What's In My Bag - Fall 2022 Zion Edition | My Large Format Landscape Photography Gear

All the gear I used in Zion National Park during the fall 2022 season -
Lots of changes have been made to my large format camera bag and so it's time to do a new What's In My Bag video!
Links to my gear:
www.chamonixviewcamera.com/ca... - Chamonix 45F-2 4x5 Camera
www.stonephotogear.com/cases/... - Stone Photo Gear lens carrier
www.stonephotogear.com - Lots of cool handmade film camera accessories
Amazon (affiliate links):
amzn.to/3ELsIxY - Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW II (second version, old one is discontinued)
amzn.to/3EL8FzR - Molle clips/accessories for attaching to ProTactic backpack
amzn.to/3OElC30 - Small Giottos rocket blower
amzn.to/3UaxpXR - Lowepro filter pouch (mine is discontinued)
amzn.to/3unKu5T - Zeiss lens cleaner bottle
amzn.to/3AOSJLR - Zeiss pre-moistened cleaning wipes
amzn.to/3VcSYZc - SmallRig Arca Swiss quick release plate
amzn.to/3EHFihN - DJI Osmo Pocket 2
amzn.to/3UapR7t - Think Tank CF/SD Battery Wallet
amzn.to/3ARlgQG - SmallRig LED cold shoe mountable light (ULANZI one is currently unavailable)
amzn.to/3APyiy5 - Miniature ball head for cold shoe LED lamp
amzn.to/3EGsAju - F.64 FH4x5 film holder case
amzn.to/3ikI6Kp - Robic digital stopwatch
amzn.to/3UeEBCl - 40.5mm lens caps for Pentax digital spotmeter
amzn.to/3FgyARz - Replacement batteries for Pentax digital spotmeter
amzn.to/3Ub0q5U - Cheap 18% Gray card/white balance card set
amzn.to/3EHKaUa - Miniature Milwaukee tape measure
amzn.to/3F6zC28 - Deity V-Mic D4 Mini shotgun microphone
B&H Photo (not affiliated):
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Really Right Stuff TFC-24L Mk2 tripod legs
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Really Right Stuff BH-40 LR II ball head
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Really Right Stuff rock claws for tripod feet
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Harrison Silver Classic Dark Cloth
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - "Mystery" cable release
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...
REG/vello_cooltool_cool_tool_camera_plate.html - Vello COOLTOOL camera combo tool
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Better gray card option
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Lee 100mm filter holder (new version)
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Lee 81B 4x4" warming filter
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Lee 105mm landscape circular polarizer
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Lee medium edge graduated ND filter set
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Lee 3 stop reverse graduated ND filter
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Benro SLIM aluminum video tripod
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Panasonic GH5 mirrorless camera
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc... - Panasonic Lumix G Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 lens
eBay items to search for:
FujiFilm Fujinon SWD 75mm f/5.6 Lens
Nikon Nikkor SW 90mm f/4.5 lens
Nikon Nikkor W 150mm f/5.6 lens
FujiFilm Fujinon W 180mm f/5.6 lens
Nikon Nikkor W 240mm f/5.6 lens
FujiFilm Fujinon W 300mm f/5.6 lens
Horseman 6x12 Graflock 120 roll film back
Pentax Digital Spotmeter
www.nickcarverphotography.com... - Nick Carver's online manual metering course
Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:31 My camera backpack
00:54 Film holder cases
02:06 Film holders
02:27 Tripod
02:48 Ball head
03:20 Chamonix 4x5
05:55 Lenses
07:33 Dark cloth
08:04 Horseman 6x12 back
09:59 Light meter
11:16 Cable release
11:55 Rocket blower
12:13 Filters
15:24 Gray cards
16:15 Bits 'n bobs
21:05 Video kit
Looking for more to watch?
Binge watch everything from in the field:
kzbin.info?list...
Binge watch everything from the office:
kzbin.info?list...
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Instagram - @chrisdarnellphoto
Vero - @chrisdarnellphoto
Twitter - @cdarnellphoto

[@PictureSizeDoesMatter]

Nikon 120mm f/8 has served me well

[@Zetaphotography]

I love the Film Holders. I only have 1 but I might as well buy another and pack it with holders

[@GreggObst]

It sounds like maybe the new Chroma Cameras Six-17 Graflok back might be a nice addition at some point. I have one on the way from Steve Lloyd because the Horseman 6x12 isn't always enough, and carrying along the Canham 4x10" isn't always practical when you just want to take the 4x5 on a backpacking trip. It's interesting that you were able to strap the F64 side pouches to a LowePro backpack. I'd never thought of that, and now I need to try it. A great idea, actually. I totally agree with Dan Stone's LF cases. He makes great quality cases for cameras, lens bags, and film holders that will all outlive me.

[@flipflopsLF]

I changed my black cable releases to white so when I drop it, easy to find, :) PS Like Nick's metering system too.

[@ChrisDarnell]

That's a great idea!

[@AustenGoldsmithPhotography]

He who dies with the most toys wins ! Tbh I don't envy you having so many lens choices . Im determined to stick with 3 lenses on my 45 for mental health and to keep the weight down

[@ChrisDarnell]

Words to live/die by! Really though, I think that's a very valid approach and I admire that. I ran around in the beginning with nothing but an 180mm F5.6, and to date that's still one of my most used lenses. With planning for long distance travel that's also been my plan; three is about the max I can see myself hauling across the globe..

[@robertmoranelli]

Fantastic timing, I asked about those side bags yesterday and here's the answer. Cheers!

[@ChrisDarnell]

Glad you found it!

[@jimwlouavl]

Very interesting and informative. I remember when you started, you were trying to figure out what you needed. It’s neat to see that you have.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Jim! Feels like that was forever ago, haha. Funny how fast things change!

[@Stephen_garza]

Awesome video! I just got home from a 4x5 back packing trip in Zion and use the same bag, I’ll have to pick up one of those 4x5 holders for the outside. I would love to see a dedicated video on the 45f-2 if you haven’t already made one. Just followed your page, I’ll be making a video about my trip through Zion and Bryce Canyon soon!

[@RandyPollock]

Hey, I'm still using the old Lee system and until it starts breaking or gets scratched, I'm not updating... rather spend my money on film 🙂

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Randy, that's been my philosophy as well, haha. I just meant if I were in the market for a set today there's a few other alternatives I might look into of course

[@stephangottlicher6098]

Great stuff... For a wide angle lens between the 75mm and 150mm I would recommend the Schneider 110mm 5.6 SSXL, just a great lens!

[@califmike2003]

That Chamonix is beautiful Chris, bet that monorail was killing you. That Chamoix killsssssssssssssssssssssssss the intrpid, not even close.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Sure was, the Chamonix honestly makes my old kit seem ridiculous now, haha

[@bernardkelly235]

Thanks, Chris, for being so thorough. It looks like a great setup.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks for watching Bernard!

[@ryejack]

There are some serious gems of information throughout this video. Thanks for posting it! I walked away with several key points to follow up on.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Definitely glad to be of help and thanks for watching Ryan!

[@tedphillips2951]

Very informative video & helpful. Thanks

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks for watching Ted!

[@timfarr369]

Didn’t appreciate how much a high quality lupe would increase the joy and speed of 4x5 until I ditched my cheap lupe for a Chamonix 5x unit. Recommend. Really enjoyed your series. The amount of growth in your shooting that has been evident over that time. Thank you.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Tim, that's really kind! That Chamonix loupe is suuuper nice, I might have to pull the trigger on one of them myself..

[@fairwayfrank]

Well done presentation. The new camera is a beauty and a lighter pack is always nice. Only thing I saw missing was some type of first-aid kit. Always a handy thing. Well, that and a few scones! We enjoyed the Colorado videos, and are now looking forward to more Zion.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Frank! True about the first aid kit, that would be a great addition. I usually keep one in the truck but for longer hikes away from the vehicle that's important, especially if your name is Ben. 🤕 The scones really made my day, thank you guys again for that!

[@flipflopsLF]

Laser works well at night to focus against too.

[@ChrisDarnell]

I really like that idea.. I'll have to give that a try for sure!

[@SAethicsgradient]

Informative and helpful video, Chris! Re: mechanical stopwatches, last year I picked up an old Slava 30 second stopwatch on eBay for around AUD$80 shipped from Belarus to use for wet plate (I use it for timing exposures as well as development). I'm not a re-enactor and it doesn't make the pictures any better, but it has a lovely heft to it and is really enjoyable to use. It's certainly accurate enough for my uses, was apparently originally designed for the Soviet space program.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks for the recommendation! Stopwatches are one of those things I definitely do not know enough about to be able to judge a good one so that really helps, I'll take a look!

[@d-nd-n5028]

D-N D-N 18 hours ago try a rodenstock sironar-s 135mm. Also you can get rid of the tape measure if you sew a flexible cloth measuring tape onto the edge of the dark cloth. Get it at a sewing store. For low light focusing, get a red laser pointer. Its soo easy to focus on the point. Any miss in focus will show the point as a diffused area rather than a point source.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks for the recommendations! I really like the laser pointer idea, I'm going to give that a try for sure. The tape measure on the dark cloth is just genius, haha!

[@jonathanhotopf1823]

I’ve got an Apo Symmar 135mm which I really like. I go up in steps of 45mm

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks for the recommendation Jonathan! True my lens coverage is a bit cluttered and I need to fix that..

[@MattWeddis]

I bet you were a Tetris master back in the day. I feel like I carry half of that gear in a bag twice as big.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Haha, it definitely seemed a bit cramped when I first started laying things out - coming from a bigger bag to this but I've been pretty happy with it so far!

[@stevenmeitner8477]

Instead of multiple Lee filter adapters, I just use the largest adapter and use step up rings. They're lighter and cost less. You do have to check for vignette because it spaces the filter holder out a bit.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Steven! That would be a great alternative - it's crazy how expensive Lee's adapter rings are! 😣 I've started buying them third-party from theFilterDude.com and they've so far been just fine, and way cheaper also

[@lensman5762]

Nice stuff in your bag Mr Darnell. Intrepid could do a hell of a lot in order to stiffen their camers by just introducing a couple of barces on the rear standard. Their 8X10 already has these, but they are missing on their 4X5 and 5X7. This is a simple but very effective and cheap way of making the camera much more steardy. Those 240 and 300 F5.6 lenses are huge. I just bought a Rodenstock Geronar 300mm F9 from Japan. I used to have one in teh early 80s, so it is the return of an old friend. The lens is almost the same size as my 150mm Symmar-S.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Very true, seems Intrepid is still actively working on their cameras in development so it's possible we'll see some improvements in that regard. Although I've moved on to another camera I still have my Intrepid 4x5 and I'm still rooting for them, it's nice to see new cameras being built and I'd like to see them find their way. Agreed the longer F5.6 lenses on 4x5 are too big for their own good, haha. In the beginning it was nice to see that bright image on the ground glass but as I've improved my technique I've been considering some smaller aperture versions to bring the size back down so that could happen in the near future. I'll take a look at that Rodenstock, sounds like a great alternative!

[@lensman5762]

@@ChrisDarnell The 300 will cover the 8X10, but just. The 210 will cover the 5X7 but just, so for 4X5 they will have some movement. I do remember that when I bought my 300 in the early 80s, I was pretty hard pressed for money. I was a shop manager on very little money, in fact. I did a lot of research, and then Rodenstock used to publish lavish tech/spec brochours for their lenses with MTF curves and sample photographs. The Geronars were intended for students and people like myself ( broke ). It is not as contrasty as the Sironnars but within reason and stopped down to around F16~F22, it produces good results., the brochre said. I found it very sharp at F22. Actually I do have the 150 as well, but the shutter has gone to Copal heaven. There was an American gentleman who used to have a Y.T channel, Scott Walton I think his name is. Iloved his work. Very similar to yours. He has pulled out of making videos now. He used to have a 200 Nikkor-M, an absolutely brilliant little lens. These are rare and pricy but outstanding lenses and light and small, the alternative is the Fujinon C range.

[@luxseven1]

And I thought midformat is heavy ... brave guy!

[@ChrisDarnell]

Haha, thanks Jos!

[@bernardkealey6449]

re : “let me know if you want a full review video of the Chamomix” - Yes please! Might be asking a bit much for a side by side review of Chamonix vs Toyo and what scenes / scenarios one is definitely outgunned by the other… The 10# weight difference was a “wow”; are u using a lighter tripod head? Thanks again for another great video!

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Bernard, I'll get to work on that! I'll definitely do some sort of comparison with the Toyo whether in the same video or on it's own, not sure how that looks just yet. Indeed I did get a lighter tripod to go along with the Chamonix, I actually went back to a ball head instead of the massive pan/tilt head I have for the Toyo. Maybe I'll take them both out and shoot them side by side on a subject, that could be a fun video. Thanks for the idea!

[@l10industries]

How is the compatibility between the Fujinon SWD 75mm F/5.6 and the Chamonix? No problems with the stock bellows? Can you get any movements? Love your content and love seeing your kit. You are criminally undersubscribed.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks David! Haha, "criminally undersubscribed" made me laugh. So far I've had no issues with the 75mm, I do have it mounted in a 10mm offset lens board which is probably helping but the stock bellows has been fine. I haven't tried to use any really drastic movements with it but I haven't noticed it being a problem so far.

[@l10industries]

@@ChrisDarnell I have one just like that and have been considering the Chamonix. I use a Horseman L45 and I normally have to use the bag bellows even with the recessed lens board so I was curious. Thanks so much for the response!

[@rupunzel6299]

~So many lenses of nearly the same focal length. Moving the camera position instead of using the large number of similar focal length lenses often works better as one gets to "see" how a given focal length lens might render the ground glass image, The need for so many of the same lens focal lengths often comes from using digital or roll film cameras with zoom lenses were "zoom" is used as a image composition aid instead of moving the camera/lens to achieve the composition needed. ~Reducing the lens set to something like, 75mm, 120mm, 180mm, 240mm or 75mm, 135mm, 210mm, 300mm, 360mm or no less than 30% change in focal length per lens. ~If the exposure aperture is f16 and smaller, rational for a modern Plasmat with a full aperture of f5.6 tends to result in lugging around a MUCH larger lens than needed. Modern Plasmats are reasonable up to about 180mm, beyond this they get BIG. Once at 210mm and longer, there are a number of modern f9 or smaller full aperture lenses like Schneider G-claron, Rodenstock APO ronar, Nikkor M, Goerz Dagor and others that are far smaller and often with better optical performance than a modern Plasmat. These lens formulas can offer longer focal lengths at a very compact size, lower weight and better optical performance. ~Less lens cleaning stuff, the Rocket blower is enough. Wiping any lens risk scratching the front element. Outdoor environments will often have tiny particles of sand, dirt, and such that is MUCH harder than optical glass, wiping off the lens element is effectively grinding these abrasive particles into the glass. Once a lens is scratched this way, it is done. Fact and reality is, those tiny particles have NO effect on image quality. This is where a lens protector helps lots to reduce possible lens damage. If the front element of the lens must be cleaned. Do it in a clean indoor environment, wet down the front element with lens cleaner (100% Isopropyl alcohol, even windex works), carefully blot off the excessive lens cleaning fluid with a cotton ball or Kimwipe (optical industry standard for cleaning). Once the particles of dirt have been floated off, only then can the lens be safely cleaned. Those "micro-fiber" lens wipes can hold abrasive particles and become "sand-paper" as the lens wipe grinds these particles into the glass. Simply do not use them unless they are known and proven clean with no abrasive particles hiding on the wipe.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thank you so much for the input, all great points here. Indeed I do have a few lenses of similar focal length and you're probably right in that I got that from relying on zoom lenses and having everything I wanted at my fingertips. I could definitely make some improvements to the range of primes I'm carrying on the 4x5. Also appreciate the input on switching away from the larger f5.6 copal 3 versions down to something more reasonable, that's something I'm actively exploring for the future. Seems I also need to improve on my lens cleaning techniques.. 😣

[@rupunzel6299]

@@ChrisDarnell Do consider a cold shoe mounted filter holder for your set of filters. This deletes the need for the pile of filter ring adapter sizes making one set up universal for all the lenses you're using. Not sure if a cold shoe filter holder is available for your field camera, they are easy enough to make using available filter holder parts and some DIY..

[@berthaduniverse]

Wow, nice kit... I hope my Patreon donations got you a new film holder! Lol! Thanks for the video, really fun to watch.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Paul! That would certainly be a great use of funds, haha. Took me a while to narrow down which one(s) were giving me trouble but I've got at least one of them narrowed down now

[@ruudmaas2480]

I only would get rid of the Zeiss wet cleaning things. This stuff is not good for any cameralenses that have coatings on it. Still deminiralised water and 100% cotton ear-tips is the best for cleaning camera lenses (with little circular movements). In the field it is seldon that I have to use the "wet method" to clean a lens. Most of the time I carry a rocketblower and some cotton tips with me. When I do not shoot I always put the protective cap on the lens in use.

[@ChrisDarnell]

Thanks Ruud, that's a great tip to know. Admittedly I'm not near as delicate with my gear but perhaps I should revisit that..