The perfect bag for 4x5 photography (August 2022)

Introduction

Large-format photography, there is nothing quite like it. It’s slow, methodical and almost like a form of meditation. It can be scary, it can be aggravating, you can’t cut corners, and you need to have the dance down to a tee otherwise you will find yourself making expensive mistakes.

That said, if you keep your cool and stay focused, the results each image gives you are like nothing else. The immense subject isolation, the level of detail in each neg, and the unique perspective you can get from using the movements on the cameras. When you pull images like this from the tank, it makes all the hardship during the shooting process worth it.

Over the past few months, I have started to shoot large-format again. I sold almost all of my old kit. I sold the intrepid, my 135 Symmar and 210 Nikkor back in 2020 as I thought I was over the format. The biggest advantage to starting from scratch was that I now had a much better idea of what I wanted to shoot, what my priorities were with lens choice and where I could make improvements to enhance the workflow and make it more enjoyable to work with.

My first step was to get a completely new set of different focal lengths. I swapped out the 135 for a 150, I’m not sure why but I found the 45mm equiv (FF/35mm) hard to compose with, this time I thought I would go for the do it all 50mm equiv (ditto). I was set on getting Nikkor glass for this kit as I loved the results from the 210. With that in mind, I picked up the Nikkor 150 f/5.6 and it’s fantastic, already I feel so much more comfortable with this lens.

Secondly, I picked up a new camera. I knew I still wanted a field camera over a monorail or press camera. I also knew I didn’t want another Intrepid, by the end of my time with the camera it was practically falling to bits. Those who watched my video on LF will know I had to make several adjustments and modifications to fix and improve the reliability of the camera. Intrepids are cheap and cheerful, in a good way but the build quality really put me off using it.

I was looking at a Chamonix as they get great reviews, and are still rather affordable, especially in comparison to the European hardwood cameras, plus I could ask a few people I chat to regularly in the film community that have used them what they think of theirs. In short, the camera is fantastic and has put LF on another level for me. It's fantastic and I would now recommend people to skip the intrepid entirely!

I am still using Albert the tripod but feel I need something a bit taller as I am finding the majority of times I am using the centre column to bring the camera up to eye level to stop me from slouching.

Film holders are film holders. I have a box full of shutter cables so that wasn’t a problem and HP5 is the GOAT and is almost always available for purchase. The only other thing I really thought about upgrading was a bag to carry all this kit in.

Bags on bags on bags

With my last kit I feel I may have gone a bit over the top. I was watching a lot of Matt Marrash videos in the early days of my large format journey. Typically Matt makes videos whilst hiking or on a walking trail in a national park. At the time I was doing a lot of forestry photography to a certain degree similar to Matt. The differences between Matt and myself though are that Matt shoots predominantly 10x8 and I was shooting 5x4, plus the fact that a national park in the midwest is almost three times the size of a national forest here in the east midlands.

Back then I went way overkill with a 36L thinktankphoto backpack. It’s a great backpack and it is great for carrying tons of kit but it’s absolutely massive! with my new kit, I thought “If I am going to shoot LF I want it to be portable”

The Jumper

Some products stick with you. The Jumper by Brevitē is one of those products. I always wanted one after seeing it in both its green and tan variant. Last year I picked one just as an everyday backpack for work as quite often I find myself carrying a camera with me. I also found it fantastic as a dedicated camera bag when out and about shooting my own bits. I never really intended on it being my first choice for a largeformat kit bag but when I saw the case my Chamonix arrived in it looked like it would fit perfectly into the camera compartment.

Tour

Although I really like the tan and green versions of the back I picked up the black one as I was intending to use it for work. The bag really doesn’t look like a camera bag which is the main reason for purchasing the bag. The only part of the bag that slightly gives away evidence of it containing a camera would be the side access flap. Personally, I’ve never used these doors on any camera backpack I’ve owned. It’s always made to look quick and easy in the marketing material but in truth, it’s a faff.

Also on the exterior of the bag is a front pocket ideal for notebooks and other bits and bob. On the bottom some straps designed to hold a small travel tripod. The side in the home to a pouch perfect for bottles but I typically use this to hold my tripod using the strap on the side to secure it in place. Finally, there is a hidden pocket which is only really useful for documents, business cards and the like.

On delivery, the bag is set up with one large compartment as an everyday backpack. You can easily split the void in half by pulling back on the built-in divider. The bottom half becomes the camera compartment and the top remains as an everyday item storage space. The bag also comes with dividers that you can position the customise how you want the bag to be set up. When shooting LF with this bag I just leave the dividers at home.

The way in which I have organised the base of the bag is as follows, first the camera body with the space down the side to fit my light meter. Next, my dark cloth folding up can be placed on top and the front panel can be closed.

I’m not the sort to write down settings, location or the ambience of the scene. If I do want the data I’m more likely to store the information digitally using either a viewfinder app or the notes app. For this reason, the front pocket is used for holding my film holders. This pouch I picked up on amazon holds three film holders and fits perfectly into the front pocket of the jumper.

As previously mentioned I use the pouch on the side to hold my tripod so let’s move up to the top of the bag. There are not any dividers for the top of the bag, everything here is loose. I have looked for a small insert for here but I have not found anything as of yet. I have two lenses in wraps which sit nicely next to each other. I also store my loupe, filters and shutter release cables in this compartment.

It’s a little bit of a tight fit but this is as much I find myself carrying on large-format outings. So that settles it then, this is the best bag setup for a lightweight 5x4 system?

Well not quite

Nobody is perfect and The Jumper certainly isn’t either. My main issue is with the operation, build and comfort of the bag.

The zips are decent, I like the fact all bar the slide pocket, have double zips allowing the bag to be opened from any point rather than just the left or right-hand side of the bag. The issue that I have with the operation is how you access the camera compartment.

Look at the debris from on the back of the bag

In order to get the kit out of the bag, you have to place it on the ground and then open the compartment. This isn’t an issue with my think tank as the bag is placed face down and the camera compartment is accessed through the back. The Jumper on the other hand is placed back down onto the floor and the access is through the front of the bag.

The real issue surfaces when you pack the bag back up and put it back on to go to the next location. On every single outing, I have returned from I have come home with an absolutely filthy back.

Another aspect I want to talk about is the tripod holder on the bottom of the bag. I put my tripod on the side of the bag because almost every time I have used the straps on the bottom the tripod has either slipped out of place making the bag sit on my back off centre. I could just be using the straps incorrectly but I feel some rubber or other grippy material on the bottom of the bag could help remedy this issue.

Next, I want to talk about the build of the bag. It’s made from decent materials and feels premium for the most part. It’s built to be lightweight and portable which is excellent, I find it takes a toll on the comfort of the bag.

The reason I have to pack the bag in the way that I do is that there is no extra support on the back of the bag. There is some padding on the back of the bag but it is incredibly thin. If I were to place the dark cloth in the bag first it creates an uncomfortable bump that not only sticks in my back but also seems to upset the balance of the bag. If the bag is packed as I have shown then it’s not an issue but more back support is always welcomed.

Next, I want to talk about the straps. These are crucial to get right on a bag. They are supposed to not only give you the ability to carry the bag on your back but also to help spread the weight across your shoulders to make the bag comfortable to wear. As harsh as it may sound these have to be the absolute worst design for straps on a bag ever! They look like they were added as an afterthought, they look like how a child would draw a backpack, they are definitely the worst straps I have ever used on a backpack. They are incredibly thin offer no real support across your shoulders and to a certain degree feel like the first things that are going to break on the bag.

The bag is still usable for short periods of time or if you aren’t loading it up as much as I have in this case. When I saw the announcement of The Jumper L, a larger version of the standard Jumper. I was quite excited to see it as I thought that they might have to change the straps to accommodate a bigger payload. To my surprise, they decided to go ahead with the exact same naff straps they have on my bag.

Not to go on a tangent but why did they remove the stag logo on the larger bag, whilst it’s only cosmetic I always thought it was quite cool!

On the bright side

I like the brand I like the design and style of the brand. What I would love to see would be a new Jumper style bag with better support, access to the camera compartment via the back and improved tripod storage. That said, The Jumper by Brevitē is by far the best bag that I have tried for my lightweight large format setup.

The only other bag I have considered is the Wandrd Prvke V3, I am sure it is heavier and looks more utilitarian than the Brevitē but it looks like it was made for my exact use case, so if there is anyone at Wandrd that wants to donate a bag for a review, get in touch! 😉

I aim to keep these articles free!

That said it does cost money to host this website. For your consideration I will advertise my own products below that will go towards keeping this website up and running for the foreseeable future.

Featured