Note to Camera Bag Makers - Show me the measurements!

[ronin1]

<p>I've been looking for a camera bag for my brother's Lumix LX3, and am always on the lookout for the perfect bag(s) for my equipment.<br>

It amazes me how often even a manufacturer's site doesn't tell you what the measurements of the bag are. Sometimes they tell you what the outside measurements are. That IS good to know but I want to put something of a certain size iN the bag. <br>

Defining a bag as a compact or a point and point camera bag/case doesn't really help. Point and Shoots come in lots of different sizes. So do DSLRs, calling something a DSLR bag is not useful, I guess that means I can't even think about putting my Nikon F in it.<br>

Often a company will make a special case for a specific camera. If you put the camera size on the bag package you might sell more bags because I might buy your bag because it fits my camera. If only I knew what size camera it fits.<br>

Please, put the measurements of the bag on your website and on the package. </p>

<p>Now if only I could figure out how big a Lumix LX3 is with the tube adapter and a filter on it.</p>

<p> </p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I would actually buy more bags (heck they're cheap to get the right form factor for convenience), but I'm not going to engage in a crap shoot to hope a Leica with 3 lenses fit in a bag, or if it's really meant for an RB67 and 4 lenses and 2 backs. So I use three different bags and suffer through rearranging them for one system or another.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>You will find both inside and outside measurements for LowePro (<a href="http://www.LowePro.com">www.LowePro.com</a>) and Think Tank (<a href="http://www.thinktankphoto.com">www.thinktankphoto.com</a>) bags, among others. The padding is substantial and semi-rigid, holding its shape well. The interior partitions are moveable, and more are supplied than you need, giving you wide range of configurations. Some bags, notably Domke, have so little padding that the inside and outside dimensions are nearly identical.</p>

<p>How big is big enough? Your Nikon F is a small camera, measuring a little over 4 inches tall and 6 inches wide. If the bag is designed to hold the camera vertically with the lens down, the opening must measure 4x6 inches in the inside - so far so good. I use a LowePro Pro AW 1, which measures about 4.5x8x8 for a small SLR (i.e., no vertical grip) or a Leica. For a Nikon F5, D2x or Hasselbad 500 (with a prism), I use the LowePro Pro AW 2, which opens to 6 inches (instead of 4.5 inches).</p>

<p>For backpacks, I lay the stuff I need to carry out on a table, 1 layer deep, and measure it. Shoulder bags are a little harder to estimate because gear is nearly always stacked in some way, but the principle is the same.</p>

[g dan mitchell]

<p>Better manufacturers do include this info in their printed material and at their web sites. As Edward pointed out above... I own and use bags from both of those manufacturers.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

[bobar57]

<p>I have always used Domke bags and the measure are pretty accurate to realize how much gear I can load on them,the removable interior dividers are a lot helpful to prevent camera,lenses,flash,etc to be banging against each other.I also use Nikon lenses pouches,which are a lot of help to prevent damage or marks on lenses.There are other options to cover the lenses too,wrap-around material is an example.<br>

To carry my system almost completely I like the F-2 specially the brown waxed for the water repellent added, and the F-5XB, specially in black,more discreet while out with one camera only and a couple of wide angle lenses to shoot street photography.<br>

Here they are:</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[bobar57]

<p>And the F-2</p><div></div>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>You can get Domke bags made of Cordura nylon, rather than sized canvas. Canvas has the ugly habit of shedding dust - the nemesis of DSLR photography. As Robert implies, you must provide your own padding. Domke bags hold a lot of gear for their weight and size. However, they are most popular amongst news photographers who use gear paid for by the company. Photographers who buy their own equipment, as for most local newpapers, tend to use LowePro bags. That's just my personal experience in the Chicago area.</p>

[zml]

<p>Chances are that the bag you are interested in is reviewed either on <a href="http://www.cambags.com www.tashenfreak.de">www.cambags.com </a> or <a href="http://www.tashenfreak.de">www.tashenfreak.de</a>.<br>

Pictures included (better than raw dimensions IMO: you can see what actually fits in the bag.)</p>

[marc_bergman1]

<p>I have purchased three bags in the last year and found the inside dimension on the manufacturers website. Maybe you should that as a criteria when choosing brands.</p>

[floyd_wellershaus1]

<p>I second the Domke bags. I have the same F2 that Robert mentioned, and I use it daily. No issues with any dust, especially since all the gear is stored in the excellent domke inserts. I find that all the extra padding in other bags is uncessesary unless you are planning on handling your bags roughly and putting them through some kind of hell. Domke has the right idea with less amount of padding IMO.</p>

[bobar57]

<p>Here you can get the exterior and interior measurements of all Domke camera bags(note that Domke is now owned by Tiffen Co.): http://www.tiffen.com/products.html?tablename=domke<br>

and here I have included a picture with a drawing of the interior layout of the F2(it is also pictured on the website)</p>

<p>RA</p><div></div>