How do you carry it?

[Reinhold]

I got bit by an 8x20 ULF bug 15 years ago and went berserk adding lenses, film holders, tripods, umbrellas, and every sort of accessory. I even made an aluminum 90 degree tripod adapter that will let me mount my 8x20 Canham vertically !!!. And I'm selling my 8x20 enlarger lamp house because I can't handle marketing monster Fine Art photos at art fairs any more. (See my latest classified ad)

I have been blessed with a wife that cheers me on and helps lug all this stuff around. But now, 15 years later, our bones are complaining and the fun and adventure is getting dulled by our physical limitations.

How do you carry your stuff? How far do you go from your car? Any hints on easily transported "trollies"? Any photos/hints of your solutions?

When we were young sprats we would backpack in the Western mountains for a week at a time with 40+ pound backpacks. But those days are over, so any suggestions about backpacking an 8x20 will fall on deaf ears...

It's just too much fun being a couple of old fossils with this monster camera, rubbing elbows out on the streets with people who have forgotten the rich legacy of film photography.

Thanks for your suggestions.

Reinhold (and Judy)

See the two of us here...
www.classicBWphoto.com

 

[Curt]

It depends, not the diapers, but on your age and results of your Deca Scan.

The very best,
Curt

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Many photographers are using the jogging strollers. I know there have been several posts on this subject. I'm going to have to look into this myself. At 60 I'm still packing my 8x20, 11x14 and 8x10 cameras. My problem is that I have to get one of those strollers or something because I'm not going to put the 14x17 I'm building on my back!

It is nice to see that you are still out there shooting film. An 8x20 enlarger? Wow!!

Jim

 

[Brickbird]

Reinhold....I have posted this before, but you might have not seen it. It is a large Samsonite suitcase with the small wheels removed and some large tube type tires attached to an installed axle. It is holding a Lotus 12x20 and I can also put 4 holders in the top zippered opening. Bag of lenses and a tripod and it is good to go all day....................TW

 

[Gary892]

Reinhold, Like Jim, I am in my 60's.
I have owned my 12x20 Korona for about 18 years now.
For the past 3 years I have used a jogging stroller to push the camera around.
Some pros to the jogging stroller are, it's easy to fold up, and on mine, the wheels slide off for easy packing and it is light weight.
The con is one needs to be careful about the center of gravity of the stroller, it will fall over backwards if I don't have the load centered. Also, in some rare cases I have been told I cannot take the stroller off road in a national park. An example of this is at Mono Lake, a ranger told me I could use the stroller on the wooden pathway leading down to the shoreline but I was not allowed to use the stroller off the pathway, so I carried the camera to the location I wanted. I won't do that again.

if you can, try to borrow or rent different trollies and try them out to see what works best for you.

 

[jp80874]

Reinhold,

Here is a thread on the subject on the LF Forum. I'm in there post #12 with a babyjogger and my 7x17. http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=10281&highlight=Jogger

A lot depends on the terrain you want to cover. Over a few years I've done a series of 150 contact prints of the OH & Erie Canal. This means a towpath and easy walking. I can push the rig out two miles from the car and then back.

Look through the whole thread. There are lots of different approaches. One or a combination of a few may fit you needs. Glad to see you are still trying. When you stop trying it all falls apart.

Here is a Jack London piece on attitude.
“I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.”

John Powers

 

[Rick A]

I was given a folding wheelchair by a friend. I've modified it to carry a pair of Calumet 4x5's(mine and my daughters) and all other gear plus three tripods(two Tiltalls for 4x5's and a Slik for MF camera). It folds easily into the rear of my grand cherokee, since I am disabled I have privelege of using an HC space to unload everywhere we go. The large diameter wheels make it easy to push on trails or around town.

 

[RPippin]

Ford F-150XL with extended cab, V-6 for gas milage. I carrie a dolly in the truck and someone under 30. I think they are called "internse" or something like that. I think it means "will-work-for-free-to-learn-from-old-fossels", and not to be confused with sons, daughters or sons-in-laws or daughter-in-laws. This year I'm thinking of getting a Lama or two.

 

[John Jarosz]

I've got some photos posted in that same thread on the LFPF that John Powers described. I also use a Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. The essential information is you need big wheels. The larger the wheel the easier it is to push pull or whatever. My first effort at a cart was to modify an old golf cart. That worked but not as well as my current solution. Keep on truckin.......

 

[John Kasaian]

Pack mule. Or donkey (if you want to leave a smaller carbon footprint)

 

[BetterSense]

I have one of those soft-sided coolers, with a telescoping handle and medium-diameter wheels. This fits my 4x5 camera stuff and I put used film holders in the front pocket.

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

All I can do right now is post the link for this bag.I got this for my 14x17 and I have a cart that I have to extend the axle and get bigger tires. I do like to get off trail so this will go on my back at some point.

http://www.kondosoutdoors.com/mm5/m...de=KO&Product_Code=CPOESALE&Category_Code=CPG

 

[Dan Dozer]

Just yesterday, I admitted to myself that I'm not as young as I used to be and decided to get one of the baby joggers. Did my research and found that most are priced much higher than I wanted to spend. So, I found the cheapest one possible at Target for only $99 (called the Expedition by Baby Trend) and it really looks like it will hold up fine. There also looks to be more space in it than I expected and should easily hold all my gear. I know that the more expensive ones are better built, but for what I'm going to use it for, it looks OK so far. I'm heading out to Joshua Tree this weekend and will give a report on it when I get back.

Jim - if it holds up well, it might be something for you to look into for the 14 x 17.

 

[Jim Fitzgerald]

Dan, after this past weekend in Yosemite I hope I can put skis on the thing! Let me know how it works out. I'll carry the 14x17 if I have to but if I can shoot from the truck or roll it along that will do just fine.

 

[Jeff Kubach]

I would use a forklift!

Jeff

 

[M.A.Longmore]

.
I found this stroller at a yard sale last summer for $25.00 !
.

 

[wootsk]

Still small with my 4*5. Sinar F1 left hand hold by the rail, right hand is my tripod, film holder and other stuff in my backpack. I am still young

 

[vpwphoto]

Love that suitcase idea. Brickbird.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orangutan.jpg
I want a trained Orangutan!!!!

 

[Brickbird]

Love that suitcase idea. Brickbird.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Orangutan.jpg
I want a trained Orangutan!!!!

Someone else recently posted their similar rig made from the Calumet large case. He added an axle after riveting some square tubing to the bottom and then added wheels like I did. His case is much more protective and sturdy but mine does do the job well and the suitcase was old, beat up, and free. If I can find his post I'll reference it as he had about 4 photos of the case and how he made it. Maybe he'll chime in here soon and re-post..................................

tw