Small bag for carrying walk-around items

[topeju]

I have a Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II backpack, which is an excellent bag for storing all of my equipment and to get it from A to B, but isn't very nice for the times I'm in some city, especially if we're doing any sort of shopping etc as the backpack tends to knock things off shelves if I'm not careful.

Therefore, I'm looking for a nice small bag to carry just my walk-around items in: 10D with a 28-135IS attached, and a 50/1.8. It would be nice if my 550EX also fits in the bag, although that I could carry separately or leave at the hotel or whatnot.

Also, I would prefer the bag not to be a backpack so I can carry a separate backpack for shopping, and because I want to be able to get to the camera in a hurry. I also own a Lowepro Orion AW, which is basically a belt bag with a backpack that connects to it, but I've found that it's too difficult to get to the bag if it's behind me (the buckles get stuck in the loops), and the bag is too big to wear comfortably around the front.

From the specs I've been able to find on the Lowepro and Tamrac web pages, I think the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2 would fit my requirements nicely: it can be attached to a belt, it has a shoulder strap, and it can be worn on the chest if equipped with a separate chest harness. It looks like it is small enough not to be cumbersome, yet it might be possible to fit all but the 550EX in it.

I've not been able to find a Tamrac that would exactly match these specifications, the 5519 Zoom 19 and the 519 Pro-Zoom Pak are somewhat larger and the 517 Tele-Zoom Pak and the 5516 Zoom 16 are smaller (and might not fit a 10D in a vertical position). They are also rather more expensive, the Topload Zoom is around 25 euros and the Zoom 16 is about 70.

None of the bags were available in the local camera shop so I've not been able to test whether the specifications would match reality. Does anyone have any experience on these bags? Or, alternatively, could anyone recommend another bag I should look at instead?

Thanks,

[RichardtheSane]

I have the topload zoom pro aw and the 550EX fits in the front pocket with room to spare! This week I have the 10D + grip, tamron 28-75 with hood on (not reversed) 50mm F1.8 and the 550EX in the front and there was still extra space in it!

[GPR1]

I have the Lowepro Off Trail 2. It's a belt pack with shoulder stap, an excellent bag. It has a center top-load zoom bag, with two side lens pouches. It's my favorite bag. The belt system is good, and the shoulder strap is excellent. Unless I need all my gear, this is the bag I use.

Greg

[CoolToolGuy]

I have the Tamrac 517, and it handles my Drebel with the 24-70 L mounted and the hood reversed without any trouble. It would not fit well with a battery grip attached, however. I also have the 28-135 IS, and it is shorter than the 24-70, so that one is no problem either. The 10D should fit in the same way.

I have pouches that attach to the side of the holster bag, and the defaults are the Tamrac water bottle on one side and a LowePro Street & Field #2 lens case on the other. I also have a pouch that will hold my 550EX. This setup gives me a lot of flexibilty when I just want to carry a little bit.

But if you go that way, a hint: The LowePro pouches go on and off easier than the Tamrac pouches. The Tamrac pouches have a large patch of Velcro that make it difficult to pass the tongue through the sleeve on the side of the bag.

[topeju]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

I forgot one "requirement" from my query. I tend to carry a whole lot of stuff on my (normal) belt, which makes it a little difficult to carry another belt bag on top. I do, however, have some space left on the belt (especially if I rearrange the items currently on it a little), so belt hoops might work. This would possibly work against the Lowepro Off Trail 2, which does sound like it would be a very nice bag, especially because of the possibility to not carry all of the pouches at once.

The Topload Zoom Pro AW sounds like it's a little on the large side, but I could very well consider it if the TLZ 2 is too small.

Isn't the Drebel somewhat lower than the 10D? The 10D is 11 cm tall and the Tamrac 517 should only fit a 8 cm tall camera (of course, there will be some give, so the 10D might fit).

I guess I will go visit the store and double check if they happened to have the 517 available in another branch. However, as the other Tamrac bags were a whole lot more expensive than the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2, I will ask them to order the TLZ2 into the store as well. They have been in the process of ceasing to carry Lowepro bags because they tend not to get them very easily, but promised to try at least.

[topeju]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.
I guess I will go visit the store and double check if they happened to have the 517 available in another branch. However, as the other Tamrac bags were a whole lot more expensive than the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2, I will ask them to order the TLZ2 into the store as well. They have been in the process of ceasing to carry Lowepro bags because they tend not to get them very easily, but promised to try at least.

I visited the other local branch of the store, and they didn't have the 517 in stock either. They did have the Tamrac 5516 Zoom 16, which is somewhat smaller than the 517 (17x8x18 internal dimensions vs 23x8x25 for the 517). The Zoom 16 was a tad too small for my requirements, the 10D just fit in with the 28-135 attached, but the 50/1.8 didn't fit in the bottom. The 8 cm height (camerawise) of the bag wasn't a problem as there was enough stretch in the bag to fit the camera in (although just barely).

The clerk at the store promised to order the Lowepro bag for me, and I'll know on Monday what the status is at the Finnish distributor.

[Tom W]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.
I guess I will go visit the store and double check if they happened to have the 517 available in another branch. However, as the other Tamrac bags were a whole lot more expensive than the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2, I will ask them to order the TLZ2 into the store as well. They have been in the process of ceasing to carry Lowepro bags because they tend not to get them very easily, but promised to try at least.

I visited the other local branch of the store, and they didn't have the 517 in stock either. They did have the Tamrac 5516 Zoom 16, which is somewhat smaller than the 517 (17x8x18 internal dimensions vs 23x8x25 for the 517). The Zoom 16 was a tad too small for my requirements, the 10D just fit in with the 28-135 attached, but the 50/1.8 didn't fit in the bottom. The 8 cm height (camerawise) of the bag wasn't a problem as there was enough stretch in the bag to fit the camera in (although just barely).

The clerk at the store promised to order the Lowepro bag for me, and I'll know on Monday what the status is at the Finnish distributor.

I have both the 5516 and the 5519. You're correct that the 5516 is a little small, being roomy enough for just the basic 10D/Rebel and consumer zoom (or a 17-40L sized lens). Its perfect for, say, walking around at Disney all day, but if you want more than one lens or a flash, you need the 5519 or similar. Its a good deal bigger.

[Jim_T]

I've got the Lowepro Omni Traveller..

It has padded compartments and holds my 10D, three of my smaller lenses, my flash and a bunch of accessories.. (Batteries, filters, cables etc) You can sling it on your shoulder or carry it with a handle like a small thick briefcase.

http://members.shaw.ca/jwt873/bag.jpg

[topeju]

As a followup, the store got the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2 today and I went there and bought it. It was just perfect for my 10D, 28-135, and 50/1.8, which fit in with just enough space. There is a little bit of room on the sides for which I haven't though of any use, and there is a front pocket which could just barely fit the 550EX. However, because there is no padding in the front pocket, I don't think I will carry the flash there. Instead, I will use it to carry spare batteries and other small items. In other words, with no actual mileage on the bag, I'm currently very pleased with my purchase. :D

[Chris1le]

Try the Adorama Slinger (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=slinger_article). This was the firat bag that I got . It holds a 10D with a 28-135IS and a Big ED battery grip. There is room for the 550EX and a small lens. I have this exact same setup. There is still a lot of room for cards, batteries and stuff. Plus at $39.99 (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=slinger_listing) the price is right. It is also pretty well built.

http://www.pbase.com/image/29442910.jpg

[robertwgross]

I can just imagine some sewing factory in China, and the designers are all sitting around in a circle trying to figure out what features and compartments to put into a camera bag.

---Bob Gross---

[Chris1le]

I can just imagine some sewing factory in China, and the designers are all sitting around in a circle trying to figure out what features and compartments to put into a camera bag :D

The Adorama bag was built with input from Herbert Keppler from Popular Photography magazine. Here is an article (http://www.adorama.com/pdfs/slinger.pdf) with more pics and what went into the design.

[topeju]

Try the Adorama Slinger (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=slinger_article).

Noooo, just as I bought the Lowepro bag. :-) Ah, but my bag is smaller than yours. :lol: And I think the Slinger isn't available here in Finland (I don't think I would want to order just a bag from Adorama all across the Atlantic). Hmm, then again, I could buy a whole lot of stuff at the same time...

The article is especially amusing after reading Bob's comment. One can really imagine first Herbert Keppler writing requirements, then the Chinese designers drafting specifications for bags. Well, I certainly appreciate the variety especially in smaller bags, I looked at dozens of different models before settling on the TLZ2.