Good/best DSLR backpack to hold 2 DSLRs with battery grips attached?

[paul_c7]

<p>Hi everyone, I have a 5D Mark II and a 7D, both with battery grips. The 7D is a relatively new addition to my arsenal of equipment, and I feel like I need a new bag that will let me carry them both simultaneously. I bought the Lowepro Pro Trekker 450AW last weekend because when I was looking at it in the store it seemed like it would be big enough and also has the compartment configuration to allow for dual DSLRs, however I found out when I got home that the DSLRs will only fit in the bag if I remove the battery grips from each of them. My older camera bag (Lowpro Flipside 400AW) didn't have this problem as the spot where you put the DSLR has room for the grip, but unfortunately this bag is not big enough to carry both cameras. Does anyone know of a good camera bag out there that would have room to fit 2 DSLRs with battery grips? I would definitely prefer to invest in another Lowepro bag if possible as I've never had a single problem with any of their bags and I've owned quite a few of them. Or does anyone have any other suggestions? I don't really want to have to detach the grips from the cameras just to store them in the bag...it's too much of a pain later to connect/disconnect them since it can waste valuable shooting time. Or, is there a better way to do this? I'd like to be able to just bring a single backpack with me with the gear that I need rather than needing multiple items/cases/bags. I also have the Tamrac Expedition 8X backpack which if you've seen it, you'll know that it's really more of a tripping-style backpack and isn't exactly the most convenient thing to carry around (the thing is massive...I'm about 5'11 and with the chest straps pulled as tight as I can make them while still being comfortable the bottom of the thing still goes down well past my bum...yes it holds a lot but it's certainly not a bag you want to have to bring with you anywhere, and it's certainly not one you can be very active/mobile in while wearing it).</p>

<p>I don't expect to be wearing this backpack 100% of the time when shooting, but I'd like to get one that is at least reasonably comfortable/easy to shoot with while wearing (unlike the Expedition 8X like I just explained above).</p>

<p>Also, before anyone suggests it, yes, I need to have both grips on both cameras at the same time. I typically end up shooting for entire days at a time and I'm constantly switching back and forth between landscape/portrait, so having the grips makes a world of difference for me (which is why I want a bag that can fit 2 cameras with the grips attached)</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>LowePro backpacks are rather shallow due to the space allowed to stow a laptop. I have better luck with ThinkTank bags, especially the Airport xx models. The inside is 7" deep, enough to hold a DSLR with a handgrip with room to spare, or an Hasselblad ELD with a 45 degree prism finder (I dedicate an Airport Commuter to each of those kits).</p>

<p>The Airport bags are space efficient, because they have a rectangular, semi-rigid outline. There are three hand grips - top, one side and the bottom - for hoisting the bag into the overhead compartment on a plane. There is space for a laptop in the top flap, but I use that for other gear, and carry the laptop in its own case when I travel.</p>

<p>The straps and belt are okay, but put more weight on your shoulders than a rigid frame. They're fine for schlepping through an airport or on local trails in the woods. The outside dimensions are 18" x 12" x 10", and will fit handle out in the overhead compartment.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

A ThinkTANK Photo ShapeShifter is what you want. http://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/shape-shifter-backpack.aspx

[paul_c7]

<p>Thanks very much for the suggestion Ellis - I've never heard of this before but it does look very interesting. The only thing I don't like about it is that it looks like it's not designed to hold the cameras with lenses already attached...yes, it looks like it would fit both DSLRs with grips attached, but I'd still have the problem of needing to attach lenses to them before I could shoot anything (to be honest, the entire reason I got the 7D as a secondary DSLR was so that I didn't have to switch lenses so often, so having a bag that doesn't allow for lenses to be already connected to the cameras kind of defeats the purpose I need it for).</p>

<p>Edward, the Airport model looks like a great bag, but I'll be honest in that I do almost no international travelling (I wish, but I have a 9-5 job that means I never get to go anywhere)...but as I was looking at that, I saw their StreetWalker Pro backpack and I think this is more along the lines of what I need. It doesn't look like I'd be able to bring a plethora of lenses with me, but it looks like it would at least let me carry both DSLRs with the grips attached (as well as lenses, it looks like) at the same time. I've sent an email off to them to ask before I order anything.</p>

[photo_galleries]

<p>I have a Thinktank Airport Commuter, which meets your needs, as long as the lenses you mount on those two bodies are not super-teles. If you're talking about a 24-70mm/2.8 on one body and 70-200/2.8 on the other, you should be fine. If you want something larger, then the TT Airport Accelerator will definitely meet your needs. </p>