In your bag No: 1379, Janno Bormans
Todays bag is not only beautifully put together, but it has a beautifully drawn layout diagram with it too. Janno has also customised his film case, which is super awesome.

First of all, I’m not a photographer. I just caught the bug a while ago. I’m an architect living in Brussels, teaching part-time at a university. As a result, my bag is filled with more than just photography equipment. As far as the bag goes, it actually is a photography bag. I found an old OLYMPUS bag from the 70’s (I think), with a couple of side compartments and some velcro fastening straps inside. Up until now it fits everything I ever wanted to take along with me. I can even add some straps to the bottom to carry along a tripod. I’m gonna try to add some compartments inside just to keep my stuff more organized but so far it has served me well. 

Since I’m an architect and I enjoy sketching I did an “In-your-bag-sketch-special”. So what’s in it. To start, my architect’s survival kit. A pencil case (containing an architect’s scale, a couple of fountain pens, some fineliners and a set of pencils), a notebook to do the sketching, a classic folding rule and its counterpart, a digital laser measure. In the category ‘other stuff I drag along’, there is my sunglasses, my blues harp (still learning to play and bringing it along reminds me), my Marshall Monitor headphones (which are awesome), a little jar of Apothecary wax and a Kent comb and right now, a copy of Delirious New York. There’s also my iPhone and iPad along with my old and trusty, but outdated, Wacom stylus.

As far as digital camera’s go, I only have one so that’s easy. I take along my Fujifilm X100T and a couple of spare batteries. I’ve added a thumbrest to get some extra grip when shooting. It just has a standard Fuji case to protect it. I spent some time looking at some deluxe ones but came to my senses. I’d rather buy film for that money. Since I shoot a lot of architecture (exterior and interior) and cityscapes I recently bought myself the wide conversion lens for those times I just need to add an extra couple of degrees. Recently I had to part from the camera for three weeks because of a wobbly and sticky focus ring. Fuji did a nice job repairing it (under warranty luckily) and also replaced a couple of parts that were showing some wear like the viewfinder selector switch. Great service along with a awesome camera.

I have a few film cameras to pick from. I’ve acquired quite a taste for Konica. It started with my dad’s old Autoreflex T3N SLR paired with a 35mm and 50mm Hexanon lens. It had been lying around the house for literally decades until I decided to dig it up, clean it and give it a try. Although built like a tank, it turned out it wasn’t all it used to be, having a seriously dented filter ring and the slow shutter speeds not working. I shipped it overseas to a Konica repair guy in the States to have it fixed and now it’s back to it’s old glory. Over the last year I’ve added some prime Hexanon glass to the collection. I also own a Konica Auto S3. Lucky enough to be the first one to see a local ad, I placed a bid and a few days later a near mint S3 arrived in the mail, complete with original case and lens cap. It’s a beautiful little black rangefinder and I love it. Still hunting for a Big Mini and a Konica half frame. But I’m patient. Eventually I’ll pick them up, I’m just waiting for that bargain.

Right now the Konica Hexar is my favorite. I’m really impressed by it. Overall it’s just a beautifully designed camera, a great piece of engineering and a must have if you’re into Konica I guess. The built-in lens hood reminds me of the Auto S2 and is a nice little feature. There was no original cap when I got it but I found a silver one online. When I go out, it’s my camera of choice. Right now I even prefer it over the X100T. Or maybe the slow proces of really thinking about a shot, developing and scanning my film just suits me better. It’s roughly the same size and it has the same focal length which makes it a breeze to switch between camera’s. It has a really nice IR autofocus, it’s fast and quiet and I just use it in Program mode. Usually the controls of the Hexar get a bad review but the only button I use is to switch from AF to infinity focus. Silent mode is there but I don’t even bother, I can hardly hear it as it is. It did come with the original flash but I mostly keep that in my bag just in case. As a perk, it also looks great on my X100T.

My film case is filled with a collection of color and black and white film. Right now some RPX, some Portra and Superia but I don’t really have a preference yet. I just try something new every time. I stuck on an old promo sticker for an Olympus XA2, which reminds me to keep my eyes open for one. I just now got an Instax Share printer as a present. So I also have a spare pack of Instax film in there. Seems like that little printer was made to fit the side pocket of my Olympus bag. It will be a keeper. It’s a joy to be able to send photos straight from the X100T to the printer. A fun device that allows me to hand out little presents. Finally, there’s a little bag of CURA micro wipes and lens cleaner.

Seems like a lot but with one camera around your neck it’s not that bad. I even found a little gap to fit an Olympus XA! That’s all for now. I’ll be back if A) I finally find that 21mm Hexanon lens (because I’m pretty sure I’ll make a switch to the SLR) or B) I ever find a sweet deal on that Hasselblad 500C/M. Hope you enjoyed my bag and thanks for having me!

Instagram: @jannobormans

All the best,

Janno

Thanks for sharing your bag with us, Janno. And thanks for including the drawing, it is fantastic.
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