How to protect an M6 on a bicycle trip ?

[Niko]

Hi folks, i am starting a longish bike-tour 2nd September. I have decided to take my Leica M6 along. Haven´t decided yet if i take a 35 or 50 lens, or both.

The camera will be in a handlebar mounted bag. Therefore it will be getting some knocks and a lot of shaking. Of course the handlebar bag (Ortlieb Ultimate 3) will dampen the going quite a lot, but i was thinking maybe i should also have some sort of protective case for the camera ?

Any ideas ?

Niko

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Niko, I've taken my M6TTL cameras a number of times for short rides and always carry them in a shoulder bag. Not only do I NOT have a bag on the steering handle, but also the shoulder bag makes it slightly easier (to me, there will be divergent opinions on this matter) to grab the camera for a shot. While it may have an effect on my balance, I'm still inclined to have the camera with me instead because that way I make it more portable... and it stays close to my heart! 🙂

 

[JohnM]

For a long bike tour, it is impractical to carry the camera on your person. There are any number of reasons why - added heat, balance, etc. In case of a crash, the camera is much better off being in a bag mounted on the bike than attached to you where the best case scenario has it being flung clear of the wreck...the worst case scenario has you landing on it which ain't so good for you or it. (I suspect a Summicron is as crisp a rib-breaker as it is a picture taker.) The handlebar bag is ideal because the front drops, brake hoods and even the tire will act as a bit of a cage around it in the event of a crash.

I think the Ortleib was a great choice - just protect it from rattling around against whatever else you have in there. A camera wrap or just a extra tee shirt is probably sufficient. I've had cameras in panniers and never had a problem.

 

[CameraQuest]

hmm. If you want to protect your M6 outfit during your bike trip, carry it in a nice Leica bag with a "STEAL ME FIRST" sign, so that it's stolen early in the trip before it gets banged up.

Otherwise, leave it at home and take a camera that you won't mind getting stolen, lost, or damaged during your advanture.

Stephen

 

[Jason Sprenger]

Perhaps the best way to protect an M6 with a 35 and 50 for an extended period outdoors is to take a Fed-2 with a Jupiter 8 and a Jupiter 12.

Even then the word is padding. Select a bag big enough for the gear you intend to carry and padding.

I find that closed cell, blue foam sleeping pads for backpacking are much better at providing the raw material for padding bags and backpacks than as sleeping pads. Plus, closed cell foam doesn't absorb water which is critical if there is the slightest chance of moisture be it rain, fog, mist, etc.

 

[ferider]

Hi Niko,

consider 1 or two Domke inserts. Also, what helped me in Tanzania was a screw driver set. RF misalignment and being knocked against other things in the bag are the biggest risks, IMO. A good half case (like the Luigi one with built-in grip) will help too.

Other than that, I believe Leicas were built for this. I have several ones
in my Motorcycle saddle bag frequently.

Roland.

 

[venchka]

I'm contemplating the same kind of travel. No way I'm leaving the RF gear behind to collect dust on a shelf.

Closed cell foam for sure. Scuba wetsuit material makes wonderful camera wraps. Ziplock bags! Lots of them! Double bag all your gear BEFORE it rains!

I get these for free from salesmen around the office. The long ones wrok great for 90-135 lenses. The short ones will hold everything up to my 50mm 1.4 SLR lens. Two of the short ones slip over my Canon VI-T like they were made for the job. Insulate your film!

Have a great trip!

 

[Palaeoboy]

Pelican make very solid waterproof boxes and some of them a tiny the size of lunch boxes. I use a pelican bag for caving and they have been dropped scratched and submersed. Cameras always safe inside.

 

[ampguy]

trade it in

trade it in

trade it for 2 or 3 CL/MP-2/4s, multiple benefits:

taking a less valuable thing on the road

smaller, ligher weight

need to take less synthetic testosterone 😀

Whatever happens to it, you still have a Leica back at home

Hi folks, i am starting a longish bike-tour 2nd September. I have decided to take my Leica M6 along. Haven´t decided yet if i take a 35 or 50 lens, or both.

The camera will be in a handlebar mounted bag. Therefore it will be getting some knocks and a lot of shaking. Of course the handlebar bag (Ortlieb Ultimate 3) will dampen the going quite a lot, but i was thinking maybe i should also have some sort of protective case for the camera ?

Any ideas ?

Niko

 

[nightfly]

Take your M6 for sure. These cameras are made to be used. They seem to do OK covering wars so I don't think a bike trip will ruin it.

Keep an eye out for some sort of foam/nylon case. Big box electronic stores and the like sell tons of cheap bags for digital cameras and video cameras. You can probably find something that will fit the M6 with an attached lens and no more. I would just take 1 lens and lots of film.

 

[Ronald M]

Bubble wrap packing. First put the camera in a soft cloth to stop abrasion, Chevas Regal bottle bags work fine, then wrap with the small bubblie stuff til it wont fit in the bag.

You won`t take pics with it, but it will come home safe from bumps and vibration damage.

 

[Niko]

Thanks for all the responses, the sarcastic ones too 😉 Some posts gave me new ideas. But you can post more !

I am just looking for small, easy to perform, ideas to make the trip just a little more easy on the camera. I´ve got an M6 to be used. I agree with someone who said that if something happens to it, it happens while it´s used for what it´s made for 😱

In a few months we´ll know how it performed. When i´ve decided my solution i´ll let you know, if you´re interested.

Niko

 

[kaptain pip]

camera solution

camera solution

Done several trans alp bike tours and found that if the camera isn't handy then a lot of great shots gets missed. This being the case, I've found a fannypack carried bandolier style , with camera in front across the chest, the best for quick access, good balance and not heavy. Also, all the road vibration is less of a concern. Have a great trip!

 

[ampguy]

Niko

Niko

See my thread on the main forum on the ideal M bag. It's great for biking, since there are fewer hooks and doohickeys to snag and make you crash your bike.

Thanks for all the responses, the sarcastic ones too 😉 Some posts gave me new ideas. But you can post more !

I am just looking for small, easy to perform, ideas to make the trip just a little more easy on the camera. I´ve got an M6 to be used. I agree with someone who said that if something happens to it, it happens while it´s used for what it´s made for 😱

In a few months we´ll know how it performed. When i´ve decided my solution i´ll let you know, if you´re interested.

Niko

 

[andrealed]

I'd choose a basket and a pillow.

 

[laptoprob]

I will be cycling from Harwich to Newcastle (UK) the coming three weeks. The CLE and IIf have proved themselves as being sturdy enough for very shaky roads in the south of France earlier. Shaking was bad enough there to unscrew lenses, filters, lens parts etc. To keep them from further bruising/brassing I will protect them in neverready cases. Each of the lenses will be in a seperate pouch.
I found out the Canon 25mm also fits in the flat leather Leica case, instead of the collapsible uncoated Elmar. Nice! If only a separate finder wasn't that big...
Besides them I will be bringing the 15mm Heliar, 35mm Ultron, 50mm Summicron and 90mm Tele-Elmarit. Then the handlebar-bag is almost full.

 

[venchka]

One more thing I just discovered. I own two camera bags with nylon covered foam dividers held in place with Velcro. As luck would have it, these dividers are the correct size for my Jandd handlebar bag. So, I will get some adhesive backed Velcro for the handlebar bag. I will still use the neoprene cold drink holders and ziplock bags as primary protection and the dividers to keep things in place.

Thanks for getting me thinking!

 

[Oh Two]

No!!!!!!!!!
(And remember I told you so)

 

[Niko]

Tour finished. M6 survived. 35 ´cron survived.
I ended up starting the tour without any extra protection for the camera. It was in the handle-bar bag with the other stuff for the whole trip. It now has some more shining in the corners. Eyepiece rattled off once. I crashed twice (nothing too bad, but crashes anyway...). It got some rain on it. It got some sand on it. Everything works 100%. Me like it 😀

Before anynone asks, the tour was a 45day ride from San Francisco to New York. 4016miles.

Niko

 

[stric]

Hi,
Belive it or not, I carry my MP with my on almost all of my bike rides except the races and long/hard-core road/off road rides. I ride primarily cyclocross and road but occasionally hard-core off-road (mtb). In any event, I almost always cary the camera in my messenger bag. I use the old school timbuk2 pee-wee bag. And I must say that the camera is much more accessible to me from the shoulder/messenger bag.
However, if you don't do nay aggressive and fast riding, you'll be fine with a frame/handlebar mounted bag. Except I still think that a backpack or a shoulder bag is better since your body will absorb a lot of small shocks that the bike frame would not.