Best way to transport an M6

[billpalmer]

Travelling light, the LowePro S&F Pouch 30 holds an M7 with the Abrahamsson Rapidgrip, and a 50mm Elmar attached. This setup drops into the centre of a Billingham Hadley Pro. Fold the lid of the Pouch back, and the velcro grips the inside of the Hadley's lining. Add two AVEA3 pouches - these will hold one 135mm, or a 90 and a 35mm using a back to back coupler. Both pouches can be put on your belt for ease of access. A LowePro S&F Light Belt 11 does the job.

Regards,

Bill

 

[redbeard]

For a body and a single lens I highly recommend a Fogg Xylophone bag, and a Lutz Konermann Sling. I have the Fogg in black, and it easily passes for a digi-cam or sub-compact video-cam bag. You can take it with you everywhere, and most people won't give it a second look. It is almost the same size as a Never-ready case, is much more stealthy, and is a perfect partner for a Sling.

Generally, Fogg bags are similar to Billingham bags, but are in a completley different league in terms of quality.

For a larger kit, look at the Fogg b-laika or b-sharp.

http://www.tamarkin.com/catalog/products/fogg/cases.html

 

[yooloo]

jeff,
i'm almost a year late, but wanted to share this with you all...
www.crumpler.com
for transporting your stuff Inside the suitcase, go to accesories, and take look at the INSERTS. great stuff, light, strong, they come with smart dividers, made in a few different sizes, and much cheaper than fogg / billingham...
funny site, nice people to deal with, too.
cheers,
zoran

 

[kenneth]

What's the best way to transport an M6 that will generally travel in a suitcase? Half case, Ever Ready case, Fogg/Lowepro etc bag?

Don't want a big camera bag(already have them)but rather something quick and somewhat protective..

All opinions appreciated..

Colorado Jeff

I bought one of these which I found works really well. The Leica M Neoprene Case . The rest of my system live in a Billingham 225 which rarely gets taken out, I am a bit of a 1 camera 1 lens photographer

 

[noisycheese]

When traveling by airlines, never put your M camera in checked baggage!! That is a great way to get it stolen.

The airlines are obligated by law to pay you $1500 USD for a lost checked bag, or $1500 for "lost" (aka STOLEN) items in a checked bag - and not a nickel more. An M6 with a Leica M lens attached can easily cost you $2500 USD or more to replace.

Besides theft, the rough handling a checked bag is subjected to by baggage handlers can result on damage or destruction of your M6. M cameras are sturdy to be sure - but it does not take much of an impact or shock to knock the rangefinder mechanism out of alignment, which will result in out of focus photos when you arrive at your destination. The only way to have the rangefinder returned to proper alignment is to send it away to Leica or a competent Leica repair person to have it adjusted to factory spec.

For airline travel, a Pelican 1300 box will protect and carry an M6 with an attached lens and a second small to medium sized lens. The 1300 is small enough to carry onboard the aircraft and will provide the best protection possible. The 1300 will also accept Master padlocks with the standard 7mm (9/32") shackle like the Master 380D padlock, which I use on my Pelican cases.

If you want a soft case for travel, any of the smaller satchel bags made by Billingham would be a great choice; I have the Billingham Hadley Pro and have been very pleased with it over the years. There are a few Billingham bags that are smaller than the Hadley Pro that would serve you well, too.

If you want to be able to toss your M6 into a briefcase or daypack, Zing makes a neoprene pouch that measures around 7" x 7" which works well for carrying a camera in a non-camera bag.

 

[dirk]

I have the Hadley Pro and the smaller Hadley. But I seldom use the Hadly Pro because I feel uncomfortable with such a large bag over my shoulders. I try to downise everything and what does not fit in the Headly small, is not worth to take it with me. That help me to restrict myself to 2-3 lenses plus body while walking around

 

[noisycheese]

For me, the discomfort comes from too much weight in the bag, not the size of the bag.

I have converted to using Filson bags - not their now defunct line of camera bags, but their small field bag (#11070230) for a one camera & one lens light and fast kit, their medium field bag (#11070232) for one body and 3-4 lenses and their rucksack (#11070262) for a heavier load that would cause shoulder & back pain if carried in the medium field bag for long periods of time. I put my camera and lenses in Zing neoprene pouches and put them in the bag for padding & protection. I also have a 4x14 inch piece of thick foam gardening kneeling pad in the bottom of the bag. For my camera with a lens attached, Zing makes a large neoprene pouch ( # 565-421) that has 6x8 inches interior dimensions that will accommodate a Hassleblad 500 series camera with a film back and 80mm or smaller lens attached, or any smaller camera/lens combo. This setup works quite well.

For some reason that I have yet to figure out, I can carry more weight more comfortably in the medium field bag than I can in my Billingham Hadley Pro; the only thing that I can attribute this to is the location where the strap attaches to the Filson bag vs. where the strap attaches to the Billingham.

 

[dirk]

For some reason that I have yet to figure out, I can carry more weight more comfortably in the medium field bag than I can in my Billingham Hadley Pro; the only thing that I can attribute this to is the location where the strap attaches to the Filson bag vs. where the strap attaches to the Billingham.

That sounds interesting. I have never thought about that. Can you show pictures of the differences in the strap?

 

[crocus63]

> Using the M Classics bag (or the Leica original from which it was cloned) is > advisable only while your gear is still under no-fault Passport. It's not > much better than using a canvas tote bag. No padding. Bang it against a wall > or set the bag down on a hard surface--or worse, drop it--and you can kiss > goodbye to the Leica gear inside

I've used this bag in the past without any incidents, and though I don't baby my Leica gear I also don't abuse them either. Just put your bag down normally for a secure landing. If you toss it on a concrete floor, well you will most likely damage the contents with or without padding. I've also used a BBB (Bare Bones Bag) with no padding successfully as well. They're light and mold to your body when weaving in and out of crowds in a parade or event.

For the briefcase, just use a Domke wrap. But if you have a 90mm attached, then I suggest a neoprene Zing to wrap the entire setup. I presume your briefcase is tall enough to fit an M upright.