Toyo VX125 Vs Toyo 45A/AII

[DREW WILEY]

I might be able to get a cellphone shot of it directly to you. But perhaps a simple description will suffice. I use true external frame real backpacking packs, preferring vintage US made ones. These sometimes turn up almost unused at garage sales, on the web etc. One of mine is a 70's Calif. Kelty Tioga (large -they came in sizes). This has a large top compartment loaded from the top under the flap, a separate bottom compartment, and large side pockets suitable for lenses and accessories. I've done up to two-week backpacking trips in the high country or desert canyons which included a full Sinar system plus all my backpacking equipment, food, and supplies - up to 90 lbs at a time. So they can hold a lot, but are much more comfortable to carry than a bookbaggish internal frame "camera pack" with a lot of redundant cushioning rubber foam weight. Of course, for typical day use, you're not going to be lugging anywhere near 90 lbs, may not only a third of that. Empty, these packs weigh less than dedicated camera backpacks.

The camera stays fully set up, with the bellows simply compressed. I typically want 18 inches of rail available for sake of longer lenses; but that can be quickly modified simply by adding or subtracting rail sections. At that length, the two ends simply project a little out from under the top flap. The balance of the camera, including compendium shade simply drops down below, cushioned with my goosedown jacket.
That also pads and insulated the filmholder box, etc. Of course, everything has its own poly trashcan liner
bag, protecting things from weather or dust. Simple bubble packing suffices for lenses etc. The collapsed tripod also tucks under the top flap. Even a favorite lens can be left on the camera if you wish. Very quick set up time, much faster than a folder.

If dividers are needed, I simply use cut pieces of Gator foam board. Or I have interchangeable poly kitchen
wastebaskets with a different camera system in each, which can be interchanged as needed in the pack upper compartment, already ready to go. That even works well for my classic Sinar Norma system, fully set up. That's probably heavier and bulkier than your recent VX purchase; so you should have no problem with that.

I've backpacked well over 15,000 miles with my Sinar monorails, much of it in very steep terrain, in all kinds of weather. As I got older I switched to a lightweight Ebony folder for the longer trips, or for airline carry, but still frequently dayhike with my Sinar monorail (I'm nearly 77, so have stiffer joints than I used to). So don't let anyone say it's too clumsy to carry a monorail, or that you need to take them apart, or fold them down,
to pack them. All it takes is a little thinking outside the box.

Have fun, and don't hesitate to ask if you need further assistance.

 

[Petrochemist]

Looks like a nice beast.
I have a couple of old toyo monorails (D45m & Deluxe) & recognise tha recessed adapter as one of the bits I've collected for them. This enables smaller lenses to be kept on the field lens boards & potential reduces overall storage space

One of my bodies has a single piece rail (about 18" long IIRC) and the other has a short rail with an extension piece. However I found out later Toyo monorails use a different size rail - beware of this if you try to get an extension for your rail.

Here's the deluxe with the graflok back from the other camera
delta 77 - deluxe & GG by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

I find the interchangeability of my cameras useful, I actually have two because that proved much cheaper than buying the bag bellows or other extras separately

Personally I've also found some advantages of the large lens boards as some of th wierder lenses I've mounted wouldn't fit on anything smaller, Even with the 158mm boards this one needed a little trimmed from the flange to fit
A challenging lens by Mike Kanssen, on Flickr

My LF kit is FAR from light weight, so it never goes out far from the car. Though hopefully a trolly will increase my range a little.

 

[beemermark]

After a number of view cameras I settled on the 45AII decades ago. Does everything you want it to, unlimited accessories, and you can’t beat the rotating back. Far sturdier outdoors in a breeze than the light weight wooden cameras. Atlas I’ve gotten too old to old to hike far with the tripod, camera, film holders, etc so hasn’t been used in a few years. Something else I should sell.

 

[isaac7]

I might be able to get a cellphone shot of it directly to you. But perhaps a simple description will suffice. I use true external frame real backpacking packs, preferring vintage US made ones. These sometimes turn up almost unused at garage sales, on the web etc. One of mine is a 70's Calif. Kelty Tioga (large -they came in sizes). This has a large top compartment loaded from the top under the flap, a separate bottom compartment, and large side pockets suitable for lenses and accessories. I've done up to two-week backpacking trips in the high country or desert canyons which included a full Sinar system plus all my backpacking equipment, food, and supplies - up to 90 lbs at a time. So they can hold a lot, but are much more comfortable to carry than a bookbaggish internal frame "camera pack" with a lot of redundant cushioning rubber foam weight. Of course, for typical day use, you're not going to be lugging anywhere near 90 lbs, may not only a third of that. Empty, these packs weigh less than dedicated camera backpacks.

The camera stays fully set up, with the bellows simply compressed. I typically want 18 inches of rail available for sake of longer lenses; but that can be quickly modified simply by adding or subtracting rail sections. At that length, the two ends simply project a little out from under the top flap. The balance of the camera, including compendium shade simply drops down below, cushioned with my goosedown jacket.
That also pads and insulated the filmholder box, etc. Of course, everything has its own poly trashcan liner
bag, protecting things from weather or dust. Simple bubble packing suffices for lenses etc. The collapsed tripod also tucks under the top flap. Even a favorite lens can be left on the camera if you wish. Very quick set up time, much faster than a folder.

If dividers are needed, I simply use cut pieces of Gator foam board. Or I have interchangeable poly kitchen
wastebaskets with a different camera system in each, which can be interchanged as needed in the pack upper compartment, already ready to go. That even works well for my classic Sinar Norma system, fully set up. That's probably heavier and bulkier than your recent VX purchase; so you should have no problem with that.

I've backpacked well over 15,000 miles with my Sinar monorails, much of it in very steep terrain, in all kinds of weather. As I got older I switched to a lightweight Ebony folder for the longer trips, or for airline carry, but still frequently dayhike with my Sinar monorail (I'm nearly 77, so have stiffer joints than I used to). So don't let anyone say it's too clumsy to carry a monorail, or that you need to take them apart, or fold them down,
to pack them. All it takes is a little thinking outside the box.

Have fun, and don't hesitate to ask if you need further assistance.

Sorry, maybe I’m a bit dense… The compressed standards go into the pack and the rail sticks out left and right at the top of the bag? I think that’s right but I’m not sure.

I used a photo backpack with my Horseman LE. Once you took off the bellows you could rotate the standards in line with the rail so the whole thing was very flat. Made it very easy to set it mostly assembled right in the main compartment. The bellows would go right in the same one and there were other pockets for the lenses, holders, dark cloth, etc.


Sadly, my hiking days are long behind me. I have limited mobility. I do have grand plans to get back into LF photography though with the help of some motorized transport. I won’t be able to go overland and through the woods like before but there are plenty of things and people to shoot within range of mobility aids.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Right. But in your case, the ends of the rail won't stick out at all, unless you buy an extension section. There's no need to detach the bellows and swivel that standard. That was the "suitcase" option for compacting Sinar and Horseman, etc, field monorials. In this case, you have everything nearly ready to go,
and just need to attach it to the tripod, extend the bellows as needed, and focus and apply any VC tilt or rise etc as needed. Much faster operation.

Even though I can't hike as far with heavy pack as I used to, and certainly not in a mountaineering sense
anymore, even working from a car, I still use the same kind of backpack system. If I'm traveling alone, I simply rest the pack against the truck front passenger seat. It's easy to lift that out and rest it against the side of the truck parked, or even as is, still inside the cab. That should work well with a motorized cart too,
for those who prefer that option. Way lighter and easier than a big trunk or case. With your setup, maybe
only 30 lbs. Surplus filmholders can be kept in picnic coolers.

In my case, with an especially long rail section, the whole camera essentially forms a T profile, with the intact camera itself simply dropped into the top upside-down. In your case, shortened, it might fit in in different positions optionally.