Bag of tricks

valkbilly

Active member
tools, 9 volts, extra mic cables, rain gear, fuses for cam and trucks, light bulbs, gaffers tape.keep it simple.
Have a small bag so you can throw it around your waist, with extra batt, 9 volt, tape or disk, mic cable, just incase you are away from the car for a long time.
 
That is a good start but I would also include AAs a spare tape 60min tape connectors rca-bnc and such. As well as a 20' bnc and mic cable which can come in real handy when you get to your live shot site and realize the one in the truck is no good anymore.
 

Frank McBride

Well-known member
Two things that help me quite often are having a good amount of gaff tape wrapped around the tripod handle and always carrying a flash drive. I use the gaff tape for many things. I will hang documents or photographs with it, use it to hang black cloth, secure cables and mic stands, and whatever else you can imagine. The flash drive has so often helped me get a clean copy of digital images and documents when I otherwise would have to shoot from a screen.

One more thing that is becoming useful is having a micro-SD card in my phone. If someone has a cellphone picture or video they want to share, I can put my card in their phone and get a copy that way. I just wish there was a standard for cellphone video.

FMc
 

acton

Well-known member
I would suggest two bags.

Bag one is sling bag with a tape/disk, 9 volt or AA's what ever you take, multitool, warm cards XLR and a folding table mic stand, hard wire lav mic, polarizing filter, small reflector and a roll of tape.

Large run bag- Video cable, 2 long XLR's, bag of adapters for video and audio, small multimeter, paint brush, small tool kit. **** loads of batteries, lens cleaning stuff. Spare lav mic. Camera cover, large reflector, spare bulbs for sun gun, zip ties.

That's all I can think of off the top of my head. Keep in mind I've collected this stuff over 19 years of shooting. I still have the first bag I bought. I found it in my locker when I was moving to my new job. Think it was $24 or something and held 2 3/4 inch tapes a XLR cable and two NP batteries.

acton
 

Baltimore's Finest Fotog

Well-known member
rb21089: I would also recommend FOOD - crackers, maybe a bottle of water. I also carry a hand towel for my lens or me when either gets wet.

Frank, great call on the micro-SD card. I actually have one in my personal cell and hadn't thought of using it in those situations! Thanks.
 

Photogblake

Member
I carry a battery, at least 3-5 extra tapes, Stick mic, lav mic, a book to read, headphones, gps, 25ft xlr, 50ft xlr, 15ft BNC, gloves, pen, sharpie, ifb, and a lense cloth. I think thats it.... it all fits in a laptop bag i carry. O box of 9v, box of AA and AAA batts in side pockets. and a Flashlight.
 

acton

Well-known member
the paint brush is for cleaning the dust and dirt of the camera and the lens barrel.

btw there is no i in team, or in my last name....
 

FLotog

Active member
Call me nuts, but along with most of the above, I keep a pocket-sized replica of the U.S. Constitution in my bag. I try to have it as a good omen against overzealous officials.

I may give it to one of them to go home and read!:rolleyes:
 
Wow, some of you guys carry more than an infantry soldier...

I have two xlrs. One 20', one 10'. Two spare AB small bricks, two lav mics, stick mic and wireless cube, lens cloth, AA batteries(for the cube), and a second wireless T/R.

That's it. Of course, I don't run a live truck...we have truck ops. So, I'm sure that cuts down on a lot of gear I would be carrying. But still, that stuff should be in the live truck.

Travel light.

EDIT* I should add, this is just what I carry in my waist pack.
 

csusandman

Well-known member
2 bags for me...

My bigger bag has:
1 XLR (15' I think...) and 1 BNC (5' ish...) cable. Spare camera battery. 9 volt and AA batteries. My UltraDaylight. Mic stand. 2 33min. tapes. Hardline lav mic. Tweaker (flat-head screwdriver) and a jeweler's phillips. Leatherman-type tool. Flip-out 2" knife. Lens wipes and cleaning kit. Spare protective lens... thingy. Sharpie and ball-point pens. Tape case w/ Lemo XLR adaptor and extra lav clips. XLR stick mic w/ extra mic flag. Gallon zip lock baggie. Rag. Various 'beaners. 2 lengths of rope (2' ish...). Mini reflector. 2 small baggies with various audio and video adaptors. Ear plugs. Spare keys for live trucks. Cellphone - IFB adaptor. Tape labels.

It sounds like a lot but this bigger bag only comes in at a few pounds really. Plus, when it's strapped to me it gives my back a bit of support.

My smaller bag has:
Whatever I throw in it for a quick shoot. 33 min. tape... 2 9 volts... a few AA's... extra camera battery... XLR / BNC cables... Lemo XLR adaptor. Sharpie and ballpoint. Mini leatherman tool.

The smaller bag is actually a fly-fishing sling-type bag that I've "converted" to a run-bag and has worked out quite well.

Both can also double as a "sand bag" for a light stand if it's needed...
 
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