After some one and two day hikes this year, were I tried to take some photographic equipment with me, I'm a little bit stumped.

The 4x5 Fotoman was not to heavy, but to big in size
The M645 with 2 lenses was pretty heavy. Ok for one day, but for more ...
The 35mm film is so small (when back at the lab)


What do you take with you for long hikes? for rock climbing?


M645Pro with 45mm on Fuji Acros 100 printed on CA PW 18x24 (familiypicture papersize)

rudi

All of my landscape photos are taken on medium format kit. I use a carbon manfrotto tripod and ballhead.

I use a Pentax 67II system with 55, 75, 105, 135 macro and 300mm lenses. This is my main camera system, which is carried in a Lowepro Dryzone sac most of the time.
For longer / mountain walks I take only the 75mm lens, stored in a Lowepro toploader padded case inside my adapted Macpac climbing sac (extra straps + buckles to carry tripod in the most secure and stable way).

I also use a Fotoman 617 panoramic with 150 lens - fits into a small Lowepro mini rucsac with spotmeter etc. On shorter trips this is carried, on longer / mountain trips it fits inside my Macpac sac.

If weight is a real issue, then all my normal gear is not used - I use a Fuji GA645zi and very lightweight small velbon carbon tripod and ballhead. I love the 67 format however and fancy giving the Mamiya 711 and stanard / wide lens a go (funds won't allow this for some time!) just for mountain trips. See this thread:
http://www.apug.org/forums/forum51/82709-lightest-6x7.html

Over the years I've found it a constant balancing act trying to keep medium format kit and the outdoor kit needed for mountain trips at a manageable level...!

Cheers,
Gavin

PS - the picture you posted looks fine mountain terrain...

Hi Gavin,

are you always carry a tripod with you?

My problem is basically none - The easiest way would be to take a Minolta with two lenses, but I like the way mountains look like on a 4x5 neg. The weight of the fotoman 45ps with lens and filmholder is less than 1.5 kg, but she has a huge volume

> PS - the picture you posted looks fine mountain terrain...
i forgot - taken at the Langkofel (dt., also known as Saslonch it. or Sassolungo lad.) height aproximately 2.400m on the way to the notch (is this the correct english word?) between Langkofel and Innerkofel at the Dolomites (Italy). My son trys to get enough snow to make a snowball - not easy at the first week of September.

rudi

Yes, I always carry a tripod. My mountain trips are based around photography so I'm often working in low light at dawn or dusk. I use a slow film (iso 64) which combined with my typical f22 aperture means - unfortunately - a tripod is essential...

Cheers,
Gavin

thanks Gavin.

Somebody else?

Is one of you taking a film based camera to climbing tours?
What kind? How to pack?

rudi

I don't hike much any more these days unfortunately but if I do attempt a short one I bring my Mamiya 7 rangefinder. Its perfect, big neg but not so big camera.

A Mamiya 7 sounds like a good choice, why only for short trips?

rudi

Just to keep this thread alive: from the other side of the notch.

Marmolada (right side), Pordoi (center), Sella(left) and the road at the front Passo di Sella.
The picture would be better with colors, but they were taken by my wife with a digital equipment

"A Mamiya 7 sounds like a good choice, why only for short trips?

rudi"

An arthritic condition in the hips unfortunately. Can only manage about an hour or hour and half at best.

Thats a stunning view permalink.

Have just taken delivery of a new-to-me Mamiya 7II with 80mm lens which I plan to use only for mountain / backpacking trips, not to replace my 'normal' landscape kit. It's certainly a lot lighter than my trusty Pentax 67 and Fotoman 617...!

My first planned walk with it is going up either Sgurr an Fhidleir or Beinn Tarsuinn, both mountains in Coigach area of the Northwwest Highlands of Scotland. Bit dependent on weather though, I want to avoid carrying crampons if possible...!

I've seen neither Sgurr ... nor ... Tarsuinn let us see some images :.

How can you take photographs of the mountains with an 80mm lens?

Any time I go up hiking, skiing, climbing, I see so much and really want to try and capture the awe, the feel of what I see... I almost always go wide. If not I use the 50mm prime. I think I'd only go narrower than that is to frame somebody against some geographic structure, or to frame the people rather than the mountain.

I'm curious about your views/opinions on the matter.

Depends what you're after. I've used all sorts of lenses in the mountains, and much prefer the perspective offered by slightly wide / standard lenses.

I use wider lenses for many other landscape shots (see my APUG gallery) but not for shots high on mountain ridges as I think wide lenses flatten the perspective too much, losing some drama.

The Mamiya 80mm in 6x7 medium format is equivalent to 40mm in 35mm. For illustration, here's a photo in the mountains taken with a slightly wider lens, 75mm (equivalent to 37 mm in 35mm format) , in the same 6x7 medium format with my trusty Pentax 67II:
http://www.apug.org/gallery1/showimage.php?i=55995&catid=member&imageuser=12991
It was taken from just below the summit of a hill called Beinn a 'Chrualiste in the highlands of Scotland.

Cheers,
Gavin

Looks very nice. One day I should go to scottish highlands for hiking.

I also use wide angle and standard lenses. From time to time I like the look of my 150mm lens for the Mamiya 645, especially when Buildings or persons should be included.

rudi

That's rather odd that the different mm lenses have different "zoom" appearance on different cameras. I thought the general idea was that they would all be about the same (not counting DSLRs with smaller area because of small-size CCD sensors)?

Not really sure I follow what you mean Markster :confused:

When you are up high and 'looking down' on a subject, wide angle lenses 'flatten' the perspective in order to get their wide angle of view. For me, this often means in the mountains that peaks look too small, lessening the drama of mountain shots. That's why I like lenses that are in the equivalent range to about 35 - 50mm lens in 35mm for 'up high' mountain photography.

If I'm photographing mountains from valleys etc , then the usual wide angle focal length lenses are great and I'd use my standard Pentax 67II kit for that...

Oh, I totally mis-read what you had typed. Please ignore my last comment!