bag advice

K

Kyle

Guest
I'm looking for a messanger style shoulder bag to fit my CV Bessa R with 35/1.7 and a Jupiter 8. I'm looking for a bag that can double as my school bag, so it should be able to carry a textbook, and notebook (not computer, just paper). I'm looking at the Domke F-5XB, but does anybody know if it has a main compartment that can hold a textbook, along with the camera and lenses? Does anybody have any other suggestions for camera bag/school bag? It doesn't need to carry lots of supplies, just one textbook and a notebook, with a couple rolls of film and some pens. Thanks.
 
I have a Domke J-803, which is a smallish messanger-style bag. It's fantastic! The J-802, about $65 at bhphoto.com, is bigger and may be better for your needs.
 
I use an F-803 that might also work. It has an open flat pocket on the back (full length/width) that holds some paper and a not-too-thick book. If the F-5XB is built the same, it might also have that same pocket, but at only 10.5" x 6.5" it might be a bit small for a book, and certainly too small for 8.5x11 paper unfolded (the 803 is 13x9). I like the 803 because it doesn't really look like a camera bag and is a bit thinner than the others. And with only an RF and 2 small lenses, you might even fit a small book inside the main part. It comes with a single FA-280 insert, and the 2 pockets on the front hold lots of little stuff.
 
Check out the Domke knock-offs made by Safrotto. Can be bought from an eBay store - they are very high quality bags (much better made than Domke). Type "like Domke" in the eBay search engine. I have the F-803 clone - $37.50!
 
Rover,
Many Ebay sellers are doing this now - Outrageous!
The prices look terrific, then you check s&h to find out it cost as much or more for their effort in packaging.
I refuse to buy from these people.
 
OK rover you've done all the work. :) Shipping was $29 when I got mine and this somewhat outrageous price is out of the control of the seller. The product is made in Beijing and shipped from Shanghai and normal (western) market forces do not apply in the case of international shipping from China.

Rong Jin will combine shipping if you order 1+ bags but remember that the price of this bag + shipping is still less than the price of a "real" 803 shipped from NYC. The bag is just incredibly well made and makes the Domke original look almost shoddy by comparison. (I have no relationship with the seller other than being a customer.)
 
Well, I am not that concerned about the plight of ebay, a big almost monopolistic corporation ( I know, not really, but do they really aren't a little mom & pop shop at this time. They did just double their fees without more of an explaination than an email.), but if the shipping charges were a little more reasonable one of these bags would be on the way to me right now. The apparent high quality of the bag is very attractive even if it isn't as much of a bargan as I thought it was.
 
I wouldn't be so sure about them overcharging for shipping.
Packages I send from Croatia to USA (by air mail) as padded envelopes, weighing about 5 oz, usually cost me about $18. I never sent any cameras or heavier items to USA due to prohibitively high shipping costs. I guess I'd pay a lot more than $30.
Remember that these bags are sent from China....
It's tough for us who still have state monopoly on postal services :mad:

Denis
 
I just checked the auction, and they are shipping EMS (express mail), so the shipping charges are about right, if they are anything like the ones here in Austria... It costs me around 18 Euros to ship a camera with regular, insured parcel post to Germany; to China, and with EMS, it would surely be around 30 Euros...

Roman
 
I guess we in the USA are spoiled. I typically pay around $5.00usd to ship an SLR, coast to coast (non-priority). Most USA sellers will add the original shipping cost to the product price, to give a REAL cost. Then only charge what the actual USPS cost is here.
At least that's what I do.
 
It seems to cost more to ship across deep water. My relatives in Hawaii pay a premiumfor UPS and Priority Mail. A cousin sells on e-Bay and she always complains about the competitive disadvantage of having higher shipping costs compared to fellow Americans on the mainland.

-Paul
 
If cost is a concern (a student?), many military surplus outlets sell Isreali paratroop shoulder bags for $12 usd. No padding, but very sturdy cotton duck and I put a small towel in the bottom for padding and it works great.
Besides, being an olive drab color, with red Para-wings on it doesn't look like a camera bag.
 
Kyle, I have the Domke 5XB. It is not large enough for a standard textbook and an RF and lens, unless the textbook is about the size of paperback novel. In other words, my 5XB is at full capacity with one small SLR body + normal lens and one RF + 2 lens. You want a down-sized messenger style bag, I think, as other posters suggest.
 
i'm kinda half serious...i looked at them a while back but was also turned off by the high shipping cost.
i have read only good things about them.

joe
 
I am doing some math too.

Lets say shipping from China for 2 bags is $41 instead of $62 (wild lowball guess), and they must be sort of heavy, $10 to get one to Canada, that means we each only save $5.50. Now if we could order 6 of them....
 
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