In your bag No: 513, Jonathan Chhun
Jonathan Chhun sends us a fantastic couples bag today. I want to see more of these, they are awesome. Come and have a look at this great setup.

Ariane and Jo’s NYC trip bags.

We’re two photographers from Montreal, Canada (and also a couple, how fun is that?) and total gear compulsive-obsessive geeks. We love shooting film, and only film… on every format possible. Our styles and approaches are pretty different, but we actually learn a lot from each other. We’re in the same Photo Club and we develop and print our stuff ourselves.

This spring, we’re going to waste some film in NYC and we wanted to share the (few) cameras we’re taking with us. Of course, choosing was a real dilemma: Jo had to leave his second (yes, second) Mamiya 7 at home and Ariane couldn’t take her large format 4×5 press camera. Anyway. We managed it, and here’s the result.

Ariane’s profile:

I began shooting a couple of years ago. I was working on my PhD, alone in front of my computer and, as many others, I felt the urge to stop over thinking and start creating from a more spontaneous perspective: since then, I’ve enjoyed it everyday a little bit more… As a geographer, I’ve always been fascinated by landscapes and what they tell about the humans who inhabit them. I love shooting pictures with no people that speak about people. I mainly shoot medium and large formats.

Ariane’s gear for NYC trip (on the left):

– my Hassy. I would never go anywhere without it, especially with its 50mm Distagon lens, 2 proxar lenses and a Sektonic ligthmeter.

– Mamiya Universal with its 56mm and a 100mm. A big, bulky, user-unfriendly jewel. And as an Eggleston fan, I couldn’t pass on this one.

– Fuji GA645. Wanted a Mamiya 7… was reasonable, and didn’t regret it. Great MF street camera!

– Contax T2, when lazy and wanting to shoot with one hand. This is the camera that is always in my hand… always.

– Diana F+, for the fun of it. And some actually very good results.

My favorite films are HP5 and Fuji Acros for B&W, Portra for color and Provia for slide films.

As for my bags, I travel a lot and, thus, I try to be as discrete as possible. I own a collection of old camera bags I find in Flea markets. Allow me to shelter my babies without being too obvious.

arianedepalacio.com

Jo’s profile:

I really got into photography after I used a cheap Minolta SLR at my cousin’s wedding. I was rapidly drawn to street photography, as it is liberating, spontaneous and raw. I work in a community organization and I deal with people’s emotions all the time, so shooting anonymous strangers is a nice change of mood. When I’m out shooting, I try to be as subtle as possible and not invade people’s space too much. If I have to get into someone”s face for a shot, I do my best to shoot fast enough that they can’t react before I snap the picture.

On to my bag. On a typical day, I would only bring one medium format camera, the Bessa and a  point and shoot.

-Hasselblad 500 C/M+80mm Planar. I love it for shooting strangers in the subway and for delicate subjects, as the waist level finder makes it really subtle.

-A24 back: If only 220 film selection was a bit better…

-2 Proxars: Carl Zeiss made close up lenses that you can get for dirt cheap. Bayonet accessories are so much better than threaded filters.

-Voigtlander Bessa R3A+ 40 mm f/1,4 Nokton : My most used camera. The 1:1 viewfinder is amazingly clear. The single dial for exposure compensation/shutter speed is a great design. It’s fast, light and    affordable. I got a Gordy’s strap on it.

-Nikon 35 TI: The analog display on this is a beauty. Compared to a Contax T2, the autofocus is a bit slow, as the lens doesn’t move when you pre-focus manually. The viewfinder is also not as big and bright as the T2. The access to controls and modes is very well thought out, though.

-Mamiya 7 II+ 80mm, f/4 lens. My most recent acquisition. Same ease of use and speed as any rangefinder. It’s big but fairly light but a bit too plasticky for my liking. It really forces me to shoot more carefully, as 10 frames are rapidly wasted. It looks real badass, too.

-JCH film case

-3D printed 120 film case that my buddy Simon Martin made for me.

-I shoot mostly Ilford HP5 pushed to 1600 ISO. For color, whatever I can find for cheap.

-Bag: I love bike messenger waterproof backpacks. I use a Road Runner with an insert most of the time.

You can see my work here: jonathanchhun.tumblr.com

Thanks for sharing the bag with us Jonathan, I hope the NYC trip was a success.
Check out the link and make sure you come and 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