Professional Shooting in a Lightweight Solution
When you have to travel light, you have to make difficult choices about imaging gear on an expedition. Becky Kagan Schott will be bringing our two Gates EX-1 housings and cameras for underwater video documentation of the Sedna Expedition next week. In the interim, this is my ideal expedition travel rig that breaks down in a surprisingly small package. I put all the housing and strobe parts in one hard case and carry on the cameras and lenses. (I have been know to get all the gear in one carry on but not with a spare camera and three additional lenses).
The total weight of the assembled camera system is 24 pounds topside, but everything balances beautifully underwater.
For underwater, it comes down to this:
Canon 5D – capable of shooting stills and great HD video
16mm lens
Aqua Viewfinder (not in photo) – I use this for shooting stills
HD Monitor
Light and Motion SOLA 4000 video lights
Inon Z-240 Strobes
Lights and Strobes are mounted with a three-way knuckle
Base Plate support the monitor and can double as a tripod plate