Traveling with the Big Glass

Traveling with gear can be as nerve racking as moving a home! I experienced this anxiety for the first time I went to fly with my first 600f4 some thirty years ago. There were no options for a photopack that would fit in an overhead back then. That’s why I designed and manufactured the first MP-1 and then MindShift & I came up with the MP-1v2 (pictured above, regretfully sold out a few years back). The MP-1v2 was designed to do exactly as you see, fly with the big glass. What you see here is the Z 9 / Z600f4 TC in the long lens compartment. I often replace the hard lens shade with the LensCoat flex shade if I’m going to fly on a regional jet for the extra padding around the lens’ bell. The Z 8 flies with the Z24-120f4 attached and Z14-24f2.8 in the same compartment. In the top compartment is the Z400f4.5. The Z1.4x is in the compartment with the Z400f4.5. (Some projects where I’m working the entire time out of a vehicle and I need more gear, I will use the ThinkTank Airport Security V3. You can see my gear locker options in the updated page.)

When I was younger I would have more gear pilled into the MP-1v2 that often just went along for the ride, never pulled out and used. Now a little wiser, I give my back a break by leaving that gear back in the locker. The Profoto A10 will go in my checked luggage along with RRS flash arms that I use with the Z600f4 TC & Z400f4.5. Once I arrive at my destination those items get moved into the MP-1v2 and back into the check luggage once I head back home. I hope this helps those who were asking and those who have wondered about traveling with the big glass.