Holiday booking time... 5x4 Possible or 35 mm "As usual"...

[YorkshireBloke]

OK, we're having those discussions that make English winters acceptable... Summer Hols!

Just putting the idea out there... Does anyone take their Kit on hols? Experiences (good or bad) would be good learning.

I had a "crazy" idea of DHLing my kit over to our hotel... Oh, and back of course! Has anyone done this?

My long-suffering wife has explained that she isn't keen on us taking the kit with us on the plane AND the baggage charge would be significant... She thinks it might even be possible to hire / borrow at least a tripod overseas - LF Egypt! Spain! Anywhere with sunshine! That would be worth getting up at dawn for.

Thoughts?

Robert

 

[Ian Grant]

Yes I take my light weight kit, my Graflex Super Graphic and three lenses either my 135mm CAltar II-S (Symmar S) or a 150mm f4.5 Tessar or f5.6 Xenar, a 90mm f6.8 Angulon and a 203mm Ektar, a small Slick Sprint Pro tripod, 6-8 DDS and a light meter. I also carry a TLR and a DSLR + 2o lenses. All fits a small regular (non photographic) backpack a size people use to go to the gym etc, film boxes and camera go carry on in the backpack along with a book & a tablet. Lenses, meter, DDS etc go in the checked luggage but take up very little space. I take a cagoule as 5x4 boxes fit the pockets, as does the DSLR body, gets around any carry on weight issues

I'll do some photos of the lenses alongside their big brothers, they save a lot of weight and volume. Kerry Thalman has some pages and tests of light weight, small, LF lenses. So we aren't alone needing to travel "light".

Ian

 

[YorkshireBloke]

Thanks Ian,

Knowing others do this helps... Photos appreciated.

Robert

 

[Ian Grant]

Some examples Robert:

Here's 3 90mm lenses:

A 90mm f6.8 Grandagon N, 90mm f5.6 Super Angulon and a 90mm f6.8 Angulon

The tiny Angulon is a considerable saving in terms of weight and size however it only just covers 5x4 but very capable if used acrefully, quality of early one's was sometimes suspect but all OK after SN 5,000,000


Weight IC mm f22

90m f6.8 Angulon 211.1 g 154 (f16)
90mm f6.8 Grandagon 492.7 g 221
90mmf5.6 Super Angulon 589.5 g 235


Here's another example 8" - 210mm lenses:

A 203mm f7.7 203mm (8") Ektar very late US version and a 210mm f5.6 Symmar S

Plenty of coverage with both as they cover 7x5 with room for movements.


Weight IC mm f22

210mm f5.6 Symmar S 569.8 g 294
203mm f7.7 Ektar (US) 256.7 g 216
210mm f6.3 Osaka Commercial 255.4g g 235
210mm f6.3 Geronar 323.1 g 230

You can see a very significant weight and size difference between the Ektar and Symmar S. The Ektar is a very sharp lens an excellent from Infinity to 1:1, if you can find a late UK made version they are in a Compur #0 shutter (with preview lever) earlier versions are in Epsilon and later Prontor shutters you need to set to B or T to focus. The US version is usually in a Supermatic shutter excepth the very last ones made which are in a Graphex Compur #1 (as above).

Other alternatives are the 210mm f6.3 Congo/Osaka Commercial based on the Kodak Commercial Ektar or the 210mm f6.8 Geronar which is a Multi Coated Cooke triplet - good for portraits at wider apertures and very sharp stopped down to f22. Both are small light lenses.

There's less saving in size and weight with 150mm lenses but the lightest and smallest would be a late 150mm f5.6 Xenar, Robert white was selling them new around for 2000 for about £100.

Ian

 

[Diz]

I regularly fly ryan air with a Lowepro Nature Trekker AW2 as hand luggage.( you now have to pay for priority boarding if you want to carry your main cabin bag on) I can get Shen Hao 5x4, 90,150,210 lens, 10 DDS. Lee Pouch of filters, Lightmeter, loupe , dark cloth, couple of boxes of film and a small sundry bag of clothes brushes etc. A second Billingham bag with FE2 couple of lens and film can be taken on as well. There is always the Domke photovest should more room be needed. I'm fortunate to have a second tripod and Luggage stored in Blighty. Getting that lot through security is a different matter though. I have had Knock international Airport Paramedics confirm the Shen Hao is not a defibrillator and can cause no harm. Liverpool Airport security dont like spirit levels either. All good fun, so I get to the airport early.
Cheers
Diz