Wear a light vest or other to carry small items?

abruzzi · May 25, 2021

CMoore said:
Besides a camera, my Sekonic 308 is the only thing that i, occasionally, carry outside of my backpack.
I can get that in a pocket, around my neck or strap.

Last year, I visited Guanajuato MX with my Bronica and a bunch of rolls of 120, and I discovered a great thing—my Sekonic 308 came with a little holster and a belt loop. It also had the long neck strap that I’ve thought was a bit odd—why not a simple short lanyard? Well, what was perfect was attaching the holster to my belt then looping the long neck strap around my belt, right next to the holster. The long strap meant it didn’t get in the way during use—I could pull it out and hold it in most any position I needed. When I reholstered it, I didn’t have to worry about pickpockets because of the strap looped around my belt (well the pickpocket could have a razor but I figured that was a low probability.)

CMoore · May 25, 2021

abruzzi said:
Last year, I visited Guanajuato MX with my Bronica and a bunch of rolls of 120, and I discovered a great thing—my Sekonic 308 came with a little holster and a belt loop. It also had the long neck strap that I’ve thought was a bit odd—why not a simple short lanyard? Well, what was perfect was attaching the holster to my belt then looping the long neck strap around my belt, right next to the holster. The long strap meant it didn’t get in the way during use—I could pull it out and hold it in most any position I needed. When I reholstered it, I didn’t have to worry about pickpockets because of the strap looped around my belt (well the pickpocket could have a razor but I figured that was a low probability.)

Yes, you are right.
It does have that Belt/Pants spike.
A very good idea indeed.

benjiboy · May 26, 2021

I put cheap thin nylon wrist straps on my light meters

jay moussy said:
I was thinking single-lens, street photography attire, light meter, small note pad for that important detail to use later.

I think he forgot to bring something in one of the pocketses.. "What has it got in its pocketses...?"

We have an expression in England, he looks to me like he's "lost a pound and found a penny".

benjiboy · May 26, 2021

pentaxuser said:
Your knowledge of what draws the wrong attention in the U.S. or at least your part of the U.S. is something I bow to but certainly what Matt linked to would not merit as much as a second glance in the U.K.

pentaxuser

I disagree with this I'm from a large city in the U.K with a population of about, one million eight hundred thousand. I bought a photographers vest with 15 pockets a couple of years ago to wear in the hot weather for shooting in the city with just a T-shirt underneath and a pair of chinos on so I could go out shooting without a camera bag, and have somewhere to put my camera if it rained, I only wore it once because it drew so much attention people were really staring at me in a way that they had never done before, I'm not a shrinking violet but I felt very uncomfortable,
I still have the vest but haven't worn, it since, although I may give it another try if it ever stops raining again, and we get some hot weather ( this has been the wettest May on record in the U.K.).

Saganich · May 26, 2021

With 35 or 120mm I never carry more than will fit in my pockets with one camera on my shoulder. At most I'll carry a small tote bag for the extra shooting necessities...an old brownie, some sweet Virginia tobacco, my favorite pipe, Bluetooth speaker,

Andrew O'Neill · May 26, 2021

I've used a photographer's vest forever.

MattKing · May 26, 2021

And you have also been seen in cargo pants:

The vest is really helpful for me. One of my hands isn't dexterous enough to retrieve and operate small items, so having extra pockets makes it much easier to do things like change lenses using (mostly) one hand.

benjiboy · May 26, 2021

DWThomas said:
Enh -- so far in my eternal search for the Perfect Solution To Everything(tm), I have acquired about seven or eight shoulder bags, two backpacks. a fanny pack, a couple of belt packs, and a sling bag. As well, sometime in this millennium I did indeed pick up a fishing vest sort of thing. Since its acquisition I've used it maybe twice, and at this moment can't even recall where it may be hiding.

So what's the answer? "It depends!"

Oh -- and when the weather isn't too hot, cargo pants or cargo shorts can be useful also.

I don't think I would have felt more conspicuous wearing my photographers jacket Dave if I would have been dressed as a Japanese admiral .

David A. Goldfarb · May 26, 2021

I’ve never been into the vest thing. Sometimes I’ll wear a safari shirt with a couple of big front pockets. Mine are ExOfficio, and the pockets can hold a couple of 4x5” filmholders or a Grafmatic. Other times, if I need a little extra space, I’ll use a small belt pack for a small extra lens and small notebook.

Pieter12 · May 26, 2021

I'll occasionally wear one of these: https://www.orvis.co.uk/p/around-the-world-jacket/2pj1 (no longer available).

The sleeves and hood even zip off and make it a vest. But there are so many pockets, I often forget where I have put something.

John Earley · Jun 2, 2021

I prefer to use something like this. Mine holds filters, lens cleaning materials, an extra cable release, a spot meter, a small snack, my cell phone, wallet and keys.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203180595963?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20160811114145&meid=0ddc47f012b249b69974c29845af0b29&pid=100667&rk=2&rkt=8&sd=353391099767&itm=203180595963&pmt=1&noa=1&pg=2334524&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042

benjiboy · Jun 3, 2021

To me the problem is how to wear a lightweight cotton jacket with plenty of pockets in it suitable for hot weather without looking like a a photographer , I have a Photographers vest, but it draws too much attention when shooting street down town, so I recently bought a stone coloured bush shirt that has four large outer flap pockets like an M65
I've worn it a few times both when shooting and not, and it's fine.
145
Mil-Tec Teesar

Andrew O'Neill · Jun 3, 2021

MattKing said:
And you have also been seen in cargo pants:
View attachment 275495
The vest is really helpful for me. One of my hands isn't dexterous enough to retrieve and operate small items, so having extra pockets makes it much easier to do things like change lenses using (mostly) one hand.

Gotta love cargo shorts!

PerTulip · Jun 4, 2021

abruzzi said:
Last year, I visited Guanajuato MX with my Bronica and a bunch of rolls of 120, and I discovered a great thing—my Sekonic 308 came with a little holster and a belt loop. It also had the long neck strap that I’ve thought was a bit odd—why not a simple short lanyard? Well, what was perfect was attaching the holster to my belt then looping the long neck strap around my belt, right next to the holster. The long strap meant it didn’t get in the way during use—I could pull it out and hold it in most any position I needed. When I reholstered it, I didn’t have to worry about pickpockets because of the strap looped around my belt (well the pickpocket could have a razor but I figured that was a low probability.)

Exactly my experience with the 308.

I am OK with a backpack. I have three (small, medium, large) and whatever I might immediately need (lightmeter, roll of film) fits into my pant's/jacket's pocket.

benjiboy · Jun 14, 2021

Andrew O'Neill said:
Gotta love cargo shorts!

I don't wear shorts, I haven't got the legs for them any more.

Andrew O'Neill · Jun 14, 2021

benjiboy said:
I don't wear shorts, I haven't got the legs for them any more.

Cargo trousers then?

Arthurwg · Jun 14, 2021

John Earley said:
I prefer to use something like this. Mine holds filters, lens cleaning materials, an extra cable release, a spot meter, a small snack, my cell phone, wallet and keys.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/203180595963?_trkparms=aid=111001&algo=REC.SEED&ao=1&asc=20160811114145&meid=0ddc47f012b249b69974c29845af0b29&pid=100667&rk=2&rkt=8&sd=353391099767&itm=203180595963&pmt=1&noa=1&pg=2334524&_trksid=p2334524.c100667.m2042

I would think that might get you arrested.

Stephen Benskin · Jun 14, 2021

I use a grip belt used in the motion picture industry with different size pouches attached. Mole Richardson carries such expenditures.

wiltw · Jun 14, 2021

Stephen Benskin said:
I use a grip belt used in the motion picture industry with different size pouches attached. Mole Richardson carries such expenditures.

Lowepro offers padded belts, both with and without suspenders, accessory pouches, and I can transfer lens cases from my main bag to the padded belt, when I want to travel lighter and compactly. Nice and cool in the humid summer conditions that lots of places experience.

Stephen Benskin · Jun 14, 2021

wiltw said:
Lowepro offers padded belts, both with and without suspenders, accessory pouches, and I can transfer lens cases from my main bag to the padded belt, when I want to travel lighter and compactly. Nice and cool in the humid summer conditions that lots of places experience.

I carry the stuff I need to get to and don't want to keep returning to the backpack, like an exposure meter, filters, adapters, and 4x5 holders.

Wear a light vest or other to carry small items?

abruzzi

CMoore

benjiboy

benjiboy

Saganich

Andrew O'Neill

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MattKing

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benjiboy

David A. Goldfarb

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Pieter12

John Earley

benjiboy

Andrew O'Neill

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PerTulip

benjiboy

Andrew O'Neill

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Arthurwg

Stephen Benskin

wiltw

Stephen Benskin

Wear a light vest or other to carry small items?

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