Who overlands for the purpose of photography?

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Etoimos

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I really want to get better at astrophotography but man it is hard to get up in the middle of the night after a day of offroading, disturbing the wife in the process, depriving myself of sleep only to do it all again tomorrow. But there are many years ahead for all the shots and trails I want to get!
"Well, I'm here to tell you now, each and every mother's son
That you better learn it fast, you better learn it young
'Cause someday never comes"
 

spoonible

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I really want to get better at astrophotography but man it is hard to get up in the middle of the night after a day of offroading, disturbing the wife in the process, depriving myself of sleep only to do it all again tomorrow. But there are many years ahead for all the shots and trails I want to get!
Get up and out there! setup your tripod not far from your tent and you'll only be awake for a little bit. That's the purpose of the rig, right? To already be out to the prime spot (or at least as close as you can get)? If you get up and do it, you'll love it. If you don't, you'll regret it.

 
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old_man

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The wife and I were professional photographers back in the early 70's. We had a new Chevy Van that I cut the top out of and put a fiberglass standup top on. I built the whole interior. We ranged up and down the Rockies from Mexico to well up into Canada. We did large limited edition custom prints for large corporations. We did quite well at it . I built my own color darkroom and did up to 40x60" prints and custom framed them. Most pix were done on 4x5 or 8x10 view cameras with a few done on a Mamiya RB67 ideal format.

Like all good things. Litho prints started coming out that were way cheaper and people decided they didn't need the quality. Things tapered off and we switched over and had a video production company for years. All this time I was still a full time engineer.

Kids came along and the time away dwindled to next to nothing. I would still love to do the large format stuff, but it is just too much hassle. I am looking at one of the new professional digital cameras that are around 100mega pixels. All the swings and tilts of a view camera can be digitally done now days.
 

JimInBC

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The wife and I were professional photographers back in the early 70's. We had a new Chevy Van that I cut the top out of and put a fiberglass standup top on. I built the whole interior. We ranged up and down the Rockies from Mexico to well up into Canada. We did large limited edition custom prints for large corporations. We did quite well at it . I built my own color darkroom and did up to 40x60" prints and custom framed them. Most pix were done on 4x5 or 8x10 view cameras with a few done on a Mamiya RB67 ideal format.

Like all good things. Litho prints started coming out that were way cheaper and people decided they didn't need the quality. Things tapered off and we switched over and had a video production company for years. All this time I was still a full time engineer.

Kids came along and the time away dwindled to next to nothing. I would still love to do the large format stuff, but it is just too much hassle. I am looking at one of the new professional digital cameras that are around 100mega pixels. All the swings and tilts of a view camera can be digitally done now days.
I sometimes think it would be great if there was a sensor that slid into the film holder on a large or medium format. I would love to still use my Mamiya 645 for both film and digital. Can you imagine a 4x5 sensor?
 
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old_man

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I sometimes think it would be great if there was a sensor that slid into the film holder on a large or medium format. I would love to still use my Mamiya 645 for both film and digital. Can you imagine a 4x5 sensor?
I have seen 4x5 digital backs. You could buy a house cheaper.

The only thing you can't really do in digital post process that a view camera gives you is the changing of the focus plane by tilting the front lens. The increased sensitivity of the sensor over film gives you way more depth of field in the same situation, but changing the plane of focus really gives a neat effect.

It's funny that everybody wants a telephoto lens. I find I use a wide to very wide in my shots a lot more. My Nikon wide angle costs more than the camera body.

Now I do work with a super high resolution very long focal lengths for work. I work on surveillance satellites.
 
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old_man

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Sure would like to hang one behing a 90mm F5.6 Schneider Super Angulon. Or even a 65mm.
 
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Boort

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@XJinBC, @old_man

I sometimes think it would be great if there was a sensor that slid into the film holder on a large or medium format. I would love to still use my Mamiya 645 for both film and digital. Can you imagine a 4x5 sensor?
Not too long ago I saw a 4x5 backboard that used a n indexed sliding fullframe digital or MF Digital back as the sensor. You could use the body and optics of the 4x5 then slide the sensor around and stitch using Pano software for the full 4x5 frame. looked a bit easier than most NPP panoheads.

There is a guy out of Boulder or Longmont who specializes in Large MP stitched panos using telephoto lenses and an automated Panohead. Really cool work but hard to store and display :D

Boort
 
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old_man

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I would love to meet him when I get back to Colorado.

I have been thinking about doing just that. I am also a tool and die maker and have my own CNC mill and full shop.
 
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Steve j

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Anyone out there doing overland trips where one of their main purposes is to capture images?
Yes, one of my primary reasons is for photography. Main focus astrophotography. Going out this weekend to Alabama Hills and Bishop area. One are I want to find is Sky Rock petroglyph, but cannot find coordinate.
 
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JimInBC

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I would love to meet him when I get back to Colorado.

I have been thinking about doing just that. I am also a tool and die maker and have my own CNC mill and full shop.
Would love to see that build report.

With a couple of stepper motors some gears and a controller, you might be able to automate the process.
 
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old_man

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That is the kind of stuff I do for a living. I have a nice controlled turntable that I mount my Nikon on and step the turntable and computer control the camera. I also have a nice scotch mount for doing astro pix. It aligns with the north star and has sidereal tracking.
 
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Boort

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I would love to meet him when I get back to Colorado.
I have been thinking about doing just that. I am also a tool and die maker and have my own CNC mill and full shop.
I've been thinking of building something like this (https://www.panocatcher.com/maestro3-lt-robotic-panorama-head/) off and on for a while. But while I have access to a full wood shop I've very little metal working access. And I would not trust my 3d printer to support a DSLR+Lens+Grip setup.

I'll have to look around but I think I have plans for a couple of other designs on a backup drive somewhere...

Boort
 

MartinQuinn

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Photography is the reason I got into Overlanding. Originally I was just looking for a vehicle capable of getting me to remote locations and it grew quickly from there. The fact that I still shoot primarily with a 4x5 film camera getting away from the crowds definitely helps.
 

Musubie

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Anyone out there doing overland trips where one of their main purposes is to capture images?
I most certainly do!

I have ditched my DSLR and joined the mirrorless brigade. I'll be upgrading to the X-T3 this fall; already in my kit are the Fujifilm 85mm 1.2, the 10-24 4.0, and the 100-400 along with filters/filter holders. I bring my Gitzo Traveler GT 1545T tripod and a RRS BH-30 ballhead wherever I go.

On the other hand, I have found that more recent iterations of the iPhone's camera are not too shabby when it isn't taxed beyond its small sensor size! And you know what they say--the best camera is the one that you have on you.

IMG_2605.jpg
This one's from the Buckhorn Wash Trail in Utah, and even though this is an iPhone shot, getting close to the land and even more importantly to the atmospherics (it's the latter that often makes a photograph) is a huge part of what overloading allows me to do.
 

old_man

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Photography is the reason I got into Overlanding. Originally I was just looking for a vehicle capable of getting me to remote locations and it grew quickly from there. The fact that I still shoot primarily with a 4x5 film camera getting away from the crowds definitely helps.
What film do you shoot? Do you do your own processing and printing? I loved my 4x5 and 8x10 but it just got too expensive.
I shot a Linhof indoors and a Toyo 4x5 field camera out and about.
 

MartinQuinn

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What film do you shoot? Do you do your own processing and printing? I loved my 4x5 and 8x10 but it just got too expensive.
I shot a Linhof indoors and a Toyo 4x5 field camera out and about.
Depending on the light I shoot Velvia 50, Provia 100F or Ektar 100 for color and Delta 100 or TMAX100 for black and white. I do all my own developing but all are sent off. I don't have the resources for wet prints currently but that may change in the future.
I recently upgraded to an Arca-Swiss F Line Classic 4x5 and still have my Tachihara 4x5 as well. No 8x10 for me yet but the temptation is definitely there.
 

old_man

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I just sold off my like new Gossen Luna Pro with spot meter since I am not doing that any more. What does 4x5 color film cost these days? I would hate to guess how much 8x10 runs.
 

MartinQuinn

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I just sold off my like new Gossen Luna Pro with spot meter since I am not doing that any more. What does 4x5 color film cost these days? I would hate to guess how much 8x10 runs.
A box of 20 Provia 100F is around $75, TMAX100 runs around $100 for 50 sheets.