new bag theory...

i don't have that much gear!

when i head out with the rf kit i prefer to take all 3 lenses that i have.

Try taking just one the next time you go out. It will force you to work harder to get the shot, but you won't be distracted by fussing with your bag, switching lenses, that kind of thing. If you are worried about security, put the camera strap over your shoulder, and then put on a blazer or an unbuttoned shirt over the strap, it makes it impossible for you to drop your camera, and it makes it less noticeable.
 
Try taking just one the next time you go out. It will force you to work harder to get the shot, but you won't be distracted by fussing with your bag, switching lenses, that kind of thing. If you are worried about security, put the camera strap over your shoulder, and then put on a blazer or an unbuttoned shirt over the strap, it makes it impossible for you to drop your camera, and it makes it less noticeable.

have you looked at any of my images?
i know how to shoot and i know my preferences for shooting.

it's bags i have trouble with...
 
ive had a domke f6 for a couple years, love that bag. i can fit a lot of stuff in it, it's impressive. i think a horse might fit into it even. i can have 2rf bodies with lenses, plus 8 lenses (or 4 lenses and a medium format folder), having 2 rf lenses in each slot, since the lenses are short and the compartment is deep. lots of film in the front zipper pocked. but that is REALLY heavy to walk around with.

most of the time i would use it as my everyday bag, going to work and taking a rf with lens mounted and random things in the slots, like a sweater, an umbrella, iphone cable and battery case etc. lots of empty space.

so i got a hadley small for its slimmer profile. love it, except it was expensive. been using it as my everyday bag now, and its much better. i take an x100, an umbrella and sometimes a sweater, though now autumn has arrived and since im already wearing a jacket leaving home the sweater space is free.

when i want to go out for shooting i can have a rf with lens mounted, plus 2 more lenses. though ive been usually going out with only one extra lens... either 21/50 or 35/50 (with the rd1 it'd be 12/35). usually it's enough for what i use and i still have an empty space for an umbrella or a water bottle. in a really compact bag.

but ive been tempted about a hadley pro, i wonder if having a tad more space would please me more to fit my gear when im going out for shooting specifically... damn gas.
 
I'm starting to get addicted to bag threads.

Thanks Joe! :rolleyes:

Does it start with your first RD-1? :D
 
These things (bag threads) are like peanuts ... you can't stop at one! :)
 
ive had a domke f6 for a couple years, love that bag. i can fit a lot of stuff in it, it's impressive. i think a horse might fit into it even. i can have 2rf bodies with lenses, plus 8 lenses (or 4 lenses and a medium format folder), having 2 rf lenses in each slot, since the lenses are short and the compartment is deep. lots of film in the front zipper pocked. but that is REALLY heavy to walk around with.

most of the time i would use it as my everyday bag, going to work and taking a rf with lens mounted and random things in the slots, like a sweater, an umbrella, iphone cable and battery case etc. lots of empty space.

so i got a hadley small for its slimmer profile. love it, except it was expensive. been using it as my everyday bag now, and its much better. i take an x100, an umbrella and sometimes a sweater, though now autumn has arrived and since im already wearing a jacket leaving home the sweater space is free.

when i want to go out for shooting i can have a rf with lens mounted, plus 2 more lenses. though ive been usually going out with only one extra lens... either 21/50 or 35/50 (with the rd1 it'd be 12/35). usually it's enough for what i use and i still have an empty space for an umbrella or a water bottle. in a really compact bag.

but ive been tempted about a hadley pro, i wonder if having a tad more space would please me more to fit my gear when im going out for shooting specifically... damn gas.

Hmmm....I have the Hadley Pro and it is perfect for my Leica bag. I have a Nikon bag (black and yellow with logo) for my two Nikon MF cameras, lenses and a bit more). And I have another smallish domke backpack with yet a few more old and inexpensive Nikon cameras and lenses.

But the Hadley Pro is my everyday bag and it DOES fit even the kitchen sink in it. Presently, I have the M3 w/ Summarit, the trusty R4 with Summicron and the IIIF occupying about half of the capacity. There are so many other things from extra lenses, film, cleaning kits, leather cases, moleskine notebooks, poncho, energy gels, and lots more. There is ample room for an Ipad but cannot afford that luxury anytime soon.:p

The only downside is when I go shooting, I like to go light so rarely carry the bag unless I am working on location and need both the M3 and the R4. Then I hand one across my shoulders and hold the other one or hang it from my neck. The bag is very light at this point and is not noticeable while shooting.

The Pro bag has helped me organize and it is very easy to work from while walking and meeting people on the street. I would like a smaller bag for just one camera with lens so I will probably settle on an Army Navy store bag.
 
Here's another take on the bag issue :p

I, for one, am a really shallow person... I scraped the white paint off my M8 and painted the dot completely black (didn't sand off the letters like most) because I think black cameras are pretty, I'm on the verge of buying a collapsible 50 partially because I like their compactness, but mostly because I think collapsible lenses look cool on Leicas. I'm also about to replace the leather on my M8 because I think the stock leather is hideous.

That said, I refuse to use a normal camera bag not because I want an inconspicuous bag... but because I think they're ugly. I'd put a little more effort into taking my camera out and finding a way to arrange the bag if the bag looks good :p at the same time, I'm also stingy. The bag I normally carry my cameras in now is a leather shoulder bag that I bought off etsy (it's like an online marketplace for small-time craftspeople) for a reasonable price. It's held close by belt straps, it has no padding so I pad the cameras with scarves, and it's big enough to hold my laptop... an all in one, somewhat inefficient but stylish bag :)

I'm much happier with it than my extremely efficient lowepro bag, or my dad's old camera bag!
 
Not that we would want to, right?:p


I'm not even in the market for a camera bag but every bag thread I now see I compulsively click on it ... so it's not camera bags that are addictive it's these damned threads! :p
 
Here's a thought ... buy a bag you really like, buy the gear that fits it nicely and allows ease of access, then don't change a thing ever again. Just sayin' ... :rolleyes:
 
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Here's a thought ... but a bag you really like, buy the gear that fits it nicely and allows ease of access, then don't change a thing ever again. Just sayin' ... :rolleyes:


You really are hanging around the wrong forum Earl ... that or you haven't been paying attention! :D
 
take the tt retro 5 bag for instance...it's a beautiful bag and fits my 2 rd1 bodies with a lens on each, plus one more extra lens. but the bodies are in there tight, no so easy to pull out or put back in with only one hand. and the 3rd lens is tucked under a divider and that certainly requires 2 hands to extract it and to change lenses.
if that bag was a touch bigger it just might be perfect.

+1. I looked at a tt retro 5. If they had just made it an inch or so longer, it might actually be the perfect bag . . . of its type, at least.
 
Hmmm....I have the Hadley Pro and it is perfect for my Leica bag. I have a Nikon bag (black and yellow with logo) for my two Nikon MF cameras, lenses and a bit more). And I have another smallish domke backpack with yet a few more old and inexpensive Nikon cameras and lenses.

But the Hadley Pro is my everyday bag and it DOES fit even the kitchen sink in it. Presently, I have the M3 w/ Summarit, the trusty R4 with Summicron and the IIIF occupying about half of the capacity. There are so many other things from extra lenses, film, cleaning kits, leather cases, moleskine notebooks, poncho, energy gels, and lots more. There is ample room for an Ipad but cannot afford that luxury anytime soon.:p

The only downside is when I go shooting, I like to go light so rarely carry the bag unless I am working on location and need both the M3 and the R4. Then I hand one across my shoulders and hold the other one or hang it from my neck. The bag is very light at this point and is not noticeable while shooting.

The Pro bag has helped me organize and it is very easy to work from while walking and meeting people on the street. I would like a smaller bag for just one camera with lens so I will probably settle on an Army Navy store bag.

i thought of getting the hadley pro to be a substitute for the f6, i really like how the billinghams are better padded (ok, i could cushion the inner side of my domke) but the key points would be both its slimmer profile and how the top flap covers really well the inner part of the bag, sealing it well from rain - not to mention the quick release, i really liked it.

i'd strongly recommend the hadley small for going out with 1 camera and 1 lens, if the price is not an issue, specially because you already have a hadley pro and thus would use it naturally since you're used to its workings. i would love the billinghams to be cheaper, but after i saw a friend's hadley that was almost my age and was in pretty useable shape (and he's someone that really uses it) i thought it'd be worth it. i prefer the look of domke bags because theyre more low profile, the billinghams look a bit on the posh side...

[edit: out of curiosity, spent a few minutes browsing random military surplus online shops and some bags might be a good deal, and wow they're cheap. we don't have those shops around here, my attempts of trying to find a low profile shoulder bag were a big failure]
 
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