Monthly Archives: February 2023

 

If you own it, but it’s not with you, what is the point of owning it?  Of course, this does not apply to equipment collectors!  O.K. so your a photographer and you have amassed a large collection of camera bodes, lenses, tripods and accessories.  You enjoy using all of it, but frankly, it is a pain in the you know where to try and            transport it all!  Another factor may be your age and physical condition.  At 77 I no  longer wish to wear a 40 lb. backpack, in fact I can’t without being miserable or in pain.  So how do you utilize what you own, but not pay a serious physical penalty for it!?  I believe I have come up with the answer!

 

Part One: A Rolling hard case (Above).  For many years I have used Pelican cases and  they have served me well, but they are pretty rough and the latches are hard for me to open and close when under tension.  I recently discovered a brand called Nanuk from Canada.  They are finished out very nicely and have an excellent type of latch that is both very secure and easy to operate.  The one I purchased (the Nanuk 935) had adjustable velcro attachment sections that can be set-up for exactly the gear you have.  This case holds the gear that I use for 95% of everything I shoot!  It rolls on excellent wheels and is just the right size to put in the overhead if you fly!  It is on the heavy side for me to lift that high loaded,  around 35 lbs.  For flying which I try to avoid doing, I use the Think Tank Advantage rolling bag, it can hold most of what I need and weighs in at around 23 lbs.

 

So that is great, but what do you do when you arrive on location?  You can’t roll a 35 lb. hard case everywhere you go!   Actually a new bag company I have discovered has the perfect solution in two of there shoulder bags!  Wotancraft based in Tawain is engineering and making some really great bags that meet my needs to a T!

 

When I arrive at my intended shooting location I fill up one of the two bags with just the camera body and a few lenses I need for the shoot.  They are super comfortable and are designed in such a way that they really hug your body and are a joy to walk around with, plus they are not capable of carrying too much stuff!  Many bags have become so big that when you fill them up it isn a uncomfortable exercise to use them.

The two models that I got, (Quick explanation, I ordered the Pilot 10L and accessory pockets and then decided might like the 7L even better, so I contacted Wotancraft and told them I was already buying the 10L but would like to also try the Pilot  7L for a review, they kindly sent the 7L at no charge.  As much as I appreciate their kind gesture, my review will be my honest unbiased opinion!)  So let’s look at both bags with their load outs.

 

 

The Pilot 7L is just the right size to hold my X-T5 with the 16-80 attached and the 70-300 giving me a two lens kit hat covers from 24mm to 450mm, a generous spread of focal lengths! I can also fit in a small powerful LED panel and extra battery , some cleaning supplies and my iPhone 12 Pro max.  All this only weighs 6 lb including the bag!!!  The bag is made of nicely padded Cordura that has been water repellent treated and has the look and feel of canvas cotton, yet it’s much lighter and stronger.  Below is the inside layout with the provided velcro held dividers.

 

 

The bigger bag the Pilot 10L and it holds a little more when you want  the extra gear with you. Below the 10L bag with the X-T5, 16-80,  10-24, 50-140 and the same extra, LED light panel and iPhone.  This bag and gear weights in at 10 lbs.  Still very easy to carry.

 

 

The interior arrangement is illustrated below.

 

 

Some of the feature that I really love about the bags are the magnetic Fidlock closure that is opened by simply sliding it sideways which can be done one handed and it closes by just bringing it close and the magnet snaps it closed, really works well one handed!

 

 

A very nice shoulder strap attaches to the bag with Duraflex swivel attachment points and the strap has a great adjust point with a leather pull and a non-slip neoprene shoulder pad,  all combine to make carrying them very easy!

 

 

I consider myself very practical but I must admit that these bags have a certain look that I love, they remind me of some of the old WWII ammunition bags used by the Swiss military.  They just have a great old school vibe, while being made with modern materials that just work great!  For me a bag must really protect my gear and hold only what I really need, keeping me comfortable and happy while I look for images, these fill that bill in spades!  Consider me a fan and this is  coming from a guy that has owned hundreds of bags from every manufacturer out there, these are very impressive!

 

My Solution:

 All my gear in easy to transport,  protective cases

 A small and medium size shoulder bag that can carry a couple of options.

 This works for me because I work from  SUV and rarely fly.

 

I will keep you posted but I think that Nanuk and Wotancraft have helped me solve a very difficult problem, now I’m going to get out there and test it all out!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

It’s a cold rainy day in Corbin, and I wanted to share a great gift I got from my Texas buddy, Dudley Hawthorne, and avoid gong out in the cold rain!  It sits on top of a hard drive on my desk to remind me that I may not have made much of my life, but, at least, there is a Bill Fortney Bobblehead!!!!  Not everyone can say that!!  Thanks Dudley!

 

Photography Post-Mortem:  Fujifilm X-T5 with the XF 90mm f 2 R LM WR lens set at f 2.8,  shot at 1/400th of a second at ISO 1600.  Hand held.

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

Postscript: I thanked Dudley and said, the face is pretty accurate, but the body is way off, he said, “Sorry about that but if the body had been to scale the bobblehead would’ve cost a lot more!” Sorry I mentioned it!  😉

 

 

COMING SOON!  This is a sneak peek of a upcoming blog entry.  As those of you that frequent my blog know, I have a serious, clinical, camera bag problem!  To say I  have way too many, well, if Nylon, Cordura, Duraflex buckles and Velcro were worth their weight in gold, I would be getting loan requests from Elon Musk.  Very soon I will publish what will be called;  “Age Appropriate Plans for Camera Portage.”  I will attempt to put my 50+ years of study on this matter, and take a comprehensive look at the problem.  I hope it will be fascinating and helpful!  So this is my shot of the day, get ready!!!!!

 

Photography Post-Mortem:  Truthfully, why do  anything but pull out your iPhone for this kind of shot!

 

Be Blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

This is my shot for the day!  It is one of my favorite sights in all the world, decending to land and looking down at that runway!  I couldn’t have made this shot without the kindness of my Doctor and good friend, Paul Pedersen!  Paul is wonderful pilot and he knows how much I have been missing getting into the air!  So he and his wife Anne flew down to the Williamsburg airport today to pick me up.   Anne got out and  worked on charts, she is a physical therapist, and let Paul and I play around in the sky for a while!  What a wonderful flight we had!  We flew down to Norris Lake in Tennessee and around and then back to Williamsburg.  Wow, I really enjoyed getting back in the air, thanks again Paul for great flight!  I love his plane, a Gruman American Trainer, it is solid and he flys it well!  Can’t thank  you enough!

 

 

 

Flying over Norris Lake.

Paul landing at Williamsburg to pick me up.

 

Grown men being little boys in the sky!

 

Thank  you again Paul and Anne for a great afternoon!

 

Photography Post-Mortem:  All images withy iPhone, no room for a big camera in the tight cockpit!  Reminds you of just how capable these new smart phones are!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim