Why we love our RF gear

[Rafael]

(NOTE: THIS IS NOT A DIGITAL BASHING THREAD)

I'm sure that many of you can relate to the experience I had this morning. A few weeks ago, I loaned some lighting equipment to a friend who was shooting a wedding. He suggested that we get together sometime to shoot the Fall colours. So this morning, he picked me up bright and early and we headed out to the park.

I packed my M4, 21/4, 35/2, 50/2, 90/2.8, Oly XA, Rolleicord 1a, meter, lots of film, and a notebook into my Safrotto F-803 bag. I also brought along a tripod. As I came out the door, my friend immediately asked, "hey, where's your gear?" I had to actually open the bag to demonstrate to him that I really had brought three cameras and four lenses. He had brought one big DSLR, two zooms, a 105mm prime, and a tripod. In order to carry his gear, he needed a big backpack!

We were out hiking and shooting for over five hours. Why did we quit? He ran out of memory cards! (I had enough film to keep going for hours)

Of course, I will now have to wait a few weeks to get the Kodachrome back from Dwayne's. But the wait is a small price to pay.

 

[vrgard]

I love it! I don't generally carry as much gear as you did that day. So my rig easily fits into a small bag (Domke F5xb) which my wife derisively refers to as my "purse." Still, I would rather carry my small "purse" around than a backpack filled with large & heavy gear (or, worse, the "digital necktie"). And, I know I have both wide and tele lenses at the ready should I need them. Which is exactly what happened last weekend. As I was walking out the door I thought to myself, "why don't I just carry the camera with a 50 and nothing else?" Glad I didn't listen as that afternoon I needed my 90 and there it was tucked neatly in the end of my small bag!

-Randy

 

[PlantedTao]

great story...
I too carry around a large backpack...filled with food, a water purifier, water bottles, first aid kit...oh yeah, a R2 with a 50mm and a xpan for the wides, plenty of film too. 🙂 ...sometimes a 124G for medium format and tripod.
I could stay for an overnighter if I needed 🙂

cheers
jason

 

[ywenz]

We were out hiking and shooting for over five hours. Why did we quit? He ran out of memory cards! (I had enough film to keep going for hours)

Of course, I will now have to wait a few weeks to get the Kodachrome back from Dwayne's. But the wait is a small price to pay.

He was probably shooting at a higher rate than you were. A small portable media storage unit like the one I have has 40GB of storage and can copy a 1GB CF in less than 30 sec.

However, I agree that one should always carry a film body as a speciality camera to shoot slides with. Digital can not touch slides...

 

[physiognomy]

I understand where you're coming from Rafael... This past weekend I took a walk at sunset to get some shots of a cool redrocks formation. I had my small safrotto bag with me (same as yours) and when my girlfriend saw the late afternoon light on the rocks out came 'oh, I wish I had a camera with me'... Luckily I had a kit of lenses & my two Nicca's, so we could both shoot until the light was gone. It just wouldn't have been as fun if we were handing one camera back & forth, so I was happy I brought the little rangefinders.

Peter

 

[DavidH]

He had brought one big DSLR, two zooms, a 105mm prime, and a tripod. In order to carry his gear, he needed a big backpack!

That's exactly why I bought my G2 - I have a Nikon SLR with big fast lenses for work - alongside the TV camera with all its accessories - and the last thing I want to do when shooting for fun is have to carry a pile of heavy gear around...again. My G2 with additional lenses all together are smaller and lighter than just one of my Nikon lenses (70-200VR) - let alone the rest of the rig. In fact I sometimes use the padded bag for the 70-200 as a kit bag for the G2 with lenses and film... 🙂

David

 

[Rafael]

I don't generally carry as much gear as you did that day.

Neither do I. Usually the bag is even lighter!

 

[Bosk]

The other day I went out carrying only my R2A / 35 Summicron in one pocket and a few rolls of film in the other, something that's impossible with DSLRs.
It certainly makes the act of walking around taking pictures a hell of a lot more enjoyable when you don't have a heavy load around your neck, and back.

 

[mfunnell]

The other day I went out carrying only my R2A / 35 Summicron in one pocket and a few rolls of film in the other, something that's impossible with DSLRs.

I'll concede, almost, on the "in one pocket" part - but as a matter of practicality, the kind of coat that would take my Hexar RF and lens would also take my Canon 30D and lens - and that's mostly impractical where I live (too warm for big coats). In reality, I either take the camera in-hand (strap around wrist/forearm) or a small camera bag (really a Lowepro add-on pouch). That can take either my Hexar RF with 50/2, film, and a paperback or it can take my Canon 30D with 35/2 or 50/1.8 lens (or both), CF cards and paperback. Either way works just fine with either camera. Works just fine with my OM-4T and 50/1.8 or 28/2.8 as well. Overall weight with one lens would be about the same in all cases (maybe the dSLR is slightly lighter, but a little bulkier in the bag thus needing a thinner paperback).

It certainly makes the act of walking around taking pictures a hell of a lot more enjoyable when you don't have a heavy load around your neck, and back.

It does make it enjoyable - with my RF, my SLR or my dSLR, whichever I deem more suitable on the day.

You can construct a reasonably small and light-weight kit with SLRs (digital or film) just as, or almost as, easily as you can with RF gear. I really, really like my RF camera, for reasons mostly unconnected with small and light-weight - because I can do as well in that regard, or nearly so, with all my camera systems.

 

[reub2000]

You should have let him use one of your cameras.

 

[Nachkebia]

Because we don`t love (or know, or can) take good pictures