Advice sought re. best bag and also tripod head

[michaelo]

Until recently my kit has comprised a Wista DX with 2 average-sized lenses on Linhof boards (180/5,6 & 125/5.6), Sekonic meter, 5 DDs, digi compact plus the usual bits: darkcloth, lupe, sandwich (!) etc.. I've been happy enough with my Chapak camera backpack up to now with the exception of needing to put the tripod (Velbon CF w. Manfrotto Mg head) on the side of it - an awkward mis-balance. The upgrade to a Walker Titan SF (on order) with the increase in weight means I’m going to be even less happy with this balancing act.
So my research points me towards a Lowepro backpack but the big question is which one? The Lowepro Photo Trekker Aw 2 looks good but what’s the difference in use between this and the nearly identical ones seen on the manufacturer’s website? Has anyone got practical experience of this or the alternatives in the field?
The increase in weight also means I need to upgrade my tripod head. I’m interested in the idea of the Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Action Ball Head but it is of some concern to see how many of these get listed on fleabay – smoke and fire perhaps? The other possibility looks like the Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head but this in itself will add quite a bit more weight to my back.
Ideally I’d go look at these items at somewhere like Calumet but it’s difficult for me to make time to get away to the big smoke to do this. So any advice would be extremely welcome.
Best,
Michael O'Brien

[Dave Tolcher]

For a head, have a look at the gitzo 2271m with qr plate

http://cgi.ebay.ca/Gitzo-G-2271M-Ration ... 35a79cac46

I have one with the arca adapter and it really is a super piece of kit. Low profile and very light. I had a 410 but didnt get on with its weight and bulk. I think ffordes have an ex demo one at the moment. Holds and operates an arca swiss classic 171 comfortably and very nice to operate.

[gari]

Hi Michaelo, I have a couple of the Photo trekker AWIIs. Good size, I have a shen hao and 4 lenses, meter, grads etc with plenty of DDs and it all fits quite easily. Comfortable too once you have got it adjusted.
The new one differs in that the straps pack away on the AWII but don't on the newer one. The material on the newer one is probably more robust as it is made from Hyperlon, which is used for River rafts etc.
For my money you can't go wrong with a AWII for the price. about £70-£100 used.

Gari

[uniB]

I've tried a whole host of camera backpacks and non of them have really hit the mark. I find Lowpro bags too bulky, heavy and not overly comfortable on long treks. I now have the perfect solution for me: a Kelty Redwing P2 backpack from Photobackpacker with a Lowepro Pro Roller 1 Insert. These backpacks are very comfortable and the side pockets give loads of extra space for DDS etc. There's room above the insert for clothes, sandwiches and cakes!

I've used a 410 head for some time, they are good, on the down side they are quite heavy and bulky as you say and they seem to have a lifespan of a year or so, after that they get loose. I think I'm going to move on to a ball head as they're so much lighter, I've recently got a Photo Clam ball PC-44NS head but it arrived broken so I'm waiting (a long time) for a replacement, other than it not locking it seemed well made, no Really Right Stuff, but not bad.

[Thingy]

I have the AWII bag which I took with me to the Maldon meeting last year, but really found it too large and it is heavy even without any kit in it!!! I currently use a LowePro Nature trekker I bought about 10 years ago, which is much easier. I use a Gitzo series 2 tripod with my Ebony 4x5 and currently use a Manfrotto 410 head. I agree with the comments above however about the size and weight of the 410 pan and tilt head. This is the reason I'm looking to change mine to a ball head, plus the fact that the 410 is not flexible enough when I am using my Schneider 120 HM Makro lens and the tripod legs are, as they so often are for macro work, at different heights and angles to one another (usually in inaccessible places such as flower beds)!

We have another thread here discussing the relative merits of ball heads, accessible below.
Tim has posted some useful data about relative head weights
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1640

If money is no object, then you could always go for one of Arca Swiss's C1's (The Cube).... If you don't like, you could then sell it to me for £500!

[michaelo]

Thanks all for the really interesting responses. Gari concludes, like me, that Lowepro are the first port of call, others disagree. uniB's comment about the Photobackpacker with a Lowepro Pro Roller 1 Insert got me thinking about that in a rucksack, though I'm unsure why I'd also then want the Photobackpacker inserts (...?). Still pondering that one - maybe I'll look at customising my otherwise excellent Chappak.

davejt3's Gitzo looks great but for the too-sticky-out handles maybe (?).

Thingy's link to a world of heads I didn't know about was (financially) terrifying. Years ago I bought a Manfrotto # 268 Ball and Socket Head on the advice of the man in Calumet but never got on with it. I seemed to spend most of my time fiddling with the tensioner without getting it right - unlocking the head either had me grappling with a stiff head or juggling with too many kilos of camera. Put me off standard B&S heads (except little ones for little jobs) although the Arcas, RSSs etc. look pretty serious. Apart from the price they're not a mail-order option for me though - I'd have to try them out.

The comments about the 410 add another problem to the ones I already saw so that's closed that avenue for me. So I'm still thinking about the Manfrotto 322RC2 - the movements of a B&S plus a handle to hold onto & lock the thing off. Has anyone on the forum used one for our purposes?

Very many thanks again for the stimulating feedback.

Michael

[Dave Tolcher]

The sticky out handles aren't very sticky out. They hang out about an inch over the edge of my 1548 gitzo, more on the 055 MF4. Its a series 2 head so isnt the behemoth that some of the p&t heads are. Weight saving is huge cf the 410 or 405 and I dont think it will need replacing in a year because its worn out !

Much as I didnt like the 405 and 410 they did have a big benefit of being able to move small amounts in one axis only. I used a ball head (Kirk BH-1, BH-3 isnt man enough) for 7 or 8 years before trying a 410 and then returning to a ball head before finally seeing and using the gitzo. It has revolutionised my experience on the tripod during the set-up phase.

[uniB]

Hi Michael,

just to clarify about the Photobackpacker – I don't use any of there inserts just the backpack. I did try their inserts a while back but didn't get on with them – far too fiddly messing about opening the lids every time you want a lens, in my opinion the Lowpro insert is a much better option. The reason I got the backpack from them is that it's been modified to open all the way to the bottom and the side pouches added. I don't know of any regular backpack you can get in the shops in the UK that does that – if someone finds a smaller pack that does that though please let me know!

Dav

[uniB]

I had a 322RC2 at the point when I 'went film', it was OK with my Ebony 45RSW (although I do recall Joe Cornish suggesting it wasn't up to the job when I went on my first workshop). But I'm not sure it'd be up to the job with a heavier camera. It is quite user friendly though, I certainly try one out to check it can take the weight though. It's not a patch on the 055 for stability though. I have a friend who uses on of those crappy Canon 1DS MKwhatever with one though and they're pretty heavy!

[dave_whatever]

I'm sure there are better bags available if money if no object (check out the f-stop bags for serious outdoors use) but you can't beat Lowepro for value and availabilty. I'd always tend to buy new with Lowepro because you get a lifetime guarantee with them. A mate of mine used his lowepro bag for a few years of heavy use, cramming it full of gear until one day the zip on the outer pocket broke. He sent it back to them and they replaced with with a brand new bag.

If that Photo Trekker AW II is a big big/heavy then have a look at the smaller bags. It sounds like you're gonna be carrying a standard sized 4x5 field camera plus a couple of lenses and all the rest of the kit. I would have thought you'd have no problem getting all this in a Mini Trekker AW. They aren't too heavy when empty, and available quite cheap (I paid £50 for mine brand new). Put it this way, on occaision I've crammed in as much as a non-folding camera, 2 rollfilm backs, lee hood, 3 lenses, handfull of DDS, big filter wallet, plus all the usual crap like meter/cloth/loupe etc.

Sorry I can't help you with that manfrotto head.

[Dave Tolcher]

if someone finds a smaller pack that does that though please let me know!

Granitegear make a couple... but the front opening isnt hugely generous.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... _gear.html

I think they are the only UK stockist.

[michaelo]

To round this up and share my conclusions:

dave_whatever's suggestion of the Mini Trekker AW hit the button for me with the trimmed down kit I carry, so that's a result. If I ever start carrying more then uniB's brilliant solution of the Redwing plus insert would be the way I'd go.

Re. the head - davejt3 gave a great tip with the Gitzo head. I had been thinking that I wanted the control of a 3-way head but with a smaller profile. If I give up on the latter then I'll get the Gitzo he suggested with the quick-release plate.
I'm still curious about the Manfrotto 322RC2 as, if it worked, would give me the control plus reduced profile so I'll post a separate query specific to that.
Many thanks to all for the time and knowledge shared.

Michael

[dave_whatever]

Looks like those bags are still 50 quid here too:

http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDet ... ~4304.html

[David Evans]

I posted this a month or so ago, in response to a similar question regarding bags.viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1533#p9935
Having been on holiday for a week, and carried the backpack around a fair bit, the Osprey Atmos 35 still comes out as the best option for me ... if not absolutely perfect. BUT MOST PEOPLE WILL TELL YOU THAT THE PERFECT BAG SIMPLY DOES NOT EXIST! Osprey do a 65 litre pack panel opening backpack called a Waypoint, which is a bit heavier than the Atmos, but might be getting closer to perferction!
With tripod heads, Mike Walker will recommend the Gitzo 227x series low profile heads, and they are the lightest option by far, though the handles do stick out a bit (but they do unscrew).
The Manfrotto 410 geared head is heavy, but works well. IT'S A SIMPLE JOB TO TIGHTEN IT UP IF THE GEARING GETS LOOSE (hex key)
Ball heads like the RRS BH55 are fantastic, pretty compact, but weigh in at pretty close to the Manfrotto 410. I reckon they are worth it though.

[uniB]

David – the Osprey Atmos looks like a nice bag, what do you pack the equipment in within the bag though? It looks like the front panel only opens to about 2/3rds of the way down, I'd have thought that'd make access to the contents diffiult? The Waypoint looks like it opens closer to the bottom of the bag though.

Good advice about the 410 tightening, I'll give that a go tomorrow.

Another question – the Gitzo G227xx heads look nice but I don't think I'd be able to cope with not having a quick release plate – isn't it a pain screwing the camera on every time you want to use it??