Canvas or Ballistic Nylon?

Canvas or Ballistic Nylon?

  • Canvas

    Votes: 139 63.2%

  • Ballistic Nylon

    Votes: 66 30.0%

  • Other

    Votes: 15 6.8%
  • Total voters
    220
Ballistic Nylon. It seems to be more water resistant and so far I have used it in very harsh conditions without any problem. This is with a DSLR and RF in the bag.
 
I acknowledge the technical superiority of nylon, but I only use cheap canvas satchels from the army surplus store, as they are a lot more discreet. Nylon camera bags look like camera bags.
 
Al Kaplan said:
At one point I had a bag made out of old blue jeans. I guess it would be stylish again now!
Click to expand...
A couple years ago I got in the habit of stapling a few paper grocery bags (the kind with handles) together, then throw my camera stuff in there, and put some laundry on top of the cameras and lenses. I could leave that bag anywhere and be assured that it would still be there, unmolested, when I returned.

I got out of the habit when the bags finally ripped through and dumped my laundry - AND CAMERAS on the ground.

It was embarrassing. 😱
 
Canvas. Ballistic nylon is a very good substance for making tough stuff from but it has a nasty feel to it.

I think the canvas dust issue is overblown. You have synthetic inserts in a Domke and an clean them out once in a while anyway. Unless you shoot only in cities, much more dust is going to come from the great outdoors than the break down of canvas.
 
My SLR bag is a Tenba 995 that I bought about 25 years ago. Made from coarse Nylon woven material that wears like iron, except that the edges fray. I just sew them closed, and keep on going. It was quite expensive for the time (over $300.00 as I recall, but in retrospect worth every penny).
A few months ago I found another one that had been used by a camera store for rentals. I bought it for ten dollars, got new interior dividers and plastic hardware from Tenba for $25.00, and after some do-it-myself repairs to fix it up, keep my rangefinder kit in it.
 
Whatever material they use for military backpacks...I get my bags from the local military surplus store...just picked-up a new one last week...this one's for the Mamiya 645 stuff...
 
Billingham Fibrenyte. Look and feel similiar to their "Storm Block" canvas, but is a tougher, lighter synthetic fiber laminate. Sage color replaces olive.
 
Ballistic Nylon is awsome stuff, it's tough, bright, strong, washable, very weather resitant. It doesn't tear or have it's stiches go and get nasty brown after it gets wet.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom