spatially challenged

[back alley]

just got my domke 5xc bag, the one with the bottom front door.

it comes with 2, 3 panel inserts and is advertised as highly configurable because of the these inserts.

i want to use the bottom front door to hold 3 small lenses and the top compartment for 2 bodies with lenses attached.

but i can not figure out the insert configuration...anyone have one of these and maybe can help out a spatially challenged bag lover?

 

[Rob-F]

Let's see . . . I don't know if the 5XC has two separate compartments, or if the bottom access hatch opens to the same compartment that is accessible from the top. If it's all one, I can see the problem. But if it has separate upper and lower areas, can you just remove one divider from the upper section to create two large camera+lens spaces? And then the three small lenses can go underneath, with the center one wrapped or in a little case, to avoid unwanted cosmetic enhancement from clanking together?

 

[Rob-F]

Or are there several dividers between upper & lower, each one being part of the same dividers that divide the main space into three? If that's the case, then removing one of the main dividers makes one of the upper/lowers disappear, leaving only two lower and two upper spaces?

 

[back alley]

one big space with 2 dividers...i have seen it used as 2 separate spaces, smaller lower, larger upper.

 

[Rob-F]

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG8K4hgbe8o

 

[back alley]

 

[back alley]

Here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hG8K4hgbe8o

that's mike...he doesn't show how the 2 dividers are used...

 

[back alley]

i have scoured the net and utube with no success...

 

[back alley]

damn...mike 'explains' what he did without showing how he did it...i watched that w/o sound as i had music playing at the same time. doh!

he uses 2 additional inserts on top...problem solved.

thanks for reading!

 

[Rob-F]

I understood it. One divider goes in flat, to separate the upper and lower areas, serving as the floor of the top area. The other one gets curled into a "U" shape, probably with the bottom of the U against the bottom of the case, and the sides of the U serving to separate the lenses. Hopefully there is even enough material at the ends to velcro them to the bottom of the other divider to secure them.

 

[ampguy]

yeah, that's how I understood the video

yeah, that's how I understood the video

so to get the "tuck n' roll" lower compartment, you have to use one of the inserts as the roof of the lower lens area, which becomes the bottom of the main compartment.

Then with the 2nd insert, curls as a C or U shape to cushion your lenses (or whatever...) down there.

So with 2 dividers used to make that bottom part, seems like you just have a grocery bag up top, until you get more dividers for up there.

I'd be worried about how much padding there is down at the bottom where you're going to possibly seat 3 expensive lenses, and then the lens area roof, camera bottom seems velcro only attached, not sewn. So I think this bag needs more padding and inserts if it's going to be subject to any potential rough handling.

I understood it. One divider goes in flat, to separate the upper and lower areas, serving as the floor of the top area. The other one gets curled into a "U" shape, probably with the bottom of the U against the bottom of the case, and the sides of the U serving to separate the lenses. Hopefully there is even enough material at the ends to velcro them to the bottom of the other divider to secure them.

 

[back alley]

i like the domkes in general for their (lack of) padding, make for a slimmer bag. i am very careful, no rough handling of my gear...it's just not part of my delicate nature 😉
as for the velcro vs. sewing, domke seems to use super velcro..that floor/ceiling is going nowhere without a major yanking.

 

[back alley]

I understood it. One divider goes in flat, to separate the upper and lower areas, serving as the floor of the top area. The other one gets curled into a "U" shape, probably with the bottom of the U against the bottom of the case, and the sides of the U serving to separate the lenses. Hopefully there is even enough material at the ends to velcro them to the bottom of the other divider to secure them.

thanks for the help rob!!