I Need Help Finding A Camera Bag For My Bronica GS-1 Set

Beevo · Sep 20, 2024

neilt3 said:
When I've wanted to carry more gear than I want to carry on my back or shoulders, I use one of these .
I've also toured around with the bike and trailer with camping gear as well.
Solar chargers for phone and camera batteries where necessary.
Topping up the bike battery in pubs , cafés or campsites overnight.
Although I usually tour in a 1985 VW campervan, so have more gear with me then!

The handle on the four wheel cart can be separated and can be connected to a small towing vehicle, a ride on mower or mobility scooter etc .
I've also had that fastened to a bracket on the panier rack .

I bought a nice fold up wagon with big off road type wheels. While it did the job is was quite large and somewhat heavier than I desired. it is now happily trundling my friend's kids and accoutrements...

Now that I put the big heavy Graflex camera on the shelf and have the much lighter Nagaoka 4X5 that fits comfortably in a medium padded backpack (including 4 lenses and a meter) I can carry it easily without any cart if desired. If going sans cart, I con my assistant (wife) into carrying the tripod. The 'pod is an olde Bogen 3021 set of legs with a nice Manfrotto X Pro ball head. The combination is reasonably light and sturdy enough to support the light 4X5. My big Bogen 3068 legs with an equally heavy Bogen 3055 ball head sits in the corner waiting for a big camera...

Pieter12 · Sep 20, 2024

BillBaileyImages said:
On occasions when I need/want to carry the entire kit, my older LowePro SuperTrekker AW can contain everything; but it weighs so much, I can't carry it! So I strap it onto a jogging stroller and roll happily off into the woods with lunch, water, camping chair, an umbrella, and all lenses/magazines/filters/etc that might possibly be necessary.
View attachment 378852The Thule Urban Glide 2 jogging stroller is wonderful. It folds down almost flat for transport to the trail head. Works for me, and I don't have to "carry" anything!

Kinda pricey. Maybe a folding utility wagon instead?

manfrominternet · Sep 20, 2024

I just wanted to quickly respond, since you all are giving excellent advice and are asking good questions.

I’d probably nix the Bronica PG 110mm Macro and carry just the PG 50mm, PG 65mm, PG 100mm, and PG 150 along with my GS-1.

I have 2 of the exact same bags that I use for both my Linhof Master Technika Classic w/7 LF Rodenstock/Schneider/Nikkor lenses and my Pentax 67II w/45mm, 55-100mm zoom, 105mm, 90-180mm zoom, & 200mm.

It’s the Neewer 2-in-1 Rolling Camera Backpack and it works wonderfully for both my Linhof Master Technika Classic and Pentax 67II sets. (See attached pics.)

I was hoping to have a lighter 6x7 medium format setup with my GS-1 kit and get a Lowepro/Tenba/etc. duffle bag… but to keep the weight off my back, I might bite the bullet and buy a 3rd one just for my Bronica GS-1 set.

The wheels on this bag make a huge difference indeed…

Pieter12 · Sep 20, 2024

A question for those that use roller bags. Any concern about equipment being subject to vibration when going over uneven surfaces, like bumpy sidewalks or cobblestones? I assume you don't take them on trails, but maybe that is possible and OK too?

BillBaileyImages · Sep 20, 2024

The Thule jogging stroller (please see earlier post with image) is designed for baby comfort, so it has shock absorbers, huge tires (pneumatic, 30+ PSI), a pivotable/lockable front wheel, a solid chassis, and only 3 wheels for stability (like a tripod, eh? ). Yes, it was far more than I was planning to spend, but being almost 80, it seems the best way not to injure my aging frame . Really works well for me, and lunch comes along for the ride.

Pieter12 · Sep 21, 2024

BillBaileyImages said:
The Thule jogging stroller (please see earlier post with image) is designed for baby comfort, so it has shock absorbers, huge tires (pneumatic, 30+ PSI), a pivotable/lockable front wheel, a solid chassis, and only 3 wheels for stability (like a tripod, eh? ). Yes, it was far more than I was planning to spend, but being almost 80, it seems the best way not to injure my aging frame . Really works well for me, and lunch comes along for the ride.

I am not quite your age, but getting there. So now you have me curious. I have found one used for half the price. Did you remove the harness that holds the child in place or do you use it to secure your gear? Does the hood come off or just fold down?

cliveh · Sep 21, 2024

Billingham are the dogs bollocks of camera bags.

BillBaileyImages · Sep 21, 2024

Pieter12, I was born in 1945, been shooting Nikon since 1954, and retired from Park University (computer science) in 2006. The Thule baby straps stay under the Super Trekker, as do the shoulder straps on the bag itself. A 3" wide belt from physical therapy secures the bag inside the child seat. Rain hood is closed over the ST while rolling to the next composition. At first I worried about the cost, but that stroller has been superb in helping me stay active, and worth the price without question.

Pieter12 · Sep 21, 2024

BillBaileyImages said:
Pieter12, I was born in 1945, been shooting Nikon since 1954, and retired from Park University (computer science) in 2006. The Thule baby straps stay under the Super Trekker, as do the shoulder straps on the bag itself. A 3" wide belt from physical therapy secures the bag inside the child seat. Rain hood is closed over the ST while rolling to the next composition. At first I worried about the cost, but that stroller has been superb in helping me stay active, and worth the price without question.View attachment 379137

Thanks. I'm going to go for it.

BillBaileyImages · Sep 21, 2024

You and I probably could carry our entire kit, along with food, water, sleeping bag, tent, and cooking gear--all without a moment's concern for the weight. Now we're wiser with age, and reality sets in: I have this great assembly of gear, but help is needed to take it all on a shoot.
Shooting all primes means taking more stuff, and we don't know what composition is over the next hill. Oh my! Wish I had brought my (fill in the blank), but it was too heavy. Guess I'll have to crop in Photoshop instead of getting it right in camera. Been there, found a reasonable solution, and compositions await!

Zenzanon Fan · Sep 22, 2024

Largest shoulder bag I ever had was the Tamrac pro 12. It is a very boxy shaped bag with plenty of dividers and may suit your GS1 kit well. Lots of space in the end and front pockets also for all the bits and pieces.

BillBaileyImages · Sep 22, 2024

The SuperTrekker is so large (but it fits perfectly in the jogging stroller) that I had to harvest additional Velcro dividers from other bags to house my Hasselblad kit. As we all know about/have experienced/are still experiencing GAS, we have several bags and backpacks as sources for those needed dividers to make the one "perfect" configuration.
Today's task is to rearrange those dividers to accommodate my new 100 CF. And the search for perfection continues.
Of course, today is also a day at Smith Lake with my good friends Ektar, Delta, and Ektachrome.

MTGseattle · Sep 22, 2024

Beevo said:
Sorry, I assumed you were asking me about carting the whole thing. My wife and i went down to Tucson this morning to explore and stopped at one of our standard destinations, San Xavier del Bac mission on the Tohono O'odham reservation south of Tucson. We were blessed (pun intended) with few people to block views and I shot a number of 4X5 sheets and a roll of 120.

I packed the Bronica and the 40/75 and 150 lenses only (along with a couple film backs) in my trusty Tenba shoulder bag. Definitely a load, but I did not have to carry it far.

The neat part of my shopping basket is the plastic panel that quickly turns into a work surface/table and stores without taking up any room. My only suggestion to someone wanting to go this route is make sure it has LARGE wheels. I wound up giving the first one used as an experiment to the elderly lady up the street.

There's a part of me that wants to pick up a used jogging stroller and see how that performs. I did a quick google, that seems like a nice photo destination.

MTGseattle · Sep 22, 2024

I posted the above reply without reading some previous posts; @BillBaileyImages that looks like a winning setup for a lot of gear.

Pieter12 · Sep 22, 2024

BillBaileyImages said:
You and I probably could carry our entire kit, along with food, water, sleeping bag, tent, and cooking gear--all without a moment's concern for the weight. Now we're wiser with age, and reality sets in: I have this great assembly of gear, but help is needed to take it all on a shoot.
Shooting all primes means taking more stuff, and we don't know what composition is over the next hill. Oh my! Wish I had brought my (fill in the blank), but it was too heavy. Guess I'll have to crop in Photoshop instead of getting it right in camera. Been there, found a reasonable solution, and compositions await!

A bit of an oxymoron, but I am thinking as an option I might put my ThinkTank Airport roller bag in the Thule, since that bag opens nicely from the top allowing easy access to everything.

BillBaileyImages · Sep 22, 2024

Great idea, and it seems all folks on this thread agree that however the pack is carried in the stroller/cart, it should open facing UP. With the Super Trekker, Victor (my 501CM) lives at the top end of the rounded section. Then the ST is secured so Victor is nearest the front wheel. The bag is essentially inverted, and I've tried both ways. Zip open the bag cover, and there's Victor--without a lens (yes, he's wearing his body cap), ready to fit the proper lens. No need to open the entire cover, unless the filters and extension tubes are needed. Still on the quest for that ideal layout! Any and all suggestions welcome. 🫡

I Need Help Finding A Camera Bag For My Bronica GS-1 Set

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