Timbuk2 as a camera bag?

I'm thinking about getting a Timbuk2 Laptop Messenger, or Blogger bag (leaning towards the Blogger). I want to find a bag that will work for my everyday needs and allow me to carry my camera more. I found one other post that used a Timbuk2 and Domke inserts, which looked like a pretty good solution. Is anyone else using a "non-camera bag" for a camera bag? I really want to start carrying my camera more, but am worried that it would get damaged in a bag that is not designed for cameras.

During the work week, I would be carrying my laptop (15") and my camera. Would this be way too heavy/bulky? I hope to upgrade to some L glass this year, so my lens(es) will be slightly bigger/heavier in the future. I already own a Tamrac Pro 8, and a Lowepro Rover AW. Should I give up my search for a one bag for everything solution?

Thoughts? Opinions? Other alternatives?

http://www.timbuk2.com …s/laptop/laptop​-messenger
http://www.timbuk2.com​/tb2/products/laptop/b​logger

I'm kind of a bag freak, so this is a hard decision for me.

i have a regular medium timbuk2 for everyday things (i see they raised prices! i bought mine 6 years ago customized for $70shipped). i really just take a scarf and stuff it into my bag and wrap my camera with it. i find it simple and a cheap solution when you are only dealing with a camera+attached lens. i carry it with a full nalgene of water, and my 12in laptop and its perfect.

haha dont know if that helps.

i own a lot of bags (including the timbuktu medium), and if you plan on doing this, you have to know that everything will just be floating in the bag. it's a huge pain if you need to pull out the laptop since everything is in the same compartment you have to shift things around or take everything out to put the laptop back in.

in fact i hate using mine for my laptop and accessories, so i'd never use it with the camera too. i like one with a few dividers or different sections to separate things. the timbuktu bags (w/o the computer section) also have very little padding.

i would use it in a pinch for a camera and a few things, but not if i need to carry a lot of camera stuff.

I had and returned a Timbuk2 medium laptop messenger bag. The laptop padded compartment was not removable and it took up too much room. Overall quality of the product however was top-shelf, but I think $130.00 for this bag is too much money. I really would like to get another one, but it will NOT have the laptop sleeve sewn in--I'll buy a bigger bag too--at least an XL size. I also had a couple of Domke padded inserts I was going to use with my Timbuk2 medium bag, but they simply took up too much room and I returned them as well. I have some thinner, closed cell padding and am going to make my one inserts, but for the time being, I am using a towel for my 40D and a couple of lenses and flash in my CC Filson medium field bag.

As far as Crumpler goes, the dimensions of the 7MDH are smaller than the Timbuk2 medium and I just don't see how people can get all the stuff they claim into the 7MDH!

I have not given up on the messenger style bag, but I am afraid after about $20.00 return shipping and time spent, Timbuk2 is a bit over priced for what you get. There are alternatives. I am not sure I will order another, but if I do--it will NOT have a computer sleeve sewn in. The medium I had with a computer sleeve sewn in, would barely hold my 40D with Sigma 18-200 OS hood reversed, flash and Sigma 30mm--with just a thin towel as a separator. And, it was really heavy with a computer in it! On a positive note--it did not state "camera inside."

minhi wrote in post #4609921
i own a lot of bags (including the timbuktu medium), and if you plan on doing this, you have to know that everything will just be floating in the bag. it's a huge pain if you need to pull out the laptop since everything is in the same compartment you have to shift things around or take everything out to put the laptop back in.

Did you have the one with the built in laptop compartment? I'm not understanding why it would be difficult to get the laptop back in if it has it's own compartment. My current backpack (work provided) is basically the same design and I don't have any issues getting my laptop in.

Rudy M. wrote in post #4611326
I had and returned a Timbuk2 medium laptop messenger bag. The laptop padded compartment was not removable and it took up too much room. Overall quality of the product however was top-shelf, but I think $130.00 for this bag is too much money. I really would like to get another one, but it will NOT have the laptop sleeve sewn in--I'll buy a bigger bag too--at least an XL size. I also had a couple of Domke padded inserts I was going to use with my Timbuk2 medium bag, but they simply took up too much room and I returned them as well. I have some thinner, closed cell padding and am going to make my one inserts, but for the time being, I am using a towel for my 40D and a couple of lenses and flash in my CC Filson medium field bag.

As far as Crumpler goes, the dimensions of the 7MDH are smaller than the Timbuk2 medium and I just don't see how people can get all the stuff they claim into the 7MDH!

I have not given up on the messenger style bag, but I am afraid after about $20.00 return shipping and time spent, Timbuk2 is a bit over priced for what you get. There are alternatives. I am not sure I will order another, but if I do--it will NOT have a computer sleeve sewn in. The medium I had with a computer sleeve sewn in, would barely hold my 40D with Sigma 18-200 OS hood reversed, flash and Sigma 30mm--with just a thin towel as a separator. And, it was really heavy with a computer in it! On a positive note--it did not state "camera inside."

It looks like the 7MDH is a camera only bag, so it's out for me. They look like GREAT camera bags though. I was looking at a 5MDH before thinking about going this route.

Rudy M. wrote in post #4611326
I had and returned a Timbuk2 medium laptop messenger bag. The laptop padded compartment was not removable and it took up too much room.

Ohh, another note... I was thinking the laptop compartment would be nice for holding a lens when I was just toting my camera w/o the laptop.

I use my Timbuk2 bag when I need to go STEALTH in the city .

I use a couple of domke inserts with a foam at the bottom

I use a chrome (similar) and love it. It can be a camera bag, or not depending on whether I throw an insert into it.

http://badtz.org/image​s/IMG_5855-02.jpg
http://badtz.org/image​s/IMG_5854-02.jpg

i have a timbuk2 backpack for ferrying around a LOT of stuff when i need to. but i've contemplated converting into a camera bag, but i figure this would require a lot of inserts, and wouldnt be worth the trouble.

I currently use an xs/small (can't remember) timbuk2 as my photo bag, it's pretty good

let me dig up the post I did of it a while ago (no one was interested =( )

EDIT - on the other hand, i have relatively little gear (50 1.8, kit lens, XTi)
but I made my own inserts from things here and there

Found it, I can take more recent photos of what it looks like now

here be my frugal $20 photo bag

got a secondhand timbuk2 bag for $10
$1.50 laptop sleeve
+ other assorted things from a Japanese import store

IMAGE LINK: http://img229.imagesha​ck.us …image=img7952la​rgejc4.jpg

IMAGE LINK: http://img229.imagesha​ck.us …image=img7951la​rgeyt1.jpg

IMAGE LINK: http://img229.imagesha​ck.us …image=img7955la​rgeff9.jpg

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mson wrote in post #4612038
Did you have the one with the built in laptop compartment? I'm not understanding why it would be difficult to get the laptop back in if it has it's own compartment. My current backpack (work provided) is basically the same design and I don't have any issues getting my laptop in.

the one with a compartment would make it easier (i pointed that out in my first post). the built-in compartment is also more padded but at the cost of extra bulk when you don;t have a laptop, so it makes the bag a little less versatile when you don't want to carry everything.

it's hard to explain but the non-laptop compartment bag is not very stiff, and since there are no dividers there's no structure so when you take the laptop out everything else sort of slides back to fill in the space, so getting it back in means shifting stuff back towards the front. you also have to slide the laptop deeper into the bag or it will sit too high.


personally i would not try this with the messenger only, non-laptop bag.

as far as crumpler, i have the Hee-Goer which has a dedicated slot for a laptop, but what i don't like about that is adding a camera and lens makes the bag bulge out too much and uncomfortable to carry.

don't get me wrong for short term carry i think either solution would 'work' but i have to take trips for a few weeks at a time so i wanted a combination that works for me.


for those looking for timbuktu bags you can find them discounted at www.rei-outlet.com pretty often (they had the medium messenger for ~$60 recently). i just found the Rumor Back Pack at Marshall's of all places for $20, which is my current laptop only, camera in a pinch bag that sort of 'works'

if you want a picture i'll take one, my timbuktu bag is about 10 years old, so maybe the newer ones have a little more structure, but last i checked they looked pretty similiar to me...

mson, re-reading your first post (yeah sorry about that), comparing the two i would do the messenger + laptop, i think the blogger was to shallow to really get a camera in there comfortably. my other sug. is try and find an REI near you, the one near me carried both those bags at one point, it's much easier to test in person! if you can't find an REI, they also have no hassle returns, but you'll be out shipping charges if you don;t like it.

Timbuk2 used some of the photos I took of my medium messenger kitted out with Domke inserts on their site:

http://www.timbuk2.com …s/hackKits/came​ra_bag.htm

it's not especially laptop friendly - putting my macbook pro (in neoprene sleeve) in the back, behind the custom-added pocket made the thing extra bulky and not all that usable except for transportation. You couldn't work out of it too well. That said, I think if you were to get a laptop messenger with the compartment and one of the 3-compartment inserts, not that you can find them right now, you'd have a pretty nice setup.

Also check out the Tenba insert - http://tenba.com …al-20-messenger-bags.aspx
though I should note that I bought the ProDigital messenger that this is designed for and the confirguration is not the same as pictured - the dividers are much lower than the photo shows and not as usable. the bag itself is pretty nice and worth checking out for anyone looking for a reasonably-sized messenger-style camera/laptop bag, though when the domke inserts become available again i'll probably get one of those to use.