Think Tank Photo - Retrospective 20 - In My Bag 1

(On Location) technical photo/video: Dell XPS 1330 & cables, 7D, 70-200, 24-105, 10-22, PWs, 580 EX II, Tascam, headphones, batteries, hard drive, lens cloth & pen, card pouch, card reader

(Africa) portrait/interview sessions: 40D, 7D, 70-200, 24-105, 10-22, PWs, 580 EX II, Tascam, headphones, LQ softbox III, speed strap, gels, nano clamp, mini-ballhead, batteries, 5-in-1, journal, leatherman, lens cloth & pen, deet & sanitizer

All Images © chris martin photography

Keeping It Simple – Back to Africa: Lenses

At the end of Part 1 I promised this post would be about the bag. I got ahead of myself.

On last year’s trip, I took four lenses: 10-22mm, 24-105mm, 50mm, 70-200mm, plus a 1.4x TC.  These items, plus all the other stuff: body, tripod, monopod, flash, triggers, etc. were lugged along, on my person, for 10-12 hours a day, in the backpack and/or the Think Tank modular pouches.  It was heavy, uncomfortable, and little unwieldy and I looked silly for where I was.  For this trip the goal is just two bodies and two lenses.

Using Adobe Bridge filters, I looked at how I used, or if I used the collection of lenses that I took last year.  The Bridge results very interesting.  I realize that the results (left) were a function of what I took, but I still think that is good information.  I had to dig a little deeper into Bridge to see what different focal length range data looked like and then call up a trusty spreadsheet for a little analysis.  It looked to me like I could really get by with the 70-200mm and a new wide telephoto, say in the 15 or 17 to 55 or 85mm.  I never even used the 50mm prime.

Thus began hours and hours of researching a new wide telephoto. Seemingly the answer would be simple, except that a new lens was NOT the only item on my list of other items to acquire.  Add to that the wide cost and quality range of lenses in this category.   This single issue has sucked away more of my time than I even care to admit.  The only wide telephoto that I could possibly afford was going to be the Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD IF or the Sigma AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4 DC HSM OS macro.  The Canon 17-40mm F/4 L USM or Canon EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS = too pricey.

I actually used to have the Tamron 17-50mm.  It went to Scotland with me in 2007 and did a fine job.  I sold that lens to my son and he let me borrow it yesterday to shoot around with.  While it was fun to shoot with again, there were some things that I just don’t think are going to work.

• I had forgotten how loud the motor on that lens is.
• In high contrast situations, it never, ever found focus.
• IS can really come in handy in certain situations.

This is not a vacation trip where sometimes convenience can overshadow a little drop in quality.  Not to slam lenses like the Tamron, but the existing stuff is just better than the affordable alternative.

Keeping It Simple - Back to Africa: Planning

(This post is the first of a few to come discussing the upcoming trip to Tanzania for my company’s amazing NPO that empowers students around the world to make clean water available to every other student through the power of a playground.  For more information about the project please visit: www.WaterPowerPeace.org)

Before last year’s trip to Tanzania I spent an immeasurable number of hours trying to figure out exactly what gear to take, how to get it there and how to carry it all with me all day long.  This planning involved gear and review sites on the left monitor – and – spreadsheets for comparing items and organizing ideas on the right monitor.  I have no nearby camera store so everything has to be compared numerically and extensively reviewed.  To see everything I took last year, look back at my old Traveling With Photo Equipment post

Essentially I took all my gear in Think Tank and Lowpro modular pouches, stuffed inside a Mammut Nirvana Pro (35L) technical pack.  Once on location, I swapped out the waist belt with the Think Tank belt and pulled out all the modulars.

What I didn’t like about last year's system was 1) it was too heavy for all day, every day, 2) it was too bulky to toss around, in and out of land rovers, and 3) I looked like I should have been on the sidelines of a game, not in Africa!

For this year’s trip, I really want to keep it simple!  So again, I have spent an immeasurable number of hours trying to figure out exactly what gear to take, how to get it there and how to carry it all with me all day long.

Next post: the camera bag – finally a solution!

DIY DSLR Follow Focus - Rack Focus

I am always at a complete loss when shooting DSLR video and needing to easily find the focus, or zoom ring.  I grab the wrong one or miss it completely and end up with noise and movement in the final shot.  What I needed was a follow focus ring that attaches to the lens.  These things make it as quick and simple as possible to rotate that focus ring while shooting.

A little internet research will provide a plethora of DIY solutions.  The one I liked the best was an idea presented by knoptop here.  It uses silicon jar openers.  The only problem was that the recommended vendor no longer carried these things.  I am not a patient person so upon learning that I couldn’t run out a grab a few, I went to work thinking of what I could use that was laying around here.

Enter the filter wrench (Adorama: small - big, B&H: small - big).  I have a bunch of these in different sizes.  So I tried a few.  They work great!  If you have followed at least my recent posts you will know that two criteria must be met for new gear and accessories and using existing filter wrenches perfectly met all the criteria – no added bulk or weight and it didn’t cost me a thing.

I eventually found the jar openers at Target and bought all they had left.  In practice I use a variety of combinations of both the jar opener and the filter wrench.  Sometimes I need a rubber band around the top of the filter wrench, but that doesn’t affect its function at all.

DIY DSLR Video Stabilizer – Mash Up

 

Somewhere previously I mentioned that I had made the jump into DSLR video, with my employer’s purchase of a beautiful Canon 7D.  It was only a matter of minutes afterward that I was looking for accessories to help me get the best material I could with this new body.

There are two important factors that are always considered and weigh heavily on all of my new gear acquisitions:

1. When I shoot for work, I am traveling on planes to get to sites and once on location I am carrying everything that I brought, day long.  So, it has to be something I really need or can use in a variety of beneficial ways AND it can’t add very much to the existing travel kit.
2. Money is as hard for me to squeeze out for new gear as the next guy, so if I can make something from stuff I have on hand; it is a win-win!

I have been shooting video with my old Canon Optura 20 for years and have used the great idea I saw on a Scott Kelby blog post: “It’s Guest Blog Wednesday featuring AaronGreene”.  In Aaron’s words, “I rigged a super clamp at the bottom of my collapsed monopod as a sort of steady cam. I’d hold the monopod with my right hand and pull focus with the left letting the clamp act as a weight about 18 inches below the camera... If you have a monopod and a super clamp, try it out! It should help you make smoother movements.”

This has been a great suggestion that I have used for years.  I always have a monopod and a Manfrotto superclamp with me on location.  While superclamps are heavy, they aren’t that big and I have needed one on almost every trip.  So, both of the above criteria were met and it was a perfect solution.

While looking around at other stabilizing rigs on the net that are out there for DSLR video, I ran into the “$14 Stabilizer”. I thought it was interesting and very much liked the horizontal handle, thus getting both hands off the camera body.  Building one of these was breaking rule #1 above though as it was just more stuff and weight to be dragging along with me.

The solution was to peruse all of the Manfrotto accessories that are available for superclamps.  Enter the Manfrotto 042 Extension Arm (Adorama, B&H).  Add another superclamp (why wouldn’t anyone want to do that) and you have what for me is the perfect stabilizer.  Criteria #1 was met and well, half of criteria #2 was met as I did have to spend a little cash. 

DIY – Ray Flash and PW miniTT1 Setup

[Inspiration for my setup came from a Photozo post here.]

You cannot use the Ray Flash as intended when you also have a Pocket Wizard miniTT1 on the hotshoe.  DIY fix:

• Camera on tripod
• PW miniTT1 on the camera hotshoe
• GI transmitter on the PW miniTT1 hotshoe – which now works thanks to the recent miniTT1 firmware update
• Sturdy light stand with mini-boom (fully collapsed and parallel to the ground)
• An old metal umbrella bracket attached to the mini-boom
• A new, common umbrella bracket attached to the metal umbrella bracket (this gives me lots of adjustment flexibility without relying on the mini-boom which wants to rotate due to the weight)
• GI trigger attached with a stud to the common umbrella bracket
• 580 EX II in the GI trigger hotshoe
• Ray Flash mounted upside down to the 580 EX II

A little troublesome to move around!.

DIY – Tri Flash Bracket

NOTE: Not claiming to be the inventor of this idea!

I do not recommend using this with an inexpensive, hollow tube umbrella.  Although having a flash on each side does provide nice balance, you still have to tighten it down a little hard.  Second, it is a little unwieldy to get set up, but I will admit that it never budged during the hour long session.

Details:

• Umbrella bracket #1 – set up normally, with one flash on top.
• Umbrella bracket #2 – a flash on each end.
• The umbrella goes through its normal hole in the dual flash bracket, then continues on to through the hole in the bracket mounted on the light stand.  Adjust the angle of the dual flash bracket as needed to get the best full coverage you can.

Traveling With Photo Equipment – Part 2 – Bag in a Bag

Eight days away and I have to work on editing down the proposed gear list plus figure out exactly how to get it all to the destination. Shown below is the pile of gear I think I am taking as of this second – it will change by tomorrow. I’m sure I will edit the list several more times, especially as I try to get it all the bag.

Photo bags are such personal beasts – I guess that is why there is an endless variety of bags available and new ones come out all of the time. The perfect bag not only has to hold the required gear for the photo session or journey, but it absolutely has to fit your individual workflow. Just like any other photo person, I have several different types of bags for different kinds of trips. When heading out on location in my vehicle, I take huge bags with all the gear I can shove in the car. When having to carry the gear exclusively, sometimes my preference is a Tenba or Crumpler shoulder bag. Other times, and more frequently these days, I love to use Think Tank modular gear and a Pro Speed Belt. These are the trips where I need quick access to gear and things are constantly changing. What is missing from my camera bag arsenal for the most part is a camera backpack. I still have, and probably will never say goodbye to , the trusty Lowepro Mini Trekker. It is a great bag, but anymore it just doesn’t work for me to put the bag down to get out gear, and it doesn’t hold enough of a variety of things for me to be able to travel with it.

For this trip to Tanzania I have many requirements for the perfect bag:

• Can it haul camera gear and personal gear – the 1 carry-on bag allowance problem?
• I don’t want it to scream out “camera bag, camera bag”.
• Can it be used on-location to shoot out of?
• Can it be worn all day long without too much discomfort? There is no place to leave gear back at the hotel or in a vehicle on this trip.

My solution is a two-part one. Shown is all of the gear, nicely packed into a combination of Think Tank and Lowepro modular bags. The body (no grip on this trip) and 24-105mm go into the Think Tank Digital Holster 20 (which can be used on-location to handle the body and any of the lenses I am taking because it zips out to a longer length). The 70-200mm f/2.8 goes into the Lowepro Zoom 2. The Thank Tank Chimp Cage (for now) is holding the 10-22mm, 1.4x Extender, 580 EX II, Omni-bounce, and filter pouches. The G12 goes into the Think Tank Modular Pouch. All the tiny stuff went into the Lowepro pouch. The travel tripod will go into checked baggage. [NOTE: Also shown is the Think Tank Lightning Fast, off to the side. I still haven’t decided if the 50mm is going. If it is, I will move the flash over to this and pack it in with the other lenses. If the 50mm isn’t going, I don’t need this bag. However, it is a great sized bag for holding all sorts of things once there and great to have along. This is obviously something that needs to be sorted out soon.]

Right about now is when you are going to call me either crazy or brilliant, and I figure it is the later. Shown below are several images illustrating where the modular bags are headed and why. Enter the Mammut Nirvana Pro (35L) technical pack. Where do I start on why this is the perfect one bag solution? This is a snow pack. These are a little different than other technical packs and this is why this works for me:

• Camera gear is placed in the back, using the full zippered access and reachable from the top/front of the pack through a different zipper.
• Personal gear like a change of clothes, toiletries, music, phone, glasses, passport, etc. goes in the middle/front section.
• The pack is lightweight, but very durable.
• The pack has a real waist belt and internal frame to help out with the load.
• It has a removable hip belt which could be replaced by the Think Tank Pro Speed Belt. [The existing waist belt has room to accommodate one modular pouch on each side so I can leave the Speed Belt at home if I want and the shoulder straps will help distribute the load.]
• It even has a hydration chamber.
• This thing will even fit under the seat, fully packed, in small Regional Jets.

Do I have to keep going?

For me, this is about as perfect a solution as I can come up with. That however, is all just in theory. We will see as the adventure unfolds. This will be my last post here before the trip. If possible, I will post updates along the way on Twitter. When I return, I will follow up and post info on how it all worked out, exactly what gear I decided on, and what I wish I would have or wouldn’t have taken along!