Does anyone use a Domke F2?

Mainecoonmaniac · May 12, 2014

I've long since stop

benjiboy said:
The military have known since the middle ages that there is a limit that a soldier can carry for a days march and still be fit for combat when he gets to his destination, and I too in my mid seventies nowadays try to be more sensible with what I carry I have a Canon AE motor drive FN for my F1's but only carry it if I know I'm definitely going to need it because it has 12 AA batteries in the power pack and it weighs a ton when combined with the not inconsiderable weight of an F1.

I long since stop carrying my AE motor drive FN. It's just sitting in my closet. The F1 with a motor drive is a beast. In the US, I think the cut off age for military recruits is 30. I met a former soldier that was in Iraq and they carry a "Full pack" that is 80 pounds or about 36 kilograms. That is too much for an old guy of 51 like me.

benjiboy · May 12, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I long since stop carrying my AE motor drive FN. It's just sitting in my closet. The F1 with a motor drive is a beast. In the US, I think the cut off age for military recruits is 30. I met a former soldier that was in Iraq and they carry a "Full pack" that is 80 pounds or about 36 kilograms. That is too much for an old guy of 51 like me.

I have a son a couple of years younger than you, but I agree, to quote Bette Davis " old age ain't for sissies "

BrianShaw · May 12, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I long since stop carrying my AE motor drive FN. It's just sitting in my closet. The F1 with a motor drive is a beast. In the US, I think the cut off age for military recruits is 30. I met a former soldier that was in Iraq and they carry a "Full pack" that is 80 pounds or about 36 kilograms. That is too much for an old guy of 51 like me.

I could be mistaken but I think that is the "Figting Load", which is the lightest load a soldier may carry. The March Loads are closer to 100 or 130, depending. fighting Load is about 33% body weight (on average, I suppose) but March Loads are about 50-60% but can get as high as 80% body weight. (10 year old data, BTW) No matter, I'm with you old guys -- too old and/or out-of-shape for that anymore... but I still keep the motors on the bodies.

Mainecoonmaniac · May 12, 2014

Soldiering is one of the toughest and dirtiest jobs and a young man's game.

One reason that older guys like me don't carry motor drives is I tend to shoot less because I have a better sense of what I want in a shot from years of shooting. There's no need to get the extra shots for a "Just in case" insecurities. But motor drives are great if you're a pro and you have to get the shot and the film is on the client's dime.

BrianShaw · May 12, 2014

Yup. Yet I still hang onto my motors. The photographic situation I hate more htan all others is when I try shooting something that isn't standing still, and find that I forgot to advance the film. Nine times out of 10 advancing hte film at that point negates the chance of getting the shot. Very incovnenient.

benjiboy · May 12, 2014

BrianShaw said:
I could be mistaken but I think that is the "Figting Load", which is the lightest load a soldier may carry. The March Loads are closer to 100 or 130, depending. fighting Load is about 33% body weight (on average, I suppose) but March Loads are about 50-60% but can get as high as 80% body weight. (10 year old data, BTW) No matter, I'm with you old guys -- too old and/or out-of-shape for that anymore... but I still keep the motors on the bodies.

In the Royal Marines Commando training course we had to do endurance marches carrying a 56lb pack and a rifle of 30 miles over
Dartmoor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:View_to_Sharpitor_from_Meavy.JPG in eight hours, around 60 lb is considered in the British military the maximum that a fit man can carry for a days march and still be in physical condition for combat, but that was fifty years ago, I'm happy these days if I can carry my 12lb Domke F2 and my Canon FD gear in it.

xtolsniffer · May 12, 2014

I can sometimes bribe my children with sweets to carry the tripod

Mainecoonmaniac · May 12, 2014

Very good

xtolsniffer said:
I can sometimes bribe my children with sweets to carry the tripod

But aren't you breaking any UK child labor laws?

benjiboy · May 12, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
But aren't you breaking any UK child labor laws?

When I bought my last tripod I took my wife with me to see if she could carry it.

Alan Gales · May 12, 2014

benjiboy said:
When I bought my last tripod I took my wife with me to see if she could carry it.

That's hilarious!

John_Nikon_F · May 13, 2014

I do. Got the olive green bag. I've had it loaded with a bunch of lenses, four bodies, etc. Been using one for about 9 years. Started out with a black one, then found a real clean olive green one at a local camera shop in the used department. Traded the black one for the olive green, since I'd been looking for the olive green color for years.

It also works nicely as a camera support for long lenses...

-J

benjiboy · May 13, 2014

If I put four S.L.R. body's in my F2 and bunch of lenses I don't think I could pick it up.

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John_Nikon_F · May 14, 2014

It's heavy, but if you hang the bag in a cross-body manner, it's not too bad. Had an F2AS, F3P, F5, and D200 all in the bag during the day I took the photo of the F2AS sitting atop it. F5 without a lens mounted, the F3P that BradleyK mentioned (yes, the body he has is my old one) with a 35/2 Nikkor-O, F2AS with a 55/2.8 Micro, a 28-105 AF-D for the F5, a 300/4.5, and, at times, the D200 with its 18-70 attached.

-J

benjiboy · May 14, 2014

John_Nikon_F said:
It's heavy, but if you hang the bag in a cross-body manner, it's not too bad. Had an F2AS, F3P, F5, and D200 all in the bag during the day I took the photo of the F2AS sitting atop it. F5 without a lens mounted, the F3P that BradleyK mentioned (yes, the body he has is my old one) with a 35/2 Nikkor-O, F2AS with a 55/2.8 Micro, a 28-105 AF-D for the F5, a 300/4.5, and, at times, the D200 with its 18-70 attached.

-J

I think you're considerably younger than I John, and I can't think of any situation when I would need to carry four bodies, two Canon F1-N bodies and four lenses are about my limit and it weighs 12 lb.

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bdial · May 14, 2014

Domke's USPS pad works very well,it should be a standard feature. They also have a set of straps that converts it to a back pack.

Mainecoonmaniac · May 14, 2014

I know what you mean

benjiboy said:
If I put four S.L.R. body's in my F2 and bunch of lenses I don't think I could pick it up.

My back hurts reading this.

benjiboy · May 14, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
My back hurts reading this.

I sold my Billingham 550 bag
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbD89KPd1mA/USEw1QM3eMI/AAAAAAAAAwM/sFz0L0w8Oaw/s1600/KSG+B550+5.jpg because although it was a great quality bag but when filled with equipment I could no longer lift it never mind carry it for a days shooting, I replaced it with an olive green Domke F2 which is less than half the weight empty of the Billingham and will hold almost as much, I'm 75 and although I work out at the health club twice a week the maximum I can carry for a day out is around 12lb.

Mainecoonmaniac · May 14, 2014

That's great Ben to year that you're 75 and still workout. I'm 51 and workout also. I don't load up my big bags up anymore. During the 70s and 80s, most gear is made of metal and glass. The new gear, consumer level DSLRs are made of plastic which reduces the weight. I hate to admit it, but when traveling, less is more and the lighter the better. Carrying a lot of gear when you travel takes away energy from photographing. Some of my best travel shots are done with point and shoot cameras. I still love shooting with my Canon F1n and my FD lenses.

benjiboy · May 14, 2014

Mainecoonmaniac said:
That's great Ben to year that you're 75 and still workout. I'm 51 and workout also. I don't load up my big bags up anymore. During the 70s and 80s, most gear is made of metal and glass. The new gear, consumer level DSLRs are made of plastic which reduces the weight. I hate to admit it, but when traveling, less is more and the lighter the better. Carrying a lot of gear when you travel takes away energy from photographing. Some of my best travel shots are done with point and shoot cameras. I still love shooting with my Canon F1n and my FD lenses.

I learned in the forces about fifty years ago how important it is not just to lug the equipment but to be in a fit physical condition to use it effectively when you get there. I too love F1's and I've used them for about thirty years, and have greatly enjoyed doing so.

John_Nikon_F · May 15, 2014

benjiboy said:
I think you're considerably younger than I John, and I can't think of any situation when I would need to carry four bodies, two Canon F1-N bodies and four lenses are about my limit and it weighs 12 lb.

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Ben,

I'm almost 40. So, probably a bit younger. But, have arthritis, so I usually feel like I'm 65-70. Things get worse when it's cool and wet outside. Which is what it usually is in the Seattle area. Even when it's sunny in the summer, it can be a bit humid. Really should move to the Southwestern USA, methinks. Dry and hot, which is much better for me.

Usually, I'm fine with just one body and one lens. Took a roadtrip around New Year's Day 2008 to Salem, Oregon. Loaded up the Domke with a BUNCH of gear. Only item I used was an FM2n with a 50/1.4 Nikkor-S on the front. No MD-12 either. When I mentioned that I really could get by with one camera and one lens on the Nikonians forum, one of the gear measurators over there was a little irritated that I didn't act like him and carry everything under the sun wherever I went. Guy was a bit of a nutter who finally got permabanned a couple years later.

-J

benjiboy · May 15, 2014

John_Nikon_F said:
Ben,

I'm almost 40. So, probably a bit younger. But, have arthritis, so I usually feel like I'm 65-70. Things get worse when it's cool and wet outside. Which is what it usually is in the Seattle area. Even when it's sunny in the summer, it can be a bit humid. Really should move to the Southwestern USA, methinks. Dry and hot, which is much better for me.

Usually, I'm fine with just one body and one lens. Took a roadtrip around New Year's Day 2008 to Salem, Oregon. Loaded up the Domke with a BUNCH of gear. Only item I used was an FM2n with a 50/1.4 Nikkor-S on the front. No MD-12 either. When I mentioned that I really could get by with one camera and one lens on the Nikonians forum, one of the gear measurators over there was a little irritated that I didn't act like him and carry everything under the sun wherever I went. Guy was a bit of a nutter who finally got permabanned a couple years later.

-J

Yes John some people think that because they've paid for the equipment they have to carry it all, when in fact most of the stuff we carry we don't actually use.

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John Koehrer · May 15, 2014

Two bodies, five lenses. No problem in the F2. Camera in each end with a lens mounted, three lenses between them. Might want something like a lens wrap just to keep them from rubbing together.
You may have to stack a lens or two but it'll fit. Ain't gonna be light as a number of folk have pointed out.

David A. Goldfarb · May 15, 2014

Very practical bag, easy to carry and easy to work out of. I've used it in different ways over the years, and currently it houses my Super-8 setup. I swapped the original 2x2 cell dividers that mine came with for a 3x1 insert, so the bag is divided the long way, with the Beaulieu on one side and lenses on the other side in the padded dividers.

Vilk · May 15, 2014

David A. Goldfarb said:
Very practical bag, easy to carry and easy to work out of. I've used it in different ways over the years, and currently it houses my Super-8 setup. I swapped the original 2x2 cell dividers that mine came with for a 3x1 insert, so the bag is divided the long way, with the Beaulieu on one side and lenses on the other side in the padded dividers.

ah, so my bottle-of-wine configuration has other uses...

Mainecoonmaniac · May 15, 2014

A very well design bag. It goes under an airline seat perfectly. The dividers you can reconfigure by pulling it out and collapsing it. It was a main bags used by PJ. Don't know what they use now.

Does anyone use a Domke F2?

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