.com/home.php) option but haven't committed to it yet. I may just grab one of their 4x5 cases and pick my own backpack to suit. I'm still trying to figure out an easy option for 8x10 as I'd like to take it out a bit more often by damn, it's big and heavy.

Lachlan717
Posts: 505
Joined: 03 Aug 2012, 16:49

Re: Backpack?

Postby Lachlan717 » 09 Aug 2012, 10:03

I have a Vangard 58 for my 4x5/6x17 camera. Perfect size for carry-on. When carrying the 6x17, I'll put the film holder in checked baggage to save carry-on weight.

For the 7x17, I have a 100+ litre travel back pack from Anaconda. It will hold the camera, 3 lenses and 4 film holders. It's crap for accessory straps, so I carry my tripod at the moment. Not the perfect solution at this point in time…

I also have a Fanny Pack with all of my accessories in it. Loupe, Spot meter, Cokin X-Pro Filters and rings, spare cable release, spare batteries, note pad, Leatherman, etc. Having it in a separate pack is such a good thing when you have multiple camera packs. You simply grab it without having to make sure that you have everything. I'd recommend considering it to everyone.

User avatar
Maris
Posts: 882
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: Backpack?

Postby Maris » 09 Aug 2012, 10:56

I use a Aus Club front opening travel pack with a reasonable harness and waist belt to carry my 8x10 Tachihara. The travel pack is custom compartmented (by me) with foam rubber glued over plywood divisions. The camera wrapped in the focussing cloth goes in the bottom compartment and two lenses and a light meter go on the shelf above. The daypack that zips onto the travel pack holds 6 film holders and a big plastic garbage bag to save the kit in case of rain. Side straps on the travel pack hold weather-proof garb, water bottle, etc, etc.

All up the load comes to 24kg apart from the tripod which I hand carry. The weight slows me down but I start an excursion into the landscape an hour early to compensate. And I do most exposures on the journey back from the far point. That way when I'm most exhausted I'm nearest the car!

Andrew
Posts: 6
Joined: 28 Jul 2012, 20:44

Re: Backpack?

Postby Andrew » 10 Aug 2012, 20:55

I have 2 backpacks for cameras:

a relatively small domke "iguana" for my 4x5 technika which actually works pretty well except that I had to take the skids off the base to stop them digging into my back.

I also have a f.64 BPX for the ratbag 8x10 that hasn't been off the property... the pack works great for storage! The only mod required was a sheet of foam in the main compartment. When I tried to pack it for a trip that didn't come off I found the depth too short for the 6x6 boards that I had my lenses on. I'll remount them on linhof boards and use an adapter if I ever take it away with more than one lens. But there's no serious room for film holders so I can see the kit would end up being 3 bags.... 1 bag for camera, couple of lenses, light meter, loupe, 1 bag for film holders and 1 bag for the tripod

I can see there would be a few front loading travel packs that would do as well with minimal mods to add some internal compartments and extra padding. The purpose built camera backpacks I've bothered looking at were generally a bit shallow so a deeper travel packs might do better with the B&J that isn't particularly slim and/or if you were using larger boards.

smbooth
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Jul 2012, 00:20

Re: Backpack?

Postby smbooth » 11 Aug 2012, 10:55

Thank Guys, Maris if you can would it be possible to get a snap of your pack internals. The backs I got both are 80L front opening one is nice and deep which does fit the B&J810 but it has a bottom hatch so only the top 2/3 opens while technically this is good as it keeps the weight in the middle it makes it harder to fit a internal frame.

User avatar
Maris
Posts: 882
Joined: 27 Jul 2012, 16:02
Location: Noosa

Re: Backpack?

Postby Maris » 11 Aug 2012, 14:33

smbooth wrote:Thank Guys, Maris if you can would it be possible to get a snap of your pack internals. The backs I got both are 80L front opening one is nice and deep which does fit the B&J810 but it has a bottom hatch so only the top 2/3 opens while technically this is good as it keeps the weight in the middle it makes it harder to fit a internal frame.

I don't have a small camera or any digital stuff so a snap is out but I'll try to verbal it.
The Aus Club travel pack is a cheapie I found in a bag shop years ago; never seen another one. It has a full opening front flap without the 2/3 + 1/3 bottom compartment design that seems to be the rage today. Size is 67cm H x 45cm W x 24cm D and I built an inner form out of "bending ply" to reinforce the whole thing. The bending ply is covered on both sides with glued on 10mm black foam. The inside floor (the other side of the surface that goes against my back, that is) of the bag is covered by a single piece of glued on 10mm semi-rigid black foam. The big front flap of the bag is similarly reinforced on the inside by another sheet of semi-rigid black foam so it is more like a door than a flap. This helps it support the daypack with the film holders in it.

I fixed a rigid ply shelf (with glued on foam) 44cm above the bottom of the bag to define a 45cm x 44cm space for my Tachihara 8x10 (+ focussing cloth) to ride in. On the shelf go two or three soft-wrapped lenses and a spotmeter.

Full opening travel packs are a rarity. Nowadays when I see one I always find the darn thing has wheels and a handle which is nice at the airport and useless on a mountainside. But I keep looking because my Aus Club bag will fail under the strain one day (or I will) and I don't want to be out of business. Over the decades I have custom compartmented several 8x10 backpacks and always keep learning. A working truism seems to be: your first backpack you build for an enemy, your second for a friend, and your third for yourself!

smbooth
Posts: 405
Joined: 29 Jul 2012, 00:20

Re: Backpack?

Postby smbooth » 13 Aug 2012, 21:40

Thanks Maris, I understand what you did.


Return to “The Camera”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests

cron