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Wednesday, 22 June 2005 |
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Page 5 of 6
The Accessories
Cameras
bigger than 8x10 don’t fit into most normal equipment cases. An exception is
the 7x17 size, which can fit perfectly into the cases designed to hold 4x5 monorail
cameras hanging on dividers from the rail. The dividers need to be removed of
course, but the fit is perfect with old aluminum-clad wood cases of this sort
and more modern foam and ballistic cloth models from Tenba and Lightware. Two
companies make custom large format camera cases to order. Strebor, Inc. (www.strebor.com)
from Canada makes cases in the Lightware/Tenba style but with even higher standards
of materials specification, and is happy to take custom orders to measure for
any oversize camera. AWB Enterprises (www.filmholders.com) makes custom cases
in a completely different style. These are made of molded high-impact plastic
in either white or black, lined with foam, with metal hardware. All AWB cases
are custom designed for individual buyers and many options from telescoping
handles to built-in wheels are available. Both these companies make separate
cases sized for big camera film holders. Prices for the products are comparable
and it’s a matter of personal preference which design will appeal. Both companies
have informative websites with pictures of their products.
My preference for
storing and transporting really big cameras is a box-shaped case that opens
at the top and holds the folded camera standing up straight in a main section,
with a smaller section at the front large enough for three film holders and
a focusing hood. With folding rail designs a lens can be stored on the camera.
With case-fold designs one or two lenses can slip into the main compartment
along with the camera. For hiking to locations only accessible on foot, there
are backpacks that will swallow 7x17 and 11x14 cameras with accessories, or
a pack frame can be used to carry a box-style case.
These cameras are used on
tripods, obviously, and not just any tripod will do. It isn’t enough for the
tripod to support the camera and dampen vibrations. It also has to make a stable
unit with the camera. A top-heavy setup could tip over from a bump or even a
gust of wind. A big camera with twenty or more inches of tall, extended bellows
makes an effective sail, and a focusing cloth can compound the problem. The
tripod head needs to be strong enough to support the camera’s weight, and the
mounting platform must offer sufficient acreage to make broad contact with the
camera’s baseplate. It’s not wise to rely on a mounting screw and a couple square
inches of platform to hang onto a camera that’s two feet wide. Just opening
the back to insert a film holder exerts a lot of torque on the mounting hardware.
If your tripod has an extending centerpost, don’t use it with big cameras. It’s
asking for vibration, but more importantly it makes for an unstable rig that
will be much too easy to topple. I don’t think ultra light carbon fiber legs
are a good idea with the biggest cameras: they have plenty of strength, but
are too likely to leave the rig top-heavy. My preference is for wooden Ries
tripods which I carry in two sizes. These have heads with platforms four and
six inches square, respectively. The larger Gitzo tripods are also suitable,
as are some Majestics with their massive geared heads and large mounting platforms.
The biggest Bogen tripods are strong enough for big cameras. I don’t know of
any quick release mechanism I’d trust with the largest of these cameras, though
some might be appropriate for lighter 7x17’s and 11x14’s. That’s a problem because
using a standard mounting screw system with cameras this big seems to require
three hands. The Ries heads have a spring-loaded mounting screw that’s almost
as fast as a quick release and doesn’t require a third hand.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 23 June 2005 )
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