Is there a perfect camera bag?

[kamush1664878711]

<p>Hi.. <br>

I previously used Delsey ocd 51 model and was happy with the versatility despite the relative poor stitch quality. Shoulder strap attachments were painful with full bag and stitches torn away very quickly. The laptop compartment was at the front pocket and barely fitted 13 inch macbook when the bag was full which as a consequence blew out the front zipper 3 times in 2 years. Hence the heaviness with laptop at the front compartment led to weight imbalance and shoulder discomfort. <br>

But otherwise some specs like tripod belt (like in most of all other bags which I never used because of the weight imbalance too), versatile compartment design with rubber support straps, soft texture, durable material, rain cover, concealable belt straps, nice and solid design and most of all the side guards (when the bag opens they potentially prevent the stuff to fall out of the bag) were the positive sides. </p>

<p>After 5 years of intense usage I decided to replace it with something more professional and comfortable. I bought lowepro pro runner 350 aw. I will give my verdict as soon as I start to us it in my Europe trip for 14 days. But unfortunately my first impressions are below my expectations. <br>

Computer compartment at the back and soft padded shoulder straps are the advantages for me but the volume and interior versatility is not as good as I had in Delsey ocd 51. None of the other camera bags but delsey has a side guarsd fabric to protect the stuff from falling out of the camera which also makes it possible to use the bag in upright position which I found very useful. No such versatility in lowepro bags. I tried to hide the waist belts back into the pockets but it's so difficult to stuff it back in and also it caused a bulge at the lumbar part. <br>

I have plenty accessories such as flash, wired remote control, about 20 filters including the cokin system and an electric sensor cleaning tool. Also I purchased a new 7D as an upgrade to 30D. The lenses I use 70-200 f4 L IS, Canon 10-22, Sigma 18-50 f 2.8 EX DC Macro, Canon 50mm f1.8 II.<br>

My bag is full even without fitting the 30D and half of my filters. <br>

Yes probably I need a bigger bag but 350 AW is not as much an upgrade as I thought. I would go with Delsey OCD 53 but despite the computer compartment located at the back the shoulder straps and low quality stitches and zippers are an invitation to a disaster. <br>

Some Fancier bag models have quick access pocket which may also be of use but still most have computer compartment at the front.<br>

Kata's probably are the best but very expensive.<br>

Lowepro Vertex models are expensive and the computer compartment is at the front too.<br>

Tamrac expedition models are also expensive.<br>

Is there even a bag with:<br>

1- Adjustable and comfortable shoulder straps<br>

2- Side guards, upright usage compatible<br>

3- Quick access pocket<br>

4- Computer compartment located at the back<br>

5- Extra soft pockets for ring and 4x6 glass filters<br>

6- Enough space to carry two bodies with all of the accessories listed above<br>

7- Not necessarily cheap but an acceptable price even high...</p>

<p>Does such a bag exist?</p>

[User_1891539]

<p>Think Tank bags are very good. I use the Urban Disguise 50, which would meet most if not all of your requirements.</p>

[luis_g]

<p>Not for me, there is no perfect bag, though there are many excellent, well-made and designed bags. I have a closetful of them. I definitely have preferences, and notice my favorite bags get smaller as I get older. Bags are a very personal thing, something like buying underwear. It has to fit you, your kit, method of working and even type of location.</p>

[famico]

<p>What Luis G said applies to me as well, including the stockpile in my closet. ;-)</p>

[JDMvW]

<p>Sure they exist. I have dozens of them, all different.<br>

Like the underwear Luis and Hosteen mention, it sometimes Dependz. </p>

<p>I could never tolerate a "back-pack" style -- for me a so-called "reporter" bag is a necessity. YMMD</p>

[Former P.N Member]

<p>What JDM said. I have backpack, shoulder, and reporter style bags, big and small. They are all good and all bad - depending on what you want them to do at any specific point in time. There is no such thing as a universal 'perfect' bag. </p>

<p>One option would be to have one custom designed and manufactured to your specifications - good luck with getting that done at an affordable level, or even finding a company/individual willing to do it.</p>

[kamush1664878711]

<p>:))</p>

[johnw63]

<p>Bags are like any tool. There is never a BEST hammer or screw driver or ... camera bag. It all depends on the job at hand.</p>

<p>To use the common phrase about , " The best camera is the one you have with you. " , the best camera bag is the one you take WITH you. Some bags end up just holding your stuff in the closet and don't go outside. </p>

<p> </p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>Is there a perfect bag? I don't know yet, and I'm running out of space in my closets.</p>

<p>My latest bag is a Thinktank Photo, mid-sized "airport" backpack. It's rectangular, relatively stiff sided, and has handles on three sides. It's a perfect fit for my Hasselblad kit, and only weighs 35 pounds loaded. It's almost identical in capacity with a Lowepro Computrekker 1, which is nearly worn out after 12 years.</p>

[john_h.1]

<p>I use belt based holsters and skip over so many of these worries in favor of a few. Can you imagine contractors, police or Batman shlepping around a bag? Sure, all sorts of photographers get by with them and are accustomed but still...</p>

<p>Stability, security, speed, weight, comfort, customizing. Its all there. And if some need happens to arise to carry the gear, The belt becomes the strap.</p>

[kamush1664878711]

<p>Thank you...<br>

Dear John you made a very good point!...</p>

[maury_cohen]

<p>Personally I think that there are bags (pouches, packs, cases) that can be "perfect" for particular uses, users, and situations, however there's no single perfect solution for everyone. How could there be when we're in a creative trade or hobby and we've got a myriad of different needs and gear?<br>

As one employed in the industry I have both a unique perspective on photographers and their needs and a unique opportunity to try out different solutions first-hand. <br>

One point I discovered early on was that trying to address too many needs in a single solution often results in a compromise that does nothing very well.<br>

IMO, the best solution is to have several bags or packs, each with a certain range of usefulness. Even then needs will change depending on what gear you buy or sell.</p>

[Ian Taylor]

<p>Think Tank Urban Disguise.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

Think tank Photo ShapeShifter for a Backpack or their Urban Disguise 50 or 70 (depending on size of laptop computer, the UD70 is good for a 17" screen size laptop).

[User_4136860]

<p>No one bag is perfect for all uses , that's why I have seven.</p>

[pvp]

<p>The perfect camera bag is one of those super-cheap diaper bags, the kind made of cardboard, covered with vinyl and sporting images of kittie cats. </p>

<p>Such a bag can be filled with thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment, left on the back seat of your car in a shopping mall parking lot during the Christmas season, and will likely still be there when you return.</p>

[Brad_]

NM

[david_henderson]

<p>For me it has to be a shoulder bag with room for a FF body and 3 zooms plus a spare slot for my tripod head when I'm flying. It has to open in a way that enables me to access a camera , change lenses and filters with the bag on my shoulder, albeit that sometimes I'll choose to put the bag down. Whatever strap it has on it gets changed for an Op/Tech before I use it. </p>

<p>I don't carry a computer when I'm photographing- its either locked in my car or locked away in my hotel room along with my back-up gear, so a space for that is irrelevent. I can't think of any circumstances in which I'd be happy with a backpack. I own just one bag, always packed the same way so I know where everything is by feel. With the exception of a second body, all the gear I have goes in that bag, and doesn't get unpacked except when I clean it out ( not often). Right now the bag is a Tamrac Pro8. It may well have been a Think Tank but when the time came the model I wanted was not in stock anywhere handy- even at their so called UK distributors ( now defunct) so we might both have lost out there, but I really don't think much about it.</p>

[glen_sansone1]

Perfect bag? Then we'd all have one bag, and who the hell wants just one bag? I am a huge fan of Think Tank. I have 3

of them plus a modular set for going "bag less"! TT stuff is, to me, the most smartly designed stuff on the market.

[lintrathen]

<p>The perfect bag is the one you select from your cupboard of plenty, for the days shoot. Any photographer, worth his weight or of years of service to the trade will have a huge selection of bags..... each of them "Perfect" at the time of puchase.<br>

So, I, on any given outing, have my perfect bag.................. but I have lots to choose from (smiles).<br>

Regards</p>