In your bag number 178, Stephen Patterson
Todays bag comes by way of mainland China. Stephen has a fantastic bag for us, so lets see what he is keeping in his bag…

Below is my submission for “What’s in Your Bag” on Japan Camera Hunter. I’ve enjoyed following along with these, as well as seeing some of my friends (Jason Howe, Todd Hatakeyama among others) send in their photos.

My wife Tina and I have worked and lived in both the US and Shenzhen for many years, but in January we took the plunge and moved full time to Hubei Province in central China. In addition to opening a foreign language academy I am writing a book on my observations as the only westerner living in a town of 700,000 Chinese. Until my blog is published (argh, computers!!!) you can see some of my work at www.500px.com/seafurydriver

Stephen Patterson
Laifeng, China

Backpack
Ona “Camps Bay” waxed canvas with leather straps. There is a divided bottom section for lenses and bodies, and a top compartment for personal items, jacket, computer, etc. This backpack is comfortable and water repellant in the rain, stays out of my way when shooting, and is not flashy to the locals.

Hat
Dorfman Pacific Co. waxed canvas model. Perfect in the rain or hot sun. Completely crushable for storage in the side pocket of the backpack. The brim has a metal loop in the outer edge which can be quickly formed and adjusted to block the elements but not get in the way of shooting. Also has a chin strap which is invaluable when riding my motor scooter.

Lenses
Leica glass except for the Hyperprime which is a new lens from SLR Magic in Hong Kong that I am trying out. This lens is a T/0.95 and equates to an f/0.92 wide open.

18/3.8 and 21/3.4 Super Elmar M
35/1.4 (FLE) and 50/1.4 Summilux ASPH
50/0.92 Hyperprime
90/2.8 Elmarit-M

Camera Bodies
Leica M9-P with Gordy’s strap and Luigi half case (added black dot just because)
Leica M2 with A&A strap and half case

Photography Accessories
Leica Universal Viewfinder (aka The Frankenfinder). The bubble level, adjustable frame lines from 16-28 and parralax correction make this the very best external viewfinder.
Leica D-Lux 5 (for video and macro).
Pelican SD Holder, film (Tri-X and HP5), extra batteries
Colorchecker Passport, very handy for taking a quick manual w/b or color reference shot.

Personal Accessories
Field Notes Notebook – I stock up on these every time I go south to Hong Kong.
Leica Pen – Courtesy of Tom Smith and Tom Brichta, Leica Akademie NA.
Peoples Republic of China Alien Employment Permit necessary…
Cash (carried inside Alien Employment Permit) necessary…
iPad 3 – Mainly for entertainment but I do have NIK Software’s “Snapseed” installed which is a great little program. Mostly I shoot DNG files and edit on a 13” MBA.
Cigarettes, “Chung Hua” brand – Often used to break the ice when talking to locals trying to get photos and portraits. A cheap lighter because I constantly loose them in airports.
Personal Hygiene Kit – Lip balm, hand sanitizer and sun block.
Bell & Ross BR01-92 – mechanical watch.
Buddhist Prayer Beads – Given to me by my Chinese mother-in-law.
Pocket Knife (cheap) – A multitude of uses, but I constantly loose them in airports.
Jambox Speaker – My friend William Palank, the skilled travel photographer from San Francisco, (www.williampalankphoto.com) told me about the Jambox, and it’s a wonderful accessory to travel with. Connects via blutooth and lets you share music with a group of people. Wonderful for bringing Jazz to central China.

Thanks for sharing this brilliant bag with us Stephen, I love the cultural references and the Chinese smokes. Please check out the links and make sure you comment.

Keep them coming folks, we need more submissions, so get your bag on Japancamerahunter.com. Send me a hi resolution image of the bag (please make sure it is horizontal) and its contents, with some details about yourself and what you shoot. Oh and don’t forget your contact details (twitter, flickr, tumbler et al). Send the bag shots here.
Cheers
Japancamerahunter