paul_farace

<p>I use Canon 30D with battery grip, flash, and large zoom (the equivalent to your Nikon rig) and have the same problem. How to load this "kit" into a protective bag without extensively disassembling it. All my Domke, Lowepro, Tamrac, and off-brand bags, and I have a lot of them -- don't do the job. But being a thriftstore junkie of the first magnitude, I keep my eyes open for bags of all sorts that can do the job... and I've found one that comes close to being just right (an 8 out of 10)... Since I don't think you can post photos on this site, I'll discribe it this way:<br>

It is an olive-drab nylon grip tote by Duluth Trading with both grab handles and a seperate shoulder strap in black with shoulder grip pad. The bag has no top closure and one compartment inside. I put a 1-in. thick foam pad on the floor. It's side walls are padded like a camera bag, but it apparently isn't. It looks like the tote you would use to carry picnic supplies or beach wear. It also has mesh side and end compartments -- totally unpadded. It is not perfect, but I can place the full rig into it and carry it away safely. It's color sure looks like a pro camera bag. Now only if Duluth Trading made an interior compartment or padded the mesh outside compartments and sold it for $40... it'd be a winner. I paid $4 for it. I wonder if you Googled Duluth Trading... ???</p>

<p>My first girlfriend (later wife, then exwife... oh well that's beside the point) purchased a Domke for me in 1979 -- from Jim himself I believe. It was equivalent to the F2... I think at the time they only had one model! But in any case, the grip strip on the shoulder strap was a beige suede material, not the rubber.<br>

The suede still grips, although it has broken most of its stitches. It's also discolored a bit (but so have I).<br>

The bag is sitting next to me holding my film Nikons. It's back cover kind of wore through in a few areas, and the outter pockets scuffed down to a tan-color. Originally it was dark brown. It is still the best bag I've ever had.<br>

I now carry my digital Canons in a Domke F3 (the slightly larger bag?)... in black nylon. No bag is PERFECT all the time, but Domke comes close. The F3 has the rubber grip strips which do not hold as well as they should, IMHO. The bag is about 6 years old. I guess the black stuff will show up on my shoulder sooner or later. As long as it doesn't look like dandruf!</p>

top this: put a Leica 400mm lens on an ironing board and then turned around and banged said ironig board with my oversized butt, resulting in Leica lens rolling off and hitting floor... Ugggh! Dented front ring, spent remainder of week slapping myself. Got over it, eventually.

Get a Canon repair estimate... they are good and fast, and thorough! Maybe you have a professional camera repair facility (not just the local camera shop)... but IMHO, stick with Canon. Good luck and don't let it bother you anymore.