Need a bag for my newly completed M system

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Ok, so my M system is nearly complete.

It consists of two bodies and four lenses;

Bessa R2 and Bessa R4A, 21mm Skopar-P, 35mm Nokton 1.4 MC, 50mm Color Skopar, and soon to include 75mm Heliar

Accesories include 5-7 filters in 43mm and a step up ring from 39mm, this can either be in a stack with stack caps or in a wallet

Also I carry a small seconic meter L-208 and a flash of some description, it is about the size of a Rollei 35.

In future I might also get an external finder for using the wide angle on the R2 and maybe even one for using the 75 on the R4, as one will be loaded with color film and one with B/W

I need room for 10 rolls of film and a notebook/dictaphone

I want to use wrist straps and want a satchel bag where I can draw the cameras to shooting position swiftly, there should preferably be room for the body's to have trigger winders attached as I may very well buy these in the future.

I prefer canvas and leather (I use a Billingham for my SLR kit). I'm slightly adverse to overly padded nylon/chickentex bags.

So which bag fits the bill?

I'd love to see pictures from other people with similar kit.

On a sidenote, one glorious day I will swap all this CV kit for Leica stuff but I reckon the sizes are similar enough to use the same bag.

//Jan
 
Jan, the Billingham Hadley will sort you out. It has three compartments, two for the bodies and the third for the two extra lenses (it comes with vertical dividers too).

The front pockets will easily fit your other stuff and you can still fit your notebook / newspaper &c. in between the back of the padded section and the bag (or in the zipped bit).
 
kully said:
Jan, the Billingham Hadley will sort you out. It has three compartments, two for the bodies and the third for the two extra lenses (it comes with vertical dividers too).

The front pockets will easily fit your other stuff and you can still fit your notebook / newspaper &c. in between the back of the padded section and the bag (or in the zipped bit).
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Mmmmmmm, Billingham :)

I'll have to get my dealer to order one in so I can try it.

I think the one I have for the SLR is a 455 or something.

//J
 
Kully have you got one of these?

Will the bodies fit inside "sideways" so that if it is at my right hip I an pull out a body with lens attached with my right hand? Or do they fit in "on the long side"?
//Jan
 
Yes, I have the Billingham - and also, yes, the bodies will fit in sideways (I keep my Ms like this).

Mmm... I've never seen the 75mm so I don't know how big it is, but you can fit an M with 35/1.2 sideways so it the 75 is shorter than the 35 it will be OK.
 
kully said:
Yes, I have the Billingham - and also, yes, the bodies will fit in sideways (I keep my Ms like this).

Mmm... I've never seen the 75mm so I don't know how big it is, but you can fit an M with 35/1.2 sideways so it the 75 is shorter than the 35 it will be OK.
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I think by "sideways" you mean with the back of the body against your hip? I was thinking the other "sideways" where the bottom of the body is against your hip So the lens is facing forwards in the direction you are looking.

This is the configuration I was thinking of and the optics standing up, would the film then be in the outer pockets?

//Jan
 
Yup, that way works fine too.

I can fit 18 rolls in three peli film packs in one front pocket. You can also fit some more under the cameras using the vertical dividers.
 
Hahahaha! "Completed M system", now there's an oxymoron.

[Sorry, that was a bit rude, just couldn't resist]
 
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I took my camera to the leather guy and he made me a bag just so.

But there is the Billingham Leica bag and also the Billingham Alice bag if you do not have a friendly leather guy.
 
sam_m said:
Hahahaha! "Completed M system", now there's an oxymoron.

[Sorry, that was a bit rude, just couldn't resist]
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Heheh, yes I know. when is ANY system ever "Complete" ?

But I think this is all the M gear I'm gonna need for a while, as I said, eventually I will replace it with Leica gear, I just could not resist getting a "full" system together at first hand, this way I can identify any focal lenghts I don't like for instance, check out if I like AE and so fourth before sinking money into Leica gear.

Also, having had the Bessa R2 for some time with a few optics I think it's a darn good camera, for the money it really is hard to beat, they are not Leica's I know but they are very good cameras and I take it the R4 will be much quieter even though I am a little concerned about this electronic shutter business.

So yes, once I have a suitable bag and maybe getting a slightly better flash I would say that this system is more or less "Complete"

//Jan
 
ClaremontPhoto said:
I took my camera to the leather guy and he made me a bag just so.

But there is the Billingham Leica bag and also the Billingham Alice bag if you do not have a friendly leather guy.
Click to expand...

I do have a friendly leather guide who is currently working on some stuff for my Kiev 5. However I want the bag for this to be slightly adaptable so I don't need a new one made if/when I alter the kit.

//Jan
 
You'll never take a pictutre with the camera in the bag. Learn to carry less crap. The nice unpadded Leica Classic looks useable. It's copied from the mid 1970's Leitz version, but no longer lists for $17.50 (Damn!) Mine is worn threadbare in places and has stains in the tan canvas that will never come out but it still works just fine and isn't likely to get stolen. What crook would seal something that looks like it was discarded by a homeless vagrant?
 
This whole "bag" business is simply fetishism.

Seriously, do you people laboriously pack a bag full of all your stuff then march out to go "shooting"?

I pick up my camera, put a few things in my pocket or in whatever normal bag I carry, and go.

What is it with these expensive bags? What pushes the human buttons to slobber over bags and cases?
 
The best and most authentic black bluesmen of the 1920's and 1930's all had battered pawn shop guitars, carried them in cheap canvas sacks or in no case, and made better music than anyone with a fancy case and expensive guitar.

WeeGee called his camera equipment "heavy brass junk" that he had to carry around.
 
This thread may help, but perhaps it's smaller than you need. Last time I've used it I carried a bessa L with 15mm, a Bessa R with a 35mm, a 50mm (Nokton) and a Canon Dial...
 
Petroleum V. Nasby said:
The best and most authentic black bluesmen of the 1920's and 1930's all had battered pawn shop guitars, carried them in cheap canvas sacks or in no case, and made better music than anyone with a fancy case and expensive guitar.

WeeGee called his camera equipment "heavy brass junk" that he had to carry around.
Click to expand...
Sounds like posturing to me. Some people like bags and some don't. Life goes on.
 
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