Recommend a Belt Bag

[John Photography]

i'd like to travel lighter while out working, here's my gear list:

5D Gripped
70-200 f/2.8
16-35
50
580 ex iii'd like to get it as compact as possible. also, possibly be able to store the body with the 70-200 attached.

thanks in advance.

[Saint728]

Think Tank Speed Racer would do the job. http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_SpdRcr.php
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/images/prod-photo-SR2.jpg


I think a belt bag is not very good to carry around all that gear. I've tried many belt bags that fit a Pro DSLR and they all feel too big and bulky to walk around with. It might be OK if your a really big guy, but for us little people its too big. I use the Cotton Carrier system to hold my camera and I use a belt system with modular components to hold my lenses and whatever else I need.
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_products.html

Take Care,
Cheers, Patrick

[Headshotzx]

I will never ever store the 70-200 with the body attached and have the setup on a belt pack. It just doesn't feel good.

[John Photography]

thanks fellas! you both make great points. i've never tried a belt bag before and appreciate your opinions and suggestions.

i will have to go to my local camera superstore to check out all the bags in person and see exactly how big they are and how cumbersome it will be.

[roothy123]

I have the medium sized Speed bag (Speed Freak, I think) and love it. While there's not a LOT of room for this, I put my Canon 30D with a 70-200 lens and a 17-55 lens in there, plus cards, battery, couple filters, instruction manual, cleaning cloth, etc. It's a tiny bit bulky around my waist (I'm a 58 year old woman, 5 feet 6 inches, medium weight) but I like it better than a traditional backpack because I don't have to worry about setting it down and taking stuff out and then repacking before I move on. I do mostly outdoor photography - travel shots, wading birds, etc., and do a good amount of walking. For traveling, I take everything I own in a backpack, but then take the stuff listed above out and put it in the Speed Freak for walking around. The Cotton Carrier interests me, too, since I hate walking around with a camera just dangling from my neck - although the Speed Freak does make it a little easier to pop the camera and lens into the bag before you walk more - or you can let a long lens rest on it without it swinging and bobbing around.

You could probably put a flash or smaller lens in the netted pockets on the sides, too - I just like to keep it simple and have found that most of the time, I don't use certain things like flashes, so I leave that stuff in the car....

[jobino]

when walking around, i use to have 1DII & 17-40 in hand, 70-200 f4, flash and additional CF cards in a TTP Skin Chimp Cage on my belt, maybe you can consider that kind of solution but for a 70-200 f2.8, the skin champ cage will be a little bit small and prefer the pro belt than the cheapest one.

[jhom]

I would suggest you take a look at the Think Tank website for the full list of waistbags and belt setups.

[sapathong]

ec, you are so strong. i only bring one body and two lens, have a trip in the forest but it's really terrible. although it's hot but i have to bring it, care take it more then myself, huhu. in that case, i wished i bring compact camera...just kidding... i like 40D:))

[RPCrowe]

I carried quite a bit of weight on my belt in hot conditions when I was a combat cameraman in Vietnam. A belt in humid conditions tends to chafe my waist.