What's bag do you use?

Joined: 25 Oct 2005 Posts: 43

Backpack, sling, or something else?

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Joined: 17 Oct 2005 Posts: 306

I think this should probably go somewhere else?

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:30 am

I have both, they serve similar purposes in different circumstances.

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 1:16 pm

I have a huge backpack (lowepro phototrekker AW II), which I use for road trips and short ~5km walks without too much elevation gain, but I don't find very convenient for longer or more strenuous hikes. I'm looking for something a bit more portable for when I need it, as it is I end up throwing lenses and body into my old $20 backpack without any padding, which is probably not too good for the equipment. I may get a sling-pack but I resent how expensive these things are.

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:46 pm

I may be speaking of something different then, I have a Tamrac Velocity 5 (which I think is a sling style) which is basically large enough for a camera body with small lens attached and possibly a second small lens and not much else. I think it was $40.00. The backpack is a lowpro dryzone 200, it carries much more however with a tripod and two bodies/several lenses it does get quite heavy.

Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2005 9:51 pm

walter, I have the lowepro mini-trekker for such occasions, though for me it's mostly a biking bag. It'll hold my camera with a lens on it, 1-2 other lenses, some additional small gear (filters, spare batteries), and even have some room for snacks.

Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2005 5:23 am

I have the Lowepro Orion Trekker II, which I took on a short hike for the first time this weekend. It can hold a slr body with a lens attached plus another couple of lenses/other stuff. All of this goes into the bottom compartment which means that you still have some space in the top half for some food & water, I also managed to fit my coat in there aswell at one point.

I also used this when I was visiting Paris, it was very useful while walking around the city and doesnt really look that much like a camera bag, a useful theif deterrent.

The only downside to this bag that I have encountered is that it can be a bit difficult to get the camera out as you have to take the bag off and undo the bottom section every time, although this just encourages me to keep my camera out for longer periods, which is a good thing really...

Joined: 11 Mar 2005 Posts: 268 Location: Manteca, CA

I have a Tamrac Expedition 8 backpack, which holds everything I own, and some room for whatever I may wish to stuff in it as I go along.

For a simple shoot, when I have a really good idea what I'll encounter, just a shoulder bag.

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2005 2:59 pm

I am somewhat addictet to photo bags. So I have a collection, which emcompasses different modells for any occasion. Mostly I use my traditional style Billingham shoulder bags. The 550m if I need plenty of space, including hammerhead flash, the 335 if I only take one camera body and few lenses with me, a Hadley for the really small equipment.
When I added a DSLR I also added a LowePro Nova4, which holds the lenses I used most with the DSLR plus a flash gun and some small parts. I added a hip belt to the Nova, which makes wearing it quite comfortable.

For travelling by road I have a LowePro PhotoTrekker Classic backpack, which more or less accomodates everything I want to take with me. One advantage is the big front bag, which holds many, many rolls of 35 mm and 120 films. Even with high weights (roughly 20 kgs) it is quite manageable.

For a recent trip, which included lots of flying, I added a Tamrac Cyberpack 9, which held my DSLR with some lenses, flash gun and a 15-inch Powerbook - and still was allowed as carry-on luggage (luckily nobody at the airports cared to put it on the scales...) The Cyberpack is very useful, but not as good with heavy loads (in this case around 17 kgs) as the Lowe.

When I am really on the move, walking or mountaineering, I mostly use CCS holster bags, a bigger one for the camera with a lens attached and several lens pouches as required. The CCS bags are great, very good padding and weather resistants, though at a price - and they are hardly available anymore even in the UK... These bages have the big advantage, that they can easily be combined with a rucksack, which is hardly possible with shoulder bags or photo backpacks.
About the only bag I never tried are those sling bags (or body bags as they once were called, but that was before the Iraq wars)

So, my conclusion is: One bag fits all occasions is not available, you have to adapt the bags to the equipment required and the circumstances.

regards,
René