Camera bags

[msvadi]

and how many of them are in use? what's your favorite one?

[angrybunny]

My current setup is the combination of my Tamrac Velocity 5 and Lowepro TopLoader Zoom 2. I loved the Lowepro because it can hold my 300D with the 28-135 IS + Lens Hood attached! My Tamrac holds my flash and other lenses.

I just purchased the battery grip, and now the bag is a bit snug.

My 3rd bag, which is current collecting dust on my shelf is an older Lowepro (dont know the model) originally purchased for my trusty G3.

I have a feeling I will be joining the 5+ bags club very soon.

[ScottJE22]

I now have 3....

A LowePro Mini Trekker that holds everything,
A Tamrac "zoom bag" that holds basically just the camera with lens,

... and ...

I have to take yet another opportunity to plug my new favorite bag...

The Adorama Slinger (http://www.adorama.com/catalog.tpl?op=slinger_listing).

[Jim_T]

Just one.. A LowePro Omni Traveller...

[msvadi]

this adorama bag looks nice :)

[nosquare2003]

One shoulder bag, one backpack and my favourite one:

http://www.lowepro.com/pages/series/street/spec85aw.htm

I have the shoulder harness+belt. I can carry this bag as a backpack. And I can change it as a shoulder bag quickly with the help of the belt. It's not perfect as it cannot carry a tripod.

[Scottes]

2 bags, one vest.

The bags never come out since I got the vest. Everything that once lived in my Omni Trekker now live in my vest, with one of the long lens in the Canon pouch/bag over my shoulder.

Vests are SO VERY much better than carrying a bag!

[Mills]

Right now I have two and need to find something that will have enough room to carry my 2 bodies as well as existing lenses, hopefully with room to grow into. I am leaning to the Lowepro Super trekker II AW but it sure is huge. I am big enough not to worry about the weight. The thing is giant though.

Right now I have a Tamrac Pro 12 and do not like how it lays out. Today I looked at the Lowepro Commercial AW and it is not much different than what I have. Too many toys I guess.

[mjordan]

I have 3 and am getting ready to buy another one. I have a Domke F2, Domke F3x and a older hard case that I use to carry my RB67 in but works great for my other cameras now. I carry a 70-200 2.8L case on my belt and carry a lens in there, which helps take the weight out of the bag I'm carring.

I looked at the backpack type but not having the equipment under my left elbow would seem to be inconvienent. I just got the 100-400 4.0-5.6L and will probably put that lens case on my belt as well. I like the small size of the F3x but need the room of the F2 bag. I now have a 10D with a 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L IS and 100-400 that I will be carring at events. I need to get a bag for my wife since she has my old D30, 28-105 USM, 70-200 4.0L and wants a macro lens (yeepee ;D). And she can't carry it all now.

I wish I could see a large selection of bags as it's so hard to tell by their pictures and specs. And it seems each manufactor gives the measurements different. Some go LxDxW and some LxWxD or HxWxD, etc. It's hard to compare bag to bag unless you know how they are doing the measurments.

Mike

[spaceman]

Three bags for me, all black, all LowePro (mini trekker, nova 3, Rover Plus AW).

[ron chappel]

I have a lowepro topload zoom that i somehow had leftover from dealing in stuff.It's big enough for the 300D with most consumer lenses -the 75-300 just fits neatly i recall.
Honestly though i think there aren't any bad brands,they all do a pretty good job of protecting but some have better features.I've got one particular one here that has a curve built into the underside so that it fits real comfortable on your hip :) a nice idea
And i also have an old bag i keep spare lenses and such in.I deliberately use an old one because it looks like there's nothing worth stealing inside :lol: :lol:

[RustyKnight]

I've got three, all lowepro. A Mini Trekker back pack for cycling, a Nova 3 for days out (I actually have two of these for some reason) and a Magnum 35 that has to be 20 years old and takes all of my photographic equipment + bits & bobs on long trips.

I am a Lowepro fan!

[DC]

I got four, all Lowepro trekkers -

Photo trekker holds my 10D, 500F4, 28-70, 2x550EX
Mini trekker holds my 300D, 300F4, accessories
Computrekker holds my wifes 300D, Sigma 100-300, 180 macro, accessories
And an orion trekker that is currently hiding in a cupboard somewhere.

As for my favourite, has to be the photo, only coz it contains my 10D+500 combo :D

[Olegis]

Just one - Lowepro Mini Trekker AW. Holds all my equipment (listed in the signature below).
Want to purchase some toploader zoom bag for the 10D with the 70-200 attached.

[iwatkins]

Two bags:

LowePro Stealth Reporter 300AW. Use this as my carry around bag, get all my gear except the Canon 100-400 in there.

LowePro TopLoad Zoom Pro AW. Use this to carry around the 10D + BG-ED + 100-400 + plus a few bits and bobs. Don't use the chest harness though.

Cheers

Ian


300AW
http://www.warehouseexpress.co.uk/Images/lowepro/Stealth/300AW.gif

Topload Zoom Pro AW
http://www.warehouseexpress.co.uk/Images/lowepro/toploadprojpg.jpg

[MarkH]

My Mini Trekker is my favourite. My shoulder bag gives me a sore shoulder if it is fully loaded. My Photo Trekker is bigger than I need unless I am carrying all the photo gear I own, plus other stuff.

I also have a Lowepro Lens Case 5 which is big enough to hold a huge lens or even the 10D with a 28-135IS attached.

[WestFalcon]

I have 3 Kiplinger rolling bags. Originally $250 Bags, I bought them on Ebay for $60. Best I have ever owned. I'm not sure if they are still made but they are large cloth covered and built like a tank. Interior is divided by partitions.

[Scottes]

My shoulder bag gives me a sore shoulder if it is fully loaded.

Try a vest - the gear weight gets distibuted across both shoulders and feels much lighter. I carried a bag on my shoulder and would get irritated within an hour. I wore the vest for 7 hours - same gear - and hardly noticed. Though I will admit that it was quite noticable when the vest came off!

[sGu]

I have two, both Lowepro, one is mini trekker classic and the other is stealth reporter 650 AW.

Both fits my 10D+grip, 3 lenses and flash perfectly(with mini trekker, i have 70-200mm attached with hood on, while 650AW i'll have the hood reversed), and with stealth reporter, it's designed to hold a 15" powerbook, that's the main reason i bought it :)

I use backpack a lot when i go around town or go hitch hiking, and use shoulder bag if anything slightly more formal is going on, ie press conference, etc.

[psk4363]

Two Lowepros -

1) Mini-Trekker AW (favourite) - takes all my kit and more! Very comfortable too.
2) Magnum AW

One CCS -

3) CCS Hippo toploader.

Cheers,
Barry

[MarkH]

Try a vest - the gear weight gets distibuted across both shoulders and feels much lighter. I carried a bag on my shoulder and would get irritated within an hour. I wore the vest for 7 hours - same gear - and hardly noticed. Though I will admit that it was quite noticable when the vest came off!

I have found that I can wear my Mini-Trekker AW for several hours reasonably comfortably. I think a vest would be even more comfortable, but I am not sure I would be comfortable with the 'look'. Then again there are times when I want to look more like a pro photog, maybe I should use a vest at the next motorsport event I go to.

Vest = Photo Geek or Photo Chic?

What the hell, I'll take a look at some vests at B&HPhoto.

[MarkH]

So, what vest is best?

I'm looking at the Domke Photogs Vest for $64.95, is this the one to get or are their better choices out there?

[IanD]

My main "transport" bag is a LowePro Stealth Reporter 650 with the laptop divider taken out. This bag holds just about everything I own save the various chargers and flash and laptop. Even the 400 prime fits in.
A LowePro Photo Trekker AW is the bag I use when travelling for more than a couple of days. Every piece of gear fits in, body, all lenses, various chargers, flash and the laptop plus it's accessories. Have a devil of a time carrying it, but I can usually find a helping hand.
In the winter when shooting out of the truck, I use a LowePro Mini Trekker to hold the gear on the passenger seat. Nothing but long lenses and TC in it then. Very compact and easy to carry.
A LowePro Toploader Pro is used for those days when only 1 long lens is needed.
For family BBQ's and get togethers a LowePro Stealth Reporter 400 carries the body and a couple of WA's.
Like Scott, I do not carry a bag in the field, but rather use a Domke Photog Vest. Best $72.00 (CDN) I've ever spent.

[Tom W]

I've lost count of my camera bags, but I know that I have at least one large shoulder bag, two holster packs, a hip/shoulder mid-sized bag, a little bag for the S-400, and a couple of other assorted bags. Lens pouches are gaining in abundance as well.

I am overbagged...

[msvadi]

big thanks to all who responded to the thread. so, it's normal to have 3, 4 or even more bags ;)

The reason I started that thread is that my Tamrac System 3 turns out to be too small ;) Also, I'm not sure about its layout anymore. It seems that LowePro bags are more popular here. I don't like backpacks or vests, but I'm thinking now about getting one of larger LowePro Stealth Reporters.

[Scottes]

Vest = Photo Geek or Photo Chic?

I've found that almost anything I carry gets attention - 100-400, tripod, vest - so I said the hell with it. I wear the vest. I still get asked stupid questions about justabirds what time the waterfall gets turned on, so it doesn't matter. Funny, people usually move out of the way for me so I can get a better view. :-)

After the first few hours of wearing that vest I was hooked. The bags stay in the car.

[Cadwell]

big thanks to all who responded to the thread. so, it's normal to have 3, 4 or even more bags ;)

Ummmm.... I'm not sure many of us here are normal :oops: We all seem to suffer from "Compulsive Camera Kit Purchasing Disorder" (CCKPD) :oops:

;)

[Scottes]

Ummmm.... I'm not sure many of us here are normal :oops: We all seem to suffer from "Compulsive Camera Kit Purchasing Disorder" (CCKPD)

And also Compulsive Acronym Disorder While Enjoying L Lenses (CADWELL)


Sorry, couldn't help it.... :-)

[Cadwell]

And also Compulsive Acronym Disorder While Enjoying L Lenses (CADWELL)


Sorry, couldn't help it.... :-)

:lol: :lol:

:? * wonders if it's too late to change his entry in the "What's in the name" thread* ;)

[mjordan]

I found it interesting that other than the Domke vest, I was the only one that had Domke bags. When I started looking at bags online and compared sizes, shapes, material and cost, I found the Domke better than the others. I've been happy with my two Domke bags, although I've only had a chance to physically look at a few other brands. So I might be missing out on a better bag or everone else might have just gotten what was easy to get without doing research. :lol:

But I was a bit surprised that there were no other Domke bags in the group. Maybe all the Domke users are over at DPreview. :wink:

Mike

[Canuck]

I have a Kodak one for when I go out with one lens and a Tenba DB-17C for the rest of the itm to lug the kit around. I like the Tenba as it fits all the kit I have with plenty of room to spare.

[IanD]

So, what vest is best?

I'm looking at the Domke Photogs Vest for $64.95, is this the one to get or are their better choices out there?
For the money, it is hard to beat the Domke vest. The LL Rue vest is super but also 3 times the price of the Domke. There are a lot of pockets in the Domke and if things get a little slow, one can always spend time discovering new pockets that have been hidden.

[Scottes]

One thing to note on the vests - all of us pretty much disliked the velcro. But I don't know if anyone makes a vest without velcro. And it's not so important unless you're in the field attempting to sneak up on a wiley red-winged blackbird.

[johneo]

I have 3 camera bags ...

1 for all my old digital and film camera stuff that I don't (or hardly) use
a 2nd for my 10D and a few lenses and my 550 flash, filters, extra batteries, memory, film :shock: , manuals and anything else I can get into it ... it's pretty full!
and a 3rd that I keep my 100-400 L in along with the Elan 7ne. The 3rd one also is the one I carry to bring what I need for a hike. It has a shoulder strap and can be used as a backpack. When I use that one, one camera is in the bag and the other is around my neck or hanging off my shoulder.

I'm very tempted to get a Tamrac Pro13. I've looked at one and think I can fill it over time ... Then again, I haven't bought it because I'm afraid I might fill it ... DOES IT EVER END!!!!!!!

[Calis]

I can't believe no one has mentioned Billingham bags! I just got this one:

http://www.billingham.co.uk/prodbuy.asp?id=94

Hand finished, polished brass, leather.... Britsh manufacturing at it's best

I can fit everything into it, it looks stylish, and it doesn't scream camera bag! Ok it's about twice the price of the LowePro equivelant, but for me is worth it.

I also have Tamarac top loader for when I'm just carrying one lens.

[MarkH]

For the money, it is hard to beat the Domke vest. The LL Rue vest is super but also 3 times the price of the Domke. There are a lot of pockets in the Domke and if things get a little slow, one can always spend time discovering new pockets that have been hidden.

OK the Domke vest has been ordered, maybe latter I'll get the Domke jacket, then the LL Rue Vest. Then I'll start a poll: How many vests do you own.

For now I'll just get my Domke vest and see how I find it.

[cmM]

well I had 2 bags..... until Big-E came along... Now I have none (well 2 useless ones). I need to get me a bigger one. I was thinking about a backpack, but I don't know how confortable it is for everyday purposes.

[angrybunny]

well I had 2 bags..... until Big-E came along... Now I have none (well 2 useless ones). I need to get me a bigger one. I was thinking about a backpack, but I don't know how confortable it is for everyday purposes.

Chris,

I'm in the same boat. My Tamrac 5 is good to carry my 50mm, 18-55mm and 420ex flash, but that is about it.

Plus my Lowepro is too small to handle my 300D + BG-E1.

Looks like I'm in the market for a new bag!

[SDK^]

I have one bag - Lowe Pro Mini Trekker AW - see below :)

http://www.sdk2003.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Camera-bag-SDK^.jpg

[Laziferous]

I have two, but only use one. I have a Canon bag I bought for the G2, and a Lowepro Mini Trekker..... but it's getting too small. The vest sounds more user friendly, but I don't like people asking me questions now, so I can only imagine how many more people would bother me if I had a vest.

Why yes, I am anti-social. Why do you ask :wink:

[lomond]

Like many I have a selection of bags. ( some through impulse buying.)
1: A holster style. Never used now. :(
2: Lowepro orion Trekker. Used for short walks etc. It can take a 10D body, 100-400L, 17-70L & filters etc. in the bottom compartment and a paclite jacket and little else in the top.
3: Lowepro Toploader 75 AW. Will take the 10D and 100-400L attached plus small accessories. I use this if I know I will only need the 100-400.
4: My favourite, lowepro Rover Plus AW. Will take both the 100-400 & 17-40 plus 10D body, 550ex, Sony camcorder (PC8 ) filters etc in lower compartment. Upper compartment will take extra clothing, packed lunch, maps,more equipment, you name it, plus a tripod. This pack is great for a full day on the hills or wherever you need a lot of gear. Also the harness I find extremely comfortable. On the downside I can't use the AW cover with a tripod fitted.

Hoping there won't be a number 5 :?:

[RDKirk]

and how many of them are in use? what's your favorite one?

My favorite and hardest used is my Domke F2 (the original Domke style) in olive drab canvas. Hey, I'm a kid of the Age of Aquarius--olive drab to us is what baggy pants are to kids these days. I've worn out one other Domke since the first one I got 10 years ago.

I have two Halliburton 105's that I use for transport.

Lately, I've been using a belt/suspender set-up using surplus military H-style padded suspenders and web pistol belt. The Tamrac and LowePro pouches and bags fit it perfectly. In addition, I bought several of the "keepers" (small bands with tough snaps). I attach one camera directly to the suspenders (takes the weight off my neck), and attach another camera from a thin nylon strap to the right shoulder suspender with two keepers.

I also wear a military BDU belt to hold up my trousers (designed to be worn under the pistol belt, the BDU belt has a flat buckle that doesn't irritate the tummy). I use two more keepers at the back to attach the pistol belt to the BDU belt, which keeps everything nice and together--no "plumber's crack!"

I'm finding this set-up to work great for day-long outings at sports events where I have to move fast and keep from tiring.

[hickory]

I have one bag - Lowe Pro Mini Trekker AW - see below :)


SDK^ thanks for that great photo! My Mini Trekker just came today by UPS, its my birthday gift from my wife. With your photo I now have a floor plan for my new bag :lol: :shock: :lol: My old D30 will be so happy..........

tom

[Tapeman]

I have several bags, all with matching shoes. :D

[Jon]

Primary one's a Domke F1X, backups are two Domke F2s, an F805, an Adorama Swinger, and Domke Quest Spyder 10/Toad 20/Giraffe combo.

[Chrisc]

Billingham 555 http://www.billingham.co.uk/prodbuy.asp?id=64



Holds everything except my 300 2.8, even slide a large laptop in the front pocket.

Used Lowepro previously, this thing is far far superior. Solid construction, big wide strap and tonnes of room.

http://www.billingham.co.uk/images/products/555.gif

[Calis]

Glad I'm not the only one with a Billingham. I was starting to feel lonley :D

Mines the 306 - very similar to yours, but a tad smaller. Big enough for my kit though.