Mephistopheles

Nothing. I don't use my cameras every day.
I have different defaults according to which camera / cameras I plan to use, and what the expected requirements are. Every day presents different opportunities, so the needs vary.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Right, Mike, I forgot ... and the 100-400 was going to be my next guess ... but, I thought I'd let you tell it ...

Glad you like that 100 Macro for its shape ...

I wonder, though - does that make it a trickier fit in a snug kit bag, or no?

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Oh, okay, Mephisto ...

So, you repack your kit bag every time you go on a shoot, do you?

Mephistopheles

In a word, yes. I do have a couple of default configurations, it is designed to be modular, so it's a very simple task. Just like checking that batteries are charged and so on, I swap lenses, filters, flashes, other stuff in and out depending upon expected needs. Do I need a fisheye? An ultrawide? Do I want large aperture lenses? Do I plan to use manual or autofocus lenses? Am I walking, driving, or flying? Domestically or internationally? Are my needs specific and limited, or general and unpredictable? Which lens hoods do I need?

Get the drift? I also have several bags, so have many options, many prepped for grab and go if all I need to do is sling them in a vehicle with a lockable and impenetrable trunk/storage area so they can't be stolen by breaking a window.

M

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Sure, Mephisto ... I get the drift ... you do not keep a kit bag ready-packed with what you need, in order to go on a shoot at a moment's notice ... all of your shoots are long-term affairs, planned well in advance ... so, you take plenty of time, deciding what you will need, when it gets near time to go ...

Mephistopheles

Actually, you don't get it at all. I have a number of default configurations, and the ability to reconfigure things in just a few minutes. There are a couple of core bags - film and digital for example, modular attachments, some fully packed roller cases with lighting equipment, different tripod options, so I have a choice of grab bags, but I know how to do stuff at a moments notice. The large part of that is preparation and preplanning.

It's decades of road warrior stuff. Just the beach, downtown, New York, Paris, or Moscow? It all takes preparation and knowing what you need, and what you can take. I can walk out of my house in about thirty seconds with the choice of a couple of default configurations that will do the job for camera equipment. I know where my passport is. TSA pre. My defaults will fit under any airline seat. Clothes for different climates. Check in online, print a boarding pass, through security, and sitting in the bar in under fifteen minutes from being dropped off. It is all possible, the whole process for international travel can be done in one to two hours if needed.

You see, I know where my towel is! Anyhow, it's Samhain. You got a Soul cake?

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Yeah, I know, Mephisto ... that was just my quick "take" on what you wrote ... glad you elaborated further ... TSA pre? ... What's that?

As for the last line you wrote ... I haven't a clue!!!!

Mephistopheles

TSA pre is something that US-based air travelers know about. It makes the whole process easier, especially when traveling with camera equipment.

The last line? I thought you were a Limey transplanted to New England from your location information. I assumed you would have at least some knowledge of local lore, either British, Celtic, or from places such as Salem Massachusetts? Even classic literature at a stretch!

Why don't you have a clue? Why don't you know where your towel is? Have you ever gotten the hang of Thursdays? Did you even know which day it was? Don't you have a soul? Don't you know who Gordon Sumner is?

btbg

They can be used that way or to trigger flash. One on your camera and one on the off camera flash and it triggers the flash. One on the camera and one in your hand and it works like a remote.

Range seems to be about 100 yards if you have a clear line of sight. A practical application might be to put a camera under the rail at a horse race with a wide angle lens and then shoot from the grand stands when the horses are in front of the camera.

The other useful application would be to put a flash or flashes away from the camera, I do this frequently when shooting wrestling with a flash at ground level to put fill into the wrestlers faces when they are competing under a spotlight.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

I see ... wish I'd known about it, 45 years ago ... the nice folks at Gatwick seized my entire kit when I returned there in 72 ... nothing I could do about it ... the whole lot - down the tubes ...

That was my second time back home ... transplanted I am ... but back and forth, now, several times, none-the-less ....

I DO know where my towel is - hanging on the shower curtain rod in my upstairs bathroom ... but, what's that got to do with you, Mephisto?

Is there something about Thursdays, you think I should know? ... Better let me know, quick - as we just started one ....

Not sure about the soul ... but I have 33 pairs of shoes with two heels each ... and I think - a sole, is on each one, too ...

I do enjoy Sting's music ... and have enjoyed the one or two films he's been in ...

But, as far as being an aficionado of his music (and that of The Police, prior) I guess I'm not in tune with everything he's written ...

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

That's neat, BTBG ... will have to look into that ... is it a generic term ... or is that the actual name?

Mephistopheles

Well you're a little light on your UK cultural knowledge and references, but don't panic, at least not yet, it's mostly harmless. As for domestic and international travel, a little more knowledge about how to navigate the system could be beneficial, but, hey, you do what you do.

As for Gordon Sumner and British traditions, here you go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu8H5rA9HuA

It was Halloween after all...

Not all those that wander are lost, but some may be! Don't miss the last ship, however!....

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Perhaps, light only on the UK cultural knowledge - YOU're referring to ... but, I'll bet I could dazzle you with other stuff ...

Never traveled on a ship ... other than ferry boats ...

Who's wandering?

I'm wondering ... about YOU, tho' Mephisto ... with THIS little entry ....