Perfect Rangefinder Transportation Device (Bag)?

Isn't it time to make a list of all the wishes we have for the perfect bag(s)? I think there should be 3 or 4 different perfect bags yet to come, and maybe we find a manufacturer that listens.

Please, add to this list what you think is useful.

Here is my wishlist for all "perfect bags":

- Single-colored (all black for me), no logo
- Completely unobtrusive and really, really simple and boring
- No front pockets, no side pockets, everything should be inside
- No fancy shapes, no decorative stitching
- No fancy yellow or red fluorescent color inside
- No Velcro, no zippers or other noise sources, and I only accept clicks from cameras, not from clips, carabiners or anything else
- Easy to open WIDE, easy to close with ONE hand (one buckle or carabiner would be enough, why do many bags have two? Not that the clips and carabiners used today could be opened with one hand easily, they are all faulty designs...)
- Carries all equipment without stacking (every time I need a special lens it is in the below-deck, e.g. below a divider, which is below the flash or other lens)
- Flexible dividers that can be easily adjusted in a way that the lenses etc. do not move in their compartment with every step when I walk
- Rainproof (not necessarily 'monsoon proof'), could be canvas, leather, neoprene, nylon
- Not a stiff box with corners and edges, but cuddly (that does not mean it does not have to protect the content or collapse when it's empty)
- Wide, soft, non-slipping belt with some shock-absorbing neoprene
- Big, padded, flip-turn shoulder pad (one side slips, the other never ever slips)
- Bottom protection like those on some Domke bags
- Bag, belt and shoulder pad should be washable
- Flat like a 'satchel' style bag, but a little curved (I do not know many people that are as flat as a wall).

No.1 "perfect bag, small size", that would be my favourite:

- Can be used as a belt bag or shoulder bag
- Max. 500 gramm
- Carries 1 Leica M with attached standard lens and hood, 3 lenses (incl. something like a 1.1/50, 2/100, 2.8/135 with googles), lightmeter, 1-2 accessory finders, spare battery and 5-10 films - and all that should easily fit in, not by stacking, squeezing etc.
- Maximum 100 US Dollars (remember the old Domke prices?)

What do you want to add?
 
I called an ex-employee of mine to sub a shift the other day. She told me of how her custom bag business is going great. She makes custom diaper bags, book bags, etc. She had a few pics of recent bags and will be bringing me her current bag when it is done so I can check it out. I told her how there is this one website I visit that would salivate and eat up your bags. Stay tuned.....
 
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif] http://www.grafea.co.uk/shop/Leather_Camera_Bag.html

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Thank you for share this bag disaster_area, it looks gorgeous!
I was looking for a bag, and this one is prefect to me. I want it.
 
A custom shoulder brown leather bag for the precise size of my RFs is what I got too. I designed it, and then I went to the place and they did it... Relatively small, and I can carry four cameras with lenses mounted, filters, film and a handeld meter. No photographic look.

Cheers,

Juan
 
Plagiarisms are what makes ebay really rich... and some ruthless chinese sweat shop owners, too. I really wonder how often photographers complain because someone copied and used their photos and on the same day they support people that infringe copyright to save a penny.


I just provided a link to someone who asked for it, Personalty I don't support those knockoff bags, I buy the original.
 
Am I the only person that thinks leather is tacky???

Yeah... All my jackets are leather, boots/shoes, car interiors, couches... And yet, there's just something stopping me from biting the bullet and carrying a leather bag... I lust after them, but just can't seem to carry one after all...
 
Artist & Artisan 1100 (Evans Walker) answers the constraint of going light with an RF rig. Black canvas, silent zipper, shallow full width and almost full height front pocket. Main compartment divided in three: centre big enough for M with mounted Zeiss 50 1.5 or 25 2.8; smallest for 90 2.8 or 135 f4; and the other end second M with mounted 35 f2. Finder for 25 in pouch sits on the 90 or squeezed in the centre with the camera. Front pocket holds three rolls of film, Gossen Digipro F meter, finder for 135, hood for 35, Leitz tabletop tripod with small head (then I've got to keep the meter in a pocket elsewhere) blower, cap for 35. Cable release in sleeve with snap fasten on the body side of the bag. Long large well padded strap. Tiny kit. Can walk in the hills all day.
 
I have a black one--it is indeed perfect, if all you're carrying is cameras. I'm still searching for a bag that will happily fit both my laptop, a couple of books, and some RF gear. The F803 is just a little too small.

I ordered a couple of cheap military canvas bags from that site referred to in bmattock's thread--I'm hoping this one will do the trick, the engineer's field bag (thirty bucks!):

P_31273133_1746765.JPG

That bag looks great. Hows it working out for you??
 
Domke F-6 with a two-compartment insert. Alternatively, the Billingham Hadley range.
I haven't used the Domke satchels, but I imagine they might work fine as well.
 

Plagiarisms are what makes ebay really rich... and some ruthless chinese sweat shop owners, too. I really wonder how often photographers complain because someone copied and used their photos and on the same day they support people that infringe copyright to save a penny.

The said Chinese bag is an interpretation at best, but not a copy. Take a closer look. Who do you think has been plagiarized?

The German Cullmann bags may look a little like it, but are far more sophisticated and not much more expensive. The same goes for the original Leica bags (of which probably the Cullmanns are knock-offs) which are even more sophisticated and in much higher quality, but also a lot more expensive.

The Chinese bag looks like a reasonable, no-frills transport solution.

So, globalization is showing its benefits: You get what you pay for. Higher quality and sophistication for a higher price, or less features/quality for less money. What's wrong with that?
 
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...Leica bags (of which probably the Cullmanns are knock-offs) ...

Funny, I just had a look at a Cullmann "Madrid" bag:

http://www.cullmann-foto.de/detail/id/madrid-maxima-330-black.html

Not bad, and really cheap, but what really annoys me is the huuuuuuuuuuuuge Cullmann logo on it. I will never understand why companies think that customers want to become walking billboards. Such a big logo doesn't work for me. I would not even accept a small red Leica dot on my camera bag. It's no comfort to me if that bag is perfect in every respect, cheap, environmentally friendly and made by happy workers in good working conditions. I would never buy a logo with an attached camera bag because I just don't want it to look like a camera bag. If I wanted that I could buy dozens of different bags that look like camera bags. Why don't they write "valuables inside" on it or "beware, there is a photographer nearby"? Will they use neon writing soon?
 
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Lovely bags here!

This is the one I use, for everything, cameras included. It's roomy, lovely, tough and can handle all kinds of abuse. Besides I can fit in a Olympus 35RC, Nikon D80, Yashica-Mat, lenses and tons of film, light meter and carry a MacBook Pro 13" at the same time and have some room to spare :) Ok normally I don't have that much stuff there, but I could (and have when shooting event).

Not my pic, I must take some at some point..
EDIT: to remove HUGE PIC from the companies site, let me edit it a bit for you

EDIT 2: Let's hope I fount out how to work with attachments here :)
 

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