Camera backpack recommendations?

[Bbryan5]

I do a lot of 'woods' shooting, so I would really like a backpack to keep my camera stuff in. This way I could carry a few lenses with me. I need something that would hold the 40D with battery grip, the 100-400mm, and maybe 2 smaller lenses (60mm macro, 10-22mm). Is there such a backpack on the market? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

[Anke]

Tamrac Expedition 5 seems a great candidate. Have a search of the Forums you'll find TONS of threads about bags.
Or if you want try http://www.cambags.com/

[showngo]

Check out the Lowepro AW backpacks as well, they are very nice.

[Familiaphoto]

Might want to look at the Kata bags as well.

[Corejonp1]

+1 Scope out Kata R102 on amazon. Just got this bag, arrived today, and I am in love. It appears to have been made to survive nuclear winters, all the while, feeling right at home on the sun. (sorry, attempted to give a bag review similar to the way Jeremy Clarkson reviews cars on Top Gear). The quality is great, and I feel good knowing my investment is being hugged by soft padded goodness.:lol:

[sharkii]

Bryan the bag you need is a tamrac velocity! DO check out that range.. I was a proud lowepro user ( I still have them to carry all location equipment) until I neededd a backpack to put a camera with 70-200 on with 2 other lenses with a flash. I spent 4 hours in a camera store to play with bags and decided on velocity 8 as it has
*more than enough room
*available place to change lenses while walking
* sleek as you can even run wtth it
* very comfortable
the reasons I didnt want the lowepro slingshots are they were not as comfortable and slim.. and when I was about to get the biggest slingshot ı realized something; it was HUGE compared to velocity series. katas were a bit pricey to my taste. 6million dollar home was nice but not even close to being weatherproof. ...
in my opinion if you can try before you buy in a local shop you will be able to decide more easily!

[crazyjoel]

I just got the Dakine Sequence it's amazing, very rugged and stylish!!

[Bbryan5]

Thank you all so so much for the help! I looked up EVERY bag you all recommended. I have narrowed it down to a dakine or tamrac. Thanks again.

[ballyhoo33]

I'd recommend that you buy a slightly larger bag than you currently need if you plan on using this as your primary bag. I was in the same situation that you are in now and opted for the Tamrac Expedition 7. It will hold all of my gear (1DMkII, 300L, 70-200L, 27-80L, 17-35L, 500D, extension tubes, 1.4X extender, 550EX x2 and misc tidbits) plus some extra room should I need to throw in an additional body or buy more lenses down the road.

I would suggest going to a store and try them on before making a purchase. I was whole-heartedly convinced that I would be buying a Kata bag but didn't like how it fit me.

Thanks,
Jeff

[Medic85]

Or you could just buy this one http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=430252

[KarlMarsh]

Might want to look at the Kata bags as well.

+1

The Kata bags are top quality! I've tried the Lowepros, Tamrac's and the Promasters and find the Kata bags best for me.

[NMBrian]

Another vote for Kata. I just ordered an HB-207, and can give you more info next week. I ordered the backpack based on my Kata holster quality. I love my H-14

[EOSAddict]

Another vote for KATA. I have the 103 but in youyr situation I'd look at the 205 as it has a decent wasit belt. Either way, build and useability are top notch.

[Andrushka]

The Think Tank Photo Rotation 360 seems like the best solution for someone wanting to "shoot out of a backpack" - the lower portion of the backpack is like a waist pack that can rotate independently of the upper portion of the backpack so you can have your camera ready all the time... its a real sleek bag too...

ps: i don't have one of these cause im not a backpack shooter type, but i did mess around with one at a local store last week... pretty sweet...

[NMBrian]

The Think Tank Photo Rotation 360 seems like the best solution for someone wanting to "shoot out of a backpack" - the lower portion of the backpack is like a waist pack that can rotate independently of the upper portion of the backpack so you can have your camera ready all the time... its a real sleek bag too...

ps: i don't have one of these cause im not a backpack shooter type, but i did mess around with one at a local store last week... pretty sweet...


I am still looking at this one as a more day to day backpack. I just wish stores out here carried it so I could take a look at it first. It is a very interesting concept! The OP has a 100-400mm (also my next lens). Does the lower section fit the 100-400mm or would you have to get a belt pouch for it?

[Familiaphoto]

The Think Tank Photo Rotation 360 seems like the best solution for someone wanting to "shoot out of a backpack" - the lower portion of the backpack is like a waist pack that can rotate independently of the upper portion of the backpack so you can have your camera ready all the time... its a real sleek bag too...

ps: i don't have one of these cause im not a backpack shooter type, but i did mess around with one at a local store last week... pretty sweet...

That looks like one cool backpack but definitely cannot use it with my middle aged stomack.

[Sparky98]

I have the Lowepro Mini Trekker Classic. I carry my 28-135 on the camera, a 10-22 , a 100-400, a 580EX, a 488RC2 ball head, 2 spare batteries, a card reader, a battery charger, a couple of memory cards, and a couple of end caps off the kit lens and camera. I didn't take much time arranging my equipment so if I packed more carefully I could get more in it. If I moved some of the pieces to the cover I think I could get a 70-200 in there also. I rarely use it as a backpack though as I have a bad vertebra and the bottom of the pack puts pressure on just the wrong spot. Backpack was $79.95 from B&H so it is not too expensive but it is high quality. It has a waist band that would fit around my rather large middle but I don't use it. When I wear it as a backpack I just use the shoulder straps and tie the waist band out of the way.

A quick snapshot.

http://i15.tinypic.com/8724mdy.jpg

[The_Camera_Poser]

I very respectfully disagree with Sparky on his recommendation of a Minitrekker. I reaqlly dislike mine- it's not comfortable at all, has pretty mediocre padding, and hasn't held up to heavy use in the year I've had it. I'll be replacing it with a Tamrac soon (I already have two.)

[Keith R]

The Rotation 360 is a pretty small bag, actually. It will take the 100-400mm in the bottom section, but needs to go in lengthways on the bottom of that bag.

You're then hard pushed to get another lens in - a 50mm f/1.8 just about fits - and you could put some soft bits and pieces on top of the 100-400mm, I guess.

That said, I keep my 40D + grip and 100-400mm (not attached to the body) in the top section, along with a pair of Leica 8 x32 BA binoculars, which leaves the bottom section for other lenses, or a lens and camera body, or whatever.

As I say, it's not really a load-lugger, but the Rotation 360 is my current favourite bag because of how efficient it is, and for all that it's smallish, I'm impressed by how much I can tuck away in the thing.

Excellent review here (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=349200&highlight=rotation+360).