How many stone is an RB?

[fparnold]

Hello,

As part of my annual, I like big color (negs/chromes) but *ouch* on the cost of color sheet film, I pose the following question:

In real terms, what does a Mamiya RB weigh in the field? The unit of comparison should be a B&J 5x7 with reducing back + Calumet C2, or a Mamiya C220 + lens. Can you hike with it without wishing you had Vikings in the gene pool? This is semi-idle speculation, as I like the C220, but wish it had wider wide angles, and like the 4x5, but the ouch factor returns. I suppose that building a short body 4x5 + C2 would be an option as well, and notably cheaper. (though that's a topic for the Large-Format list)

[Aggie]

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[LFGuy]

Then again, some of us who weigh about 10 stones backpack with an 8x10. The camera, tripod and film holders and a lens put that at a little over 1 stone. But then I need to add water and other stuff, and the backpack weighs a few pounds as well. Not that bad, but if you go back 4 generations in my family, I get some of those Viking genes!

Bottom line is, you can get some pretty light setups if you plan accordingly, though you may have to make some sacrifices (like bring only one lens or two, and use your legs to get closer or farther away).

[bmac]

I use my RB in the field all the time. I do wish I had a group of vikings with me (to carry everything). I end up bringing the camera, two backs, and two lenses most of the time. It isn't too bad, but I'm not taking it to the top of half dome either.

[Aggie]

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[David A. Goldfarb]

If you want an ultralight 4x5" on a budget look for a Gowland monorail (used around $350 typically) or an Ikeda Anba, if you prefer a folding field camera.

[Ole]

While I'm not in the habit of going backpacking, I have two versions of camerapack for longish walks in the mountains:

Heavy: Linhof Color, 4 holders, 5 lenses, spotmeter, changing bag, wooden tripod with heavy ball head.

Light: Perkeo I, an extra roll of film.

I have no idea what a stone weighs, but my gene pool is all viking

Ole

[fparnold]

Thanks for the replies. My wife's family is from the Four Corners area of CO, and we've noticed when hiking there that the 4x5 + holders + tripod begins to weigh one down in the thin air. I wonder if Steve Grimes's shop could adapt a biogon or such to the C220 as an alternative?

Time to hit the weight room, I guess.

In Illinois, where I currently reside, the legs to get closer or farther away works. In Colorado, that's a good way to cause a sudden adjustment in both distance from the object as well as relative vertical positioning.

Ole, a stone is 14lbs (~6kg). I first encountered it in english literature, and then on a physics test (convert the force from question 3 from SI units to Stone Furlongs/Fortnight^2)

[LFGuy]

They should just list the mass in slugs... (1 slug = 14.6 kg)

[Donald Miller]

O.K....how does one convert slugs to ergs? Or is it the other way around?