versatility in your camera bag

[besk]

I have been carrying a J-803 as my standard travel bag for 10 years in Europe. They are very versatile and if you don't want to fill them up with cameras you can put other stuff in there (Bread, cheese, water, rain jacket, unbrella etc.)

On my last trip I had a IIIf with 50 and 28 lenses plus a Afga Record 6X9 folder. On other trips I have carried high end P&S cameras in pouches attached to one of the velcro strips on the side. Another time I had a Ricoh GR1 camera, Nikon FM/50/1.8, and a Agfa 6X6 folder. Another trip had a Rolleiflex F3.5 with P&S cameras. Always have some small flash and a table top tripod along just in case.

On my planned trip this summer I will likely take my IIIf with 28 and 50 lenses, a digital P&S plus a Voigtlander 9X12 and a few holders.

So it looks like I also pack with a purpose - but the Domke 803 satchel type bag is a very versatile type bag for a variety of the purpose(s).

 

[Red Robin]

Here in my part of the sunshine it seems about right to carry two bodies w/different lenses to choose from. My shoulder still throbs at the though of lugging all the stuff I use to carry. Curious I usually only used the the lens that I already had mounted on the body anyway. Turns out "Less IS More".

 

[presspass]

Right now, a shoulder bag - one of the A&A ones but I don't remember the name - with two M bodies - one with a 50 Elmar 2.8 and the other with an 28 Elmarit 2.8. Two lenses stacked - ZI 18 and Tele-Elmarit 90. Four extra rolls of film, small incident meter, and two 2800 Vivitar flash units. Another bag stays in the vehicle and has an M8, a Visoflex III, and a 200. If I know I'm going to be shooting something at a distance, a 400 goes in its own bag. I know that's a lot, but I also know I can cover anything that comes up.

 

[Matus]

I have a mixed experience with multiple cameras (formats) to be carried at the same time. My general rule is to have one main camera (Mostly Mamiya 6 + 50, 75, 150, but sometimes my 4x5 setup) and one "snap shot" camera - some sort of small 35 P&S or fixed lens rangefinder or so. This works well when there are some friends or family along and I can not spend as much time on photography as I would like to.

Still - sometimes it feels better to have just one camera (though with multiple lenses) along - as it is easier to concentrate on the shooting if the platform or format does not change.

I would probably not carry multiple cameras in the same format at the same time. But I actually do not really have multiple cameras in one format what makes my life easier 🙂