Saturday, April 26, 2008

My G9 Kit

.
From time to time, it is a good idea to clean out the old camera bag, take inventory and try squeeze in a few more accessories. While at it, I grabbed a quick shot of my G9 kit using my old G3. Actually, the G9 kit began life as the G3 kit. So here’s what I’m packing and how I’m packing it.




There’s really nothing particularly special about my G9 kit. I do prefer to keep all the G9 accessories together so that the kit can be scooped up on a moments notice. I almost always have this kit with me.

The bag is a Lowepro Nova Mini that I bought for the G3 about five years ago. It really does hold all the stuff shown. Notice the strips of gaffer tape across the inside of the top; gaffer tape is reusable (sort of). Sticking out of the front pocket are the connecting cables that came with the G9 as well as the G9 neck strap. I prefer to use a wrist strap (in front of the G9) adapted from a Canon camcorder.

My G9 is dressed up with Richard Franiec’s grip, thumb rest, hot shoe cover and black ring. To the left of the G9 is the Lensmate adapter with cover, a polarizing filter, graduated neutral density filter and a lens coupler.

Just barely noticeable, looping around the bag is a mechanical cable release and Richard Franiec’s cable release adapter. I use this adapter and cable quite a bit, especially when the G9 is mounted on a flimsy tripod like the little one in my kit. Just to the left of the tripod is the end of a small flashlight; it sure has come in handy on occasion.

To the right of the G9 is the charger and a stack of G9 batteries. More batteries, AA rechargeables for the flashes, are on the right hand side.

I’m studying Strobist techniques for off-camera flash so my G9 kit includes three strobes: A Nikon SB-28 , an old Quantaray MS-1 slave flash and a Holga 120. I don’t mount the Holga on the G9; it is triggered by the Cactus PT-04 wireless remote trigger. There are two Cactus receivers in front of the SB-28; the transmitter is in front of the G9 on top of the packing pouch that protects the G9 inside the bag. To the right of the Holga are two Nikon flash stands. To the right of the SB-28 is a diffuser with a bounce card propped inside. Just in front of the diffuser is a bag containing a slave trigger and connecting cord – just in case.

So that’s my G9 kit and, yes, all those goodies did go back into the bag.

.

3 comments:

ajcarr said...

Given the low weight of the G9, you could add a decent full-size lightweight tripod like the National Geographic NGTT1 trripod (made for them by Manfrotto):

NGTT1

Obviously, it won't fit in the bag. You can stick the smallest Kirk QR clamp (QRC1)

QRC1

on top of the bizarre QR plate on the ballhead and add either the Kirk L-bracket or the Really Right Stuff (preferred) L-bracket to the camera:

Kirk
RRS

Personally, I removed the plastic ballhead from the tripod and (with a little bit of machining) added a cheap Chinese-made aluminium ballhead that takes Arca-Swiss QR plates (e.g. the above-mentioned L-brackets).

The tripod won't fit in the bag, but it's small enough and light enough to carry with an Op/Tech strap (I also have an Op/Tech wrist strap on the G9).

My kit also has the Canon wide- and tele-converter lenses fitted to lensmate adaptors (and I keep an empty Lensmate adaptor on the body at all times, anyway). The whole shooting match (with various filters, macro-converters, etc., but not the tripod) fits into a 3 litre Crumpler bag, and weighs next-to-nothing when it's on the shoulder (as opposed to my DSLR kit).

Alun

Grant Herbert said...

Nice setup, although it took me a moment to spot the camera in there!

All I carry is the G9, spare battery and SD card and a Gorillapod SLR. If I think I will need a better tripod the Slik goes in as well - it all fits in a Crumpler Wonder Weenie and I still have enough space for a spare fleece and my lunch!

Anonymous said...

canon g9 digital is good camera