In your bag No: 580, Dmitri Popov
Todays bag has not only a couple of cool cameras, but a pretty cool little box of tricks too. Come and check out Dmitri’s bag to see what I mean.

I’m an avid reader of the Japan Camera Hunter blog, and I think I’ve been through pretty much all In My Bag posts. After having been peeking into others bags for quite a while, I thought I’d share my bag with your readers.
A few words about myself. I’m a freelance tech writer covering Linux and open source. I spend most of my spare time hacking and photographing. Although I’ve been photographing for quite a while, I started shooting film only recently. Not that I’m new to film photography: when I was a kid, I managed to convince my mom to buy me a LOMO Smena 8M. So I’ve been doing lomography long before it became popular with hipsters. :-)

First the bag. It’s a vintage Tenba film bag (with dedicated holders for film canisters). The previous owner didn’t treat it very well: when I got it, the bag was pretty dirty and full of cat hairs (yuck!). But after a long wash in the washing machine and some TLC, it looks like new. I like this bag because it feels solid and spacious despite its size.

My film camera of choice is a Nikon F-501 with MF-19 databack. This camera doesn’t enjoy a cult following, so it’s not very expensive. It was the first Nikon SLR with auto-focus, it’s solidly built and just works. I don’t use the databack much, but all these buttons add some geeky chic to the camera. I use Peak Design’s Cuff (https://peakdesignltd.com/leash-cuff/) to carry the camera (black strip to the left of the camera).

I shoot mainly with Ilford XP2 Super 400 film (three black canisters above the camera). The last remaining lab in our town offers only C41 development, so I have to use chromogenic film, unless I want to wait two weeks or longer for a regular B&W film to be processed in Germany. Actually, I love this film, and ISO 400 is perfect for the gloomy Danish weather. I usually carry a couple of Fujifilm color film for good measure.

You may notice an Altoids tin right under the Nikon F-501. This is my mini travel kit containing the following items: a mini Maglite flashlight with a spare AAA battery, a 16GB USB stick, a couple of plasters, pain killer pills, a tiny plastic fork, and two cotton pads.
It’s amazing how much you can fit into an Altoids tin! Next to the tin is a microfiber cloth, handy for wiping the gear. I also use a small blower/brush combo as a cleaning tool.

I usually pack two lenses: a Nikkor 35-70mm f/3.3-4.5 kit lens, and a Tamron 70-150mm f/3.8 Adaptall lens. I have a soft spot for Tamrom Adaptall and Adaptall 2 lenses, and I use them with my DSLRs as well. The third lens, Tamron 28mm f/2.8 Adaptall, is a relatively recent addition, and I actually haven’t had a chance to try it.

My backup camera is an Olympus XA2. I love its slick capsule design and diminutive size. I usually carry it in my pocket.

I pack some computer gear, too, including a Google Nexus 7 Android tablet (bright orange thingy to the left) and Samsung Galaxy S III Android smartphone. I use the latter a lot for taking snapshots. Now, can you guess what this small plastic box below the tablet is? It’s a Raspberry Pi single-board computer, which I always have with me along with an SD card and a USB Wi-Fi adapter.

When I’m not writing articles, I blog about open source photography tools and my photographic endeavors on my Scribbles and Snaps blog (https://scribblesandsnaps.wordpress.com). You can find a hand-picked selection of my photos at http://dmpop.dyndns.org/pygmyfoto/. The gallery is powered by an application cobbled together by yours truly and running on Raspberry Pi at my home. You can also find me on Google+ (https://plus.google.com/u/0/113174485241075479693/posts).

Best regards,
Dmitri

Thanks for sharing your cool bagshot and your funky little box of computery tricks with us. It is cool to see a 501 getting some miles too.
Check out the links 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