Guidance on buying Camera Bags

[sankupa1]

<p>Hi Friends,<br>

On the forum for help after a long time.<br>

I want to buy two camera bags- one to store all my equipments and one to take required number of items for a specific photo shoot and move in the city or go on a hike. Please help me with inputs if my strategy of storing and taking only those necessary is correct or not and which bags are ideally suitable for accomplishing these jobs. List of my equipments are as below:<br>

1. Nikon D7100<br>

2. Tokina 12-28 F/4<br>

3. Nikkor 24-120mm F/4 VR<br>

4. Tamron 90mm F/2.8 macro<br>

3. YN 5600 III flash<br>

4. Vari ND and CPL filters 77mm each. ( toying to acquire LEE GND set)<br>

5. Sirui CF tripod with ball head<br>

This set for taking and moving out to rural/city/general/ landscape photography. So I need a bag that accommodates these comfortably. Of course it should have space for chargers, extra batteries and AA batteries and memory cards.<br>

In future I may add a Sigma/ Tamron 120-600 mm. This lens will be taken out only when I am out for birding/nature specifically. Otherwise it will stay at home.( unless I develop a liking for long lens landscape photography!). So how the bag will change from above?<br>

Actual users of these equipments ( or similarly specified ones) please suggest names and models of bags. Lowepro and to some extent ThinkTank and Vanguard are easily available. Other brands are hard to find.<br>

Thanks in advance to everybody for their time and guidance.<br>

Regards,<br>

Santosh K. Patra</p>

[William Michael]

<p>I do not store cameras, lenses flashes in a bag. I use a drawer or a cupboard. Metal is better than wood. A situation with lots of air movement and located on an internal wall of the dwelling away from the bathrooms kitchens and laundries.<br>

<br>

I think you are wasting money to buy a camera bag for storage purposes – and potentially compromising your gear, too.<br>

<br>

If you want a bag to primarily ‘carry the gear’ – what I mean is you will stop and set up at a location, then a back pack is a suitable choice as a backpack can provide a weight balanced solution for hiking.<br>

<br>

I use Lowepro and can recommend them for comfort, strength and they come in a range of capacities. I would recommend one that has a rain hood. I often carry my tripod / monopod in my hand – because even on my big Lowepro back pack, a large tripod can become an unbalanced load. <br>

<br>

WW<br /></p>

[SCL]

<p>I never store equipment in bags...totally a bad idea as it can trap mold and mildew spores and humidity. As for carrying my equipment....I've tried lots of bags, from mid ranged to high end....none really did the job for me, so these days I design and make my own bags...I've got about 5 for various pieces of gear and terrains/uses. If you are interested in high end, Billinghams are really nice, Lowepro do a generally nice job in the low-mid priced end.</p>

[d_ponce]

<p>Santosh, I'm totally with you on this one. I carry (almost) everything that I own in two bags -- and have not experienced what the other two posts indicated - damage (the lenses are also in their own soft pouch) or mold -- perhaps they live in a moist environment?). My reason for this is convenience. When I am going out into the field or on an assignment, it is as easy as grabbing the two bags and my tripod and putting them in the car. [For most assignments I carry: 2 FX DSLRs; 70-210mm 2.8; 105mm 2.8; 50mm; 20mm; 2 flashes; numerous filters; extra batteries and memory cards; along with a few other accessories that I like to have handy] Once on site I make my decision: what will I possibly need for this situation; how far away from the car will I be; is there any hiking involved; will I need to change lens frequently? If the car is very close-by I put the camera around my neck and put what I will most likely need in a fanny pack. If I am any more than a minute from my car, I put all that I think I will need in a Lowepro Flipside 300 (I love that camera bag -- and that is coming from someone who never really liked camera bags in the past -- it is so comfortable, ever after hiking for hours with all my gear). I do not use anything that has a tripod holder -- I use an OpTech tripod strap for over-the-shoulder handling - much easier than wrestling with a tripod holder. To me, convenience is key -- since I started doing it this way (storing everything I own in two bags, and simply tossing them in the car when needed) I have never had the "I wish I had brought 'that' with me" or "now I have to go all the way back to my car to get "that" -- and it has been, on more than one occasion, the difference between bringing home a great image vs a good one! Good luck and have fun! </p>

[devon_mccarroll]

I've always stored my gear in camera bags, and have never had any issue. If you live in a moist environment, mold and fungus can be an

issue whether you have your gear in a bag or a cabinet. That's what dessicant is for. As for gear bags, I have a Lowepro backpack that

has sections you can move around to accommodate different sized gear, and that works well. Haven't traveled with a tripod since I mostly

shoot in house.

[craig_shearman1]

<p>You don't have enough gear to fill up one bag, let alone any need for a second bag. I don't see that you have enough gear that there's anything to leave behind. Try a Domke F2. It's my favorite bag to work out of over my shoulder and has plenty of room to hold everything you have except, of course, the tripod. <br /><br />I've always kept my day to day working gear in bags, ready to go when I run out the door. Bags trapping moisture? They're not air tight, there's plenty of room for airflow, so I don't see how that can happen. As D suggests, maybe in a moist environment but then the same thing would happen in a cabinet.</p>

[geoffm]

<p>Most of my gear I keep in a Lowepro Mini-trekker, and that's the bag I take when I go out specifically for photographic reasons.</p>

<p>I also have a Lowepro Photo Hatchback 22l which I use for hiking, travel, and days out that are not purely photographic. It has a large compartment for stuff other than camera gear. Often, though, the camera hangs on a sling strap (I like Optech).</p>

<p>I like backpacks. Others prefer different bag styles. It's a personal thing.</p>

[al_derickson]

<p>For that amount of equipment I like a small sling bag like the Lowepro Slingshot 102. I find it great for moving through crowds in cities and it keeps your gear accessible. I don't like sling bags for heavier loads because the weight is on one shoulder. Shoulder bags are awkward in crowds and backpacks generally require dismounting to get at your stuff.<br>

Al</p>

 

[mukul_dube]

<p>One way to identify a bag <em>to carry</em> is to look at the internal dimensions of the various options. Manufacturers' web sites have these, as do some retailers. You will of course need to measure your camera body and lenses and whatever else you intend to carry.</p>

[sankupa1]

<p>Hi Friends,<br>

Thanks for a great response to my request.<br>

I stay in a place where humidity in atmosphere is NOT a big issue. Mildew, fungus etc, I just need to remain careful about. Rather dust, even inside home, I am finding is a major problem.<br>

Thanks for suggesting few style/names of the bag. In the mean time I was doing research on manufacturers' website. I liked following bags: Lowepro Slingshot 202 AW, Thinktank Speed Freak V2 and Thinktank SlingOMatic 20. I prefer that style where the bag remains close to my waist/hip. Backpacks are ok with me.<br>

If any of you are using any of these bags please let me know if the models suggested will be big enough to accommodate my essential gears? How is Lowepro flipside 450 AW? Will it be too large or ok in size.<br>

Thanking you all for your time and effort.<br>

Regards,<br>

Santosh K. Patra</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>I have my tripod on a padded sling and can hang it over the other shoulder and it helps counter balance the bag. </p>

[jose_angel]

<p>After many bag types and brands (many!), I`m starting to have some clear ideas.</p>

<p>For general storage, nothing like a big drawer, kitchen type cabinet, metal cabinet or so. If any, I`d take a big metal photo suitcase, but I`d prefer a locked metallic cabinet (and will be probably cheaper).</p>

<p>After this, I`d get two bags; one for fast "everyday" use (medium sized side bag), and other to carry big items or for long trips (backpack). You`ll probably have a daypack, non-photography one, better to carry a single camera or a bit else, without looking a pro tourist.</p>

<p>I dislike all this odd designs with side openings, sliding parts, etc. I dislike the Slingshot and the SlingOMatic. Just my opinion, for sure others will love them. I have used several of this modern designs, and got tired of them pretty soon.</p>

<p>For "everyday" and fast use, the Speed Convertibles are great. I use the very first version of the biggest model and love it, but my lenses are bigger than yours. Maybe the medium sized version you mention suit you better. The key is to carry your camera ready to shoot (camera+lens+hood). The storage capacity of the Speeds are quite limited, but they are great for the task.</p>

<p>Notice that the Speeds are designed to carry the camera+lens in vertical position; with pro lenses there are no issues with it, but I`m reluctant to carry the weight of a heavy camera over a telescopic barrel type lens (simple mania). I wonder if your "heavy headed" 24-120/4 will touch the bottom of the bag, or if it will be a bit zoomed by the weight of the front group.</p>

<p>To carry several lenses/cameras, tripod and so, nothing like a big Lowepro; mine is also an old version, but could be comparable to the current Pro Trekker 450. This a very big pack but reasonable sized and very comfortable to wear. The 650 is a wonderful, even bigger backpack, but IMO way overkill for your current gear and not that comfy to wear. I`d not consider using neither of this for gear storage at home.</p>

[sankupa1]

<p>@Jose Angel, thanks for sharing a great piece from your experience. Hope Thinktank speed convertible medium size bag fulfills my daily requirements. When I am out with heavy Sigma 150-600, I think I will use Lowepro flipside AW 450. As suggested by you I am planning to have a cupboard, preferably made of steel, for storing my gears at home.<br>

Thanks again to every body for sharing their ideas and experience.<br>

Regards,<br>

Santosh K. Patra</p>