mr. matt
Member
I just wanted to enquire if anyone has any great camera bag suggestions.
Here is my situation: I travel a lot, from beautiful roads to no roads. I need a camera bag that is both light and durable, plus somewhat attractive. I have tried a few traditional bags, but often time they are too big and look like boxes with a strap. Smaller the better. As for camera gear I usually carry the bare minimum. RD-1, P&S, 3 lenses, batteries and small speed flash.
Does anyone have any links to bags or pics of their own bag for ideas. I generally lean towards leather, but I'm willing to try anything.
Ideas? Anyone?
Thanks.
Here is my situation: I travel a lot, from beautiful roads to no roads. I need a camera bag that is both light and durable, plus somewhat attractive. I have tried a few traditional bags, but often time they are too big and look like boxes with a strap. Smaller the better. As for camera gear I usually carry the bare minimum. RD-1, P&S, 3 lenses, batteries and small speed flash.
Does anyone have any links to bags or pics of their own bag for ideas. I generally lean towards leather, but I'm willing to try anything.
Ideas? Anyone?
Thanks.
mr. matt
Member
Any great camera bag suggestions?
Any great camera bag suggestions?
I just wanted to enquire if anyone has any great camera bag suggestions.
Here is my situation: I travel a lot, from beautiful roads to no roads. I need a camera bag that is both light and durable, plus somewhat attractive. I have tried a few traditional bags, but often time they are too big and look like boxes with a strap. Smaller the better. As for camera gear I usually carry the bare minimum. RD-1, P&S, 3 lenses, batteries and small speed flash.
Does anyone have any links to bags or pics of their own bag for ideas. I generally lean towards leather, but I'm willing to try anything.
Ideas? Anyone?
Thanks.
Any great camera bag suggestions?
I just wanted to enquire if anyone has any great camera bag suggestions.
Here is my situation: I travel a lot, from beautiful roads to no roads. I need a camera bag that is both light and durable, plus somewhat attractive. I have tried a few traditional bags, but often time they are too big and look like boxes with a strap. Smaller the better. As for camera gear I usually carry the bare minimum. RD-1, P&S, 3 lenses, batteries and small speed flash.
Does anyone have any links to bags or pics of their own bag for ideas. I generally lean towards leather, but I'm willing to try anything.
Ideas? Anyone?
Thanks.
M. Valdemar
Well-known
This is my daily user:
ClaremontPhoto
Jon Claremont
Sounds like an ad from the personals!
Bags are bags, get a big one, get a small one, get whatever you need. I sometimes use a bag for transits, but never for photography.
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Meakin
Established
Nobody can tell you what bag you need - you need to find out for yourself (trial and error)
Have a look here:
http://www.cambags.com
good luck!
/Meakin
Have a look here:
http://www.cambags.com
good luck!
/Meakin
P
polaski
Guest
Neck for the camera, pockets if necessary, and sometimes, in an extreme situation, I use those six-pack-sized lunch bags.
Otherwise, I'm carrying too much.
Otherwise, I'm carrying too much.
Mike Richards
Well-known
The Traditional Look
The Traditional Look
FWIW, you might think about how you look to officials at sites you want to visit. On a recent Holy Land tour, I had my Leica M8 (in Luigi case) and canvas Billingham bag with a couple of extra lenses and Leica minipod. I resembled more of an old fart retro guy than a couple of Nikon aficionados who were on the same tour with high tech looking cameras, flash, accessories, and otherwise "press-looking" gear and bags. It turned out I got into more places than the Nikoner's. Sites considered "holy" or "archaeological" usually have priests or other officials who don't care about the tourism or photographic value of their sites, and don't care about whether you get your photos or not. In several cases, I struck up conversations with the local priest at monasteries, and gained access just by expressing interest and respect for the holy site and not looking like an overloaded press photographer. Just something else to think about.
The Traditional Look
FWIW, you might think about how you look to officials at sites you want to visit. On a recent Holy Land tour, I had my Leica M8 (in Luigi case) and canvas Billingham bag with a couple of extra lenses and Leica minipod. I resembled more of an old fart retro guy than a couple of Nikon aficionados who were on the same tour with high tech looking cameras, flash, accessories, and otherwise "press-looking" gear and bags. It turned out I got into more places than the Nikoner's. Sites considered "holy" or "archaeological" usually have priests or other officials who don't care about the tourism or photographic value of their sites, and don't care about whether you get your photos or not. In several cases, I struck up conversations with the local priest at monasteries, and gained access just by expressing interest and respect for the holy site and not looking like an overloaded press photographer. Just something else to think about.
manfromh
I'm not there
Beautiful! Do they come in black?
Anyway, I just use my backbag when I need a bag.
kshapero
South Florida Man
For gay to day, I use A&A bags from Phoyo Village/ On a hike in the outback a LowePro backpack.
M. Valdemar
Well-known
Did I see you at the Gay Pride parade in Manhattan this Sunday? A few people with very nice camera bags were walking next to Mayor Bloomberg.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Haha thats what I get for typing in the dark. HAHA
ChrisPlatt
Thread Killer
jke
Well-known
Not that you would use this bag, but I prefer something that splits the difference between backpack and courier bag, largely because I like my spine but I also like to be able to dig into the bag in order to get things. I live in NYC where photography is merely one of several things I need to do in a given day, so having a bag that I don't have to carry in my hand or having a place where I can put a camera while sorting vegetables or picking out fruit for dinner is key. But I also don't like any of the camera bags out there, primarily because they say CAMERA BAG: PLEASE STEAL ME! Plus camera bags are bulky, look stupid, make the carrier look like a total dork, and barely carry cameras they are so over-padded, let alone a few extra groceries or notebooks. So I use the inserts from Domke to outfit whatever bag I am currently using as a camera bag. I also use Artisan & Artists' small Leica "make up" bag that sort of looks like a zipped up taco. I forget what goofy name they give it. This photo shows my trusty Patagonia bag with inserts. Ignore the computer bag - I only carry that when I go overseas. I also have an Arcteryx backpack that works well + the Domke inserts for a bigger camera (Bronica) and/or groceries. 
JTK
Established
I use a Buzz bicycle messenger bag from REI...chocolate brown (they call the color "loam").
www.rei.com search: Novara Buzz Messenger Bag (or Item # 728587)
The first BIG advantage over other types of bag is that although it backpacks better than daypacks do (and carries laptops better than laptop-dedicated bags do) it swings immediately around in front for instant access to camera.
The second BIG advantage is the velcro system, which protects equip even when I carelessly don't clip the closures.
The third BIG advantage is that it's SLEEK it hangs low on a bicycle messenger's back (I'm not one, but it works just as well for me when walking in town or in the rough..and if you visit big cities you know that these are maximum-trendy, not dorky/geeky like Hush Puppy shoes or Billingham bags), gets less in the way in brush, when scrambling, or indoors, than daypacks. It clings to one's back and hangs diagonally from one shoulder, isn't as sweaty/hot as daypacks in 100deg weather.
I added a narrow strip of padding to the bottom, as these things are unpadded. The other stuff in Buzz does the rest of the padding.
IMO the best bicycle messenger bags are like Buzz, the genuine, traditional type (hard to find)...traditional means the part of the "strap" that goes over your shoulder really isn't strap material: it's a wide and tapering part of the bag itself. Much more secure on shoulder (absolutely doesn't slip) and much more comfortable than the usual strap material.
Real bicycle messenger bags expand tremendously...mine easily carries DSLR, lenses, all possible accessories (including largest Rocket sensor blower), compact professional digital recorder, earphones, and during the work week, as many paper files and books as I care to tote (can get pretty heavy). Traveling, I can carry all that photo/sound stuff plus weather gear (for example).
I find Buzz BETTER than a conventional day pack for hiking a few miles in rugged terrain. It easily carries a liter or two of water along with everything else, which is important where I hike.
Black or camera-bag-tan are MAXIMUM-BAD because they tell the world what you're carrying.
www.rei.com search: Novara Buzz Messenger Bag (or Item # 728587)
The first BIG advantage over other types of bag is that although it backpacks better than daypacks do (and carries laptops better than laptop-dedicated bags do) it swings immediately around in front for instant access to camera.
The second BIG advantage is the velcro system, which protects equip even when I carelessly don't clip the closures.
The third BIG advantage is that it's SLEEK it hangs low on a bicycle messenger's back (I'm not one, but it works just as well for me when walking in town or in the rough..and if you visit big cities you know that these are maximum-trendy, not dorky/geeky like Hush Puppy shoes or Billingham bags), gets less in the way in brush, when scrambling, or indoors, than daypacks. It clings to one's back and hangs diagonally from one shoulder, isn't as sweaty/hot as daypacks in 100deg weather.
I added a narrow strip of padding to the bottom, as these things are unpadded. The other stuff in Buzz does the rest of the padding.
IMO the best bicycle messenger bags are like Buzz, the genuine, traditional type (hard to find)...traditional means the part of the "strap" that goes over your shoulder really isn't strap material: it's a wide and tapering part of the bag itself. Much more secure on shoulder (absolutely doesn't slip) and much more comfortable than the usual strap material.
Real bicycle messenger bags expand tremendously...mine easily carries DSLR, lenses, all possible accessories (including largest Rocket sensor blower), compact professional digital recorder, earphones, and during the work week, as many paper files and books as I care to tote (can get pretty heavy). Traveling, I can carry all that photo/sound stuff plus weather gear (for example).
I find Buzz BETTER than a conventional day pack for hiking a few miles in rugged terrain. It easily carries a liter or two of water along with everything else, which is important where I hike.
Black or camera-bag-tan are MAXIMUM-BAD because they tell the world what you're carrying.
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pfoto
Well-known
There are a million threads on RFF about bags for every imaginable photographic use. Use Google (site:rangefinderforum.com keyterm keyterm keyterm) not the search engine here.
TheHub
Well-known
I use a National Geographic bag sometimes: http://www.video-direct.com/accesso...hic/nationalgeographic-ng-2343-small-bag.html <-- that one
It can fit a TLR, Bronica, SLR or rangefinder and lenses) comfortably with quite a few rolls of film.
It can fit a TLR, Bronica, SLR or rangefinder and lenses) comfortably with quite a few rolls of film.
john_van_v
Well-known
I have considered attaching several short tubes together to make a kind of six-pack for lenses.
I think they would be made of clear plastic, would have to have bottoms, and be padded with bubble wrap, as that is clear too. That would fit into some kind of bag, perhaps a soft beer cooler, which is also padded.
Which reminds me; in the past when I had only one camera, a Minolta x-700 with a Sigma zoom, I used a soft cooler.
Mostly I now use plastic tool boxes to carry around my cameras, and sometimes beer the hard kind of beer coolers.
I think they would be made of clear plastic, would have to have bottoms, and be padded with bubble wrap, as that is clear too. That would fit into some kind of bag, perhaps a soft beer cooler, which is also padded.
Which reminds me; in the past when I had only one camera, a Minolta x-700 with a Sigma zoom, I used a soft cooler.
Mostly I now use plastic tool boxes to carry around my cameras, and sometimes beer the hard kind of beer coolers.