Shoulder bag advice for artic circle and middle east assignment.

[Jorge Gonçalves]

Hello everyone, i am going on a 1 year assignment to cover the artic circle and middle east for a documentary and the shoulder bag i have is the good old domke f-2...

But it is pretty used and i fear it won't last this assignment so i need another shoulder bag.

The problem is, i can't buy another domke f-2 because i live in Portugal and Domke doesn't ship here, ( my bag was bought 2nd hand in a thrift shop and i cant find another one).

So i am asking for advice here on the forum, hoping some one with experience in this matter could advise me.

I am interested in shoulder bags like the domke f-2, without hard form and in canvas.


Here is a list of gear i will carry :

- Nikon D3s with 2 batteries and charger
- Nikon D300 with 2 batteries and charger
- Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8D
- Nikon 50mm f/1.4D
- Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8D
- 6 32gb cf cards
- 2 pens and 2 notebooks
- 1 lenovo x200 with charger ( mainly for back up photos)
- 1 external portable 2.5 inch hdd
- 1 card reader
- 1 small cleaning kit ( brush and cloths)

 

[jonasv]

Maybe Domke itself won't ship to Portugal, but other retailers certainly will ship Domke bags to you.

Spanish Amazon even offers free shipping to Portugal it seems...

https://www.amazon.es/Domke-700-02A...=UTF8&qid=1519996873&sr=8-2&keywords=domke+f2

 

[willie_901]

I think you would benefit from the smallest photograher's backpack that will hold that much stuff.

A compact shoulder bag for what you're using at the moment might be useful for immediate access.

 

[Rob-F]

Many eBay sellers would probably be willing to ship there. Also consider a Tamrac bag with the lens bridge feature. Maybe a Tamrac pro system 8. They will hold both Nikons and provide enough cells for all your lenses, and custom pockets for notebook and pens. Zipper compartment for cleaning supplies and a memory card holder. I believe a Tamrac will hold more gear in a small space than any other bag! Not quite as fast to work out of as a Domke, but very handy!

 

[twopointeight]

I prefer to divide the gear into a small Thinktank backpack plus a Lowepro waist bag, keeping my body straighter than a heavy bag hanging from one shoulder. Both bags go into one small hard suitcase that I can carry-on to the airplane.

 

[Jorge Gonçalves]

Maybe Domke itself won't ship to Portugal, but other retailers certainly will ship Domke bags to you.

Spanish Amazon even offers free shipping to Portugal it seems...

https://www.amazon.es/Domke-700-02A...=UTF8&qid=1519996873&sr=8-2&keywords=domke+f2

Thanks for the heads up, never considered the spanish Amazon. I will look into that.

I think you would benefit from the smallest photograher's backpack that will hold that much stuff.

A compact shoulder bag for what you're using at the moment might be useful for immediate access.

I am already carrying a backpack with some items like clothing and other personal items, that way i cant carry both bags.

Many eBay sellers would probably be willing to ship there. Also consider a Tamrac bag with the lens bridge feature. Maybe a Tamrac pro system 8. They will hold both Nikons and provide enough cells for all your lenses, and custom pockets for notebook and pens. Zipper compartment for cleaning supplies and a memory card holder. I believe a Tamrac will hold more gear in a small space than any other bag! Not quite as fast to work out of as a Domke, but very handy!

I really didn't knew Tamrac, it seems very robust and solid, but since i need a bag that doesn't hold its form, it wont be very suited in crowd places like the middle east, where i will be bumped alot.

Still, i won't forget Tamrac now.

 

[retinax]

There's a whole bags subforum here with lots of info, have you sifted through it yet?
You want some sort of padding inside the bag, right? For this amount of gear you need separators, and they come with padding. I haven't handled them yet, but will probably buy a Tenba BYOB insert that can be used in any kind of bag. This way, the selection of bags widens enormously and you can pick one that doesn't scream "expensive photo gear inside". Not sure the largest one (no.13) is big enough for all the gear you list, but then I can't quite imagine carrying all of it in a shoulder bag for more than a half hour. OTOH this sort if insert could be transferred into a backpack when you've unloaded the stuff you carry inside that. These things are affordable and available on eBay from vendors who ship anywhere in Europe. Tenba also makes other bags that look interesting to me.

 

[raid]

Have a great time in your long assignment.

 

[mdarnton]

This is probably not "professional" enough for your purposes, but I recently learned that you can easily buy case inserts with lids and velcroed dividers on Ebay, really, really cheap--like for the cost of two rolls of film. These are made to turn messenger bags into camera cases, but I'm plotting ahead to when my Intrepid 8x10 comes; I plan to carry it in a backpack, with one of those case inserts on the bottom layer to hold lenses, etc. For what you are planning, a small backback with two of these inserts stacked would carry a whole lot of equipment, and more importantly, it wouldn't have the "steal-me" look of a real photo backpack.

 

[Jorge Gonçalves]

There's a whole bags subforum here with lots of info, have you sifted through it yet?
You want some sort of padding inside the bag, right? For this amount of gear you need separators, and they come with padding. I haven't handled them yet, but will probably buy a Tenba BYOB insert that can be used in any kind of bag. This way, the selection of bags widens enormously and you can pick one that doesn't scream "expensive photo gear inside". Not sure the largest one (no.13) is big enough for all the gear you list, but then I can't quite imagine carrying all of it in a shoulder bag for more than a half hour. OTOH this sort if insert could be transferred into a backpack when you've unloaded the stuff you carry inside that. These things are affordable and available on eBay from vendors who ship anywhere in Europe. Tenba also makes other bags that look interesting to me.

Thanks for the advice i will check the bag subforum for information, the Rangefinderforum is so dense that some subforums slip by, on the mater of the inserts, i was considering getting a slimmer shoulder bag and add the inserts, i contacted some friends that have this kind of setup and we are going to meet up, so that i can see for myself the handling in crowded areas.

Thanks for the feedback.

Have a great time in your long assignment.

Thanks, i will defenitely post photos that are not copyrighted in the forum so that everyone can enjoy them.

This is probably not "professional" enough for your purposes, but I recently learned that you can easily buy case inserts with lids and velcroed dividers on Ebay, really, really cheap--like for the cost of two rolls of film. These are made to turn messenger bags into camera cases, but I'm plotting ahead to when my Intrepid 8x10 comes; I plan to carry it in a backpack, with one of those case inserts on the bottom layer to hold lenses, etc. For what you are planning, a small backback with two of these inserts stacked would carry a whole lot of equipment, and more importantly, it wouldn't have the "steal-me" look of a real photo backpack.

Thanks for the input, i am already looking at other alternatives, but it will need to be a shoulder bag, i already have a backpack but that will be used for personal items like clothing and other necessities, i am interested in case inserts, as i mentioned above, i am meeting some friends that have this kind of setup and i am meeting them soon so that i can check that combination in crowded areas with most of my equipment inside.

Thanks for the heads up everyone, you guys are giving great feedback.

 

[leicapixie]

I hate to say this BUT a DSLR a bad idea in Middle East.
A friend of mine has recently done a shoot in Middle East.
Al the well known places. Newsworthy.
Tough he has a DSLR with lenses, he opted for his Leica M.
He has amazing images and was never stopped or warned off.
SLR and DSLR seems to say "I am making big money on your problems".
It is also lighter and smaller.
Easy to carry.
An important note, he used FILM.
Yes problem of security everywhere.
Film and chemicals shipped in and developed at scene before moving on.
If You MUST do digital, smaller cameras..

 

[ktmrider]

Have F2 and Will Ship

Have F2 and Will Ship

I have an original F2 which I have not used in years. I can send photos and will ship it. Let me know if interested. It was purchased from Jim Domke when he actually still made the bags.

 

[Big Ursus]

I picked up, for free an F2 that looked as if it had been run over by a power lawn mower! A local cobbler repaired it for about $50! Can you take yours to a shoe repair shop?

 

[Jorge Gonçalves]

I hate to say this BUT a DSLR a bad idea in Middle East.
A friend of mine has recently done a shoot in Middle East.
Al the well known places. Newsworthy.
Tough he has a DSLR with lenses, he opted for his Leica M.
He has amazing images and was never stopped or warned off.
SLR and DSLR seems to say "I am making big money on your problems".
It is also lighter and smaller.
Easy to carry.
An important note, he used FILM.
Yes problem of security everywhere.
Film and chemicals shipped in and developed at scene before moving on.
If You MUST do digital, smaller cameras..

Thanks for the info, when i go to the middle east i will be joining a portuguese humanitarian NGO ( AMI ) in cooperation with the portuguese military sending aid with medical supplies and personnel to several regions where conflict is non existent, so i think i won't have many problems with being robbed or mugged.

If i was going to conflict areas or near them i would be taking a simple smartphone or a cheap, disposable apsc dslr to take pictures, in those circumstances getting the picture is much more important than image characteristics and not give the oportunity to the robber to gain much with the equipment.

We must never forget that in these places, people are stripped from everything and they won't loose any oportunity they find to make some money to survive.

Still, i apretiate the advice and i am already considering moving on to another ecosystem after this big assignment.

I have an original F2 which I have not used in years. I can send photos and will ship it. Let me know if interested. It was purchased from Jim Domke when he actually still made the bags.

It is a great piece of engineering and a very special tool, although i apretiate the offer and the opportunity to aquire a piece of history, i wouldn't have time to practice with film.

I picked up, for free an F2 that looked as if it had been run over by a power lawn mower! A local cobbler repaired it for about $50! Can you take yours to a shoe repair shop?

Truly remarkable the beating Nikon cameras can endure, my D3s was exposed to almost everykind of weather and the body is scratched, dented, dusty, most of the buttons lost the paint and the shutter clanked 279,391 times, its heart is stil beating and outputs extraordinary images.

The same can be said for my Nikon D300, 124,871 actuations and the body is also very worned up.

True, that if something happens to both of my cameras i will be powerless, and it will be impossible to get repairs in the places i am going, but i have faith in my equipment, like i had all these years with many sort of assignments.

I am already planning to retire my work horses and look for other alternatives, they served me well, paid the bills and put food on my table.

I hope you can squeeze all the life from that wonderfull piece of technology, and that you can create beautifull images with it, happy clicks

 

[Jorge Gonçalves]

I want to thank everyone for the feedback provided.

I decided, for the sake of reliability and peace of mind, to buy a brand new Domke F-2 Bag, since i already have one i know all the insides and outs, limits, search for gear with eyes closed and doesn't have a rigid form.

My assignment will begin next month, catchyng a flight to norway and spend the next 6 months traveling the Artic Circle, many believe that in the next few years that area will be very sought after for its strategical location on the globe.

Then it's off to Egypt where i will travel with a portuguese ngo called AMI, jumping through refugee camps, there i will interview and document the efforts of medical and teachers helping the refugees.

My photos together with AMI's help, a book will be published to raise awareness and capital to keep this NGO going, giving the necessary money to buy food, medical equipment, vaccines and medicine, and recruit more doctors, nurses, teachers and means of transport to get to places.

I will post here some photos when all is finished.

 

[leicapixie]

Thanks for your reply!
Glad to see you have thought it out.
All the Best, make great exposures