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What Vehicle do you use for photography?

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Being a professional photographer for 35 years I never felt the need for any luxury car. I'm not interested in cars at all, certainly not as a status symbol.
So I 'm driving a brandnew Hyunday, and it uses only about 50 mpg.

Leen Koper
http://www.fotografieleenkoper.nl
 
a med-sized sedan (my Pontiac Grandam, exc. it's a domestic...uh) ....

but hey, 35mpg, the rear seats fold down for big items, and the trunk is lockable. My next vehicle shud be an Altima 2.5 for better gas/reliabilty; but same good load-ergonomics. You can lock and hide quite a bit of stuff in the trunk.

VS. an suv or wagon...where do you hide & lock expensive gear????
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Have a great and wonderful Day !! Cheers !!

See China's Best (new !! ) at http://www.jonrp.smugmug.com
 
there some stong bar or ??? to chain the gear to?
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Have a great and wonderful Day !! Cheers !!

See China's Best (new !! ) at http://www.jonrp.smugmug.com
 
jonrobertp said:
You can lock and hide quite a bit of stuff in the trunk.

VS. an suv or wagon...where do you hide & lock expensive gear????
Click to expand...
Yep, trunks are good for that. However, that hardly means that's the only way to go...and trunks do have their limits.

Here's the back of a present day wagon, quite like mine, in fact:

(It wouldn't let me do a non-embedded link of the open back photograph, so you'll have to open the page, scroll down to the final photograph, and click on it for the large version: http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/pw/03audi1pt8tavant.htm )

The kind of shelf like thing you see attached to the seat back actually pulls back level and latches. When it's pulled back (which I do no matter if anything is below it or not), absolutely nothing is visible below it. Light items it can support as a shelf. And when it's pulled back, there's a large amount of storage hidden from view...with more height than a standard trunk.

Not visible in the picture is the pull up (kinda netting) screen to keep things/animals in the back if need be.

Locking system? The car's locking/alarm system. No better, no worse than any vehicle or trunk.

Need extra height for a while? Have the cover in the postion in the photograph. Yeah, I know you can do the same by roping a trunk part way closed, but there are tradeoffs to that.

Oh, the left seatback will fold forward with the cover in place. Not shown here, but something my car has is a fold down, enclosed ski boot in the seat center. and of course both seats can be folded forward for a large area of room in back. Some can also fold the front passenger side seat back forward at the same time. Maybe I should try that.

Now, if you are going to be leaving that amount of gear in a vehicle 24/7, you probably really want a discreet panel truck--but don't be knockin no modern wagon. They are tons versatile and secure...and drivable. Road & Track magazine has said of my model, "as comfortable commuting to work as it is mugging unsuspecting sports cars on weekend forays into the country". Yep, it carries plenty camera gear too.

Ed

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California Light and Structure

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One Barn
 
jonrobertp said:
there some stong bar or ??? to chain the gear to?
Click to expand...
Most SUV's, 4x4's, MPV's etc will have tie down bolts in the floor or you can use the seat belt bolt at the back.

All our camera gear is in various size Pelican cases - so there is no chance of cutting through those.

The car is alarmed but we also use a bicycle chain to rap around the stearing wheel and under the front seat. Plus they are also good for tying the stuff up with while it's out of the car and on location...during lunch for example or in a hotel bedroom at night.

If they are pros or if they really want your gear, then they will take it no matter what. The bicycle chain will stop someone from smashing & grabbing it, that all.

Having said all of that, if I take the camera gear out in the car, 95% of the time it will be to a shoot, so the camera stuff will be with me and not sitting in the car anyway.

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Cheers,
Ashley.
 
Ashley,

Ever thought of having steel mesh grills fitted behind the rear windows, like the BBC crew cars do? Behind dark glass they'd be very discrete. I don't see it as an option on VW's website :-)

Cheers
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Jon Stewart
 
Hi Jon
I think they have a cage fitted inside, not just wire over the windows.

You can have any car fitted with unbreakable glass - check-out this youTube clip:
http://funhouse.bubble.ro/1304/Unbreakable_windows_on_Audi_A4__Romanian_style_/

which I have looked into but like I said above: if I take the camera gear out in the car, 95% of the time it will be to a shoot, so the camera stuff will be with me and not sitting in the car anyway.

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Cheers,
Ashley.
 
I had an Xterra for three years and found it to be an excellent photo truck, you can out long rolls of paper in it if you put them over the passenger seat.

I have a Murano now, its far better on the highway, but not so good off road.
 
Fold the back seats AND the front passenger seat and you can fit your 9 ft rolls. 13 years old and still hauls all my gear and still hauls asssssss, and gets good mileage.

However, your 9 ft rolls don't need to define your vehicle selection. As long as you have a roof rack, you can get some 9 ft lengths of 6" diameter PVC pipe and a cap for each end.
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Gary
http://garyjean.zenfolio.com/
 
Hi Ashley,

hadn't thought of the unbreakable glass option, must go and have a look, but sounds expensive, and I think this is the stuff that needs to be replaced from time to time due to the effect of light on it. Guess it depends on how long you keep the car!
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Jon Stewart
 
I wonder how clients would react if you turned up in an ex police armoured car, or say an ex-MOD Saracen APC! Parking wouldn't be much of a problem. Thanks for sharing.
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Jon Stewart
 
Jon Stewart wrote:
...but sounds expensive...

I was quoted £400 / £500 so not to bad.

It's basically a clear film which they put over your windows - the glass needs to be pretty flat, so not all cars windows are ideal.

If you are worried about smash and grabs, then it's worth looking into.

The bicycle chain / cable lock won't stop the smash but it will prevent the grab and they cost less than £10 each.

I got the bicycle chain / cable lock tip from U2 - it's what they use while on tour to prevent stuff form being pinched.
Good enough for them, good enough for me : )



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Cheers,
Ashley.
 
Ashley Morrison Photography said:
Jon Stewart wrote:
...but sounds expensive...

I was quoted £400 / £500 so not to bad.
It's basically a clear film which they put over your windows - the
glass needs to be pretty flat, so not all cars windows are ideal.

If you are worried about smash and grabs, then it's worth looking into.
The bicycle chain / cable lock won't stop the smash but it will
prevent the grab and they cost less than £10 each.
Click to expand...
Ashley Morrison Photography said:
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Cheers,
Ashley.
Click to expand...
Ahh... we're back to film again then on this forum! That would make it very affordable, and discrete. I would definitely go for the bike chains as well. Simple, cheap and effective.

I'm only interested in ensuring that the insurers can't say I didn't take reasonable precaution... you know what they can be like, although Glover and Howe seem to have a good reputation.

Thanks
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Jon Stewart
 
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