Part Five - A Messenger From Mr. Gladstone, Your Majesty.

As a new chum in Australia in the 1960's, I might have been forgiven for a little confusion as I watched the railway workers clocking on and off at the East Perth sheds as their shifts changed...all those big burly engine drivers and firemen and wipers - all carrying little leather doctor's bags? Could they all be part time physicians?

Well, the Gladstone bags I was looking at were carrying their lunches to the job and spare coal back home...and similar containers were going to work all over Australia at the time. It was the most elegant set of lunch pails I have ever seen.

The Gladstone - a bag that opens at the top and then is suspended by two sling handles or a central articulated handle - is also a standard for overnight bags and now for camera systems. It is the bag of choice for the discrete and discerning photographer who also wants to take sandwiches. In the case of the Barber Shop Medium Borsa bag, those are likely to be expensive sangers, as this is a pricey little Gladstone.

Okay, that thought out of the way, this is a beauty. It is blue canvas with dark brown leather trim, stitched in Italy  ( Ah, there's the price...) and lined perfectly. There's a protective top flap but a full-length leather-edged zip for access as well.

Look inside for an iPad pocket, a removable and reconfigurable camera holder, and a captive leather leash. I am again lost as to the exact purpose of the leash.

There's an extremely well-finished shoulder strap with leather shoulder pad.

I'd use it as a camera case here in Perth to impress the ladies and the clients and a one-night overnighter on the airplane to the eastern states to impress the airline staff. Don't try to impress the Camera Electronic salespeople because they are cynics down to about five inches under the skin.

One final thought - if you are the train driver for Le Train Bleu or The Orient Express this might make a nice lunchbox...

The Pukka Pack For Particular Persons

Choosing a back pack for exploring the less developed corners of the empire is a delicate task. One must accurately assess the opportunities that will be presented as well as the risks that will be run. This is why our featured article - the Think Tank Trifecta 8 -  will be on the short-list of many adventurers.

The basic idea of the Trifecta 8 is to take enough equipment onto the wild to enable you to capture images of the savages whilst not weighing you down in case you need to make a run for it. Modern thinking has provided us with mirror-less cameras and lenses of reduced size and weight and this is all to the good. Now we have a way to carry them about the person.

Just as Kipling’s cavalryman spent the winter preparing his spring campaign - paring an ounce of weight where he could to extend the range of his mount - so we can reduce the amount of gear we carry. But it still needs to be accessible at short notice when we come across a herd of wildebeest or porcupines.

The Trifecta 8 accomplishes this by maximising the main openings in the case - two lateral flaps and one ventral opening. The two former features allow the user to access either side of a central divider whilst the pack is worn on the back. If it is taken off, the ventral opening gapes wide to allow access to the entire equipment compartment.

Security amongst troublesome natives can be increased by cable-tying the zips of the side panels tighter and only using the ventral access panel.

Note that there is also a dorsal panel at the top of the pack that opens to allow storage of watercress sandwiches and bottles of cold tea.

So the next time you are headed out past the perimeter of the camp - or the range of the Gardner guns - remember to pack your mirror-less camera and lenses in this splendid case. It is professionally - made and will give years of sterling service.

Pip Pip!

Think Tank Sling Slang

Whenever I write an article that says the day of the giant camera outfit  - and equally giant camera bag - is dead, someone writes in to complain and tell me that they have 5 DSLR bodies, 16 lenses, 8 flashes, and a lucky key ring…and they want them all to go into a bag that will fit into the overhead locker on the next Virgin flight.

 I welcome feedback like this from my readers, and advise them to change airlines. The RAAF runs C-130 Hercules flights to lots of places and they should be able to get that camera bag in the back door of the aircraft on a pallet. They may elect to unload it with a low-altitude pass and a parachute, but that is the chance you have to take. They have better snacks than a lot of commercial flights*.

Having prepared you, let me introduce a better idea - the Think Tank Turnstyle 5 sling bag. Never mind the pun in the name - I’ve done worse here and you’ve read it. The interesting thing about this sling bag is that it really does turn into two other things.

To start off: the basic bag has a narrow teardrop she designed to sling over the back from the left shoulder - it is narrow enough to sit between the shoulder blades and not get in the way. It is smooth and slick so you can move in a crowd without buffeting them.

There are three basic openings - a document flap on the front, an equipment bay in the middle, and a padded iPad slot in the back - this one takes the mini iPads.

The zips are professional-quality, as is the rest of the construction.  There is an overall rainproof cover that you can pluck out of an end pocket to completely protect the contents.

The equipment bay is ideally suited to a mirror-less camera and lenses or perhaps a small mirror-less flash.

Now, as for the two other ways of utilising this…imagine that you are going to be somewhere that requires you to protect the contents of the bag - perhaps moving up a rock face or through a dangerous railway station. You just reverse the sling so that it depends from your right shoulder with the case in front. You can still reach inside to extract cameras or lenses but no-one else can dip into it.

If you want to free your shoulders from any burden, there is an ancillary waist belt attachment in the same pouch that contains the rainproof cover. Instant bum or belly bag.

This one you can realistically sling into the overhead locker of the local Boeing without a second thought. The seasoned traveller will bless the combination for convenience and protection, and the raw tourist will eventually find out that the old hand was right. They'll just need a few trips struggling through airports hauling a wheelie case to discover the truth…

* Plus the in-flight entertainment sometimes includes getting operate the door gun…coming into Adelaide.

The Messenger Bag - Part Two - Parisian Style

Well I promised you the up-market Peak Design messenger bag and here it is: the Everyday Messenger 13. There is enough style in this one to satisfy any boutique bag buyer.

The choice of fabric from which it is constructed might be thought modest enough - a medium-brown denim - but then you need to look into some of the more up-market clothing shops to see what they do with ( and charge for ) denim. This is not a pair of jeans.

The basic messenger form with top flap is simple enough to think of but there are a number of design quirks in it. With the top flap down and locked, you still get a weatherproof zipper on top to allow access to the gear compartment. These used to be referred to as "stealth" opening by some makers, but anything that has a big zipper is not all that stealthy.

The sides of the case are open to small compartments - one of which has a Peak Design strap peeking from it. I've no idea what they expect you to suspend from it, but perhaps it is keys.

The top flap has an inside pocket that contains a Peak Design rubber ring that turns out to be a leg band for small tripods  when you carry them horizontally.

The flap itself has a very ingenious attachment - the ladder segments on the side of the bag are made of metal and there is a powerful magnet and hook arrangement that locks them positively in a number of positions. You can gain quick access to the bag by lifting the metal handle with no fumbling for buckles or pop studs.

The interior space is massive, and they have made it decorative as well. The two movable partitions create what is essentially two quick-access buckets as soon as the top comes up - like holders for dragoon pistols on a European cavalry saddle.

The strap is very smooth woven nylon and the attachment points again feature a swivel but no resorting to plastic parts. There is a waist cinch hidden in a back compartment plus a re-enforced base to allow you to set it down without damaging the denim.

The whole thing costs $ 100 more than the Everyday Sling  - not a great deal more to go up Collins Street to the fancy shops...just don't ask the price of the shoes in the window...

Don't Shoot The Messenger - Part One - Dockyard End

I do love a daily advertising column - where else would I ever get to use a heading like that in legitimate literature? It goes with the " Hack Writer " sign that I keep on my desk.

 

Well, on to the hack - this week we are going to look at the messenger bag. It is either the humblest of camera containers...or the most prestigious - depending upon whether you are making it for the Dockyard end or the Paris end of Collins Street. I use Victorian imagery there because if I named Perth suburbs my readers would be up themselves and down on me. You can do your own geography - but be aware that there are different markets.

The  - ahem - less exotic user can be accommodated with the Peak Design Everyday Sling. It is a little grey workhorse of a bag with good protection for the smaller camera outfit.

Oh, you could slot a DSLR and a couple of lenses in there too. A mirror-less system camera could run three lenses easily and you might be able to leave a battery grip attached. The top pocket is lined and has card and battery holders built into the walls. There's a full-sized tablet compartment with a lock tab as well - this could easily be the foundation of a travelling blogoffice.

The external pocket is configured so that it is expandable - and the expansion is controlled by nylon webbing a metal buckles. You can stack heavy gear into it without fear. That is if you're silly enough to put heavy gear on your shoulder and trudge around with it all day...

The suspension of the strap - nylon webbing - is attached with a metal swivel - indeed all the fittings are anodised metal so you can bang through the tourist places with this one for literally years without having it disintegrate. Laugh not, I have had a bag made by one of the other major makers decide to plotz in the middle of an English railway station and it was not a fun experience.

Peak Design are a coming firm. Their straps and suspension systems are quirky but well thought-out and these new bag designs show that they wish to be considered a premium maker.

Tomorrow we see their Paris end...

Red Bags In The Sunset

Red is such a cheerful colour  - no wonder it is the chosen hue of The Grenadier Guards, Leica, and the people who make the stop signs.

It is also a feature of an extremely well-made camera bag from ONA that is designed to catch the eye and wallet of the Leica enthusiast. Of course it could be used for many other camera systems, but the distinctive red dot that is featured on one of the bags buckle straps does rather label it as Leica oriented.

If that were not enough the interior has been lined with a plush red cloth that will not scratch your best lenses and bodies. You can protect the investment whilst showing off to other people...all quite legitimately.

The structure of the case is very strong and as it is real leather, a little heavy. It will wear and mark distinctively in the coming decades to give a distinctively individual case.

Come in and fill it up with new Leica lenses at our Stirling Street store. We've got fresh stock now.

The Blue Bag Of Happiness

 

I am curious about the blue bag syndrome. Many manufacturers seem to make them - in varying shades and textures. I have two of them myself by different makers. I cannot say why they should be blue rather than brown, purple, red, or green. I could understand if they were bright yellow or orange for use in snow conditions or at night, but the other colours puzzle me.

Well, that aside, this Photo Hatch II Aw from Lowepro is a pretty good choice for the sorts of people who wear backpacks - and I don't mean to sound funny saying that. Let me explain:

Backpacks can come in all sizes and shapes but some of the most common ones are Too Big, Too Small, Too Floppy, and Too Stiff. The people who choose them are either confronted with inappropriate carrying capacity, awkward fit, or downright pain as hard edges dig into them. The idea for which the pack has been bought frequently goes out the window as wrestling with it overtakes all other considerations. In some cases the bag acts as a buffet for the thieves of the area and in others even the owner of the thing cannot get inside to get the camera out.

 

Like Baby Bear's porridge, this Lowepro bag has nothing too extreme - it would suit most hikers in most day situations. While you'd not select it to haul all your camping gear for an arctic yomp, you can make day trips into rain forests and deserts quite well with it. It would not be an unreasonable size to carry for an urban expedition, either. In this latter role, perhaps the blue colour has been chosen to let it look a bit less imposing.

 

It's the basic top general storage and bottom camera storage that we have seen so many times from Lowepro. In this case the designers have chosen to allow access to the top from a general zip over the crown of the bag but have adopted the strategy that they used in their Flipside series - a zipped flap to access the cameras that can only be opened when the pack is off the body. This is also known as the South American security design.

 

It is also rip-stop fabric with a full weather cover stored under the base of the bag. There is a tablet, papers pouch at the most vulnerable part of the rear face, so you might need to monitor your surroundings. Losing your sandwiches and jumper is one thing but your devices and passport is another.

One feature I did like is extremely simple - there is a reflective panel set into an accessory strap on the rear face. Whether you loop something through there or not you can at least be seen hiking on a highway for a considerable distance if vehicle lights pick up that patch.

Also note one more thing on that patch photo; the stitching. Even, spaced, a good margin, and hemmed edges. This is the good stuff, folks.

Your Camera Bag For The Next 20 Years...Lowepro

We all have possessions that seem to be immortal - they never die, no matter what we do to them. I have kitchen implements that my grandparents used in the 1920's - they still cut meat and potatoes today at our house. They are not antiques, relics, or heirlooms. They are tools to help us eat.

The same might be said about the Lowepro Nova 1 bag that I used for an overseas trip in 1995. It's still there in the camera closet, storing a Nikon film camera system. It is as tough and functional now as it was then, and I dragged it over two continents.

Well, here's the new digital equivalent - the Scout SH 140. It's designed for a mirror-less camera and a couple of extra lenses - or one lens and the big travel adapter you need to access overseas electricity. You are going to be able to drag it across those same continents - they don't change - but it'll be lighter on your shoulder.

The shape is smaller than the old Nova 1. Not only are the camera bodies and lenses smaller than the SLR of the film era, the volume needed to carry their recording medium is drastically reduced. I used 10-packs of Kodachrome 200 film and the space needed for 360 shots amounted to 960 cu. cm.
These days you can pack 2452 images of the same quality into 1.54 cu. cm.

In practical terms you can make 1,528,519 pictures with the same amount of space. This means you have a chance to get three images of Trafalgar Square that look good...

Okay, joking aside, the interior of the Scout is configurable for whatever you want to carry. The quilting is cosmetic but the plush material is kind to cameras. There are nooks and crannys to dispose of cords, cards, and batteries. You can haul it out of the hotel for a full day of shooting without feeling as if you have been asked to invade the Falklands.

Note as well that you need not carry sad-looking surpus gear - the buckles and fasteners are top-notch and have been plated to look good. For those of you who are concerned that it looks like a camera bag, that is because it is a bag that is designed to carry cameras. When you are tourist carrying a camera you look like a tourist carrying a camera and no amount of camouflage will convince the petty thieves that you are a penniless local. Make other arrangements for your security*.

The bag will last far longer than your enthusiasm for travel. When you bring it home you can gut it and use it for local shopping. You can put seedlings in it and plant them out. You can carry 12 guage shells in it. You can use it as a tool carrier - it's that tough.

Whatever you do, it's going to be around the house for 20 years. Might as well figure out a good use for it. Lowepro are good value.

*An experienced courier, a sturdy monopod, and a derringer will do the job. I depend upon halitosis and a maniacal grin...

See the Camera Electronic Lowepro online store here

Uncle Dick

Okay Guys...Or Second-Guessing The Market

I'm not in the loop of CE management as far as what gets purchased. And I'm not in the loop of CE management about what gets sold, either. Frankly I'm grateful that they still let me in the front door and I get the occasional cup of coffee...

Which means I was delighted to see the presence of an official CE coffee machine at the new Murray/Queen St. shop. Note the We Love Photography mugs.

In my first visit to the new shop I noted carefully the choices that had been made regarding some lines of equipment. Of course you will always get the big players - the Nikon, Leica, Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, etc - but it is the choices of what to stock for the other bits that is interesting. I looked at what was there and tried to see into the minds of the management - why was something chosen for the shelf?

a. Tripods. You'll see from the quick shot that we have essentially three shelves of tripods and monopods. I see Gitzo, Manfrotto, and one Velbon. The Gitzos are the high-priced ones, the Manfrotto more economical and the Velbon the low end. They are ALL not big tripods - in fact three of them would qualify as traveller tripoids. There is a sprinkling of video gear there, including one video moonopod. Here's how I read it:

The shop caters to pros as well as amateurs - and some of the pros need big things like that video monopod. They can get that at Stirling Street but they might need it at a time when Stirling St. is closed - hence it is wise to keep one unit in the city. The Gitzo gear is expensive traveller or high-end customer...and some of these may work all hours on St. Georges Tce. and can't get out to Stirling St.

Manfrotto tripods are a standard of the industry as far as design so nearly everyone else from tourists to city workers can be accommodated with one model or the other. Manfrotto are a no-question sale.

And the little plastic one at the bottom? Well, you never can tell when a traveller's luggage will disappear and if their tripod goes with it they need a fast, cheap replacement here in Perth.  That could well be the emergency pack for photographers right there.

b. Bags. I see the in two divisions - style and utility. The various hanging leather and canvas ones in the first photograph are intended to look good as well as protect the cameras - in some circumstances the appearance of the camera case is more important that the gear it contains - people have been judged on externals more than you'd think.

The Lowepro bags in the second shot are the workhorses of transport - people can load a whole holiday's worth of equipment in them and haul it through the world with some hope of geting it home in one piece. I know - I've got a ratty old Lowepro Nova1 that did just that and it was precisely the right blue nylon choice for the job. It looked like exactly what it was but it rounded the world twice.

c. The Hahnel rack. When you want to control flashes or cameras remotely and you need to do it with radio signals rather than light pulses, Hahnel should be one of the first brands you look at. The designs are sturdy, use standard AA batteries, and do not depend on you having WiFi, apps, passwords, or strange computer commands. They are a simple as they can be and they work every time. Good choice for the trigger market.

Okay, so far I think the management has thought it all out well. You may agree, but then you may have also different needs. I didn't get to see all of the shelves - perhaps you should pop in there one day this coming week and see for yourself. I'm going back when they have a bag of coffee beans.

The new Murray St store is now open at 2/324 Murray St, Perth.
The Stirling St store remains open at 230 Stirling St, Perth.
For opening hours, see here

Bag Day

Today was slow in the cutting-edge-of-technology-game-changing-electronic-marvel-of-the-century-business. On the good side, so far no earthquakes. Taking advantage of this, I have balanced two bags on a studio seat and taken some pictures.

The first is an F-Stop case that is intended to compress a whole field assignment's equipment in one case - a case that you can heave into an overhead locker and not trust to the loading crew. It is labeled as the F-Stop Pro ICU Large.

Note that this really only applies if you are carrying out your assignment with a mirror-less system. Fujifilm, Olympus, Sony, Nikon, and Canon pros can take notice. The case will not hold big long wildlife lenses for full-frame DSLR but these come with their own cases and native porters anyway. Just remember that if you are compelling someone to haul your 2000mm f:2 lens up mountains and through deserts covered in thorn bushes, "Bwana" is not a term of endearment...

Coming away from that, I have decided to see what amount of mirror-less gear can go into this thing. Thus, I seem to have succeeded in fitting in 2 camera bodies, 4 lenses, a flash unit, an off-camera radio system, a card and battery case, a spare battery, an iPad and charger, a camera battery charger, and a hip flask full of Coruba rum. There is still space for a deck of marked cards and a Mars bar. And it is light enough not to attract attention shuffling down the aisle of the Boeing.

Note that with a change in emphasis and a little shuffling, one could pack one of the long Fujifilm or Olympus lenses into this bag easily.

Pretty good going for a rip-stop nylon case with infinitely variable compartments.

Second star is from Lowepro - the label says Viewpoint CS 40 and shows a picture of the bag holding a GoPro, control box, Joby Gorillapod stand and download cable. Fits in neatly.

I fitted a wideangle lens, extra battery, cable release and spare card. With a Fujifilm camera slung onto a Cullmann  Concept One 622T tripod, all I should need would be a beach and a sunset. No hauling 45Kg of gear through the bush, thank you. As it has belt loops at the back, no hauling a shoulder sling either. My kind of webbing...