Carry-on Bag - Camera Bag

boojum said:
The gear I am taking is pretty pricey. The X2D and XCD 55V cost me two grandchildren and an ex-wife. LOL Add in the 120 3.5 macro tele and we are talking way more than I want to lose. I'd like to bring along an A7 III also with two lenses. Then the batteries, filters and so on, it is way more than I can afford to replace. That gear tapped me out. So insurance is a must. As it comes to more than $5K I think I have to get pro coverage. That's OK, call it duck if you want. Just cover me. ;o)

I am really trying to get all my ducks in a row way before I leave. Last minute stuff is terrifying. Yeah, I could do it with an M9 and three or four lenses, but . . .
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B, after your trip you'll have to tell us if you had just enough gear or ....too much.
Apart from road trips with a 5x7" & 4x10", the last trip i took a lot of gear was to the Himalaya in the late '80s. I had a Pentax LX w/ a 24 & 80-200, and a Leica M6 with a 35 & 50. Carried them everywhere for 30 days of trekking and i'm pretty sure i didn't have insurance on them. If i were doing the trip today i'd likely get by with less.... a 35mm Summilux & a 90mm for mountain close-ups would do it for me or just a Rolleiflex.... i always have trouble deciding..... but a single camera Rolleiflex or Leica....well that's almost like you know "wallet & watch."
 
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ellisson said:
For sure, need coverage on that gear. I was robbed in Madrid about 20 years ago, losing a Minolta Maxxum 7 camera and a few lenses for shooting street scenes. A couple began fighting, yelling at each other in the street where I was enjoying dinner outdoors with some colleagues, my camera bag set down in front of me below my seat. The woman shrieks, slams down a heavy package, and the couple runs off, distraction accomplished. I look down and my camera bag is gone: A carefully coordinated theft. Lesson learned, but at a not-too-high price to replace my gear.
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Spain is notorious for theft now. Just another reason for me not to go. OK, who was your underwriter?
 
38Deardorff said:
B, after your trip you'll have to tell us if you had just enough gear or ....too much.
Apart from road trips with a 5x7" & 4x10", the last trip i took a lot of gear was to the Himalaya in the late '80s. I had a Pentax LX w/ a 24 & 80-200, and a Leica M6 with a 35 & 50. Carried them everywhere for 30 days of trekking and i'm pretty sure i didn't have insurance on them. If i were doing the trip today i'd likely get by with less.... a 35mm Summilux & a 90mm for mountain close-ups would do it for me or just a Rolleiflex.... i always have trouble deciding.
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I could do the trip with the A7 and the two lenses. But that X2D is just so damned sweet. I have no idea how the folks in Gothenburg got so good at tuning sensors but they sure did. It is just magic, sharp but not harsh, saturated color but not garish. I am so glad I had those extra two grandchildren and the ex-wife to exchange for that gear. Oh, wash my mouth out with soap. LOL
 
boojum said:
Cameras: I am pretty much set o the A7 with the 1.8 55 and the 24 - 240, the zoom doing most of the lifting. Second camera? Yeah, the M9 is sweet, so is the M240 and the Q3 is an easy to use. But the X2D consistently does magic with light and color. The X2D is not that big, even with the XCD 55V on it. I'd bring along the 120 3.5. So that would be two cameras. I am just so impressed with what the X2D does that I would like it for its gorgeous subtlety.

But I have a few months to sort this out, too. The A7 is pretty much definite as it does so much and so well. Not perfect but really good. The Q3 is that way but one focal length.

Clothes, two pair of shoes, three trousers and four or five shirts and sets of skivvies and socks, Meds, I take a lot of meds so that gets packed. I have traveled across the country in this little devil and it worked fine with one suitcase and a camera bag. It's a 2001 Honda Insight, 50 - 60 MPG easily.

I will be riding or walking, no hiking. The X2D? With such a sweet camera why leave it at home? I will take my Swiss Army knife, it's on my key chain, and maybe the Opinel just for sentimental sake.

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Had an Insight. My brother still has his. Nice car if you can keep a good battery.
 
besk said:
Had an Insight. My brother still has his. Nice car if you can keep a good battery.
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I put a new one in my a couple of years go. I believe it replaced the original. I'll be making a run from NW Oregon to Covina and then to Cape Cod in mine, and back. It is a great road car. Mine is stick but I had cruise control put in. Great for those long hauls in the Midwest. It is a great car.
 
So how did you end up packing your camera gear for this trip, and in which bag?

I'm planning to leave for Malaysia and Sarawak in less than two weeks, so I need inspiration. Please help!
 
DownUnder said:
So how did you end up packing your camera gear for this trip, and in which bag?

I'm planning to leave for Malaysia and Sarawak in less than two weeks, so I need inspiration. Please help!
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I am not final, but, . . . I think I can do it with the Sony A7 III, 55mm 1.5 and the 24 - 240 zoom plus the X2D, XCD 55V and 120 3.5 macro. OK, flash for the Sony, batteries for both, and associated crap. I think I will go for the Domke F-2 because it holds a lot and will slide under a seat. This is not final but it looks pretty good as it will carry all the gear and also can collapse enough for a day carry.

I am beginning to like the Q3 43. It is a B+ student, always good but not always great. It does a lot of things well. The X2D does all of it great and is the same field of view, an equivalent 43mm. It does have four or five crop teles in it so that is nice.

The Sony is a quick and dirty shooter. 24mm is plenty wide and 240 is a good reach tele. It can do high speed burst shooting. It does HDR and movies. Yes, I am bringing an external mic. It does good color and image. I could do just the Sony, but that HB is just so sweet. As soon as I started shooting with it I was OK with spending all that money. It is a good camera.

So that is my rationalization. I have a carry-on I will buy that meets the guidelines. I will have a checked bag of mostly clothes.

That's the deal. I hope it helps you some.
 
boojum said:
I am not final, but, . . . I think I can do it with the Sony A7 III, 55mm 1.5 and the 24 - 240 zoom plus the X2D, XCD 55V and 120 3.5 macro. OK, flash for the Sony, batteries for both, and associated crap. I think I will go for the Domke F-2 because it holds a lot and will slide under a seat. This is not final but it looks pretty good as it will carry all the gear and also can collapse enough for a day carry.

I am beginning to like the Q3 43. It is a B+ student, always good but not always great. It does a lot of things well. The X2D does all of it great and is the same field of view, an equivalent 43mm. It does have four or five crop teles in it so that is nice.

The Sony is a quick and dirty shooter. 24mm is plenty wide and 240 is a good reach tele. It can do high speed burst shooting. It does HDR and movies. Yes, I am bringing an external mic. It does good color and image. I could do just the Sony, but that HB is just so sweet. As soon as I started shooting with it I was OK with spending all that money. It is a good camera.

So that is my rationalization. I have a carry-on I will buy that meets the guidelines. I will have a checked bag of mostly clothes.

That's the deal. I hope it helps you some.
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Lowepro Flipside Trek AW350 Backpack
17L Capacity
Outside dimensions 28cm x 21cm x 50cm
Nikon F3
Nikon Df
Zeiss Distagon 21/2.8
Zeiss Distagon 35/2
Voigtlander 58/1.4
Rear access for the camera compartment (pictured)
Top compartment for bits and bobs, rain jacket or sweater. If I compromise, I can use the top compartment for an overnight kit when going away on the weekend.
Outer side pockets for water (or tripod)
Wide hip and chest straps.
No laptop storage but can hold a tablet or 4 JCH film containers (20 rolls) in outer sleeve.
A rain cover is included and has been tested in torrents of rain during a storm in coastal Portugal in March.

When traveling I always secure the zips with small carabiner locks and have a short (8in) carabiner with paracord to lock it to a chair if I can’t keep the bag between my legs.

I’ve taken this backpack everywhere for past two years and stored under seat. At check-in they don’t care about it.
Spain, Italy, USA, UK, and domestically here in Canada.


IMG_6446.jpeg
 
maigo said:
When traveling I always secure the zips with small carabiner locks and have a short (8in) carabiner with paracord to lock it to a chair if I can’t keep the bag between my legs.
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The mini carabiners on zipper pulls are important. There are more and more instances of theft during flights where someone goes through bags in overhead lockers or when the traveler is in the toilet. A recent video showed a thief caught on a plane - it seems they had multiple tickets and would just travel on flight after flight, going through passenger's carry on luggage. Carabiner locks are also useful when walking around, making it harder for thieves to unzip the bag.
 
When I head for the head I will pack my camera bag with me. It's under seat. The carry-on bag will be locked in the over head compartment. Yes, a good thief can get in but he;ll have to work for it. And how many will be on a long haul PDX to HAN??
 
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I'm planning to move to Berlin on an Artist visa in a year to a year & a half once my son is done with college due to the US' circumstances, so your experiences will be of interest to me. I'll need to decide what to keep (and hence move in my luggage) and what to divest (and help finance things).

The Pentax DSLR, Nikon RF & Rolleiflex are the probable keepers and can probably all be worked into a carry on bag. The M 240 & lenses will probably make someone happy. But I have time to decide and see how your experience goes 😉
 
wlewisiii said:
I'm planning to move to Berlin on an Artist visa in a year to a year & a half once my son is done with college due to the US' circumstances, so your experiences will be of interest to me. I'll need to decide what to keep (and hence move in my luggage) and what to divest (and help finance things).

The Pentax DSLR, Nikon RF & Rolleiflex are the probable keepers and can probably all be worked into a carry on bag. The M 240 & lenses will probably make someone happy. But I have time to decide and see how your experience goes 😉
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My mother's family is from Berlin and I have relatives there. You know the old joke about how fast Berliners do things, "In the time it takes a Stuttgarter to say "Wurst" the Berliner has it eaten." There is an arrogance, Berliners consider it pride, about them. Ach, Mensch, so gehts in Leben. You should have great time. I hope that you do. Be sure to keep us posted as your progress and then when you are there. And be careful not to leave a suitcase in the main train station when you come back. ;o)

genius.com

Genius English Translations – Marlene Dietrich - Ich Hab' Noch Einen Koffer In Berlin (English Translation)

It's beautiful in Paris / On Madleen street / Rome is beautiful in May / Going through the city / Or a summer night / Still with the wine in Vienna / But I think if you laugh too
genius.com genius.com



Und noch einmal:



Despite whatever you may have heard to the contrary, the Germans are romantics.
 
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boojum said:
My mother's family is from Berlin and I have relatives there. You know the old joke about how fast Berliners do things, "In the time it takes a Stuttgarter to say "Wurst" the Berliner has it eaten." There is an arrogance, Berliners consider it pride, about them. Ach, Mensch, so gehts in Leben. You should have great time. I hope that you do. Be sure to keep us posted as your progress and then when you are there. And be careful not to leave a suitcase in the main train station when you come back. ;o)

genius.com

Genius English Translations – Marlene Dietrich - Ich Hab' Noch Einen Koffer In Berlin (English Translation)

It's beautiful in Paris / On Madleen street / Rome is beautiful in May / Going through the city / Or a summer night / Still with the wine in Vienna / But I think if you laugh too
genius.com genius.com



Und noch einmal:



Despite whatever you may have heard to the contrary, the Germans are romantics.
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Heh, sounds good 🙂 In another lifetime, I was stationed in the US Army near Nuremberg and loved my time there but that was a very rural area with only occasional trips to Munich for the "big city" life. Berlin was still on the "other side" then so it will be nice to go now and enjoy it for what it is.
 
I haven't done too much international travel in past few years, but I did go to the middle east during Feb this year.

No problems with any of my carry-on choices during my international legs, but whoa (!) for my last hop in the US (Dallas to Portland OR). The carry-on patrol was on duty big time. I received a bit of a tongue lashing trying to bring both a laptop bag AND my little Domke-5 along with *small* carry-on bag. I can (and often do) stash my loaded Domke bag inside my carry-on bag, but I had my Domke out (probably because I was shooting some amazing airport photos) when it was time to board. That was no problem for Qatar Air, or the international hop on American Airlines, but yowza I shouldn't have been so lazy once back in the US. Whew!

I just sheepishly stashed the Domke inside my carry-on and was then allowed to go on my way. Funny that I pulled the Domke back out as I was settling in for my flight...

The little Domke was a good size/fit for an M10 and 3 lenses. Also fit the passport, small wallet, my glasses and maybe other small nits. I realized I should have brought a "big camera" for western Saudi Arabia. A long lens, and even autofocus, would have been useful for wildlife. But no complaints. I had what I had and I enjoyed my experiences either way.

Oh, and a free travel tip for you world explorers: For some reason, every time I had to pass through some kind of security in the middle east (not any of the trouble spots), the various agents and staff always flagged my bag with binoculars in it. I pulled out my binoculars so many times, I've decided to just place them on the outside next time. I dunno, look like dynamite sticks? If you bring your binocs, be prepared...
 
Wotancraft don't seem to advertise this, but:

A 3L pilot tucks perfectly into the top of the Pilot 18L backpack.

So I tested this for my upcoming work travel, as my carry-on gear kit: SL2+24-70, DJI Air3s w/Controller, and Macbook Air in the backpack, and also in the backpack the Pilot 3L w/my M10 and lenses. Only one drone battery but spares for the cameras. And I still have space for notebooks and pens!

On-site, the cameras come out and I'm fine with the small Pilot bag as EDC.
 
maigo said:
Lowepro Flipside Trek AW350 Backpack
View attachment 4864473
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This is what I have used and plan to for an upcoming month+ in Europe/US. Two MF cameras in the bottom, a 35mm stuffed in the top along with all the film plus a laptop in the front sleeve pocket. I put it under the seat in front.
Living in Australia means long haul is always the get go. I like having a laptop sleeve plus a top compartment to stuff film in and a few essentials for 40,000ft.

I put a smaller bag in my checked luggage that I use out and about, this is only for flights/travel for me.

Taking all the film is the main hassle. I could buy it in the UK to save the first (28 hour) flight but it sure does look expensive over there. :O
 
Just saw this thread and thought I’d weigh in. In the last year I’ve made two trips to Scotland (one of which was purely photographic). In both cases I checked my main bag (carrying clothes, etc.) and kept my photogear in a bag that fit under the seat in front of me.

In September 2024, I went on a photo workshop led by Alan Ross to northern Scotland and Orkney. I took an ME 240 and an M6, with 75mm, 50mm, 40mm, 28mm and 25mm lenses. I packed the camera gear in a Peak Design Everyday Sling, size 10L, which slid under the seat in front of me. This bag has a nice pocket layout and padding to protect cameras.

In April/May 2025, my wife and I did a 3 1/2 week road trip to western Scotland, the Lake District, North Wales, and Dorset. On this trip, photography was more incidental and opportunistic than on the September workshop. I took a Leica IIIc, a Leica CL digital, and 75mm, 50mm, 40mm, 35mm, 18mm and 25mm lenses. My lens selection included lenses that I used exclusively on the Leica CL digital (Nikkor-SC 5cm f1.4 LTM, W-Nikkor C 35mm f2.5 LTM, Elmarit-TL 18mm f2.8); on the IIIc, I used the CV Heliar 40mm f2.8 ASPH (a fantastic travel lens), the CV Snapshot Skopar 25mm f4.0; I used the CV Heliar 75mm f2.5 LTM lens on both cameras. I carried the camera gear in a Tom Bihn Co-Pilot bag, which worked quite well. Took up less space under seat in front of me than the Peak Design bag.

On both trips, I took an extra, smallish bag (packed in my checked luggage) for day outings. This was a Tom Bihn Side Kick, which easily holds one camera body, a couple of lenses, and other travel essentials. This is a terrific bag to use when walking city streets or otherwise going out when you don’t want/need to carry all of your camera gear.
 
For my upcoming trip to Isle of Skye and some other areas in Scotland, I'm hauling 2 or 3 zooms and 1 or 2 prime lenses with my SL3-S with L-bracket, plus a sturdy ProMediaGear tripod with ball head for panoramas at some of the higher elevations. My 24 liter Temba backpack for the camera and lenses plus ND filters and computer/cables/batteries will definitely not fit under the seat, so up to the overhead compartment it will go. Anything bigger than that bag would come too close to international size/dimension carry-on restrictions, which I am going to great lengths (small lengths??) to avoid. I'll pack the tripod in my checked bag along with clothes and other stuff, which will be under the 50 lb limit.
 
Goruck backpack (GR2) is my go-to, so to speak, for any kind of travel, international or domestic. Indestructible and lifetime warranty. Put an insert in there for the camera and you're good to go.
As to Paris, it's always been a vast range of experience, socially speaking. I've attracted little attention with a Leica M-(various) back in the day, and a Fuji X100F more recently. Sling strap across the chest under the jacket. I'm old, look slightly younger, dress kinda grunge but have been seen in a suit and tie as appropriate and pose no threat or challenge to anybody. I ask permission where I can and sneak where I can. I bring a tiny Canon Selphy printer and bring prints to people who played nice. That always, always gets me a guide/ambassador the next time around.

These days the mirrorless options are fantastic with Canon my pick after nearly 50 years as a Nikon/Leica guy. The 24-240 covers everything and is still pretty small on an RP body (not sure about the geometry of the Sony rig but I'm sure it's similar).

Have a great trip!
 
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