Carry-on Bag - Camera Bag

[DownUnder]

@boojum - In case you haven’t already figured this out (or if others might be wondering), Domke’s prices can vary quite a bit depending not only on the color chosen but also on the material chosen. I believe they only used to offer their bags in good old canvas, but eventually they added waxed canvas, ripstop nylon, and perhaps others.

I’ve owned a small Domke F-803 satchel bag for 25 years now (in canvas) and it has managed to handle all of the camera gear I’ve ever wanted to bring along with me, be it on my travels or just around town. I feel like such a lightweight compared to some of the others here (no pun intended). But I prefer to keep my camera gear to a minimum whenever possible on my travels. When I bring the Domke along with my camera gear it rarely leaves my side. I literally take it almost everywhere with me. The last time I traveled, I loaded it up with two rangefinder bodies, four lenses, extra rolls of film, extra batteries, lens cleaning gear, a small tabletop tripod, a few magazines (to read on the flight), and a rain shell tucked under the top flap. While the bag could handle it, I felt like I had overdone it. If I’m staying with friends or family then leaving the Domke behind isn’t a big deal, but I never do so when staying at a hotel. So the less I carry along with me the better.

Ironically, in my travels I tend to be there for the experience first while the photography comes 2nd. Sadly in my case, if I spend too much time taking photos I wind up feeling like I missed out on much of the overall experience (yes, I lied in my job interviews whenever asked if I was good at multitasking). I often tend to shoot more when re-visiting a place. While the photos/images from a trip are wonderful, I’ll admit that my memories are more important to me. Should my memory wind up going kaput (as happened with my mom and her mom both) then the photos will be worthless to me anyway. I do realize that I’m in the minority here when it comes to such things.

Regardless, I definitely wish you luck as you work on finalizing your plans for bags/gear/etc. and hope that you have a wonderful trip.

Obviously you are a proud owner of the (in)famous Domke 25 kilogram rice bag satchel. Now no longer sold as carriers of said bag kept getting thrown off international flights for trying to lug them on board...

With the load of gear you carry in your F-803, you should do a YouTube presentation on the ideal way to pack. I write this with the utmost seriousness. I would be one of your greatest fans.

On the whole, an excellent and well written post.

(All this said tongue in cheek but with some seriousness.)

 

[boojum]

Note the water-resistant in the blurb (not waterproof). This is what my bag is constructed of and it has served me well.

And you’re not fooling me. A real f-ing chintz would not be shopping Domke bags, nor pondering whether or not to spend $3K on yet another camera for a trip, or taking an overseas trip to begin with. 🤣

Funny. I scraped around B&H checking out all the Domke F-2 bags for the cheapest. I checked off and on for a few days until I finally got serious and chased down the cheapest. As for cameras, I am pretty much done. I really do not need another; lenses likewise. The new Bertele from Skyllaney will do me. But be aware, I thought long and hard about the LLL Elcan on account of price. I like Thypoch because they deliver a nice retro and cinema look and are priced low. And while I am contemplating a trip I live extremely frugally, beans and rice feed me often.

I have two Hondas, a 2001 and a 2009.

As for the Skyllaney FLB, the SBS is a wonderful lens. I like nice things, and a lens that sees things well, or one that sees things how I like them seen, gets my attention. The SBS has a combination of color and definition that are very good. And it works well on the X2D. I was on the fence about the new FLB Skyllaney but got a gentle nudge from the folks there. It promises to be a wonderful lens, the ultimate Sonnar and I am fond of Sonnars. It will be everything the SBS is and more. And if I can pay homage to Chris and the crew at Skyllaney I think that is a good opportunity. From thems what knows on the board - Brian - this is pretty much a masterpiece of the lensmaker's art. The SBS works so well on the old M9. The FLB will work better.

Yes, this accounts for a lot of money. But I am getting pretty old and as much as I like those heirs I have I do not want to spoil them. The trick is to run out of breath just before I run out of money. I had a small amount of money I invested, wisely, in 2000. Warren Buffet is my friend. The money I have is the money I worked for and saved. I made my ex a generous settlement in our divorce, better than the law required and that cost a real lot of money. But my hands are clean and when I sit on the bed in the morning I have no shame or guilt. She accepted the offer quickly.

I have no debt and my only weakness is black cigars, strong drink and loose women. Three inexpensive hobbies. LMAO OK, I lied. I had to get a blood draw for the infectious diseases folks at the VA. They are checking for, among other things, HIV. At my age that is flattery.

 

[Guth]

Obviously you are a proud owner of the (in)famous Domke 25 kilogram rice bag satchel. Now no longer sold as carriers of said bag kept getting thrown off international flights for trying to lug them on board...

With the load of gear you carry in your F-803, you should do a YouTube presentation on the ideal way to pack. I write this with the utmost seriousness. I would be one of your greatest fans.

On the whole, an excellent and well written post.

(All this said tongue in cheek but with some seriousness.)

😄

I have always preferred traveling light — sometimes to the extreme. So while doable, loading as much gear as I did into the F-803 was certainly less than ideal. When I discovered that they were on sale last year I wound up buying another F-803. If I ever want to load both cameras and assorted lenses into the one bag again at least I know that I can manage it. But going forward, just one camera with two lenses and my smartphone serving as a backup/alternative will likely do me just fine.

 

[Guth]

@boojum - If you want to constantly joke around with others, you must expect at least some of us to respond in kind. A real chintz is a person who refuses to purchase drinking glasses, choosing to use plastic yogurt cups instead and who only owns but one bath towel despite having plenty of money in the bank and invested elsewhere. My uncle has lightened up quite a bit since those days and he certainly seems the happier for it (while also being more fun to be around). And what’s wrong with rice and beans? 😄 ✌️

 

[boojum]

@boojum - If you want to constantly joke around with others, you must expect at least some of us to respond in kind. A real chintz is a person who refuses to purchase drinking glasses, choosing to use plastic yogurt cups instead and who only owns but one bath towel despite having plenty of money in the bank and invested elsewhere. My uncle has lightened up quite a bit since those days and he certainly seems the happier for it (while also being more fun to be around). And what’s wrong with rice and beans? 😄 ✌️

Have you been looking in my bathroom? ;o}

As for rice and beans, all my blood relatives on my father's side love beans so it is genetic. Being old and living alone I find an IP a dream. It is quick, easy, always works and easy to clean up. One pot meals. Black beans and chickpeas are currently favored.

 

[boojum]

@boojum - If you want to constantly joke around with others, you must expect at least some of us to respond in kind. A real chintz is a person who refuses to purchase drinking glasses, choosing to use plastic yogurt cups instead and who only owns but one bath towel despite having plenty of money in the bank and invested elsewhere. My uncle has lightened up quite a bit since those days and he certainly seems the happier for it (while also being more fun to be around). And what’s wrong with rice and beans? 😄 ✌️

The point I was trying to make is that I live very frugally. At the end of the month I still have money from my monthly SS check which is my cash flow. The modest investments I have are for the occasional splurge. That is it in a nutshell.

I suppose it is bizarre and a little nutso. That's alright. I only have to please myself. I can take the ribbing, that's fine. But underneath the superficial nuttiness is a very conservative and modest approach to life, other than GAS. If there is a 12 Step program for GAS I will avoid it. ;o)

 

[DownUnder]

😄

I have always preferred traveling light — sometimes to the extreme. So while doable, loading as much gear as I did into the F-803 was certainly less than ideal. When I discovered that they were on sale last year I wound up buying another F-803. If I ever want to load both cameras and assorted lenses into the one bag again at least I know that I can manage it. But going forward, just one camera with two lenses and my smartphone serving as a backup/alternative will likely do me just fine.

Guth, as long as you can lift the bag, it's okay to carry it on board a flight. If it's too big or bulky, or you fall over going up the steps or into the aircraft, the service crew will come to your aid. And the security officers. Especially the latter.

As for boojum, I am in all ways with him. I do the same - live off my pension payments. A bit of extra money from some wise investments I made long ago - other than a good nose for a fine bargain in stocks and shares my life hasn't been what I consider to be a great success, except in my marriage - goes to pay for small luxuries at home, feed the cats and travel to Asia. In Indonesia I rent one floor on a suburban villa and as the owners/my landlords are old friends, I have a few luxuries to enjoy, notably the use of one of their cars and the driver when they are overseas on shopping sprees (these people have very, very serious wealth behind them), so I get to explore the byways and back blocks of East Javas and Central Java for the cost of gas, road tolls and a bit of spending money to the driver. Every four to five months I go home to Australia to see if everything I have there is still all of a piece (so far, touch wood, all good) and catch up to my SO and our cats, do a few house chores and continue my lifelong hunt for good red wines at bargain prices. In that sense, in every way, it's LG LG LG for me, and I hope it lasts while I can still afford it and still walk.

My SO has professional med qualifications and hates plastic kitchen ware. So we use glass. No recyclable yoghurt cups for us, we're a classy act - For our wine tests we use Bonne Maman jam jars, made in France (the jam and the jars), tho' I easily resist buying the stuff for $7 at the local stupormarket unless the fig jam is on special at $4 which it now and then is, when I buy four or five or even six as it's a jam to die for. A big spender, I am.

All the above said, it may propel me down the class structure list if I 'fess up to buying Bonne Maman jars from our local charity shop. For 20 cents each. Confession done...

And cameras. I'm at an age where some of mine, in fact the bulk of my collection, is about to be culled again, for the Xth (I've lost count) time, and all the loose ends sold. Even my beloved Rolleis, while prices are still good and I can even make as much for the original F&H Rollei accessories as I hope to get for the cameras.

In my dreams I fantasise about only one camera and one lens. The latest contender in my minimalist stakes is a Nikon Z6 with a whopping' 347 actuations which I've recently snagged. I want to pair it with a secondhand 28/2.8 Z when one turns up and a $35 made in China F-Z adapter to use four of my 12 Nikon D lenses (for the record, 20, 35, 80, 180). The other eight lenses will be flogged off. Money for jam, as it is...

Two Nikon D700s will also go to the chopping block before they seize up from old age and disuse. My D800s I'll keep. For now. Ditto the Fujis, as lovely as they are, I'm done with them so off they will go. A noble experiment (and an expensive one) for me, but the love affair has passed and that ship is about to set sail into the sunset. As I used to say when I was gainfully employed and cash grew on trees, money is only paper. Nowadays it's mostly plastic, but the notion endures.

Now if a good Leica Q2 turns up at my fave camera shop in Melbourne at a price I can swing, all bets are off.

PS Wasn't all this supposed to be about camera bags? How ever did we wander off so many side paths. All most interesting, be it said...

 

[Archiver]

Guth, as long as you can lift the bag, it's okay to carry it on board a flight. If it's too big or bulky, or you fall over going up the steps or into the aircraft, the service crew will come to your aid. And the security officers. Especially the latter.

🤣

As for boojum, I am in all ways behind him. My SO has professional med qualifications, and despises plastic kitchen ware with a fervour if not a passion. So we use glass. No recyclable yoghurt cups for us, we are a classy act - it's Bonne Maman jam jars, made in France (both the jam and the jars), tho' it may propel me further down the class structure list if I 'fess up to buying the jars from one of our local charity shops. For 20 cents each. Confession done...

And cameras. I'm at an age where some of mine, in fact the bulk of my collection, is about to be culled yet again, for the Xth (I've lost count) time, and all the loose ends sold off. Even my beloved Rolleis, while prices are good and I can even get as much for the original accessories as for the cameras.

Again??

In my dreams I fantasise about having one camera and one lens. The latest contender in the minimalist stakes for me is a Nikon Z6 which I've just picked up. I intend to pair it with a 28/2.8 Z and an adapter to use four of my 12 Nikon D lenses on it. The other eight lenses will also be flogged off.

Congratulations on the Z6! May it bring you what you want. The Z6 sensor performs extremely well, even compared with today's cameras.

Back in the mists of 2009, I thought that if I bought a Canon 5D Mark II and a 35mm f1.4 L, I would never want another camera. This proved to be untrue. 😅 I bought a M9 in 2010, and thought I was done with heavy cameras and chunky lenses. For a time, this was true, but no longer, as I'm now shooting with a SL2-S, an even heavier Panasonic S1, and an assortment of lenses including chunky ones. After 15 years, my M9 has taken a back seat because the SL2-S can use some of my favourite M lenses.

Being a gearhead and being a photographer is a venn diagram with a fair amount of overlap, and I think the solution is a paraphrase of Albert Einstein: have the right amount of gear that meets your needs and wants, but no more. Some people like John Sypal of TokyoCameraStyle seem to be able to shoot with a Leica MP and whatever lens as main camera forever, but I have yet to achieve this utopian state.

Two Nikon D700s will also go to the auction house before they seize up from old age and disuse. My D800s I'll keep. For now. Ditto the Fujis, as lovely as they are, I'm done with them. A noble experiment (and an expensive one) for me, but the love affair has passed and that ship is about to sail off into the sunset. As I so once often said to anyone who listened to me in the past and I was gainfully employed and cash seemed to grow on trees, after all money is only paper. Nowadays it's mostly plastic, but the notion endures.

To be honest, I wondered about your foray into Fuji, as you never mentioned Fuji before the X-Pro 2, and haven't much since then.

But if a good Leica Q2 turns up at my fave camera shop in Melbourne at a price I can swing, all bets are off.

cough cough Camera Lane right now cough
and Camex has a Q2 Reporter
just putting that out there

As for the camera bag - my most used bag for everyday carry and short trips is my Crumpler Dry Red Boarding Bag (now discontinued) with some foam divider strips from other bags to pad the bottom. The current available equivalent is the Crumpler Billy. Someone once told me that the larger the bag, the more likely it is to fill with stuff, so keep the bag just big enough to fit your essentials.

 

[boojum]

Parkinson's Laws. We all know the first. There are three:

1) Expenditures rise to meet income.

2) Workload expands to meet workforce.

3) Camera gear expands to meet camera gear bag.

 

[girdwoodINC]

Has anyone used the Wotancraft 2L bag? Looking for something to carry the Rolleiflex or an M body with 35 sumilux

 

[bjorke]

Has anyone used the Wotancraft 2L bag? Looking for something to carry the Rolleiflex or an M body with 35 sumilux View attachment 4870748

Should do it -- I carry an M + 35 summilux using the 3L bag because it's also large enough to carry my notebook in the back packet (and SOMEtimes, a second lens in the main pocket -- I make a little "L" shaped shelf in the main compartment under the Leica, it supporsts the lens and leaves some space underneath for batteries) & a phone. It's always something more that needs carrying. Earbuds. A pen. Something. Though to be fair the camera's not in the bag most of the time.

 

[Perkeo Vaskar]

Two weeks ago I picked up a used bag at a camera shop. The design appealed to me and I really liked how the main clasp functions. I quickly resolved to get another one, but had no idea who the manufacturer was. The "Fidlock" clasp was not helpful in identifying the maker, but it sent my on a half hour wild goose chase trying to find such a bag made by that company. It also had a zipper pull bearing the "Maxpedition" brand. Same story there. No dice. The only other markings on the bag was a Cordura tag and a patch bearing what looked to me like stylized Chinese characters.

I eventually figured out I'm the proud owner of a Wotancraft Pilot 7L bag after I did an internet search on "camera bag" and "Chinese characters." I'll probably pick up 3L and 10L Pilot models before too long.

I'm going to investigate if it's possible to purchase the Fidlock clasps separately. I have some Domke bags with metal clips I'd like to adapt to the Fidlock.

 

[Godfrey]

Two weeks ago I picked up a used bag at a camera shop. The design appealed to me and I really liked how the main clasp functions. I quickly resolved to get another one, but had no idea who the manufacturer was. The "Fidlock" clasp was not helpful in identifying the maker, but it sent my on a half hour wild goose chase trying to find such a bag made by that company. It also had a zipper pull bearing the "Maxpedition" brand. Same story there. No dice. The only other markings on the bag was a Cordura tag and a patch bearing what looked to me like stylized Chinese characters.

I eventually figured out I'm the proud owner of a Wotancraft Pilot 7L bag after I did an internet search on "camera bag" and "Chinese characters." I'll probably pick up 3L and 10L Pilot models before too long.

I'm going to investigate if it's possible to purchase the Fidlock clasps separately. I have some Domke bags with metal clips I'd like to adapt to the Fidlock.

Wotancraft bags have been my mainstay for a while. The Canteener 3L is my most used bag for the past year and some ... perfect for walkaround picture taking!

G

 

[nightlight]

I'm going to investigate if it's possible to purchase the Fidlock clasps separately. I have some Domke bags with metal clips I'd like to adapt to the Fidlock.

Yes. I keep spares of Fidlocks which I tend to fit to various things, straps, belts or bags e.g. the Think Tank retro 30v2 has velcro fasteners which i dislike, I fitted a Fidlock Slider 40 to the middle of it and tucked the velcro fasteners away, see pic.

I suggest you think about the breaking load you want - the slider 40 has a static breaking load of 294 N (per spec), which can be a lot for tired/weak single-hand operation (and it can pinch your finger when snapping back together), but is useful in crowds.

My wotancraft pilot 10L came with the Fidlock slider 25, I think, and that is a tad too weak for my liking.

 

[Archiver]

In 2013, I had the chance to handle the Wotancraft Ryker, an utterly beautiful leather bag with purple microfibre lining. On one hand, I regret not buying it as it was a. beautiful and b. now discontinued, but on the other hand, I wouldn't have got much use from it as it is quite heavy even when empty. Also, it's a flap-bag, and try as I might, but I can't stand flap bags. This means no Billingham Hadley, either. I suspect the only time I'd use the Ryker is for evenings out to the orchestra or opera, where it's not necessary to stash a camera quickly, and I'd prefer something a bit more dressy than the usual nylon Crumpler or Bellroy bag I usually carry.

Wotancraft Ryker - The Perfect Leica Camera Bag? — Kristian Dowling

The quest for the ultimate camera bag is a lifelong journey filled with the occasional mistakes, great rare finds and excitement for the purchase of a bag that just may be the holy grail. I’ve been searching for the ultimate Leica M bag for the last 21 years and I believe I may have found

kristiandowling.com

 

[Disappointed_Horse]

I just checked out Crumpler's website as when I was last shopping for a camera bag a few years ago, they were not making any. Looks like they are back in the business. I have one of their bags I bought 15+ years ago and it's held up great.

 

[besk]

@boojum - In case you haven’t already figured this out (or if others might be wondering), Domke’s prices can vary quite a bit depending not only on the color chosen but also on the material chosen. I believe they only used to offer their bags in good old canvas, but eventually they added waxed canvas, ripstop nylon, and perhaps others.

I’ve owned a small Domke F-803 satchel bag for 25 years now (in canvas) and it has managed to handle all of the camera gear I’ve ever wanted to bring along with me, be it on my travels or just around town. I feel like such a lightweight compared to some of the others here (no pun intended). But I prefer to keep my camera gear to a minimum whenever possible on my travels. When I bring the Domke along with my camera gear it rarely leaves my side. I literally take it almost everywhere with me. The last time I traveled, I loaded it up with two rangefinder bodies, four lenses, extra rolls of film, extra batteries, lens cleaning gear, a small tabletop tripod, a few magazines (to read on the flight), and a rain shell tucked under the top flap. While the bag could handle it, I felt like I had overdone it. If I’m staying with friends or family then leaving the Domke behind isn’t a big deal, but I never do so when staying at a hotel. So the less I carry along with me the better.

Ironically, in my travels I tend to be there for the experience first while the photography comes 2nd. Sadly in my case, if I spend too much time taking photos I wind up feeling like I missed out on much of the overall experience (yes, I lied in my job interviews whenever asked if I was good at multitasking). I often tend to shoot more when re-visiting a place. While the photos/images from a trip are wonderful, I’ll admit that my memories are more important to me. Should my memory wind up going kaput (as happened with my mom and her mom both) then the photos will be worthless to me anyway. I do realize that I’m in the minority here when it comes to such things.

Regardless, I definitely wish you luck as you work on finalizing your plans for bags/gear/etc. and hope that you have a wonderful trip.

Reading this about the F-803 bag reminds me of being stuck overnight at a motel at the Vienna Airport after my flight had been cancelled with only my J-803 bag. In it I had packed a change of underwear and small bag of toiletry stuff in addition to two small rangefinder cameras and other photography stuff, snacks, papers etc. It pays to have been in the Boy Scouts with the motto "Be Prepared."

 

[chuckroast]

With the benefit of nearly 1 million miles lifetime travel, I have learned a few things:

I've switched to backpacks to even out the load on my body. An over the shoulder bag does unpleasant things to back health over time.
I use a very nice Manfrotto backpack that just fits under the seat in front of me. It can hold an SLR, a mirrorless digital, an RF with a few lenses, and a small laptop and accessories. It's tight, but it all fits in the padded areas of the bag. I do carry a small externally attached bag for film.

There is also room for essential medications, and a few small snack bars. After probably a dozen or two bags over the years, I have found this to be the most efficient way to travel.



In my primary luggage, I carry a Lowe Pro waist pack that has a shoulder strap allowing me also sling it cross body when I am shooting. I just fill it with socks or tee shirts when packing so it takes very little extra space. That way, once I am at destination, I only need to carry that day's shooting essentials not everything in the carry on backpack. I did have to replace the strap that came with it because it was to short. I have two of these and they are just great walking around bags. You sling it cross body in front of your both for easy access and for security. I typically carry one DSLR or mirrorless and a film body with a couple lenses in it, as well as a light meter and extra film. Again, it has to be packed carefully, but it works great:



BTW, I bought both of these used. Buying new bags is a waste of money unless you cannot find what you want anywhere.

 

[bjorke]

Should do it -- I carry an M + 35 summilux using the 3L bag because it's also large enough to carry my notebook in the back packet (and SOMEtimes, a second lens in the main pocket -- I make a little "L" shaped shelf in the main compartment under the Leica, it supporsts the lens and leaves some space underneath for batteries) & a phone. It's always something more that needs carrying. Earbuds. A pen. Something. Though to be fair the camera's not in the bag most of the time.

As a followup -- I've discovered that the Pilot 3L fits perfectly into the top compartment of a Pilot backpack. I'll be traveling a fair bit from now (err, today!) until mid-October, and have adopted this as a carry-on: backpack with inserted 3L in the overhead bin, containing everything with a battery: laptop, cameras, strobes, etc. Then when I arrive wherever, remove and use the small bag, while cameras go on their straps, and I'm out the door for shooting days.

Anything without a battery (e.g., tripod or clothes) goes in a small-size checked roller bag.

If you like cycling I've had good luck traveling with their Brompton-connected bags, too.

 

[dkreindler]

One of these and usually a Sony RX100 MKI or Ricoh GR. I travel light (carry on only) and a small, but high quality compact that I can charge via USB solves a lot of problems. Since a lot of my travel is business oriented and to places that I don't want to necessarily have a bigger body on me, I can ditch the sling bag and slip a compact into my jacket pocket and discreetly snap some pics from the minibus or taxi window.

MINI UK Trip-6 by Derek Kreindler, on Flickr

I used the Canon S95 on a trip to the UK a couple of years ago, and not once did I regret bringing leaving my Leica Q or D750 behind.