If your camera bag doesn't look like a camera bag, what does it look like?

If your camera bag doesn't look like a camera bag, what does it look like?

  • ... a man purse.

    Votes: 18 9.1%

  • ... a "European shoulder bag."

    Votes: 79 40.1%

  • ... a fanny pack (or codpiece).

    Votes: 6 3.0%

  • ... the bag that homeless-smelling bike messenger carries.

    Votes: 70 35.5%

  • ... a diaper bag.

    Votes: 24 12.2%
  • Total voters
    197
Typically I just use an old leather never-ready case and put a couple of extra lenses in my pockets. If I'm carrying a bag it is a North Face messenger bag optionally with a padded Hadley insert.
http://eu.thenorthface.com/tnf-eu-e...ag-2.html#item=base_camp_messenger_bag_-_m_12
Why? Because I travel by bicycle, so I need something with shoulder and cross-shoulder straps for security. It is also completely showerproof.
The other time I will use this bag is if I travel because it has lots of space for a jacket, gorilapod, flash, nappies/diapers, baby food, tourist maps etc when I am on holiday.

But like I said, I prefer just to carry the camera in a never-ready case. I much prefer the freedom of not having a bag.
 
try to beat this
dsc2487l.jpg


works preety nice, with DIY insert made from large envelope with bubble foil and more bubble foil.
 
Heres my latest NON camera bag.

IMG_6554.jpg


Its a sold by Jack Pyke as cartridge bag for clay shooters it takes 100 shotgun cartridges !. It has a tough canvas like outer , vinyl inside and is nice and light. I've used a cut down Domke insert inside to take the camera , the velco grips the cloth edging tape nicely and theres still room for a lens or two. They retail for around £17 so cheap too.

IMG_6553.jpg
 
Although it only works sometimes - when I'm on a call - a fire turnout coat with plenty of pockets carries enough lenses, film, and meter for most emergency situations. But, as I say, it only works then. Wearing it at other times just gets funny looks.
 
I use Saddleback leather classic briefcase on most days, and it starts to show that too (after few years of active use). When I travel light, I have a finnish gas mask bag, or old bread bag (also from finnish military surplus). Or some of the more "special" bags I have around :) But most days it's saddleback leather, since it's durable, it does make a stand but it doesn't jump on peoples eyes and I've traveled with it with out anyone taking a second look at it.
 
Dante_Stella said:
I'm a little curious. If every bag tries not to look like a camera bag, then doesn't that make everything look like a camera bag?
Click to expand...

My chief beef with camera bags is they are too bulky. I usually stow my M9 in whatever messenger bag I happen to be using. At the moment (weekend), a Tumi Beale mini-messenger in green. It has enough room for an iPad 2 and in the front pocket a M9 with 50mm Summilux ASPH. The bright orange lining makes it easy to find stuff, unlike black interiors.

pTUMI1-7880385_alternate1_v400.jpg
 
My current bag is a $12 green canvas "ammo bag" off of eBay with $8 worth of neoprene inside to pad it a little bit. Think Domke, without costing more than an FSU body (shipped) or a kit DSLR lens... Holds an SLR and lens or two (when I find a rangefinder, it will still fit), my Kindle and my journal, along with other goodies. And I look just like a hipster with a green "army" bag, so nobody will bother me.

My other bag is (well, was when I was once upon a time a newspaper reporter) a Domke F2. It sits in the closet now. Used to take that everywhere, but I haven't used it in two years or so. C'est la vie.
 
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national geographic ng2475 amazing bag for every camera.
 

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It's amazing we get so much mileage out of talking about camera bags.

I'm guilty of buying too many new bags. After trial and error, I've decided I like bags that have enough padding to hold the hardware in place, and to provide a bit of a cushion. It's gotta be a shoulder bag, one that I can open with one hand. (For me, messenger bags with big velcro flaps are the easiest to open, if the buckles are already undone. Bags with a zippered lid need to be braced against something before your can pull the zipper open.)

My bags are used almost solely for travel. Around home, it's almost always one camera, one lens.

Question: How easy or difficult would it be to make a custom fitted bag insert? I.e., custom fitted to the hardware you want to carry in that bag? Nothing fancy, just some foam rubber.
 
You know, no matter what kind of bag we carry, no matter how hard we might work to hide what's inside, isn't the game up as soon as we reach inside and pull out a camera?
 
wgerrard said:
It's amazing we get so much mileage out of talking about camera bags.

I'm guilty of buying too many new bags. After trial and error, I've decided I like bags that have enough padding to hold the hardware in place, and to provide a bit of a cushion. It's gotta be a shoulder bag, one that I can open with one hand. (For me, messenger bags with big velcro flaps are the easiest to open, if the buckles are already undone. Bags with a zippered lid need to be braced against something before your can pull the zipper open.)

My bags are used almost solely for travel. Around home, it's almost always one camera, one lens.

Question: How easy or difficult would it be to make a custom fitted bag insert? I.e., custom fitted to the hardware you want to carry in that bag? Nothing fancy, just some foam rubber.
Click to expand...

have you tried the domke inserts? i have a bunch of them and just do the mix and match thing with them.
 
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