Another Month…in the Bag of the Month Club!!!!

If you’re a working pro or an avid photographer you struggle with how to carry it all, and what to carry!  I am a life long member of the bag of the month club, ask my wife!!!  It is a requirement every photographer that visits me here at home, MUST leave with a bag!  I’ve bought, and tried, hundreds of bags in my 46 years as a shooter.  In a strange way, I loved every one of them, I just didn’t love them long enough to stay with them!  Something always finally bugged me enough that I was on the prowl again looking for the perfect bag, backpack, vest, etc, etc, etc. The fact that I still own three rolling bags, five backpacks, two slings, seven shoulder bags all test to the fact that therapy has done me little good!  I have got a new plan, (plan number 496!), and I have high hopes this might work for while.

I was fine until Fuji came out with the 50-140 WR OIS f 2.8 lens!#%$#@!?>&^*%!  Dang you Fuji, why do you have to keep doing this!!!  I love this lens, it is so incredibly sharp, so perfectly smooth in operation and I can actually shoot it handheld and get very, very sharp images! So none of my compact small carry systems will work now because it is not huge, not Nikon or Canon 70-200 f 2.8 huge, but it’s not small like the rest of my wonderful Fuji lenses.  The problem is I’m addicted and it has to be with me, so the hunt goes on for carry solutions.  I tried the Think Tank Belt system some years ago and I couldn’t keep it from sliding down to my knees.  No comment about my backside!   I knew they made the suspenders deal, I just didn’t want to go that route.  When I got the new Fuji zoom, I had to consider it!  I was talking to Susan Scharenburg, one of our His Light Friends, and she said she somehow ended up with a second set of Think Tanks’s Pixel Racing Harness (I have no idea how they came up with that name, that alone is enough reason not to use it!!!).  I traded her something I had in my “no longer need collection” for it and I attached it to my new assembled belt system.  Wow, I should have done this a long time ago!  Actually Chuck Barnes had encouraged me to years ago too, I’m pretty hard headed!  Anyway with the harness the belt system work fantastic and the weight distribution makes it very manageable!  You won’t be invited to any high fashion events, but my last invitation to one of those was….actually never, anyway!

So what can I fit in this system?  (I will detail the pouches in moment)

1.  The Fuji 60mm Micro f 2.4 lens.  (90mm equiv.)

2.  The Fuji Automatic Extension tubes I have three;  2-MCEX 16mm tubes, and 1-MCEX 11mm tube.

3.  Two Think Tank Battery pouches contain four NPW-126 batteries

4.  The Fuji 10-24 OIS f 4 wide angle zo0m.  (15-36 equiv.)

5  The Fuji 56mm f 1.2  moderate telephoto lens  (85mm equiv.)

6.  Fuji X-T1 body with 18-55 OIS f 2.8-4 medium zoom lens.  (27-84 equiv.)

7.  The Fuji 50-140 OIS WR f 2.8 telephoto zoom (75-210 equiv.)

8.  The Fuji 18-135 OIS WR f 3.5-5.6 Super Zoom lens (27-200 equiv.)

9.  Mini flash light

10. Lens Pen

11.  Really Right Stuff screwdriver set

12.  Canon 500 D diopter with 67-77 and 72-77 step up rings (for use on the 18-135 and the 50-140)

The belt system is:

1  The Think Tank Pro Speed Belt V 2.0

2.  Speed Changer Pouch holds; the 10-24, 56 1.2 and at the two battery pouches, plus some small accessories.

3.  Think Tank Stuff It I   Hold the filters, step up rings and small accessories

4.  Another Speed Changer Pouch  Hold the 60mm Micro with extension tubes attached, and the 18-135 and some accessories.

5.  Think Tank Lens Changer 75 (add small amount of padding to bottom)  hold the Fuji 50-140 f 2.8 with hood, tripod mount and foot.

6 Held up by the — (Man do I hate saying this!)  The Pixel Racing Harness V2.0

So there you have it, the whole rig, my the camera and lens which is usually over my shoulder on mounted to my tripod, weighs in at 10.5 pounds.  Not bad for 15mm to 210mm of coverage and some fast glass and macro capabilities!

Just in case you were wondering when I fly, this belt system gets folded flat and stuffed in a big checked suitcase and everything else is transported in a Think Tank Airport Security V2.0 to the location, it also hold my MacBook Pro and other stuff.  I also have a back up body or two in the rolling bag along with more batteries, chargers etc. I still fold up and take a Domke Vest just for walking with a camera and a couple of lenses.  Since I’ve tried and failed many times before at this game, only a few trips will reveal if this is a workable idea,  I’ll be sure and let you know!  I still fold up and take a Dome Vest just or walking with a camera and a couple of lenses.

One last thing, my Fuji X100T is always with me, when I fly in a Nikon backpack I use to transport essentials, the X100T is an essential!!!

Blessings,

the pilgrim

To celebrate mine and Sherelene;s 45th Wedding Anniversary Valentines day here is a special gift for  you guys!