17-35 & 28-70 with hoods which camera bag

[sam_motskin]

Here is a problem I have. I want a bag to carry 17-35 and 28-70 both with hoods

on plus a body D200/D300, an exposure meter, and a back-up battery. The lens

with a hood on plus a body is about 10.5" long. Both lenses are rather bulky

too.I prefer to keep the hood on rather than snap it on and off every time I

take the camera out. The bags I've seen are either too short, too narrow for

these lenses, or too big. I shoot mostly people and street type of pictures and

these are the only lenses I use 95% of the time. A big bag would not be handy

to hang around in the streets for hours. Did anybody come across this problem?

Appreciate any help

[ellis_vener_photography]

http://www.thinktankphoto.com

 

look at the Urban Disguise 60.

[martijn_houtman]

I am quite happy with my Crumpler bag. Their bagpacks are very comfortable. Their shoulder

bags are more suited for all-day photography usage. All their bags are firm, offer good

protection and very decent quality (plus 99 years of waranty).

[Ed_Ingold]

A Lowepro Pro Mag I or Pro Mag II is deep enough to hold the camera with hood in place with either lens, along with a 70-200 VR with the hood reversed and lens unmounted. I use the Pro Mag II as a run-and-gun bag with a D2x. The model I is sized for a camera without grip (4.5 inches deep).

[sam_motskin]

Thanks, guys. Any thoughts on backpacks? Would not they be easier to tote around and and look less conspicuous? This is, by the way, a point to consider for me as I take mostly candid shots

[Ed_Ingold]

You are as inconspicuous as you act. With confidence and a professional bearing, you are nearly invisible. The kind of bag you carry is insignificant in that regard. How can it be a secret what you are doing once the camera is in your hand?

 

A Lowepro Pro Mag II with a camera, three lenses and a flash weighs about 18 pounds. That's quite a load after a couple of hours on foot. A small backpack is a lot easier to carry, but a little harder to access. Either way, you nearly always have to put a bag down to use it, especially an heavy bag. I use a Lowepro Computrekker, which is the same as a Mini-Trekker but with a pocket for a laptop. The laptop stays home except in transit. For a two-body kit, I use a Computrekker Plus, which is about the size of a Lowepro Phototrekker. A Thinktank "Rotation" is an option worth looking at (http://www.thinktankphoto.com).

 

If you have to worry about being seen with expensive equipment, DON'T GO THERE.

[sam_motskin]

Thanks to all. I'm definitely going to check the bags you recommended. I suppose I'll have to do a balancing act. I need to fit my stuff in one bag. On the other hand the equipment is about 7 pounds so I don't want a huge heavy bag on top of that.

 

Edward, It's not a matter of worrying. It's just that I'm transitioning from film cameras. I used to shoot with a quiet manual Leica with a 50mm lens and an F3 with a 35mm. All I had was a small bag. Now I've got to figure out how to make my style work in the digital world

[Hector Javkin]

Check out the Domke J-series. The J-1 is the tallest and biggest, and will definitely hold what you carry, but if you can get away with the J-2 or J-3, you'll have a compact, convenient shoulder bag. I add a little bit of bottom padding to my J-1.