Sunday, April 27, 2014

Simplified Gear List

I looked over the previous gear list and had immediate back pain so I thought I would try something a bit simplified.

Here is what I might take:

5x7 Linhof Camera
120mm Lens
Pentax Spot Meter
Manfrotto Tripod Head
Gizto Carbon Fibre Tripod
15 5x7 Film Holders
Large Harrison Changing Tent
Reflector

2 Leica M6 Camera Bodies
35mm F1.4 Lens
28mm F2 Lens
Medium size camera bag.

Hasselblad 503CX Body
80mm 2.8 Lens
2nd A12 Film back
Portable Ring Flash

150 sheets of 5x7 Tri-x ("Families of the Dump" portrait work)
100 rolls of 35mm Tri-x ("Families of the Dump" and other projects)
100 rolls of 120 Tri-x (new "Sex Worker" portrait series photography)

No 210mm lens for the 5x7, the closer head shots I can do with the 80mm on the Hasselblad. Only 2 Leica rangefinders not 3. I also dropped the 21mm lens (hard to do) in this version of the gear list. As to film, I have 100 sheets less of 5x7, 50 rolls less of 35mm and added 50 rolls of 120.

Going with 1 view camera lens is putting all my eggs in one basket, that goes for the medium format stuff as well, if I lose the blad I lose the ability to shoot the 100 rolls. This gear list is much lighter than the other version.

35mm film for the Dump, Muay Thai Boxer and Sex Worker Series.
5x7 film for the Dump and Muay Thai Boxer Series.
120 film for the Sex Worker, and maybe Boxer, Dump Series.

I might also be shooting in Nepal or Cambodia next trip. so traveling lighter is always better. This is still a lot of gear, taking 3 film formats could be a mistake. I might be trying to do to much again with to little time.

Update* I was so worried about overall weight I weighed my Leica M6 with 35mm lens and my Hasselblad with 80mm and film back, surprisingly the blad only weighs about 1 pound more.