Camera Bags

[barry]

I need to get an bag to carry my D70/kit lens in.

Any suggestions and how much should I expect to pay.

Sometings its easier to travel light rather than tote all the hardware.

Barry

[Alpha_7]

Is it D70 and Kit lens only ? Or are you packing a CF card or two, or maybe another Battery ?

[barry]

Alpha_7 - body and lens only. Unless I'm going to motor races or big day event I normally empty card and fully charge batteries. This gives me 178 raw shots.

Barry

[MCWB]

I have two bags: a Computrekker AW backpack and a Nova 3 AW shoulder bag. The Computrekker is used if I want to take everything with me. Takes D70, Sigma 12-24, Nikkor 17-55 DX and 70-200 VR, TC17EII, LS2, SB800 + misc. extra crap. The Nova 3 is used when I don't need a long lens, e.g. for a wedding, travel shooting or something. It holds the D70 + 17-55 DX, Sigma 12-24, SB800 and LS2. I'm pretty happy with this setup TBH, and if I want to use the 70-200 VR but don't want to take a backpack, I just take it in the Nikkor case.

[gstark]

What's wrong with those green bags that you buy at the supermarket for $0.89?

[barry]

Gary - price is right how do I hang it around my neck.

[Alpha_7]

Gary - price is right how do I hang it around my neck.

The camera already somes with a pretty good strap

[Greg B]

Hi Barry

I have the Minitrekker 200AW for taking everything, and have recently purchased the Lowepro Topload Zoom 2 for those times when the camera and one lens is enough. The Zoom 1 would probably do for the kit lens.

The Zoom 2 cost me $49 at Michaels.

[Mal]

I need to get an bag to carry my D70/kit lens in.
Any suggestions and how much should I expect to pay.
Sometings its easier to travel light rather than tote all the hardware.
Barry

Always get a bigger bag! This place (dslrusers.net) means you will definitely end up with more gear
Many people here use Lowepro bags http://www.lowepro.com
Have a look at what you want / need and then do the shop around.

As for me, I have two bags, one for day trips and one for most of the gear.

Day trips
All the gear

[Willigan]

G'day Barry

I've just got a Lowepro Orion Trekker II - the bottom half is a camera bag & the top half is a general compartment with pouches for cards, batteries etc. It's a bit of a hybrid, but it takes my 350D, 70-300 with plenty of room left to accommodate some lust in the bottom half

The Lowepro website still shows the old version, but the new one is at http://www.digitalcamerawarehouse.com.au/prod2711.htm, but beware the 'cheap' internet sites - I picked it up at Ted's for $99

[xorl]

I found the Lowepro Nova 2 AW was compact & still had enough room for a D70 + lenses/accessories.

After a while I had too much stuff for the Nova2 so I picked up a Minitrekker AW. It's a great backpack which has plenty of room for most people without being ridiculously huge.

However, I still use the Nova 2 when I want to travel light and not draw too much attention. At one stage I was thinking of selling it, but now I'm glad I didn't.

..and for something a little different, Lowepro's Slingshot series is pretty interesting. It's a smallish sling backpack that you can bring around the front to change gear without having to take it off your shoulder.

I'd recommend wandering into a store which carries a decent range of bags with your camera and getting a feel for how well things will together. This is a good way to work out how big you will need to go.

[shutterbug]

Best way is to bring your cam to the store and test the bags out

vl

[pharmer]

I'm a big fan of satchel type bags, that you can swing around and open while you're wearing them.

I'm also a Crumpler fan

I've got this one:

http://www.crumpler.com.au/cartIndex.ph ... g&catId=22

Easily fit D-SLR, two lenses, flash unit (or 3rd lens), spare battery and cards.

[losfp]

I have a Lowepro Micro Trekker 200 backpack that I use to lug my gear around:

- D70s
- Kit lens + hood
- 50/1.8
- 70-300G + hood
- SB-800
- cards, batteries, air rocket etc

In hindsight though, I wouldn't have bought a backpack as it is hard to get at the contents while it is on your back! I'm now looking at shoulder bags / sling bags.

I have an older Lowepro shoulder bag - I think the Nova 1 - that fits the D70s + kit lens + 50/1.8 with a bit of careful stuffing. I take this about when I need to travel light

[Greg B]

In hindsight though, I wouldn't have bought a backpack as it is hard to get at the contents while it is on your back! I'm now looking at shoulder bags / sling bags.

This is the eternal problem with bags, and probably the reason why some of us have a ridiculous number of them trying to find the ideal solution.

The backpack is probably the easiest to carry when it is loaded up.

The shoulder bag provides easier access to your gear.

The snoot bag is the most compact.

I think that the answer is that there is no overall ideal bag, that you are better off with several bags and you use whichever one is suitable for the particular situation. I now have the Minitrekker AW, Nova 3, Nova 2, Topload Zoom 2, and another small one which is good for the G3.

The only saving grace is that I don't need different shoes to match each bag.

[MattC]

Barry

Read Greg's post above.

A snoot if it is going to be minimal.
A shoulder bag such as the Nova AW2 for quick access. I have an AW3. Useful for travelling light. I am also not to shy about slipping an *unopened* can or bottle of coke in there to keep it cool. All of that foam has got to be good for something besides protecting my camera gear.
Or a backpack if packing more gear. I also have a Minitrekker 200 (?) which can be divided into just about any configuration that I like. The gear carried in the backpack does not all have to be photography related. Mine is divided up so that the bottom half is open space and I can pack anything I like in there for a day trip.

You may find that one bag is not enough.

Cheers

[PhilR]

I currently have 3 bags and am looking at buying a fourth. They range from a small snoot bag, mid-size shoulder bage (body, s mall lenses and flash) up to a Tamrac Cyberpac 8. I still use all of them depending on the situation. My advice, buy what fits your needs (and budget) now and as your collection of playthings grows "upsize ya bag"

cheers

[rookie2]

maybe consider this one?
http://www.dslrusers.net/viewtopic.php?t=12177&highlight=

[birddog114]

No bag, on an assigment or a shooting trip:
A vest or photo vest will help you lot better.

[Fortigurn]

This is a great thread, I just had to bump it.

All my bags are Lowepro. I have been chasing the ideal 'portable' kit bag combination for some time, and when I found the Street and Field series I knew I was onto something good.

I have a 9 year old Nova 5 which I use for storing kit I'm not using regularly, and my favourite bag is a 6 year old Street and Field Toploader 70 AW strapped to a Lowepro Street and Field light belt and a 1W Street and Field lens case attached to one side.

It used to house my Nikon F605 and a 70-200mm lens, and now takes my Minolta Dynax 5 with a 75-300mm lens attached, aong with buckets of film (typically 6 rolls), and other accessories (cleaning equipment, filters, PDA etc), without any problems, so I would imagine you could get pretty much anything in a Toploader 75. Best bag I've ever purchased. For anything else, there's my Mini Trekker AW.

In the last year, I purchased the Rezo 40 for my mobile phone, and the D Res 6 for my PDA (look at the elastic battery holders on the right hand side - I cut them until I had two bands running horizontally, and that holds my PDA very nicely, while the rest of the pouch is used to store my ID card, memory cards, etc).

I've been trying to find the best combination of kit for running around the place taking photos in the field, and wanted to see how much I could actually pack around my belt. I purchased the Film Drop AW, not for film, but because I wanted to use it as a quick and easy way of storing my flash at my belt (it works well, though I have other ideas about how to use it).

This is a shot of me taken by my wife while we were taking photos at Dansui, during Chinese New Year:



Kit:

Around my neck:


• Minolta Dynax 5 with 75-300mm zoom
  
• Nikon F80 with 28-70mm zoom
• Around my waist:
  
  
  • Lowepro Street and Field Belt
  • Lowepro Film Drop Bag AW (left hand side
  • Lowepro Rezo 40 (left hand side)
  • Lowepro D Res 6 (right hand side)
  • Lowepro 1W Street and Field Lens Case (right hand side)
• On my back: Lowerpo Mini Treker AW

It looks a little bulky, and to be honest there is a lot of gear there, but when you have it all on it's surprisingly comfortable, and I was very happy with the amount of movement I had. I walked around Dansui for about an hour and a half kitted up like this.

When we went to Chiayi later that week, I was kitted up almost identically (with a couple of things removed from the belt, but still with two cameras), and walked around for about three hours with it all on, no hassles.

But I'm still planning an improved, lighter kit combination.

[birddog114]

Get one of the best photovest you can and it'll accomodate all your needs.

The bags which I have and use, Lowepro bags:

Microtrekker AW, Stealth Reporter 650, Specialist 85AW, number of shoulder bags and a Lens Trekker 600 AW, mostly using them in transit.

I've all range of Lowepro Street & field harnesses + additional of lens and other goodies cases, but still finding the photovest which I often use is more adequate and handy with 4 - 5 primes or short zoom lenses including the 28-70 + SB800s, Epson P-2000 + 2 DSLR bodies:

http://www.vestedinterest.com/

I normally do shooting with the vest and don't worry about the bag behind nor worrying about gears falling out the bag when you forgot to zip it properly.

[Oneputt]

Like others I have seen Birddogs vest in use and I must admit that I was impressed. I have tried a large shoulder bag (too uncomfortable to carry around any distance), and currently have a backpack, but whilst it is comfortable when walking it does make your back sweat and it has to be taken off and placed flat to access the gear. Birddog's vest on the other hand has a mesh bag and the gear is all available without taking it off. I would love one.

[Fortigurn]

Get one of the best photovest you can and it'll accomodate all your needs.

The bags which I have and use, Lowepro bags:

Microtrekker AW, Stealth Reporter 650, Specialist 85AW, number of shoulder bags and a Lens Trekker 600 AW, mostly using them in transit.

I've all range of Lowepro Street & field harnesses + additional of lens and other goodies cases, but still finding the photovest which I often use is more adequate and handy with 4 - 5 primes or short zoom lenses including the 28-70 + SB800s, Epson P-2000 + 2 DSLR bodies:

http://www.vestedinterest.com/

I normally do shooting with the vest and don't worry about the bag behind nor worrying about gears falling out the bag when you forgot to zip it properly.

Thanks for the suggestion. I've been considering Lowepro's vest recently (any one have any experience with it?), since a vest makes a lot of sense. But I have been wondering how much you can actually carry in a vest comfortably, and how flexible they are.

[birddog114]

Lowepro does not have completed vest.
it's called: S&F shoulder/ vest harnesseses
You need to add on extra bit & pieces as lens cases, utility bags etc... to the system.
Yes, I have and use all of them, great systems for wandering outdoor but can't beat the real photovest.

[Fortigurn]

Lowepro does not have completed vest.
it's called: S&F shoulder/ vest harnesseses
You need to add on extra bit & pieces as lens cases, utility bags etc... to the system.
Yes, I have and use all of them, great systems for wandering outdoor but can't beat the real photovest.

Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'll check out that website.

Edit: Whoa, that's a seriousy chunky vest.

[Fortigurn]

Well, I had a good look at Birddog's recommended vest, and whilst it's certainly impressive (I really like the rear pocket and monopod carrier), it just looks too bulky for me (I don't like the massive padded pockets in the front).

If it were more adaptable (if you could remove/add front pockets), I would like it more, but from what I can see it doesn't suit my gear needs.

A couple of days ago I purchased the Lowepro vest and deluxe belt. It's a lot simpler than the vest from 'Vested Interest', but it's more flexible and less bulky. I've spent some time experimenting with various configurations, and have one which I like. I'll try it out some time this week.

[birddog114]

Well, I had a good look at Birddog's recommended vest, and whilst it's certainly impressive (I really like the rear pocket and monopod carrier), it just looks too bulky for me (I don't like the massive padded pockets in the front).

If it were more adaptable (if you could remove/add front pockets), I would like it more, but from what I can see it doesn't suit my gear needs.

A couple of days ago I purchased the Lowepro vest and deluxe belt. It's a lot simpler than the vest from 'Vested Interest', but it's more flexible and less bulky. I've spent some time experimenting with various configurations, and have one which I like. I'll try it out some time this week.

The front pockets of the vest I have are very useful with all four short or medium zoom lenses in two pockets, the top two pockets, one for the SB800 and other for filters, then more pockets inside for personal items as phone, wallets and other parts.

I have also the the Lowepro vest + deluxe belt, once you add more pockets, lens cases onto the belts, it's more bulkier than the Vest Interest.

I have two vests from Vested Interest with difference formats and colours.

I also have Lowepro vest and deluxe belt + Lowepro harness and belts + 20 difference cases for lenses up to 300VR, utility, mobile phone. I have to say I knew all the above vest and system well but I only use the vest from The Vested Interest very often than other.

[Fortigurn]

The front pockets of the vest I have are very useful with all four short or medium zoom lenses in two pockets, the top two pockets, one for the SB800 and other for filters, then more pockets inside for personal items as phone, wallets and other parts.

I can understand that it's great for that, but that is a whole lot more than I want to carry. In fact that's a colossal amount to carry. In fact that is more kit than I have in both my systems.

I have also the the Lowepro vest + deluxe belt, once you add more pockets, lens cases onto the belts, it's more bulkier than the Vest Interest.

It's bulkier if you add four short or medium zoom lenses, a flash, two cameras, phone, wallets, etc. But I don't carry that amount of kit.

I have two vests from Vested Interest with difference formats and colours.

I also have Lowepro vest and deluxe belt + Lowepro harness and belts + 20 difference cases for lenses up to 300VR, utility, mobile phone. I have to say I knew all the above vest and system well but I only use the vest from The Vested Interest very often than other.

I can see that the Vested Interest vest is certainly the one for you, because you carry more kit than I do (and you obviously own a lot more also). But for me, the Lowepro system is better because it's slimmer and more adaptable. I don't want to carry tons of kit with me, and the Lowepro carries all the kit I need very well.

It's also a lot cheaper.