Gear bags- your brand of choice?

[Melinda]

I've always been a lowepro user for bags, and they're really not bad at all. I have a massive shoulder one that holds all my gear right now and it really seems to do the trick. I especially love that I can configure the inside of the bags to how I want.

However, with a big honeymoon trip planned pretty quick here, I'm thinking a backpack type case would be the way to go. Easier to take with us and not so obviously seen as a bag full of gear. I have some gift money to spend at vistek but I was considering joining in the group order via B&H. I was surfing their site and noticed they have a lot of options there, more so than I've seen at vistek or the camera store. I'm considering going out of my comfort zone of lowepro and trying something different if there's better out there.

So who do you guys use for your camera bags and/or camera backpacks and what do you think of them? Pros/cons?

I basically need one that's pretty durable, able to fit a dslr body with grip, a telephoto and a regular lens, along with a flash and what have you. (At least I think that's what I'm planning on bringing for this trip) I want it to be used as carry on luggage as well, so I dont need to leave it in the incompetant hands of airline baggage handlers. And I wouldn't mind one that doesn't blatently look like a camera bag.

Here is the b&h site for backpacks: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=176

Here is the vistek site for backpacks: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=176


Your reviews, suggestions and recommendations would be appreciated!

[Melinda]

I've found this one on vistek and it seems really great. Especially for a trip, looks like you can carry some misc stuff in the bag with the gear. Any insight on Tamrac bags?

http://www.vistek.ca/details/details.aspx?WebCode=225875&CategoryID=BagsCases

[sputnik]

My wife loves her Crumpler backpack. It is a great design and doesnt look like a camera/laptop bag which she prefers being a smaller woman.

[Mitsu3000gt]

I have the Lowepro Slingshot 200AW (thanks to Berserker for suggesting it to me).

I took it to Cuba with me, and it came pretty much everywhere with me. I took it on the big catamarans (used the waterproof cover) we went on, and we did a ton of walking around so it was on my back the whole time.

I had every piece of camera gear I own in it:

D80 + 70-300VR attached
Sigma 105mm macro
18-135 kit lens
Charger
lens hoods for 70-300 and 18-135
Memory cards (not that they take up any room)
SB 600 w/case + seperate batteries
67mm polarizer
Lens cleaning cloth + solution
Various lens caps

My lens hoods were not attached to my lenses either, In fact just today I learned that they will fit on each lens reversed to take up no more space haha.

The D80 with any lens attached fits the width of the bag, where the camera is supposed to go. Whatever lens I have that is not attached can easily fit in the customizable interior of the bag, whatever it may be.

Also what I like is that you can just "sling", if I may, the bag infront of you as the name implies, while keeping it on your back, and you have really quick access to the camera as well as a place to rest the camera or your elbows.

It's not a huge bag either which is really nice, and comfortable too. For me and what I have, I don't think I can think of anything I would add to that bag ot make it better.

If your not a fan of this bag I would just go to TCS as they have a million bags on display.

[D'z Nutz]

My regular backpack bag is the Crumpler Keystone (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=384103&is=REG&addedTroughType=search)

It is incredibly comfortable! So much, in fact, I prefer it over my shoulder bag because I find if I'm out for a while, having weight on one side of my body tends to really get uncomfortable and sore.

Both shoulder straps and back support are very well padded, so you don't have to worry about any of your gear jabbing into your back and you can wear the bag all day long. And I know you can wear it all day long because I did when I was in Australia last summer. They're made in Australia, so when i was in Syndey, I asked the guy at the internet cafe where the Crumpler store was. He then went on raving about how much he loved his Crumpler. He had his for 5 years and it still looked brand new. I've had mine for almost 1-1.5 years and it looks almost as good as the day I bought it. Talk about durable. And it's small enough that you can bring it onto the plane as carry-on.

I did a shoot once where I had to be low enough I was almost laying down. Surprisingly the Keystone provided a lot of support for that so I was practically leaning on top of it. I don't know if that's something a lot of people do (or should do), but the bag is so well padded, there isn't a lot of worry about crushing your gear.

The inside compartment were all your stuff goes can actually be pulled out completely so you can use it as a regular backpack if need be.

The downside is that it is really restricted in space. You can fit in a body+grip with a short to medium sized lens attached, plus two larger sized items, like a telephoto and flash. Depending on the size of your hood, you might not be able to stuff it in with everything already in it. The side pockets are pretty tight, so it's more suitable for smaller things like shutter release switches, filters, memory cards, etc... I can manage to cram in my portable storage device as well. The pockets themselves aren't small, it's the opening that's tight.

Anyways, that's my experience with the Crumpler and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a backpack bag suitable for a minimal amount of gear (body+grip, a couple lenses, and another midsized item).

[Pihsiak]

I'm currently using the lowepro one that came with the XT/XTi accessory kit.

But I think i'll go with the orion trekker backpacks on my next trip
http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/classic/Orion_Trekker_II.aspx

Camera gears on the bottom and travel stuff on top (maps, water, extra clothes) Kinda like the tamerac you were looking at
Plus of personal smoke price

[lint]

Originally posted by Pihsiak
I'm currently using the lowepro one that came with the XT/XTi accessory kit.

But I think i'll go with the orion trekker backpacks on my next trip
http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/classic/Orion_Trekker_II.aspx

Camera gears on the bottom and travel stuff on top (maps, water, extra clothes) Kinda like the tamerac you were looking at
Plus of personal smoke price

If you're really interested in this bag, I've got one I can sell you. The configuration is good. It's nice being able to grab stuff in the top compartment without exposing your photo gear. The only problem is that it isn't large enough to carry a magazine without it getting all crumpled up.

[Melinda]

Alright I've narrowed it down to 2 bags. Both have their pros and cons it seems, so I think I'll have to head down to vistek and actually look at them

This one:

http://www.crumplerbags.com/Cart/index.php?catId=22
Not sure if this will hold my gear and how much the misc stuff compartment would hold, it's an odd shape. Not sure how it would hold up against weather either.


And this one:

http://www.tamrac.com/5549.htm
The only thing potentially holding me back on this one is the upper compartment size, it seems to be really small.


Oh well, I'll hunt them both down and see how they stack up against each other! If you guys have any insights on them, that'd be awesome! Thanks for all the advice you guys!

[TurboMedic]

If I had my choice, it would be the Domke Iguana....

I currently use my Lowepro trekker 200, and my small Nikon bag for walkarounds...

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Kata makes a great, tough backpack that they have at TCS - I was down there buying a Stealth Reporter 500 yesterday and took a look at the Kata - it's a great design and very rugged. I believe it was a R101 or R103. It's got a quick-access area and enough room for lots of equipment.

R103:
http://www2.studiotech.com.pl/images/R103.jpg



(Also, as an aside, the Lowepro Stealth Reporter 500AW is a very good shoulder bag, although it's on the large size. However, TCS has last year's model on sale for $90, which is cheaper than the smaller Stealth Reporter bags.)

[C4S]

Lowepro .. Tamrac ..

I want to get a Crumpler as well .. :D

[turboMiata]

Melinda,

I have a few camera bags and I recently bought another one so I can carry all my gear for a shooting trip at Mardi Gras. My Tamrac was getting too small for all my gear and it was much too uncomfortable for street shooting where I had to walk around for hours and hours.

My requirements for the bag were:

1) Big and sturdy enough to hold a full DSLR (1D), all my essential lenses (50f/1.2, 70-200f/2.8 IS, 17-40), hoods, CF cards and misc accessories.
2) Comfortable to wear without killing my shoulder
3) Inconspicuous looking
4) Attractive to members of the opposite sex

I decided to go for the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home after assailing Chris over at the Camera Store with the backpack, shoulder bag debate.

At Mardi Gras, I frequently walked around alone for 4-6 hours with a pack full of equipment as indicated above. I change lenses often so what I did was install all my hoods and remove mount caps when the lenses were stored in the bag. This allowed me to very quickly swap lenses when reacting to the events around me.

When I didn't need to shoot, the bag looked like a yuppy's messenger bag rather than telegraph "mug victim".

Other benefits:

- The strap is made with seatbelt nylon so it is very strong.
- The strap can be disconnected by detaching a velcro so I can secure the bag to a bench if I wanted to take a nap at the airport or stop for a rest.
- There are 2 hidden components so you can store your wallet.
- There is enough room for all my big hoods including the ridiculous EW-83 from the 17-40 and I think a flash will also fit.
- The strap has a small padded section which helps relieve shoulder strain.

Overall, I am very happy with how the bag performed over the week. It was very discrete and above all, I was fine carrying it on my shoulder for periods of more than 6 hours straight. I am still not sold on the backpack idea as I am a very dynamic shooter and change lenses very often. In an event like Mardi Gras, there is no way you can sit a backpack down and swap lenses.

I will post some photos of my setup later.

[msommers]

I have a Lowepro sling bag and am really feeling its limits already. The theory of it seems great but in actuality, I have to set it down every time I need anything from it.

The idea is to spin it around in front of you so you can get your camera out, but what if you have more than one lens, or even another camera body? Instead your stuck holding the bag with one hand, while trying to do shit with the other. Next investment is going to be in a proper backpack. Plus the tripod strap on the side isn't big enough and you start to notice the weight of the bag after a couple hours on your one shoulder.

[azn_crazed]

You should check out http://www.cambags.com/. They have A LOT of reviews for camera bags.

[Melinda]

Originally posted by turboMiata
Melinda,

I have a few camera bags and I recently bought another one so I can carry all my gear for a shooting trip at Mardi Gras. My Tamrac was getting too small for all my gear and it was much too uncomfortable for street shooting where I had to walk around for hours and hours.

My requirements for the bag were:

1) Big and sturdy enough to hold a full DSLR (1D), all my essential lenses (50f/1.2, 70-200f/2.8 IS, 17-40), hoods, CF cards and misc accessories.
2) Comfortable to wear without killing my shoulder
3) Inconspicuous looking
4) Attractive to members of the opposite sex

I decided to go for the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar Home after assailing Chris over at the Camera Store with the backpack, shoulder bag debate.

At Mardi Gras, I frequently walked around alone for 4-6 hours with a pack full of equipment as indicated above. I change lenses often so what I did was install all my hoods and remove mount caps when the lenses were stored in the bag. This allowed me to very quickly swap lenses when reacting to the events around me.

When I didn't need to shoot, the bag looked like a yuppy's messenger bag rather than telegraph "mug victim".

Other benefits:

- The strap is made with seatbelt nylon so it is very strong.
- The strap can be disconnected by detaching a velcro so I can secure the bag to a bench if I wanted to take a nap at the airport or stop for a rest.
- There are 2 hidden components so you can store your wallet.
- There is enough room for all my big hoods including the ridiculous EW-83 from the 17-40 and I think a flash will also fit.
- The strap has a small padded section which helps relieve shoulder strain.

Overall, I am very happy with how the bag performed over the week. It was very discrete and above all, I was fine carrying it on my shoulder for periods of more than 6 hours straight. I am still not sold on the backpack idea as I am a very dynamic shooter and change lenses very often. In an event like Mardi Gras, there is no way you can sit a backpack down and swap lenses.

I will post some photos of my setup later.
Hmm you know I was initally pretty set on a backpack cause I thought it would be nicer to carry around for long periods of time.

When I visited the crumpler site I didn't even look at the shoulder bags. I looked around the site a bit just now and your 6 million dollar bag actually looks pretty great. Makes a bit more sense for our trip as well, given the fact that we'll be in the UK and a big bulky backpack will stick out like a sore thumb. Rolland does a lot of the carrying of my gear cause my neck and back still aren't good, so he sat down and looked at it with me. He agrees that this bag might be the way to go for us. That and it would be ideal for day to day photo stuff around the city as well. Definately not as obvious as my shoulder bag that I have now and half it's size lol. Any cons to the bag at all??

[Melinda]

Well we went tonight to look at bags. Spent a good amount of time comparing them, finally had it down to two crumplers, a 6 million dollar home and a 7 million dollar home. I figured the 6 million dollar was more than good enough and we picked one of those up. Got it home, put what I needed to in it and I find it to be way too small. It'd be perfect if I didn't ever want to bring a flash with me, but I think I'll probably want to and my flash is too tall to fit with the camera when it has the grip on it. Tomorrow it has to go back and be exchanged for a 7 million dollar home. Both great bags though, super happy with them...I just need one size bigger :)

[clem24]

If you plan on doing a lot of hiking or need instant access to the cam, I highly recommend the slingshot AW200. I have that bag as well. It's great because it allows you to access the camera without having to remove the backpack: just tilt it slightly to your side. The camera body stores lens-in and is quick to access. It's a feature that no other bag has. It'll also hold a ton of stuff. I've had:

My father in law uses this with his Canon gear and he can fit his 20D with grip, a couple of flashes, 70-200L IS, and 24-105L. In my bag, I can stuff my D70, a flash, 10.5mm, 12-24mm, 17-50mm, 18-200mm, 50mm, plus a bunch of filters and other junk. I can aso forgo the 18-200 and stuff in a 80-200 2.8, and though that's pushing it, it does actually fit.

Just food for thought.

[Ben]

I'm still sporting the Lowpro bag I grabbed from you Mel, she's going strong and has done what I'd like it to do on my various trips, and is enjoying the Caribbean sunshine as I type, however I have required the odd time a nice sturdy backpack, and would likely be handy down here, as a backpack is less conspicuous than a "Hi, I'm a big dollar camera carrying bag."

I know Benyl uses (d) a backpack and I thought it was awesome. And have also been shopping around for one, so I'll be using your thread as advice for myself as well. :)

Only downside is purchasing camera equipment down here is ridiculously expensive, haha.

[Melinda]

Originally posted by Ben
I'm still sporting the Lowpro bag I grabbed from you Mel, she's going strong and has done what I'd like it to do on my various trips, and is enjoying the Caribbean sunshine as I type, however I have required the odd time a nice sturdy backpack, and would likely be handy down here, as a backpack is less conspicuous than a "Hi, I'm a big dollar camera carrying bag."

I know Benyl uses (d) a backpack and I thought it was awesome. And have also been shopping around for one, so I'll be using your thread as advice for myself as well. :)

Only downside is purchasing camera equipment down here is ridiculously expensive, haha.
That's great, Ben! I'm glad that bag is still working so well for you!

Yeah after using a totally regular backpack for my last trip to the UK and finding creative ways to insulate things, I've decided that I needed a really good bag to carry my stuff :) Theft from tourists is absolutely unreal in the UK (especially in london where we'll be starting off) so I really wanted something that didn't look too much like a camera bag. You'd actually be surprised how great this crumpler bag looks.

[Pihsiak]

Originally posted by Melinda

You'd actually be surprised how great this crumpler bag looks.


hmmm... perhaps you should write up a simple review? maybe take some pic of gears in bag and how it looks proportion to a human carrying it?

messenger bag types have causes back pains for me and that's why i was interested in getting a backpack

[Melinda]

Originally posted by Pihsiak



hmmm... perhaps you should write up a simple review? maybe take some pic of gears in bag and how it looks proportion to a human carrying it?

messenger bag types have causes back pains for me and that's why i was interested in getting a backpack
When I get the proper sized bag (see my post above) and I get it all set up, I'll do that for you

[turboMiata]

yeah, i'll do so as well once i get my second body back from Canon. Mine is the 6000000

[benyl]

The one thing I don't like about my bag is that it is hard to switch lenses on the fly. It is great for walking around and traveling, but when you are shooting, it is not that great as you have to take it off, put it on the ground, open it, switch lens... do the reverse.

I have the Lowepro Computrekker AW (or something).

It fits my body with grip, a 70-200mm, 100mm macro, 50mm, 16-36mm, 8mm fisheye, 550 EX, flash diffuser, 35mm, and a 1.4 teleconv. Each has it's own compartment. Oh, and it has a laptop compartment. It has a rain cover.

If you have 2 bodies, leave the 8mm and the 100mm at home and you have enough room. there is even more room in the front pocket, but since it isn't padded, I don't use it for anything of value.

The best part is that you can strap a Tripod to it and still open the bag.

But, I hate it. hahahhaha

[turboMiata]

Originally posted by benyl

But, I hate it. hahahhaha


hahahahahha! :rofl: :rofl:

i was totally expecting something else.

[Melinda]

Seems the backpack style bags are getting a lot of thumbs down in this thread. I'm kinda glad you talked me into a crumpler, Wei!

[msommers]

Originally posted by benyl
The one thing I don't like about my bag is that it is hard to switch lenses on the fly. It is great for walking around and traveling, but when you are shooting, it is not that great as you have to take it off, put it on the ground, open it, switch lens... do the reverse.

I have the Lowepro Computrekker AW (or something).

It fits my body with grip, a 70-200mm, 100mm macro, 50mm, 16-36mm, 8mm fisheye, 550 EX, flash diffuser, 35mm, and a 1.4 teleconv. Each has it's own compartment. Oh, and it has a laptop compartment. It has a rain cover.

If you have 2 bodies, leave the 8mm and the 100mm at home and you have enough room. there is even more room in the front pocket, but since it isn't padded, I don't use it for anything of value.

The best part is that you can strap a Tripod to it and still open the bag.

But, I hate it. hahahhaha

That pack seems perfect! What's wrong with it? I need one just like that....soo if you want to get rid of it.......:D

[turboMiata]

Originally posted by msommers


That pack seems perfect! What's wrong with it? I need one just like that....soo if you want to get rid of it.......:D

i know a lot of photogs who use backpacks. if i did a bit of hiking or spend time walking longer distances with my gear, i'm sure i'll be looking at a backpack because it is the most comfortable gear hauling solution.

it all depends on what you are trying to do and using the best tool for your job. unless you only got one camera and one lens, there is no one size fits all.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by turboMiata


it all depends on what you are trying to do and using the best tool for your job. unless you only got one camera and one lens, there is no one size fits all.

So true. With every new shooting scenario, I find that I wish I had a different bag for the set of equipment I want to take! I've got 4 different bags (1 holster, one small hardcase, one sling, and one backpack) and I think I may someday wind up with a closet full of camera cases, so I'll always have just the right size. :rofl:

[mboldt]

I've got a Dakine Sequence on the way in the mail right now and I have a Lowepro Slingshot which I love for when I require quick access.
I've previously owned a Computrekker and they are great bags, the Sequence is very similiar, but I'd rather have Camo =P

[Fire_chickin]

I also went with a Lowepro Slingshot 200AW and I would never go back to a regular backpack. I do mostly photojournalism style work and unless you are packing a serious amount of gear, the easy access of the slingshot is so convenient that the smaller size is a reasonable tradeoff. I dragged mine all over Honduras and it held up perfectly.

[Nabzif]

Any Domke around town? I asked the Camera Store and they have to special order them. Couldn't get through to Vistek to ask.

[KKY]

how much is the 6 million dollar home?

[Melinda]

Originally posted by KKY
how much is the 6 million dollar home?
www.thecamerastore.com
www.vistek.ca

[KKY]

$125... Think i'll keep my Nova 4 for now.