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

[manfrominternet]

Hello film photography friends,

Before I begin, yes, I’m the guy who started the “Pentax 67II vs. Bronica GS-1 - I can't keep both. Which one should I sell?” thread a few months back.

I decided to keep the Bronica GS-1 after realizing how great it actually is. In addition to the GS-1 camera body, I also have a 6x7 film back, the GS-1 AE finder, the GS Speedlight/flash, and all the Bronica GS rubber lens hoods for all the GS-1 lenses, which include the 50mm, 65mm, 100mm, 110mm Macro, and the 150mm lenses. After a good and delicate cleaning of each lens, I found each lens to be incredibly sharp and with very good contrast, practically the same look as any good Zeiss Planar lens.

In short, I think this camera set is a keeper, especially with its leaf-shutter lenses. Granted, the light meter isn’t nearly as good as the Pentax 67II, but it’s still pretty accurate. (I strongly suspect that Bronica tweaked the light meter for slide film as my negatives are usually slightly underexposed when using the GS-1 AE Finder's readings.)

Anyway, since I actually want to use this camera, I’m looking for a light camera bag for it, perhaps a duffle-like bag with lots of dividers. I’ve included photos of my GS-1 set below with a tape measurer and a ruler to give you a rough idea of how big the camera bag needs to be. I’m not sure if this helps, but the rough dimensions of the camera bag (presumably a duffle bag) should be about 21” (53.3cm) in length, 9” (23cm) in width, and about 8” (20.3cm) in height, or roughly thereabout.

Any suggestions or help with this would, of course, be very greatly appreciated! Many thank to you all!!!

 

[DWThomas]

Hmmm -- I own its 6x6 middle brother (SQ-A), have had it over a dozen years. Early on I bought a Lowepro backpack (a "CompuTrekker" as I recall). But my accumulation of "stuff" is more than will fit -- and it's seriously heavy when anywhere near full. So over time, the backpack has pretty much reduced to storage at home, or on rare occasion, used to store the stuff in the car on major road trips -- but never to carry the gear in use! I have an ever-growing assortment of shoulder bags, some bought for other outfits, that can carry the body and a small selection of lenses, meter and assorted trinkets for a specific "project."

The SQ-A body, with back and the minimalist WLF, coupled to the 110mm 1:1 macro is nearly 4 1/2 pounds, adding gear it doesn't take long to feel like a pack mule!

Outfits like Think Tank make some roll-around gear that might be cool for a full collection. They certainly don't give away their stuff, but it does seem to be well made and generally well thought out. But I would have to use bags that size for storage, not field work -- might even need help loading them into a car trunk!

Every time discussions of bags comes up I get a flash of a picture once posted of a guy 'somewhere' who had a large, two-story sized barn with the interior festooned floor to rafters with about a thousand camera bags. It seems with the variables in gear, project, location, etc. none of them are universally "The One!"

OK, there's a few random thoughts!

 

[Oldwino]

If you really want to carry all of that at once, maybe one of the bigger Domke bags.
I can carry a “day kit” of my GS1 with grip, 65mm, 100mm and 200mm in a Domke F-803, along with a spare insert, and some film. More than that, I wouldn’t want to carry.

 

[tom williams]

I tried a large Tenba bag, but it was just too bulky to have at my hip. And too much weight hanging off my shoulder. I settled on an Igloo 30-can insulated backpack - hard to imagine a better fit for me. The main cavity holds the GS-1 body with grip and AE finder; 65,100,and 150mm lenses; a 2X tele-extender; and a set of collapsible lens hoods.

The side loading compartment on the front of the pack holds two 120 film backs, a Minolta M spot meter, two filter stacks, and a kneepad, with room left over. The smaller top-loading front compartment holds my notepad, pen and batteries.

The pack lid has a zippered compartment that I use to hold 3-4 rolls of film, a lens cleaning kit, and the electronic release mechanism.

There are two exterior side pockets for water, and a rear, side-loading, flat compartment for flat stuff - I use it for plastic garbage bags to lay lenses etc on when I unload the pack for a shot, and for my home-made scene framer.

Though I rarely do, I can also fit a compact tripod on the side, using a built-in strap and one of the water pockets.

That's a 19-20 lb load (including the pack but excluding water), frankly more than I like carrying on bouldery terrain (a la trails around the Prescott lakes), but such trails would be unmanageable with a shoulder/duffel bag.

Good luck man - I just love my GS-1.

 

[mshchem]

Older used Tamrac and Lowepro bags come up now and then. Tamrac bags came with nice padded straps.

 

[halfaman]

I use a Lowepro Mini Trekker AW. On the main compartment I put the camera with the 100 mm, AE prism, film back and grip. The 50 and 200 mm lenses fit without problems and there is room for at least one more lens that I use to carry filters and a second film back. The secondary and external compartment is very generous and includes two small pockets. You can put there film, a small flash, water, documentation, keys, glasses...

 

[Pieter12]

The bigger question is do you really need to carry the entire set all the time?

 

[abruzzi]

My GS-1 setup is a bit different than the OP. But I use a Domke 803 satchel. The one that looks more like a messenger bag. My camer is a bit smaller because 99% of the time, I’m using the WLF. But the 803 has a single square divider. I put the divider a little to the right of center. When I do this the camera goes in lens down in the largest of the three sections. The other two sections hole 2 MF lenses each. Walking around with 5 lenses is way overkill. Instead I use 3 lenses, and the last section of the main compartment, I put an extra film back or two. The front pockets take the other misc stuff including a light meter and additional rolls.

 

[Pieter12]

Not the Bronica, but probably similar in size, I fit my Rollei 6008 with a prism and three lenses, a spare back, film, batteries and film inserts, plus a tripod strapped to the outside in a ThinkTank Mindshift Backlight 26L. About 20 lbs loaded. They also make a 36L, a bit bigger overall. Sturdy and well-made. I think they are on sale now.

 

[jvo]

Just remember, any bag you get is two-for-one. you no longer have to pay for a gym membership since you'll be getting both your photographic passion fulfilled AND all the exercise you need without the time and expense of going to the gym - a win-win!

 

[reddesert]

I don't think I'd want to carry all of that on any single outing. Like, how often would you want to walk around with both the 100mm and 110-macro lenses? To store all of it together, I might get a rolling suitcase-style bag with padded dividers, and then choose from that a subset to put in a backpack or shoulder bag. It's not really possible to recommend a bag without knowing whether you like shoulder or backpack, and how far/long you plan to carry it. Once you put a large MF system in a bag, the weight of the bag itself isn't particularly significant, but its ability to support the weight is.

In my opinion, the very rectangular/cubical photo backpacks can be sort of blocky and awkward as backpacks. A hiking backpack has a suspension that puts the weight on your hips through the waistbelt, not on your shoulders. Lowepro and other companies have made some packs that have a more hiking-like suspension, with a padded insert, and carry better.

 

[guangong]

How about a shelf in a cabinet or safe, and just carry what you actually need? During my early days I unnecessary carried a bunch of lenses that I never used. Nowadays, for my Hassy, I usually only carry one lens fixed to camera, and a small bag with 1 or 2 backs, filters, an occasionally another lens. Sometimes, living adjacent to a large state park, I take my Hassy with one of my Olympic Sonnars or Leitz 400mm lenses on camera along with tripod into the woods. However, I am a lousy nature photographer because when encountering something interesting, I forget about the camera.

 

[BillBaileyImages]

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.
The 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!

 

[Beevo]

As far as bags, I have a Pelican PCS155 that I keep my Bronica ETRS system in, a similar pile of Lenses, Body and Film Backs.

With that quantity of items is is no longer a shoulder bag unless you are really burly...

(Above is a stock photo from the internet) Somehow I have wound up with an extra, which is up for grabs.

 

[MTGseattle]

I'm going to echo bits and pieces that have been said above.

1st, do you really want to carry the whole system all of the time?

2nd; shoulder bag or backpack?

if 1 is a yes, and 2 is shoulder I think you're kicked into Domke or a "vintage" bag from some of the others. When I was in college and went to Scotland for 2+ weeks, I had a big Lowepro (Magnum AW maybe?) That held my Mamiya 6 with lens, film, flash, filters and an old Argus 35mm body I drug along just to use Kodal HIE in 35mm. That Argus by itself weighed more than the bag plus the Mamiya. I was 25 at the time, so I could manage just fine, but I wouldn't do the same today.

if 2 is backpack, there are almost too many options today. See if you can experiment at any local shops. The newer stuff has come a long way with regard to comfort and fit. Many of them are fairly expensive though so look for last season's stuff.

The Pelican that @Beevo posted looks interesting. I don't think I would want to shoulder that load around town, but it does look like one could access a ready to shoot rig from the top zipper as worn on the shoulder without setting the whole thing down?

 

[Beevo]

No I don't want to carry the whole thing, the Pelican is more for storage of the system. I would put the whole thing in the trunk and fish out and repack in another bag what I think I need. If I were inclined to carry the whole thing I would use my shopping basket that I use for the large format gear when I go out. Which can accommodate the tripod and other items.

Large Format Cart

As far as the Pelican, the way I have it set up, the body w/ lens can be accessed from the top. Everything else requires opening the side flap.

 

[Kodachromeguy]

Here is another example of a LowePro Mini-Trekker, but holding my Hasselblad kit. I bought this Trekker after reading some old recommendations here on Photrio. It took some experimenting to configure the dividers.

1. The Mini Trekker sits up in a car seat and has decent access.
2. It is adequate to carry a short distance containing this stuff, but I am not as strong as in the past.
3. This equipment in a Nova 5 bag had convenient access but was clumsy to carry with one shoulder strap.
4. Based on the pictures above of the GS-1 outfit, the Domke F-1x bag might work, but again you have the issue of a lot of weight on one shoulder.

 

[MTGseattle]

No I don't want to carry the whole thing, the Pelican is more for storage of the system. I would put the whole thing in the trunk and fish out and repack in another bag what I think I need. If I were inclined to carry the whole thing I would use my shopping basket that I use for the large format gear when I go out. Which can accommodate the tripod and other items.

Large Format Cart

As far as the Pelican, the way I have it set up, the body w/ lens can be accessed from the top. Everything else requires opening the side flap.

I was asking the OP whether they wanted to carry the whole kit or not. That large format cart is a tempting idea. I've seen a few other permutations of that theme.

 

[Sirius Glass]

I prefer top loading camera back packs. I do not like camera back packs which have sides that open up since if left open a lens could fall out.

 

[neilt3]

I was asking the OP whether they wanted to carry the whole kit or not. That large format cart is a tempting idea. I've seen a few other permutations of that theme.

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 .

 

[Pieter12]

I prefer top loading camera back packs. I do not like camera back packs which have sides that open up since if left open a lens could fall out.

Or a whole body & lens.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Or a whole body & lens.

Yes, that too. Another good reason to have a top loading pack.

 

[BillBaileyImages]

With my filled LowePro Super Trekker parked in the seat behind me (a small pickup with 4 doors), it becomes a top-opening bag. That is also its orientation when wheeled around in the jogging stroller. Lots of well-considered options.

 

[Beevo]

I was asking the OP whether they wanted to carry the whole kit or not. That large format cart is a tempting idea. I've seen a few other permutations of that theme.

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.

 

[Beevo]

Or a whole body & lens.

I prefer top loading camera back packs. I do not like camera back packs which have sides that open up since if left open a lens could fall out.

I agree, I have seen a few with the side access and do not like them for a similar reason.