My Gear #1 - Bellamy Hunt

Hey all, Japancamerahunter here. I am very happy to be the first of what is hoped to be many of the Get Your Gear Out bags.

As some of you may know I run the 'In Your Bag' feature on JapanCameraHunter.com and it has been a roaring success. Matt has asked me to contribute to a similar (but slightly different) concept for his site.

This bag shot is about why and how, rather than the what, which is the focus of my site.

So, on to my bag.

This is my daily bag and the bag I shall be taking on my upcoming trip to Hong Kong:

- Domke F-5XB.

I carry this bag everywhere and the more it gets beaten the more I like it. It is small and inconspicuous, but large enough to jam my camera and a load of bits in. I will use this bag until it is completely dead and then I shall buy another. I have been through many different bags but this is the one that has been with me day to day. It is small but big enough to hold a decent amount of daily gear. It is tough and the waxwear makes it rainproof.

- Leica MP-6 with 35mm Chrome Summicron ASPH and Leicavit.

This is my daily camera. I have been through a great deal of cameras in the past, but this is the one that I have felt most comfortable with on a daily basis. I loved my M6 and it has found a happy home, but this one is everything I need in a camera. I shoot street and the 35mm lens is the perfect focal length for me and my particular style. I like to be close so shooting with this camera at 1m is really comfortable. The Leicavit winder is a new addition and something I am getting used to. It balances out the camera well and makes it possible with practice to shoot a lot faster. I use this camera almost everyday and I can already feel it becoming my camera. As for the why, I use this because I feel like it is the pinnacle of camera engineering and it will never let me down. It feels solid and I know that I am prepared to shoot when it is in my hand. I never put on a lens cap, it is always ready. I make sure it is always set for the right speed, it has become second nature to do so.

- Nikon FE2 with 45mm Ai-P Nikkor.

I used to have several Nikon SLR's and loved them all. But each one had its quirks and some of them were very heavy. I eventually sold them all off and kept the FE2. Why? Well, it is light, extremely capable, has a nice meter, and the finder is lovely and bright. The 45mm lens suits this camera perfectly too. As I shoot mainly street I have found this lens to be really good for bright days. The contrast is fantastic and the sharpness is unreal. I usually bring this camera for when I want to shoot a bit more slowly and take my time about things. Added to that I have a long lasting love affair with Nikon, so I have to have one somewhere.

- George the Pig.

George is my mascot. He brings me luck and he is also brilliant at making people relax if I am taking portraits. He is a welcome distraction and people will give me a great smile when they see him, especially kids. Say hello to the world George, you are a star now.

- Blower.

Things get dusty and I am not one to blow spit all over my lenses.

- Microfibre cloth.

I love these, they are great for my glasses and my lenses. But they also work on my phone.

- iPhone 5.

It is what it is. A useful tool. I used to carry a compact digital camera in my bag to cover things for the site, but this has basically replaced it. The camera is good enough for the images to be uploaded without trouble and I can put things together on the move.

- JapanCameraHunter film case

I made these and I always carry one. I like to have a few rolls handy, especially in Hong Kong. It is usually full of about 8 rolls of Monochrome (Neopan 400, Ilford XP-2) and a couple of rolls of colour film. I hate having my film rolling around in my bag so this makes my life easier. This was not my idea, I got this from Fujifilm, but they stopped making them. So I resurrected the idea and started making them again. In hong kong I tend to shoot quite a lot, so it would not be impossible to use up one of these in a day. I usually bring about 40-50 rolls for a trip to HK.

This is what I shall be walking around Hong Kong with. It has everything I need. I shoot a lot of street work and I walk around the backstreets a lot, so I don't want to carry a lot of gear and I want everything to be quickly accessible. Obviously there will also be a bottle of water there somewhere, but this is how I like it. Simple and lean.

Check out other peoples bags, general photography tips and features on my site:

http://japancamerahunter.com/

Follow me on twitter:

https://twitter.com/Jpncamerahunter

Check out my Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/Japancamerahunter

And my tumblr

http://www.tumblr.com/blog/japancamerahunter

Many thanks to you all and happy shooting. Keep on doing what you love.

Great stuff Bellamy. To get involved follow the instructions here.