Bagged Bits n Pieces

Meeting Report

Having arrived from Mexico that morning I was more thanhappy that Janet was chairing this meeting as I dozed along coming to terms with a 6 hour time difference and a 28 degree (centigrade!) temperature difference between getting on and getting off the plane. Then at half time Derek took me to one side saying he was going home as he wasn’t feeling well and would I write up the report – more attention needed from then on! Derek has provided his first half report (thank you Derek) – I’ll use that as notes for those times when I was a bit adrift, mid Atlantic.

Before handing over to Janet I was even less coherent than usual in presenting the “subject a month” certificates - the February competition being a tie between Janet Brown and Sarah Beard – well done both.

Then members shared with us the contents of their camera bags and fascinating it was. It wasn’t so much the camera equipment which took the eye as the more unusual accessories – the chocolate bars, the sticky tape, the elastic bands - that sort thing.

Janet was first to reveal the contents of her rucksack and that she has some sort of ruggedized video camera [Ed. A GoPro] which she uses with her canoeing – sorry – kayaking. Her rucksack also had outside mounting for a travel tripod – useful.

Liz went next with her full-frame rucksack for a full-frame camera. Alongside her fine-art photography Liz takes many photographs of motorcycle racing – the lens requirements for these 2 wildly disparate specialities must surely be somewhat different.

Derek was next – although Janet seemed a little unsure of his name! (This is the well known condition called Chairman’s Nominal Aphasia – the more prestigious the guest the more likely the Chairman is to forget his/her name when making the introductions). Derek sported a very natty photographer’s jacket with more pockets than a few. His camera bag revealed several lenses and a couple of camera bodies but he was at pains to point out that he only takes out in the field items necessary for the job in hand.

Audrey uses a smaller camera – she buys her equipment from Park Cameras and the local haberdashers. Several nappy pins seemed to be involved, together with a kilt pin and elastic cord – so she doesn’t lose things as she goes along. I think there could be some business opportunities there Audrey.

Martin travels light with his two Sony mirrorless cameras and some pretty fancy lenses – his photographs are testament to the quality of this set-up – together with his photographic eye, of course. He, like Liz, carries a tablet to help better to see the subject together with depth of field etc.

After tea Ray produced his Hassleblad from his camera bag. He demonstrated this and how the various parts fitted together adding that it used something called film some of which he also had in his bag. This was augmented with different filters from those used by we digital people and it seemed to need something called a light meter – all very strange! Seriously this is a beautiful machine – the quality click of the shutter worth half the purchase price alone.

Then Anne produced a couple of serious Nikons from her bag saying this was how she set up her equipment for flower photography – a very low down tripod often being required. Various gardening implements were also needed well as clamps for dealing with recalcitrant leaves etc., as they spoil the picture. Again Anne’s photographs show this set-up works.

Daisy’s cameras and lenses are carried around in a bag which is not in the first flush of youth. There is some advantage to this as it can disguise that you are carrying round high value goods. Daisy explained how, whilst she had changed cameras several times she still uses the first lens she ever bought as her “go to” lens.

Finally David Seddon arrived with 2 bags, from the first he produced several Canon DSLRs of various vintages and a “bridge camera” which he described as “my wife’s camera”. Whether this is a ruse to get its purchase past the domestic, fiscal committee I’ll leave you to decide. From his second bag he produced a Nikon made of chocolate - I thought hopeless things were supposed to be “as much use as a chocolate teapot” – and maybe that’s the illusion Canon is trying to make with this product.

So lots of different kit on show. I was struck by the number of multi DSLR owners there are with last year’s model being carried as a spare. This is a reflection of how little value there now is in second hand cameras I suppose. I’m as susceptible as the next photographer to the siren lure of new kit but I was left wondering which would benefit my photography more – a new full frame DSLR or another plane ticket to Havana – answers on a postcard please.

Submitted by Chris West on