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For the Journey - Packing the gear - part 12 of 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

by Mike McNamee Published 01/10/2014

McMullin's well-mashed LowePro Trekker

Other Options

There are vast numbers of bags on the market, although as we said when we opened the feature in the last issue, few are well suited to women. The LowePro range is as extensive as any. LowePro camera bags are originally an offshoot from the Lowe Alpine Group (who make mountaineering rucksacks) and have been around for a long time. Paul McMullin has been using a Computrekker AW for quite a few years and his bag bears the scars of near-continuous industrial-scale use. The image shows what he carries into most industrial photography situations. Invariably the bag is worn over one shoulder only (tut tut we hear the physiotherapists calling - including Mrs McMullin!). Paul is considering the Think Tank Airport as his replacement; they have a good reputation.

The number of bags available is a little overwhelming and if you are in the market you could do a lot worse than pitching up at the Convention with your shopping list of features and trying a few things on. Like ladies' handbags, camera bags are very personal, we are always looking for the one that jigs in perfectly to our requirements only to find after we've had it for months that it won't hold a new piece of kit, and finally you can never have too many of them!

Manfrotto 190 Carbon Q90-4 Section This review sits well with what has gone before in that tripods are just like camera bags - you need more than one because no single design can solve all the compromises. The Manfrotto 190 Carbon Q90-4 Section is an addition to the long-standing Manfrotto series - indeed the most popular tripod range they have ever made. The Q90 refers to the innovative head arrangement in which the central column may be lifted then turned through 90 degrees so that the column is effectively horizontal. The carbon fibre is the lightest version of the series, the most expensive and so, effectively, the flagship of the line.

There is always a compromise between maximum working height, leg section length and collapsed length. The shorter the collapsed length, the shorter the leg sections and the more unwanted flexibility in the erected tripod. However, the small tripod has to be portable - if you are getting there by car then chuck your largest tripod in the boot and have done with it! Thus the maximum comfortable length is the same as a camera rucksack, about 20 inches. In practice many landscape photographers work close to the ground, the wind is less down there and things are always more stable - if you need a higher viewpoint simply climb further up the hill!

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There are 37 days to get ready for The Societies of Photographers Convention and Trade Show at The Novotel London West, Hammersmith ...
which starts on Wednesday 17th January 2024