For several years now I have been thinking about how I can transport my 8x10 gear in Asia. How can I carry all the weight, in that hot-humid environment? What is my best option?
The plan I came up with was a cart system, something I could pull or push down dusty roads and paths, something I could fold up and transport in buses or other small vehicles. I have looked at several cart designs through the years without much luck. I thought, why not worry about the cart later and get a nice tough plastic water/dust tight case first.
Last night I found a case that might work it will cost me about $200USD to get it into my home ($150 - 250USD or so cheaper than a new case).The idea would be to put all my 8x10 gear in this case, lock it up, tie on the tripod and put it on the movable cart. I could quickly pull the 3 pieces out of bus put it together and wheel it through the streets or into the countryside. The fact the case is old and banged up might also be of some advantage, I usually prefer old camera bags for the same reason, when it looks shitty outside it attracts less attention from potential thieves. This box is big enough to allow my 8x10 camera gear bag to fit in nicely with just a bit of room left over, I can remove the bag directly from the box after I transport all the gear to the shooting site if I need to.
In this box I plan to carry my 8x10 camera (Kodak Master or Deardorff), 20-25 Mido film holders (40-50 sheets of film) with one exterior shell, spot meter, small tools bag containing notebooks, pens, cable releases etc, dark cloth bag, focusing loupe, large reflector, the one and only lens I will use a 250mm F6.7 Fujinon (Jock Sturges lens). I should also have room for my film changing bag, extra film and a few odds and ends like small gifts for my subjects.
My dream of shooting 8x10 available light portraiture in Asia is getting closer step by step, it is becoming less dream and more reality day by day, so far I have:
1) Purchased Kodak Master 8x10 and the 250mm lens, learned from Jock Sturges
2) Shot the 4x5 in Asia, learning to do portraits in available light with a view camera.
3) Bought Mido holders and 600 sheets of Kodak 8x10 film.
4) I am now learning how to shoot available light 8x10 portraits in the field and learning the one lens I plan to use the 250mm Fujinon F6.7.
5) Building my 8x10 equipment transportation cart.
Of course the funnest and hardest part is yet to come, making the pics! I hope by the time I get this all figured out I am not to old a fart to get it pics done.
The plan I came up with was a cart system, something I could pull or push down dusty roads and paths, something I could fold up and transport in buses or other small vehicles. I have looked at several cart designs through the years without much luck. I thought, why not worry about the cart later and get a nice tough plastic water/dust tight case first.
Last night I found a case that might work it will cost me about $200USD to get it into my home ($150 - 250USD or so cheaper than a new case).The idea would be to put all my 8x10 gear in this case, lock it up, tie on the tripod and put it on the movable cart. I could quickly pull the 3 pieces out of bus put it together and wheel it through the streets or into the countryside. The fact the case is old and banged up might also be of some advantage, I usually prefer old camera bags for the same reason, when it looks shitty outside it attracts less attention from potential thieves. This box is big enough to allow my 8x10 camera gear bag to fit in nicely with just a bit of room left over, I can remove the bag directly from the box after I transport all the gear to the shooting site if I need to.
In this box I plan to carry my 8x10 camera (Kodak Master or Deardorff), 20-25 Mido film holders (40-50 sheets of film) with one exterior shell, spot meter, small tools bag containing notebooks, pens, cable releases etc, dark cloth bag, focusing loupe, large reflector, the one and only lens I will use a 250mm F6.7 Fujinon (Jock Sturges lens). I should also have room for my film changing bag, extra film and a few odds and ends like small gifts for my subjects.
My dream of shooting 8x10 available light portraiture in Asia is getting closer step by step, it is becoming less dream and more reality day by day, so far I have:
1) Purchased Kodak Master 8x10 and the 250mm lens, learned from Jock Sturges
2) Shot the 4x5 in Asia, learning to do portraits in available light with a view camera.
3) Bought Mido holders and 600 sheets of Kodak 8x10 film.
4) I am now learning how to shoot available light 8x10 portraits in the field and learning the one lens I plan to use the 250mm Fujinon F6.7.
5) Building my 8x10 equipment transportation cart.
Of course the funnest and hardest part is yet to come, making the pics! I hope by the time I get this all figured out I am not to old a fart to get it pics done.
