i've made a discovery...

back alley

back alley

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i believe that for many of us the conclusion arrived at is that there is no perfect camera bag...

i think this conclusion is based on the reality that we have too much gear (crap?) to carry and that when out 'in the field' and trying to shoot we have to wade through small stuffed pockets to access what we think we need to use to make that next great shot.

if i carried less gear in a smaller bag it would be more of a pleasure cruise to stroll about shooting photos than it is a small tug boat trying to maneuver about.

i hope this makes sense as i have out in the sun all day...
 
I was out in the sun for several hours (mowing) and even got stung by a bee and it makes sense to me...
I went out once with a few rolls of 120, a Weston meter and my Yashica Mat 124...had a great time...spent more time looking rather than always thinking what to use...I get it...
 
I hardly carry a bag, I usually take one lens and a few rolls of film. I use my bags when I need to organize my gear to take on a trip. Less gear seems to lead to more photos, more seems to bring less.
The perfect bag seems to be none at all. One camera, one lens, and a pocket full of film.
 
I have too many bags. Not one is perfect, but the one I use for the day is the perfect bag.

:)
 
Who cares about bags ... how cool is that little icon in your signature! :D
 
I have 2 bags, mainly for taking everything somewhere else and then just take what I want when I get there.. Like at an on location studio setup. But, when I go out for a few hours at a park or something. I will bring my M5 and at the most, 2 lenses and some film. I use a National Geographic Belt pack. It is perfect for a two lenses (it will fit 28/2, 35/1.4, and the 50mm/1.1...Only two at a time though), and some film. The camera stays around my neck.
I use a small video bag for transport to a location with the camera and one lens, but, then I leave the bag in the truck. put a roll or two in my pocket... I am thinking about a Domke Vest though...

Thanks for the GIF... Cool
 
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I just returned from another two weeks in Cuba. Same ritual every day, I would leave for the day to walk 8-10 hours with just a 35mm RF and one lens in my hand with 6-7 rolls of film and spare battery in a pocket. I could not imagine schlepping a bag or multiple lenses all that time.

19 of the 20 photos on my website http://bobmichaels.org were shot with the same lens, a 28mm. Can anyone pick out which image was not shot with the 28mm?
 
Bob Michaels said:
I just returned from another two weeks in Cuba. Same ritual every day, I would leave for the day to walk 8-10 hours with just a 35mm RF and one lens in my hand with 6-7 rolls of film and spare battery in a pocket. I could not imagine schlepping a bag or multiple lenses all that time.

19 of the 20 photos on my website http://bobmichaels.org were shot with the same lens, a 28mm. Can anyone pick out which image was not shot with the 28mm?
Click to expand...

#1 would be my guess
 
I always carry a small bag with me, for a dictionary, a book, an electronic dictionary, a cell-phone, some pens, a small note-pad, and some spare rolls of film. The camera is hanging from my neck with one lens mounted and the meter also. It saves time not having to look for some lenses or gadgets in a bag. :)
 
yep, bags are a hassle, you keep needing bigger and bigger. The best i have was free, just found it floating down the edge of a swollen river. It is an old canvas and leather solid side radio bag from the sixties.
 
If I'm on an outing locally within 30 minutes of home I don't take a bag at all. If I go out further or longer I take the smallest one I have (I have many) . For vacation trips I like a medium size bag that won't be too heavy and allows for what gear I need for the day. A bag that is too large is not an option.
 
Bags are important, as long as we keep one or two cameras out of them... Even when I carry a bag, I tend to have one or two cameras hanging from my shoulders or my neck, or in my hand or pockets: all of them are faster options than opening a bag, or worse, changing lenses... I'd say most of the times I am shooting I have one body hanging from each shoulder and no bag, and the rest of the times, just one camera hanging or one camera hanging and a bag with another body and two or three lenses. No bag if using one body only: pockets with film and another lens. But most of the times I use no bag, even though I have five in all sizes for all my systems.

Cheers,

Juan
 
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Bob,
REALLY GREAT images! You clearly have a way of connecting with your subjects that goes well beyond the 'tourist'. Thanks for sharing them.
Jamie
Oakland, CA
 
wonderful photographs btw...

as for bags - my billingham hadley does the trick for 95% of my needs.. when I travel and want to carry more gear, then I take my Domke J3... the billingham hadley is pretty much perfect for my needs...
 
Yep...that is my theory too. I use a small Tamrac Velocity. Holds two small-ish RF lenses, and a bottle of water and some more film.

I learned long ago - the bigger the bag the more crap you'll insist on having (but not needing).

...
 
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