Camera bag advice (Europe) - Crumpler Cupcake onwers, please read on!

[paulo_fonseca1]

<p>Hello folks,<br>

I am looking for a mid-size shoulder camera bag to carry:<br>

1. One body (Canon 7D, no grip) with a zoom mounted on (e.g. Canon 10-22)<br>

PLUS<br>

2. An extra zoom and a small prime (e.g. Tamron 70-300VC + Canon 28mm f1.8)<br>

or<br>

2'. An extra zoom and an external flash (e.g. Canon 18-135 + Canon 580 ExII)<br>

It would be nice if it could have a nice look and, more importantly, if it could be discrete.<br>

I have seen the Crumpler Cupcake 5500 over the internet and I guess it would suit my needs but unfortunately I do not find it on local stores here in Lisbon to check.<br>

So I was wondering if anyone here actually owns this bag and could recommend it. If not, do you have another good suggestion that I could order online here in EU?<br>

Thanks in advance</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>A bag, and how comfortable it is to carry is quite personal, so I'd really recommend to go to a shop and see there.<br>

Personally, for what you indicate I would consider a Lowepro Slingshot, or a similar design; I have a Lowepro Nova 3AW which is much like the crumpler you indicate. It works well, but a shoulderbag does get horribly annoying if you carry it long.<br>

And many prefer bags that look a lot less like a camera-bag, and well, the slingshots look very much like camerabags....</p>

[monika_epsefass]

<p>It's a nice bag, but you will want to try it out with your equipment. You have camera, 3 lenses and a flash to stow away, so it may be tough on your shoulder - you want to know that beforehand.</p>

[paulo_fonseca1]

<p>Thanks for the answers.<br>

I actually own a Lowepro Nova 140AW which is nice if I want to carry just the camera with one zoom (the Tamron 70-300 doesn't fit though), and an even smaller Caselogic that I use when I take just a small prime. I also have a Slingshot 202AW but this has very often proven to be excessively large. Most of the time I want to carry the camera with a zoom plus an extra lens and/or flash, and for that I have no appropriate bag. Moreover, the Slingshot is not as practical as I first thought. If you're gonna carry a lot of stuff, I guess you're better off with a backpack to distribute the weight more evenly. The slingshot design gives you access to the camera w/o having to take it off but, if you have to change lenses, it's a bit awkward since you most likely have to fully open the front compartment and then things risk to fall. I don't know... I guess I will take my chances and order the Cupcake 5500.</p>

[ian_hooper]

<p>Hey Paulo,</p>

<p>Not sure if you have decided to go with the Crumpler or not, but I have to encourage you to do so if you have not yet done it :)</p>

<p>You should not be worried about the comfort of the sling bag with all of your gear inside. The padded shoulder strap will treat you like a good friend. Your 7d with lense, plus your other two zooms, and equipment should fit inside nicely, as I think you have essentially the same setup as in this video of the bag:

<p>The Cupcake is also really really cool, because it does not look like a camera bag. It looks more like a messenger bag, which definitely gives you more safety when walking around with all of your expensive equipment.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, I don't see any stores in Lisbon from Crumpler, and haven't heard of any down there that carry their bags. I'd say go with their online shop. They are good with returns in case something doesn't fit and their guarantee is amazing!!</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>