Lugging a Monorail

[Tom Duffy]

David,
I was never able to find a perfect case for my monorail camera, a 5x7 Sinar P2. For casual transport, you might want to consider a "wide mouth" duffel bag from LL Bean, available in several sizes. I use one to because it is high (deep) enough to leave the camera fully assembled - attached to the 12" rail. It also has room for my 3 lenses, filters, meter, etc. I carry a separate Zone VI film holder bag. I've carried this on the shoulder strap for up to 2 miles from the car, though my wife carried my film holders in this instance.

N.B. If your wife carries your film holders for 2 miles to the most scenic waterfall in all of Michagan, you had better at least pretend to take a picture, or there will be repercussions!

Take care,
Tom

[David Hall]

Never even considered using the wife. Hmmm...

Seriously, how do you keep the camera from moving around in the bag? Foam?

dgh

[Aggie]

..

[Donald Miller]

The second parameter is that when the equipment gets to heavy for the wife you trade her in for two of half her age.

[Robert Kennedy]

I hear the maintanence on those new models will kill you though.....

[Tom Duffy]

</span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (David Hall @ Jan 24 2003, 01:28 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> Seriously, how do you keep the camera from moving around in the bag? Foam?

dgh </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'>
David,
Actually, the P2 is large enough (not an unmixed blessing&#33 that it is a fairly tight fit in the bag, placed groundglass down and mounted lens pointed up. I use my darkcloth to cushion it on the botton and two lenses in hard cases on either side of the monorail. I&#39;ve also seen people use a carpenter&#39;s? or plumber&#39;s? tool bag, same shape but smaller and which is constructed of canvas and leather. This might be better, since you don&#39;t need the capacity that I do and it is more ruggedly constructed than the LL Bean nylon bag.

[bmoulton]

I shifted from a field camera to an Arca-Swiss f Line field Camera. So I have the same issues that you now "enjoy." I found the Dykinga Lowe bag too heavy and too costly. I use an F 64 BPX bag. It swallows the Arca Swiss, and five-six lenses, meter, extra rail, film, etc. For a bit exra protection, I bought a lapttop sleeve and "customized" (AKA cannabilized) it for the camera, with lens and bellows ready to mount on the tripod block that stays on my Arca head. The pack subdivides well, and I like it because the lenses are contained in a separate compartment. Therefore, the shelf above the camera bears no significant weight. Essentially I have a large cushioned box for camera, extra bellows, rail, darkcloth, closeup glasses, etc. above which in a separate compartment ride my heavier equipment. On each side I have the ability to lash in extra compartments or lash in a tripod. And if I want I can pack my gnassgear readyloader kit there also.
I am certain other packs will work. I tried customizing a Kelty backpack but found essentially that the cost and hassle of doing that was more than the F64 pack. And the latter, for me, is better built and more comfortable to tote.

Bob Moulton

[David Hall]

Nah,

It&#39;s the maintenance on the new two that photography far from the car so much fun. With all of the "assistants" that Edward Weston seemed to convert, you would think that he would have found landscape to be more photogenic a helluva lot further away from the car than a hundred feet&#33;

dgh

[Robert Kennedy]

It amazes me that we never saw him produce a series called "cigarette butts on gravel" or "blown out tires".

[Donald Miller]

Those are still to be printed and published. The heirs inheritance is still in place.