Time for a new bag.

Posted: Thu May 03, 2007 1:44 pm

I've DEFINITELY outgrown my tiny little bag I've been using to cart my lenses around in. I'm looking for the best that could hold at least:

Two bodies
4 lenses
2 flashes
filters, cards, hoods, etc etc

I was leaning toward a backpack, but I could be swayed. What do you think would be best?

*edit. Nevermind. If I had been smart enough to look down two posts, I would see my answer. ha!

Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 452 Location: Gloucester, UK

With that lot in your backpack it would be understand if you lean and sway :-)

Posted: Wed May 09, 2007 3:18 am

Sounds like you have grown out of a smaller bag. Isn't it fun to have a bunch of stuff.

But, serously, do you really need to carry all that at one time? I thought I'd need a bag to carry it all too but learned that I never use everything in the bag. I have a Tamrac Expedition 7 and a Tamrac Pro 8.

Most things are stored in the Expedition and transferred to the Pro 8 when I go out- either I dump off what I'm not taking into the Pro 8 to leave behind or visa versa. System seems to work well for me. When I go out now, I'm usually sporting two bodies (film and digital), speedlight and couple of lenses. The backpacks can get pretty hefty with more gear than you need and then add a tripod!

Joined: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 67

Tamrac 5258, room to expand and holds a laptop too. It is pretty damn heavy with all my stuff in it.

http://www.camera-shop.co.uk/acatalog/Tamrac5258.jpg

Joined: 04 Dec 2006 Posts: 79

Since I am not a backpack kind of guy, take a look at the Tamrac SuperPro 13. I own the bag and love it. It is large and easily can get quite heavy, but if you need to take a lot of stuff in one bag it is great. Plus it meets current carry on standards.

http://www.adorama.com/TR613BK.html

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:09 pm

I have a lowepro phototrekker AW II, which is about as great a backpack as you can possibly get, but it was just too tedious for 35mm / digital SLR stuff. I've only started using it since I got into large format photography where a backpack is pretty much the only option.

For my DSLR I prefer something lighter and easier to access.

I have a lowepro toploader zoom (I'm not sure what model, but it's not the usual small type - this is a big, "pro all weather" kind of thing). It has straps on each side which can accomodate up to two accessory lens cases (lowepro type - they have a velcro retaining system so you can easily attach or remove them). I keep each lens in its own lens case and can mix and match my kit before I head out, depending on what I need. For longer trips I just throw my extra lens in a backpack or something (inside its lens case).

I can fit the following in it:

A reasonably large body (ie, my rebel XT + grip, or something like a 30D / 5D or film body), with attached lens (anything up to a 70-200 L zoom). The front pocket accomodates either a 580EX (plus a few extras like a couple of filters & a cable release & extra tripod quick release plate & my ipod camera connector) or a second body with no lens attached (I was carrying around a canon EOS 10S film body for infrared on my most recent trip).

I usually have a lowepro wide case and a telephoto case attached, and I typically carry around a 17-40L, 70-200L, and either my 100mm macro (fits in the wide case for my 17-40) or a 12-24mm tokina.

This is nice because it's small and extremely convenient. I can just drop my camera into the bag with whatever lens is attached and keep my other lenses in the side pockets.

I'm not positive this is exactly the model I have, but it's basically this:
http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Toploading/allWeather/Topload_Zoom_AW.aspx

These are the lens cases that you can strap onto the sides:
http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Accessories/lens_cases/

The all weather designation means that if it starts raining you can pull a little rain cover out of a side pocket and tighten it up around the whole case to keep it protected - works great (but doesn't cover the lens pouches).