Zoom F4 Bag?

M

Muskoka

Member
After not insignificant research including everything I've read here, I've decided the Zoom F4 fits my needs best (vs the newest offerings from SD), primarily for talking head work along with occasional walk & talk to the camera pieces and some small documetary-style projects, and am now looking for a bag for it. I'll be using the Zoom with up to 3 wireless receivers (either RODE or Sennheiser) at a time as well as a RODE NTG2. I've looked at the (formerly Petrol) Sachtler 601, the ORCA OR-27 and a couple of different Porta Brace bags, not being especially fancy on the bags from Zoom. Can anyone chime in with their recommendation and why their choice is better than the others?

And, I'm curious; beyond the see through rain cover, why do audio bags not have an actual closing top for transport/storage? As a long time stills shooter, it strikes me as strange not to be able to close a bag up at the end of the day.
 
Bought the Orca OR-28 and Orca Light Harness OR-400 for the F4. The OR-28 can contain the F4, plus 4 wireless receivers, short cables to connect the receivers to the F4, headphones, some extra batteries - and that's about it. The transmitters, shotgun mic(s) and long XLR cable(s) need additional bag, just to carry them. I found the small size and lightweight of the OR-28 very comfortable.
 
You need to work out how its going to be used...
Do you want to carry ALL your gear in it? .... Spare cables as well?
Do you want to carry both Rx and Tx wireless systems or just the Rx units?
Do you intend to go RF send to a camera or a breakaway cable or just TimeCode only?
How many spare batteries will you need to carry?
What are you powering the kit with and do you need a battery distribution set up?
What other additional things do you need to carry?
Are you going to use it with a full harness or just a shoulder strap?

I bought th F4 and have gone with my Petrol 607 bag (previously used for my Shure FP33)..... BUT found it to be to small for my needs as I have now increased my RF systems from 2 to 3 [Sony UPW-D 11/16]. So that means 3x Rx units, 3x Tx units, and associated wind screens / covers etc., a plug on Tx unit to be used if needed for a wireless boom.
I also use a Comtek Tx for a camera link, so the Tx and Rx need to fit into the bag while traveling.
 
Working more often than not as a one man band, I'd be using the bag with just a shoulder strap and my preference is to have one single audio bag both for use on set and for storage/transport. I don't currently use nor have plans to acquire any RF capabilities, sending audio to the camera via a breakaway cable and will be powering the F4 with an external USB battery pack via the supplied hirose adapter. That battery takes up roughly the space of a large lav Rx. In use on set the bag would carry the F4, the USB battery and 2-3 lav Rx.

For storage & transport, I'd need the bag to generally house the F4, 3x-Rx/Tx lav sets, a RODE NTG2 with their W6 wind shield, a couple of XLR cables (15' & 25') and a pair of Sennheiser HD280 headphones. The cables and headphones can be lashed to the outside of the bag - they don't necessarily need to be inside, and I use a Manfrotto 420b stand for the NTG2 that goes into my lighting kit so I don't need to concern myself with storing a boom on the bag. Plus or minus a couple of components (like your Comtek), we're basically carrying roughly the same amount of kit.

OzGizmo said:
You need to work out how its going to be used...
Do you want to carry ALL your gear in it? .... Spare cables as well?
Do you want to carry both Rx and Tx wireless systems or just the Rx units?
Do you intend to go RF send to a camera or a breakaway cable or just TimeCode only?
How many spare batteries will you need to carry?
What are you powering the kit with and do you need a battery distribution set up?
What other additional things do you need to carry?
Are you going to use it with a full harness or just a shoulder strap?

I bought th F4 and have gone with my Petrol 607 bag (previously used for my Shure FP33)..... BUT found it to be to small for my needs as I have now increased my RF systems from 2 to 3 [Sony UPW-D 11/16]. So that means 3x Rx units, 3x Tx units, and associated wind screens / covers etc., a plug on Tx unit to be used if needed for a wireless boom.
I also use a Comtek Tx for a camera link, so the Tx and Rx need to fit into the bag while traveling.
Click to expand...
 
Muskoka said:
Working more often than not as a one man band,
…
Click to expand...
Because of usually I work as a one-man-band, I found it more convenient to have the bag that's on me during the shoot as small and lightweight as possible. I have another, simple, bag that holds the shotgun mic, extra cables, wireless transmitters, lavalier mics, boom pole and sometimes 'Zeppelin' Blimp. The carry-on bag goes into it for transporting and moving around.
 
Muskoka said:
...And, I'm curious; beyond the see through rain cover, why do audio bags not have an actual closing top for transport/storage? As a long time stills shooter, it strikes me as strange not to be able to close a bag up at the end of the day.
Click to expand...

Well you are working in the bag where with photography you are working with the camera and using the bag for storage. Think of what a pian it would be if you had to work your camera IN your camera bag.

So short answer is an audio bag is closer to a camera's case than a camera bag.
 
And all of the makes perfect sense, of course. My question was more about being able to (or not being able to) close the bag up for transport & storage, not so much about fighting it like a dog with a towel while working out of it on set.

Noiz2 said:
Well you are working in the bag where with photography you are working with the camera and using the bag for storage. Think of what a pian it would be if you had to work your camera IN your camera bag.

So short answer is an audio bag is closer to a camera's case than a camera bag.
Click to expand...
 
I think you missed my point. The features that would make it good for transport would make it bad to work with.
Now there probably is a market for a two part bag, basically one you can strip off the travel protection parts of for working.

But then you would still need cases for the rest of your audio gear. So in one sense I am already doing the this. My recorder& preamp live in a portabrace bag set up for working and I have another PortaBrace case that I put the recorder case into for traveling around. I actually have two cases that I use for the later. One is an old camera bag that is enough for short or simple jobs and the PortaBrace case is just small enough to qualify for carry on. So everything fits in the travel case including mics and a short boom, paperwork, tools, extra batteries, chargers, snacks, cables, etc.
A side benefit is that case can also be used as an excellent suitcase. It's a lot easier (for me) to carry it with it's shoulder strap that wheeling one of the more standard suitcases and it holds more.
The case is this one
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=porta brace szw-3&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ps
Though, wow the price is kind of steep now.
Regardless it is a really great case that looks almost new (mine is PB Blue but it looks like it only comes in black now?) and it has been in use for??? well over ten years, maybe as much as 20, with a lot of air travel. Not that surprising since I have a spare preamp case that I was given that had been in use since late 70's/early 80's and it hardly looks used.

The smaller one is an old camera bag from a photographer friend that isn't made any more but it's basically this bag
https://www.tamrac.com/products/stratus-21.

Very versatile lots of storage. Not the volume as the case and doesn't pack up in a neat travel package for flying. The PB case has been checked a number of times, sometimes you get to the gate and they are not allowing any "carry-on" luggage either because the plane is too small or???, You would never want to hand the smaller bag off to TSA it just doesn't close up tight enough.
 
Muskoka said:
After not insignificant research including everything I've read here, I've decided the Zoom F4 fits my needs best (vs the newest offerings from SD), primarily for talking head work along with occasional walk & talk to the camera pieces and some small documetary-style projects, and am now looking for a bag for it. I'll be using the Zoom with up to 3 wireless receivers (either RODE or Sennheiser) at a time as well as a RODE NTG2. I've looked at the (formerly Petrol) Sachtler 601, the ORCA OR-27 and a couple of different Porta Brace bags, not being especially fancy on the bags from Zoom. Can anyone chime in with their recommendation and why their choice is better than the others?

And, I'm curious; beyond the see through rain cover, why do audio bags not have an actual closing top for transport/storage? As a long time stills shooter, it strikes me as strange not to be able to close a bag up at the end of the day.
Click to expand...

Avoid RODE wireless, as for practical usage as a location sound recordist their transmitter packs are just way way too bulky.

Sennheiser G3 or Sony UWP-D11 are basically the same price to buy new, but I find Sony to have the edge when talking about features (and is why I own five of them! But never purchased a Sennheiser, even though I've many times used them).

I reckon an Aputure Deity Kit is a better buy than a RODE NTG2 (although if you're looking at getting a NTG2 secondhand then you can find some crazy low prices, which makes it worthwhile to buy).

Plus you want another mic for most indoor scenarios, even a cheap iSK Little Gem / Samson C02 might get you by until you can afford something better.
 
IronFilm said:
Avoid RODE wireless, as for practical usage as a location sound recordist their transmitter packs are just way way too bulky.

Sennheiser G3 or Sony UWP-D11 are basically the same price to buy new, but I find Sony to have the edge when talking about features (and is why I own five of them! But never purchased a Sennheiser, even though I've many times used them).

I reckon an Aputure Deity Kit is a better buy than a RODE NTG2 (although if you're looking at getting a NTG2 secondhand then you can find some crazy low prices, which makes it worthwhile to buy).

Plus you want another mic for most indoor scenarios, even a cheap iSK Little Gem / Samson C02 might get you by until you can afford something better.
Click to expand...

I already own the NTG2, having bought it second hand in great condition for my own kit for below half the cost of a new one (and sold my old RODE Videomic for more than I thought it was worth so ended up up netting out on the NTG2 for $50).

My current wireless is the dual channel Audio Technica 1800 series which I rather like, but this kit is being largely bankrolled by a new client for whom I'll be doing the bulk of shooting with it, and will occasionally need as many as 3 individuals mic'd up so will be looking for a set of lav kits to maintain sameness across the board. Have heard good things about the RODE from many, though do know that Sennheiser is the defacto standard at that pricepoint.
 
I just received my Orca OR-28 this week for my F4 and so far I like it quite a lot! The default placement of the main divider going down the middle needed to be nudged to fit both the F4 and the risers. The pocket that's on the bottom-side of the recorder is perfect for a big Anker portable USB cell hooked up with a 5V to 12V conversion cable. There's just enough room in the sides to fit straight XLR connectors on the input side and straight headphone cable and hirose cable on the output side. Seems like it'll comfortably fit my pair of RodeLink receivers on the other side of the divider. Overall seems like a pretty good bag for the F4 if you don't have more than a handful of wireless receivers. I plan on using it in tandem with another bag for auxiliary equipment. Right now I'm mostly going to be using it as a bag for field recording though because most of my needs otherwise for the F4 are OMB interview setups with the F4 mounted to the tripod.
 
Noiz2 said:
...I have another PortaBrace case that I put the recorder case into for traveling around.
Click to expand...

A case for your case. I hadn't considered that, but it's a great idea. I have an old Mountainsmith bag that I used to use for a run & gun lighting kit (strobes that I've since sold off) for quick & dirty location portraits that I think might fit a sound bag perfectly. It's similar in design to the PortaBrace drop-in cases & has a top handle and a complete rubber bottom;

lightingkit.jpg

It too has been subjected to being gate-checked a couple of times when flying and came out the other end no worse for wear (though handing off a bag of gear is almost like surrendering a kid).

Wanting only to buy a sound bag once, I think I'm leaning toward an ORCA OC-30 to have just a little extra breathing room in the bag in the event I should need to add an extra RX or other mission-critical gear as I move forward with this client.
 
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