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Sprinter Photography Adventure Van: Maiden Voyage Photos with Test-Run Setup
The maiden voyage for my Sprinter photography adventure van went great (aside from the hassle of having to drive 800 miles before smog would pass).
- Mercedes Sprinter Upfitting: Before any Upfitting, Maiden Voyage
- Sprinter Van: Desk Computer Layout
- Sprinter Van: Interior Pro-Grade Lighting
- Mercedes Sprinter Upfitting: My Choice of Upfitter, ADF Sprinters
- Mercedes Sprinter: California Resident Buying Out of State: Vehicle Registration
- Mercedes Sprinter: Extended Warranty
- Mercedes Sprinter Maintenance: Breaking-In Notes
- Mercedes Sprinter Maintenance: Fuel Economy (Miles Per Gallon / MPG)
- Mercedes Sprinter Maintenance: Engine Oil
- Mercedes Sprinter Maintenance: Diesel Emission Fluid (DEF)
- Mercedes Sprinter: What I Chose for Wheels and Tires, Ground Clearance
A key goal of my Mercedes Sprinter photography adventure van is to allow me to work on photography in the field as efficiently as at home (well, reasonably close). That involves taking along the NEC PA302W wide gamut display, my workhorse for image processing and evaluation, shown below as the real deal in the field as I actually worked for about 20 hours on the last trip.
The main limitation was power using the van auxiliary battery, but in early September I am getting the Lithionics 400 amp lithium battery installed, which will render all power concerns moot. That should be done by September 8, the same day the Nikon D850 arrives. I plan on heading for the mountains with Phase 1 upfitting in place so I can report right from the field without delay.
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus back dual camera 3.99mm f/1.8 @ 28mm equiv (4mm)
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For the moonlight shot below, I used the Cineo Matchbox with a 3200°K panel at about 1% output to illuminate the interior of the van; it has a 160° beam spread, perfect. Here it was powered by the optional 12V adapter; just plug into the vehicle socket and it can run a very long time, taking only 13 watts at 100% power. The Cineo Matchbox and related products maintain color consistency from 1% to 100% with a CRI of 98 and TLCI of 99 for the 3200°K panel. It uses remote phosphor technology, which is far superior to ordinary LED technology, not just for color quality but for the diffuse nature of lighting. It is very well built and extremely compact for its light output—perfect for a van if it fits into your decor—I will make it fit as the light quality is so good.
NIKON D810 + Zeiss Otus 55mm f/1.4 APO-Distagon
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