Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1997/03/14

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Subject: Re: A Puzzlement!!!
From: Ted Grant <75501.3002@CompuServe.COM>
Date: 14 Mar 97 22:01:56 EST

For what it's worth I have a very hard time going light:  It never fails, I run
into something that only a 400mm will make it work, so that means for openers I
have to take my APO 280 and a 1.4 apo extender. That's the long ones.

The reverse of the long is. "damn I've got to get all that water and sky in the
frame" and only a 15mm 3.5 will do, so it goes always! :)

With the new APO 70-180 now in hand, that goes along with the 35mm-70mm 3.5

After that it kind of depends on what I'm going to be shooting, but in most
cases the APO 100mm Macro is tucked in some place along with a macro adapter
that I can use with all the lenses if necessary. Of course for the best use of
the 70-180, you need to carry the 2X!  

And that takes care of the lenses, most times.

Bodies:  Now that I have the R8, obviously that and an R7 with motor would be a
minimum and if in doubt, a second R7 with motor for just in case problems.

If I'm going to be some place where I feel I'll have time to shoot some black &
white:  an M6, 50mm Noctilux, 35mm 1:4 Summilux and maybe a 28.  I can hang it
around my neck like a bauble, so that if something does come along unexpectedly,
it's wham bam thank you mam! a B&W negative or two. :)

Film: I budget for ten rolls a day and then add half of that again to the total.
Now this is just for easy going work assignments. If it were say the Olympics, I
would take 200 rolls for openers and probably shoot approximately 400. Usually
where Kodak is the Official film of the Games, every roll you take into the
Kodak Press Centre for processing, they replace free, so you don't have to take
as much for a high profile assignment of this nature.

I never buy film overseas unless under an emergency situation.  You pay more and
can rarely trust where the film has been stored, particularly in hot climate
countries.

I take a tripod, however it rarely gets used, unless we're into twilight/night
scenics or city skyline scapes.  

That's it.  And I carry it all! Obviously not all the film, but the gear yes!

If the tripod is going to be used it has a sling to carry it over the shoulder
or back leaving the hands free. I use very good photo vests, they are priceless.
In one pocket I can put twenty rolls of film and a couple of lenses in others. A
few green plastic garbage bags, (just in case the weather goes bad), a few
freezer bags to carry film already removed from the boxes and plastic cans and
to place the exposed film into. (makes the film water proof)  A micro tape
recorder for voice captions, as well as marker pen and paper, a small roll of
gaffer tape.

And that's about it that I can remember without tearing it apart to see what
else is in there.  Damn near forgot the most important thing that every
photographer should carry:  a freezer bag with raisins! A must to keep the
hungries away and they are the only food item you can stuff in a freezer bag for
three months and not have them try to escape! :)

TTTTTThhhatssss  ALLL Folks! :)

ted