The Perfect Bag; The Impossible Dream

i really like this domke insert, called the "dslr" i believe, and any bag which fits around it. a leica with a big lens, and two other (big) lenses fit easily, and the two small pockets can hold a light meter, phone, mp3 etc. stuff.

the photo is of someone else's insert and contents, but gives you a good idea how well a small combination will fit.

greetings from hamburg

rick
 
rickp said:
i really like this domke insert, called the "dslr" i believe, and any bag which fits around it. a leica with a big lens, and two other (big) lenses fit easily, and the two small pockets can hold a light meter, phone, mp3 etc. stuff.

the photo is of someone else's insert and contents, but gives you a good idea how well a small combination will fit.

greetings from hamburg

rick
Click to expand...

I've looked at a few of those on eBay. I was tempted, but my Tamrac 706 convertible can hold all that plus at least two more lenses, plus compartments for film, flash, and other stuff. And it has a waist strap so I can use it as a fanny pack or slide it around and it's a shoulder bag.
 
I've posted about my bag before, but for those who haven't read those threads... I give you my all time favorite camera bag: The Grafea PHOTO







I can easily fit two bodies and half a dozen lenses, with side pockets holding 8 rolls of film total. The front pocket fits my E-Book reader for down time and all my other little trinkets. You can read my full review of the Grafea Photo on my blog.
 
speaking of bags...i went looking for a bag that could hold my ipad, my x100 and my rd1 along with a couple of lenses...plus extra batteries for both cameras, sd cards, business cards...everything that i might want to take on a short trip...
and i found one!

the tamrac rally 5...

only problem is, it's too heavy for me to carry for too long, comfortably. this would have been perfect maybe 10 years ago.

but i still might try it for my toronto trip...take the domke 5xa along if i want to travel lighter once i'm there.
 
I use a Billingham 445 as a generic all-purpose bag. Enough for a day's work (I can put a laptop, a ring binder and a few books in it if I want), but it also works for carrying a DSLR, 2-3 lenses, a monopod, and a spare set of clothes for a weekend.

2171179517_ae45718d54_o_d.jpg

(not my own picture, it's from here)

It's a bit tricky to put the Billingham 445 on luggage trolley. I ended up using a Spannflex for the base and two S-biner double-gated carbine hooks for the top:

sbiner_3_onrocks_large.jpg


That way I can attach the bag to the trolley in about two seconds.

I use the Billingham inserts with other bags, too, if I need something more compact.
 
That's a beautiful bag, Disaster_Area, but if I walk out in the open with that I'd end up as a red splotch on the pavement in my God-forsaken country. That said, I just ordered a Billingham 207 so I'm in trouble now.

rxmd: you walk around with that bag?! I find my 445 to be enormous! I relegate it to airport-travel-with-everything-plus-kitchen-sink-bag.
 
rob
i take your point, and your wish to (be able to) carry more equipment when required. i use the smaller insert to put a physical limit on what i can carry around = a useful limit on how much gear i own = a self-imposed anti-GAS measure. :D

so far so good. an m9 with 24, 50 and 75 fit fine and cover most of what interests me. analog - an m2 with 21 super angulon and light meter plus film fit perfectly too.

wish me luck. i'm so 'weak' when i pass a camera store :eek:.

rick

Rob-F said:
I've looked at a few of those on eBay. I was tempted, but my Tamrac 706 convertible can hold all that plus at least two more lenses, plus compartments for film, flash, and other stuff. And it has a waist strap so I can use it as a fanny pack or slide it around and it's a shoulder bag.
Click to expand...
 
Snowbuzz said:
rxmd: you walk around with that bag?! I find my 445 to be enormous! I relegate it to airport-travel-with-everything-plus-kitchen-sink-bag.
Click to expand...

Yes, I do. (I just spent two weeks in backwaters of Xinjiang with it.) The Billingham 445 is admittedly more of a backpack replacement, though - for the situations where I need to carry something except the camera (everything between water bottles, toilet paper rolls, laptops, tools, groceries, books etc). I normally have something else to do besides photography, and for that I need stuff, too. For that the 445 is very convenient - it's actually smaller, but considerably more durable than the backpacks and the Bagjack messenger bag it replaced.

If I need something small, I use a military surplus bag:
54-4006-80.png

Usually I put a Billingham insert inside it.
 
rxmd: thanks for the update! Maybe it's my mindset that needs to change: that the bag makes me look conspicuous and weird! Great bag tho'.
 
I'm in a search for a bag for Pentax 67 and its a damn problem, cause most of small bags are not deep enough to store it...
 
rxmd said:
If I need something small, I use a military surplus bag:
54-4006-80.png
Click to expand...
That looks like the Bundeswehr bread bag. I have one in green. The original strap is useless (too short), so I replaced it with some other surplus strap.
 
The biggest argument this new year with my wife during our general cleaning is the number of bags I have in our closet and family room, unbelievable how I accumulated those. Secretly some more bags in my office. Is this addiction???
 
Any of the Chapman fishing bags with a Billingham hadley insert, or, if I need a backpack a Duluth waxed canvas Scout pack with the same Billingham insert (which just fits).
 
jbielikowski said:
I'm in a search for a bag for Pentax 67 and its a damn problem, cause most of small bags are not deep enough to store it...
Click to expand...

The "Beast" fits resonably well in my Slingshot 200. I do have to take off the wooden grip, but it stored elsewhere in the bag and there is still room for an extra lens or two.
 
Some great looking bags and reviews contained in this thread along with the links to the various websites.

The bag that I have settled on is the Artisan & Artists ACAM-7100 Messenger-style camera bag. Carries two Leica M bodies with lens, and room for additional accessories, i.e. batteries, film, memory cards, cleaning kit, light meter, filters . . . . .

Comfortable bag that fits to the body with a wide comfortable strap. Pictures and pricing can be found at Pop Flash a sponsor of RFF on the home page. Not affiliated, but I did buy my bag from them.
 
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