A Good non-camera-bag camera bag

[johnmarkpainter]

I just picked up another bag....

 

It is on the trendy side. Mostly canvas, but not the LL Bean, Fly Fishing kind..this more a

worn twill.

 

Designed to be a Laptop/messenger bag. Well padded...pockets are lined with a really

smooth material. Nicely padded Strap, inner pouches hold Domke dividers really well.

 

Easily carries 2 or 3 bodies, 3 to 5 lenses, meter and Film. Has cell phone/wallet/film

pouches.

 

Much more sturdy than typical Mall messenger bags.

 

http://www.buckle.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?

itemID=9671&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=canvas+bag

[peter_evans4]

<p><a

href="http://www.buckle.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=9671&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=canvas+bag">And

here's a link.</a> I can't see how you'd attach a wet folded/collapsed

umbrella to its outside, though.</p>

[syuji_honda]

I wondered. Does carrying a "(professional) Camera Bag" make you an

instant target for robbery? I work in TV industry. There are

professional thieves who specialize in stealing TV cameras all over

the U.S. Especially, near TV stations, production company and

airport. Is it the same in still cameras? Is it safer to carry your

expensive camera equipment in non camera bag rather than in obvious

camera bag? I was thinking about carrying my rangefinder kits in Old

Navy's $18 messenger bag.

[jorn ake]

Best camera bag is a back pack. I like the Arcteryx Flash with a Domke three section insert. Enough room for two cameras with lenses and one extra lens, plus film, notebook, phone, meter, map, sweater, gum, business cards, umbrella, etc. Plus it is black, looks like a book bag and is very non-descript. Looks old when new. Carry it all day long without permanent curvature of the spine from a courier bag over one shoulder.

[al_kaplan1]

I guess if you wear their $104.00 a pair jeans too the robbers will just leave you alone.

[skeeter]

the cheaper version, theft unlikely. note...not weatherproof.

[al_kaplan1]

No thief in their right mind would steal your camera bag full of Leicas. Just read this and other forums about how they're useless old fashioned primitive things using that old fashioned film stuff that modern photographers have no use for. But I'd hold on to my $104.00 jeans in some seedy neighborhoods!

[hugh_crawford1]

If you want to avoid thieves I don't know if a laptop bag is such a good idea, sort of out of the frying pan, into the fire if you ask me.

 

For making the thieves avoid you I have two words, "Diaper Bag" .

[summitar]

Because I think thieves should be eliminated, not merely deterred, my two words are "Colt 45".

[nesrani]

Good point, Kerry. Maybe you should get them young, go shoot up an inner city school.

[kevin k]

The best "non-camera bag camera bag" idea I heard of is to place your regular camera bag inside of an old cooler. The plastic type that have a big handle on top. The basic modern "workin' man's" lunch cooler. The dirtier the finish, the better. I even know of someone who put a sticker on his that said "Danger, Medical waste." Even an old tweaker may pass on that beauty.

 

You can also protect your film /camera from heat/cold, even add blue ice to keep the film cool during summer heat.I wonder what part number Leica would have to come up with to sell this jewel of an idea? (COOLMANSTORE?)

[r s]

The <a href="http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00AcrN">camera bag</a href> I bought has actually turned out to be a great bag. The only 'downside' is that I've now been approached by two women asking me where I got the bag..

[bob_mcbob]

<i>I was thinking about carrying my rangefinder kits in Old Navy's $18 messenger bag.</i>

<p>

I did just that for two months in England, and I would do it again. I can't say it's the best camera bag solution, but I like it a lot more than taking a camera bag everywhere. If you do want to use it for your camera gear, I suggest buying some inserts to organize everything. It's an ergonomic nightmare otherwise.

[andy m.]

I reckon it would be lot easier for a thief to offload a laptop for $$$$ than some cameras, old or new.

That said, I use a black Domke satchel that looks like it could be a laptop bag, and a Billingham L2 for my Rolleiflex that looks like a camera bag.

[h._p.]

Thanks for the tip, John. I've been looking to replace a bag I bought in Austria 20 years ago and this is the first one I've come across that seems to do a similar job.

[rj]

I bought an old army surplus shoulder bag that I put domke padded inserts in to hold equipment. Great tough bag that holds different gear great.

[ben z]

I wasn't aware that street thieves specialized, so it seems to me _any_ bag is likely to arouse their curiosity. Even a diaper bag if you don't have a baby with you. Other than a brown paper grocery bag, and someone who's just bought groceries a)probably has money on them, and b)has is hands full so he can't react quickly. And all of it assumes you never take the camera out of the bag or the whole secrecy thing is blown. IMO there are 2 kinds of camera thievery, snatch-grab and strongarm/armed robbery. In the first instance a bag with both a belt and shoulder strap might say "pick an easier target". In the second instance, I've got insurance and I'm not going to risk my life being a tough guy. So my main reason for choosing a bag is how comfortably I can carry it.

[sprouty]

<I>"Even a diaper bag if you don't have a baby with you."</I>

<P>

Not if you carry a dirty diaper right on top.

[sprouty]

Actually I've never had anyone bother me about my camera bag. I have had numerous people stop me and ask for change and there an easy solution for that: it's called a cell phone. As soon as I see that I've been locked onto as a target out comes the phone.

 

All you have to do is offer a few loudly spoken comments along the lines of "He did what?", or "is she dead?" and then mention that you're "going to kill that son of a bitch when you get there".

 

Nobody seems to want to talk to after they hear that.

[johnmarkpainter]

Ben,

 

Of course, there are extremes...many bags for sale in camera stores say "Digital Ready"

and such nonsense as that.

 

I just try to find bags that look like they are part of my wardrobe rather than looking like

something I have to carry around.

 

I even have an old classic style Leica bag....has a Leica logo right on it. The ony people

that think it is a camera bag are old Photographers.

 

jmp

[sammer]

I use a $15 cheapo non-camera bag with padding inserts. Found it at the 'Bass' Store. Looks nothing like a camera bag... took some hunting to find a good candidate, but was well worth it. I never worry about someone targeting my gear because of my bag.

[ben z]

"I never worry about someone targeting my gear because of my bag."

 

How about targeting you because you're carrying a bag and there might be _something_ worth fencing in there? Or, in the PN forum version of reality, are cameras the only thing theives are interested in.

 

 

"I just try to find bags that look like they are part of my wardrobe rather than looking like something I have to carry around."

 

My wife says that.

[doug_d]

Before I got my Domke satchel, I used an old grenade bag from a surplus store.

Update the shoulder strap and insert padding.

 

My Domke is now wonderfully weathered, and very much not a laptop bag.

[al_kaplan1]

I stopped buy the military surplus store on State Road 7 in Hallandale, Florida this afternoon. This thread reminded me that back in the 1970's my wife picked up a bag there very much like the original Leitz bag right down to internal dividers and three front pockets for $2.95. I promptly bought one too. It was olive drab with black parkerized metal hardware. It didn't replace my tan with brown leather trim Leitz bag when I needed to wear suit and tie, but otherwise was just fine. I was hoping to maybe find an updated version in desert tan...LOL. Maybe next year.

 

The original Leitz bag was marketed as a promotional item at a special low price of $17.50. Nikon had a boxier design promo bag at the time, also tan, and it was only $12.50.

[jerry_lehrer]

John and others,

 

I thought that I pioneered the use of a diaper bag over 40 years ago

when I bought a used one for a dollar at a garage sale here. I use

various Domke padded inserts. The bag is a Sears

bag, padded, because it was intended to protect the glass baby bottles

which came with it.

 

Jerry