Locked and Loaded……..
I’m packing and getting ready to fly to Spokane where Jack Graham will pick me up so we can drive down to Colfax and run the Palouse Workshop! Each location requires it’s own set of gear or at least as few specialty items for the kind of work you plan to do! When traveling by air you have to find a way to get all the gear there and take the cameras and lenses on the plane with you. I fly Southwest for several reasons but one of the most important is they always fly 737s. I know this airplane well and know my loaded Think Tank Airport Security Version 2.0 will fit in the overhead bins! I also pay the fee to get on the plane early in the A’s so I know I can get an isle seat with an open bin, about midway back through the plane. Why midway back? The most comfortable ride in turbulence in over the wings.
Back to the gear. Every nature, landscape trip requires the big three; a wide angle zoom (mine is the Fuji 10-24 f 4 – 15-36 equiv.), a mid range zoom (the 16-55 f 2.8 – 24-85 equiv.) and a telephoto zoom (the 50-140 f 2.8 – 70-200 equiv.). I also packed my 18-135, which goes everywhere with me, my throw back to the Nikon 28-300 kind of super zoom!! The special lens for this trip is the Nikon 300mm f 4.5 IF-ED manual focus lens with an adapter to Fuji X mount (equiv, 450mm) The shot below was made with the compression affect of this lens, and with focus peaking, it is easy to get tack sharp focus points.
The other lens I always carry is the Fuji 60mm Macro with three auto extension tubes from Fuji; the 11mm and two 16mm. That combination of lens give me courage from 15mm to 450mm and the ability to shoot close-ups to life size and little beyond.
I carry a Watson charger ( B&H and Amazon carries it) that charges two batteries at once with a very good LCD readout of the progress. It also features replaceable plates for many different batteries. A portable hard drive (2 TB) for back ups. In the top pockets of the bag I have the extra lens caps, body caps, cleaning supplies, allen wrenches, etc, etc.
I’m also taking a Fuji X-T10 and the new 16mm f 1.4 and 90mm f 2 to shoot in the Palouse as well! I will post images all this coming week, have a great weekend!
Blessings,
the pilgrim
This entry was posted on Friday, June 5th, 2015 at 3:56 pm
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Awesome that you and Jack are hitting the road again and especially that he is back in action.
It sure is, I’m glad to see him get on the other side of this detached retina affair!
Hi Bill,
My new Fuji X-T1 just arrived and I have a lot of work to do learning a new system after shooting Canons after so many years. I will probably be peppering you guys with questions for awhile and look forward to seeing you in Ohio this October,
Don
Bring em’ on Don, glad to help, really enjoyed meeting you at Grandfather!
Bill,
I was just looking at that Watson charger yesterday online. Very cool that you can buy the extra plates so one can charge those other batteries while only carrying 1 charger. How long does it take to charge two XT-1 batteries.
I also ran in to Jackie Hillyer last Friday and said to tell you hello the next time I spoke to you. She reminded me that it had already been a year that I told her that you were really loving the Fuji system and showed her your website here. She is really liking what you are doing with the Fuji.
Takes about 2.5 hours form dead to full charge.
Thanks, we love Jackie, she’s great!
Sounds like I better get one of those also….. thanks again Mr. Enabler….lol
Thanks for the packing list Bill. It’s helping me narrow down a little. I saw where u are taking 2 flashes. Are we going to be doing some flash work? Can’t wait.
Rodney
No., never do, just carry them in case. There small though, so it’s easy!
Let’s try they’re small (dang auto spell)!!!
Thanks for the recommendation of the dual Watson battery charger. It works great and seems to be significantly faster in charging than my Fuji.
Guess I just spoke too soon. Have been using it for a week and it was working great until this morning! Now one side is stuck on 95%.