C300: C300 MKII: Backpacks, bags, etc.

Kohl said:
Hey puredrifting. Thank you for reaching out about this. I apologize in advance for the truncated response as I'm in the thick of it shooting a commercial, sitting in the hotel, waiting for media to offload.

In terms of field use with the Portabrace backpack, it was really great on a doc shoot a few months ago when I was shooting almost all handheld with the c300 mk ii. Aside from the first few days which were seated interview, almost everything else was shot this way and the backpack fit everything we needed for a days shooting with 35 1.4 attached and a 50 1.2, 85 1.2, and 100 2.8 macro in the bag. The hard but flexible liner thing is really useful. I rather appreciated the practice of seeing just how efficient I could get with what I did and did not carry.

Was shooting last few week in about 3 locations per day with a tiny crew - everything on a tripod and camera more rigged out (AB battery, rails, Atomos, etc). Finishing that shoot now with a slightly larger crew (and a totally incredible gaffer), everything still on a tripod, shooting in 6-8 locations per day in the same general area (usually a complex of large buildings). The job still demands to be quite nimble, but in a very different way than the doc. I thought that the Portabrace backpack would work a lot, but instead I'm finding it much better to use the director's Portabrace go bag (medium duffle, stiff sides). Don't have to breakdown the camera much and quicker for the AC to get the camera to the next location. Haven't used the backpack at all. Just not the right tool for this job.

That said, I'm sure I'll use the backpack often for when it fits the circumstance. I'm also digging loading it up and walking the streets of old Brooklyn. Carries fairly well for what it is. The quality on the Portabrace seems super solid.

I hope this makes sense and proves useful. I'm a little loopy and the days are only getting longer. Wishing you well in all things.
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Thanks for checking in Kohl, especially when you are so busy. I will also check out that Go Bag.

Good luck with the rest of your shoot.
 
You've probably already found something but this is what I got:

SATfISP.jpg


It is the Pelican 1510 with TrekPak Inserts which I've custom arranged for my camera package:

C300 Mark II (with top handle attached)
2 small batteries and one big one.
Media
Side handle
Shotgun Mic w/ windscreen
Leatherman Multitool
Monitor
C300 II Battery Charger
Wireless Lav Transmitter, Receiver, and Mic
Extra AA Batteries
All required cables

And I have a backpack for all the lenses. Works great for me!
 
mizzar said:
You've probably already found something but this is what I got:

SATfISP.jpg


It is the Pelican 1510 with TrekPak Inserts which I've custom arranged for my camera package:

C300 Mark II (with top handle attached)
2 small batteries and one big one.
Media
Side handle
Shotgun Mic w/ windscreen
Leatherman Multitool
Monitor
C300 II Battery Charger
Wireless Lav Transmitter, Receiver, and Mic
Extra AA Batteries
All required cables

And I have a backpack for all the lenses. Works great for me!
Click to expand...

Thanks Mizzar, but a hard case won't work for me, I fly too much and run through too many airports and hang out on movie sets I have to hike into, gotta be a backpack.
 
puredrifting said:
Thanks Mizzar, but a hard case won't work for me, I fly too much and run through too many airports and hang out on movie sets I have to hike into, gotta be a backpack.
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Weird, it's actually really good for flying and running through airports (fits as a carry on).

But yeah, definitely not the best tool for hiking up uneven terrain (I've done this, it was not ideal).
 
mizzar said:
Weird, it's actually really good for flying and running through airports (fits as a carry on).

But yeah, definitely not the best tool for hiking up uneven terrain (I've done this, it was not ideal).
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Nice layout mizzar! I too have a 1510 (but with the soft dividers) and also find it works well when I'm flying my C300 in planes...

As for hiking with a 1510...well it's not the same as a dedicated backpack...but there are things like this:


About US$100 at the usual suspects. Here's their website.
http://rucpac.com/straps_features.html
IIRC, these aren't super easy to get on and off, and you need to drill a couple holes in your case. But perhaps the current design works better?

There's also this, but I think it might be a more permanent attachment:
http://www.b-w-international.com/product/bps-back-pack-system-for-noc/

Still, the Portabrace or Tenba backpacks (or perhaps Lowepro) look closer to what PD's looking for...
 
I've been carrying various cameras in my Cinebags CB25 for about eight years all over the world, a backpack definitely works better for how I shoot and work. I can stuff an amazing amount of gear plus a laptop in mine. Sometimes it ends up weighing 75lbs but it carries a lot of stuff. But thanks for the suggestions. I have a lot of Storm and Pelicans for carrying lights and other gear but all of that stuff gets checked and abused by baggage handlers.
 
Kohl said:
Hey puredrifting. Thank you for reaching out about this. I apologize in advance for the truncated response as I'm in the thick of it shooting a commercial, sitting in the hotel, waiting for media to offload.

In terms of field use with the Portabrace backpack, it was really great on a doc shoot a few months ago when I was shooting almost all handheld with the c300 mk ii. Aside from the first few days which were seated interview, almost everything else was shot this way and the backpack fit everything we needed for a days shooting with 35 1.4 attached and a 50 1.2, 85 1.2, and 100 2.8 macro in the bag. The hard but flexible liner thing is really useful. I rather appreciated the practice of seeing just how efficient I could get with what I did and did not carry.

Was shooting last few week in about 3 locations per day with a tiny crew - everything on a tripod and camera more rigged out (AB battery, rails, Atomos, etc). Finishing that shoot now with a slightly larger crew (and a totally incredible gaffer), everything still on a tripod, shooting in 6-8 locations per day in the same general area (usually a complex of large buildings). The job still demands to be quite nimble, but in a very different way than the doc. I thought that the Portabrace backpack would work a lot, but instead I'm finding it much better to use the director's Portabrace go bag (medium duffle, stiff sides). Don't have to breakdown the camera much and quicker for the AC to get the camera to the next location. Haven't used the backpack at all. Just not the right tool for this job.

That said, I'm sure I'll use the backpack often for when it fits the circumstance. I'm also digging loading it up and walking the streets of old Brooklyn. Carries fairly well for what it is. The quality on the Portabrace seems super solid.

I hope this makes sense and proves useful. I'm a little loopy and the days are only getting longer. Wishing you well in all things.
Click to expand...


Hey Kohl

Thanks for following up with us! Super helpful to hear about. I still have my old Tenba Roadie backpack, which was perfect for my C100, and I'm able to just barely fit my C300 in but its not ideal.

That Portabrace looks great but probably fairly large as well. Is it something that you could bring as carry-on or way too big for that?
 
Sean:

You can carry on the Cinebags CB25 or the PortaBrace BK-C300 as long as you have not overstuffed them. Neither will fit in smaller commuter plane overheads, you have to sacrfice your footroom for those flights. If you make them too thick, they will either barely fit or will not fit into standard overhead. A tip is to remove your laptop from the outer laptop pocket and put it on your lap or the little area on the back of the seat in front of you if you have a hard time cramming it into overhead and it being too thick. IMHO, it seems as if either is a great backpack, I am still on the fence on which one I will buy to replace my rapidly wearing out CB25, which I will still keep for two or three camera shoots, it's just getting a little too beat up to keep as my main.
 
puredrifting said:
Sean:

You can carry on the Cinebags CB25 or the PortaBrace BK-C300 as long as you have not overstuffed them. Neither will fit in smaller commuter plane overheads, you have to sacrfice your footroom for those flights. If you make them too thick, they will either barely fit or will not fit into standard overhead. A tip is to remove your laptop from the outer laptop pocket and put it on your lap or the little area on the back of the seat in front of you if you have a hard time cramming it into overhead and it being too thick. IMHO, it seems as if either is a great backpack, I am still on the fence on which one I will buy to replace my rapidly wearing out CB25, which I will still keep for two or three camera shoots, it's just getting a little too beat up to keep as my main.
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Thanks for that feedback, that's good to know. With a C300 MKII in the PortaBrace and a modest amount of other equipment it would be fine though, do you think?
 
puredrifting said:
You can carry on the Cinebags CB25... as long as you have not overstuffed them...
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While perhaps true (and it's generally up to the crew working the gate), the CB25 is technically over the dims limit for most airlines. And with that said, the CB23 is my choice for coast-to-coast travel.
 
control4userguy said:
While perhaps true (and it's generally up to the crew working the gate), the CB25 is technically over the dims limit for most airlines. And with that said, the CB23 is my choice for coast-to-coast travel.
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I have never been forced to check it after hundreds of flights all over the place. it will easily fit in any standard overhead space. But yes, those sizing devices they have at the gates, I tend to ignore those and not stand very close to them so no gate people are tempted to ask me to see if it fits.
 
seanarmada said:
Hey Kohl

Thanks for following up with us! Super helpful to hear about. I still have my old Tenba Roadie backpack, which was perfect for my C100, and I'm able to just barely fit my C300 in but its not ideal.

That Portabrace looks great but probably fairly large as well. Is it something that you could bring as carry-on or way too big for that?
Click to expand...

The Portabrace is bulky for sure. Caveat of the purpose-built backpack it seems. I haven't tried to carry it on yet. As I'm just back from a looong drive home from a job. I'm sorely tempted to try bringing it on the plane next time.

puredrifting said:
I have never been forced to check it after hundreds of flights all over the place. it will easily fit in any standard overhead space. But yes, those sizing devices they have at the gates, I tend to ignore those and not stand very close to them so no gate people are tempted to ask me to see if it fits.
Click to expand...

This is very awesome to know. I'm going to give it a shot.

I've been asked to wrestle with the sizing device once... A non-camera related travel experience that found me jamming a Mystery Ranch backpack into one of those things. Must've looked beyond ridiculous as I battled the metal bars, trying to fit the bag as the counter person said 'that's not going to work'. When she saw the ticket was business class she said it wasn't a problem and why didn't I tell her in the first place. I declined the opportunity to respond. So it goes.

Will check out the cinebags you've mentioned. They look pretty great.
 
I have had to resort to the, "Look, I am a photographer and this backpack contains a camera body and lenses that cost about twenty thousand dollars, so I can't gate check it". The flight attendants are usually understanding, some have offered to stash it in their jacket closet when overheads were full. I always figure if worse came to worse, I could remove the camera body and lenses and hold them or put them at my feel under the seat in front of me if I was forced to gate check the backpack. Flying can be the best experience or a nightmare and it's luck of the draw. But I have been pretty lucky and have never had to check the backpack.
 
^Certainly, I've ducked all attempts for those folks to pull me aside just as I enter the craft or the pesky attendant who might notice me struggling with the CB in an overhead. For reference, I don't carry anything more than a C100, 70-210, either 11-24 or a 24-105 and the charger w/two cells in a 23 main interior. Stuffing the outer pockets full starts to create fit issues in some overheads and certainly won't fit under seat. I can't imagine a 25 going under the seat ahead...

CB25- 25x13x11, CB23- 19x10.5x9. It's close until you step onto a Spirit flight...
 
Nice! I've heard good things also.

PS I've been meaning to ask you to share some of your work. I don't see a ton of C300 MKII projects floating around and I'm super curious what you're up to these days.
 
Kohl said:
Some is either in-progress long form docs or weird art stuff I do pseudonymously. That said, here's a spot we shot earlier in the year for regional broadcast. There's bunch of different versions there. This one is my favorite.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8w37JOJk0&index=7&list=PLIBb0hQLfyJohy3225qzh_-pRmxFGCuVQ
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I really like this spot, it's nicely done, but on my screen, it looks highly interlaced, the images tear around the edges. Did you shoot it 60i or did it somehow get converted from 24p to 60i somewhere along the chain? I had a New York client who made me shoot a presentation in 60i last year and I had forgotten how nasty interlaced looks on computers.
 
puredrifting said:
I really like this spot, it's nicely done, but on my screen, it looks highly interlaced, the images tear around the edges. Did you shoot it 60i or did it somehow get converted from 24p to 60i somewhere along the chain? I had a New York client who made me shoot a presentation in 60i last year and I had forgotten how nasty interlaced looks on computers.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words.

We shot 24p. And yeah, unfortunately, the interlacing is painfully obvious. Part of why I don't post links to broadcast work that wasn't also finished for a web deliverable. That's 'their' decision, I'm out of the picture by then. Guessing they play these ads during news broadcast or something.

Shooting in 60i might cause me physical pain.

Siderant that has nothing to do with the topic of this thread - Apologies to seanarmada in advance:

Outside of going to a movie theater, a person has to be a bit proactive to see films, tv shows, etc at the frame rate in which they were shot. TV 'Motion Smoothing', anything on Apple TV, iTunes, on a Mac... it all has a 3:2 pull down. All those beautifully smooth tracking shots, pans, booms, etc... butchered. Part of why I only watch stuff on a projector and stream through nVidia Shield.

And bringing it back to this thread - I picked up a Cinebags 25 per your suggestion earlier in the thread. Great backpack!
 
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