What’s in my bag
Article for RPS Analogue Magazine Issue No 15, October 2024
[Edit: this is just one of my various camera bags. Also since this article has been published I’ve acquired some new lenses for the Deardorff]
10×8 camera bag. I use one of those generic ‘Military Tactical’ backpacks that I bought for around £30 or so and it’s perfect for 10×8 gear because of the way it’s configured with two main sections – one for the camera and one for film holders – and two large pockets for lenses, plus the ability to add further pockets via the molle system. I added two side pockets. It’s quite comfortable to carry which is important when you’re carrying a 10×8 Deardorff!
The bag from the top down – main compartment on the left with camera and one lens, second compartment with dark cloth and film holders and two pockets for lenses.
In the main compartment is the camera – a Deardorff V8 and a 213mm barrel lens.
Close-up of the 213mm f/9.25 Helioprint lens. This is an old process lens from a Agfa Repromaster copy camera. It’s mounted on a lensboard that was custom made for me by Ross Burley of Burley Cameras. I mainly use this lens for one of my current projects, photographing the interiors of churches and cathedrals. Having no shutter is not a problem when exposure times are very long, indeed it’s one less thing to worry about. At the moment this is my most used lens.
The second compartment holds film holders and a dark cloth. I can fit up to four film holders in the bag.
Top lens pocket contains my Fujinon W 250mm f/6.7. This is the older version of the lens with the lettering on the inner part of the barrel which has a larger image circle that later versions.
The bottom pocket contains a Wollensak 159mm f/12.5, a Schneider G-Claron 305mm f/9 and a cable release. Most of my lenses are on Technica boards which fit into an adapter on the camera. The Wollensak is a 1940s uncoated lens. 159mm is very wide on 10×8, of course, and this lens is tiny compared to other wide angle lenses from Nikon and Schneider (and a lot cheaper!).
One side pocket contains an assortment of things:
Multitool (pliers, screwdrivers etc)
Torch
Reveni Labs spot meter – I have quite a lot of light meters, including three spot meters, but the Reveni has become my main meter.
Olympus 50mm f/1.8 lens that I use as a loupe – it works so well as a loupe I’ve never bothered to get a ‘proper’ one.
Spare cable release
Spare batteries for the Reveni Labs meter
3.5x reading glasses, used for composing on the ground glass and initial focus
The other side pocket usually has a water bottle or flask.
The Deardorff – definitely in user condition rather than mint, but I like that – it has character. It was first sold in Lens and Repro in New York on 7 April 1981. Ken Hough, a former Deardorff employee, kindly provided me with a copy of the original sales ledger. It has supposedly at various times belonged to Terrance Donovan, Lester Bookbinder and James Cotier. Here it’s fitted with a Deardorff-Technika lens board adapter and a ground glass protector.
The newest addition to my kit – a Benro Mammoth tripod with bowl levelling base. Sometimes I use this with a panning base, but for architectural shots I generally use it with a Manfrotto 405 geared head.
Sometimes I also carry a filter pouch either inside the bag, or attached to the outside with Lee and Hitech Firecrest 100mm square filters.
An occasional visitor to the camera bag is a Rodagon APO-Ronar 480mm barrel lens. And yes, you read that right on the aperture scale – to goes down to F/260! It fits into the same lensboard as the Helioprint lens. It’s quite heavy so I only take it if I know I’m going to need it.