It's time for a new bag ...

[OreoCookie]

I've got a Loewe Pro bag (the Nova 2 AW) which I love. It's perfect in every respect …*except that it has officially gotten too small. Although I like Loewe as a company, we're not married. Nor does it have to be the same style of bag (the concept of a slingshot bag sounds interesting).

So I'd like a quality bag that has a little room to grow for at least the following items:

• 1 body (a D80, although that shouldn't matter too much). I'm still tempted to pick up a grip, so that should also fit in if possible.
• 80-200 mm ray gun
• 18-70 mm Nikkor
• 12-24 mm Tokina
• 50 mm prime
• 1 flash
• memory cards and spare batteries for the flash
• space for some paper (maps?) and a pen

I've just gotten a new lens (the Tokina) and I'm not 100 % sure what to get next, but I'd like some space for options. Oh, and it should be weather proof.

 

[someoldguy]

Get a Domke . Maybe an F2 or F4AF. I have an F7, F4AF and an F804 satchel .They don't look like much but are durable as hell . I've been using them for probably 20 years and never had any issues . The canvas is reasonably waterproof,mine have been subjected to salt spray and rain and no problems . If you leave it out in a typhoon all bets are off. The hardware is simple and reliable , lots of pockets to put stuff and the inserts beat the movable walls of Lowepro,Tamrac etc. hands down.At least for my uses .
My F4AF usually contains the following: 5D mk2 with 24-105 mounter with lens reversed,100-400L,12-24 Sigma , Tamron 28-300vc or 100mm Canon Macro, G7 point and shoot , Nikon 8x42 Monarch binoculars , 430EX flash ;plus the attendant memory,batteries,hoods,polarizers,chargers, dust blower that always go along . Weight around 16-17 lbs with this load.
2 other thoughts ,
Consider weight ... You've gotta carry it. How much stuff do you usually take?
Maybe you need 2 bags. one for traveling light and one for going with the kitchen sink. Thats what I ended up doing eventually.. Also , if you have a real good large camera shop like B&h or Adorama go in and check out what they have . See also the taschenfreak.de website . It's in German but has pix of more bags and what they'll hold than you can imagine .Take your time..check things out before you commit yourself.

 

[Edge100]

Domke F2.

It's sturdy, has loads of room for everything you mentioned, it looks great, it doesn't scream "camera bag", and it won't break the bank.

 

[OreoCookie]

Thanks a lot for your input.

Get a Domke . Maybe an F2 or F4AF. I have an F7, F4AF and an F804 satchel .

The Domkes look very nice, although are you sure that you can fit all that in a F4AF? According to the description, it's good for in body + lens and 2 more lenses and change …

I'm also a tad worried about the lack of padding for the body (I've watched a few reviews posted on youtube), is that a problem? I travel quite a bit, so the bag must protect my equipment effectively.

You've gotta carry it. How much stuff do you usually take?

In the past, I simply crammed everything into the bag (which I can no longer do ). Weight is not so much an issue for me, although since I would still have the small bag, I'd simply use that if I wanted to take only equipment with me.

Maybe you need 2 bags. one for traveling light and one for going with the kitchen sink. Thats what I ended up doing eventually.

I plan on keeping my `old' bag for just that reason.

It's in German but has pix of more bags and what they'll hold than you can imagine .Take your time..check things out before you commit yourself.

Thanks for the link, the fact that it's German is not really an issue

 

[someoldguy]

Yup... it holds all that stuff . I'll try to take some pix of the bag loaded and unloaded tonight . I've taken my Domkes to Africa a couple of times , Central and South America lots of times , plus travel to Europe and around the US. Despite being bounced around in 4wd vehicles , small boats , small aircraft , the trunk of my car and aircraft overheads I've never had a problem with anything getting damaged.The apparent lack of padding seems to be a non-issue , at least for me. The bags have lots of flex in them and things can shift a bit .
Should have looked as to where you're posting from , that German website is
is a whole lot easier for you to get through than for me.

 

[Nicholie]

Tenba Shootout Backpack, probably a Medium or Large.

 

[someoldguy]

Here's attachments of how I load my F4AF. in the center section , the tripod ring is on the bottom of the big compartment , the 100-400's hood is nested over the hood of the 24-104 on the camera , and the filter pack is vertical against the back wall of the compartment.The 2 smaller compartments in the center section hold the 100-400 and 12-24 with a 50 1.8 metal mount on top.
Right outer pocket contains flash and 28-300,left outer pocket has the binoculars . Front pouch has blower , G7 , and 5d charger . Everything else goes in the top. I don't usually carry the charger for the G7 , just a spare battery . I weighed this after I took the photos and it was just under 18lbs. so my memory failed me with my previous weight , the 17 lbs might have been with a 70-200f4 instead of the 100-400.

 

[OreoCookie]

I still have a hard time believing all this fits into the bag
Thanks for the advice. By the way, what is the rationale behind Domke's numbering system?
I'm not sure whether I shouldn't go for the F-2 (which already seems a bit big) … hmmm, choices

@Nicholie
I'll also have a look at the backpack you have mentioned.

 

[ChrisA]

.
I'm also a tad worried about the lack of padding for the body (I've watched a few reviews posted on youtube), is that a problem? I travel quite a bit, so the bag must protect my equipment effectively.

In the past, I simply crammed everything into the bag (which I can no longer do ). Weight is not so much an issue for me, although since I would still have the small bag, I'd simply use that if I wanted to take only equipment with me. ...

No bag will protect equipment while traveling. For that you need a hard case. I like Pelican and for your amount of gear I'd go for one of the smaller roller cases. The wheels work well and the cases really can take abuse. I've had camera gear loaded onto a stakebed truck and then load of other gear piled on top. We are talking scuba tanks and what not piled on the camera cases and then unloaded as if it were a dump truck. Pelican cases are made for this and I didn't even think to look for damage. I'd had video gear dumped in white water river, swam it out and again didn't even think there might be damage. Being waterproof if the case is badly gunked up I can hose it down before Iopen it to bevent dirt or sand from getting inside. Bags just don't work. Even if you are travelling in your own car you have to be carful with a bag, to always pack it on top and not under the ie chest. With the case I put it on the bottom of the pile.

But maybe you like working out of a bag rather then a case? I buy the pelican cases bare inside with no foam. Then I pack the gear in a bag and put the bag in the case. When I get where I'm headed I can leave the empty case someplace. I've never seen any pro video or photographers transporting gear in bags, likely for a good reason.

I agree about the domke bags. They look small but hold a lot. That is because they don't have all that usless foam pads sewn in. I'll put my domke bag in the case, the combo is bomb proof.

Pelican has a unconditional, transferable lifetime warranty. I've broken a couple sets of wheels by using the case as a moving dolly and taking heavy stuff down stairs and then a half mile over cobble stones. So I tell the people at Pelican I put about 200 pounds on the case then pull it down a flight of stairs then over cobble stones. They gave me a new case and said that the new design case has changeable wheels so "next time" they can just change out the wheels.

Sometimes I'll stand on the case so that I can shoot over the heads of a crowd, try that with a bag.

 

[someoldguy]

I still have a hard time believing all this fits into the bag
Thanks for the advice. By the way, what is the rationale behind Domke's numbering system?
I'm not sure whether I shouldn't go for the F-2 (which already seems a bit big) … hmmm, choices

@Nicholie
I'll also have a look at the backpack you have mentioned.

I don't think there is a rationale behind Domke numbering . If you go for the F2 you'll just have to get more gear . Anyway , look around , there's lots of different bags/packs out there . If you travel a lot it's important you get something you can live with .

 

[OreoCookie]

No bag will protect equipment while traveling. For that you need a hard case. I like Pelican and for your amount of gear I'd go for one of the smaller roller cases.

I'm more of a city traveller -- and I usually have a backpack with me as well, so these hard cases are probably overkill for what I do.

I agree about the domke bags. They look small but hold a lot. That is because they don't have all that usless foam pads sewn in. I'll put my domke bag in the case, the combo is bomb proof.

It's just that the F-4AF looks as if it can just fit my equipment as it is now while the F-2 looks rather spacious … Is there any size in between the two? Otherwise, I might just go for the larger one.

It's a pity that they are hard to have here in Germany, my trusted camera shop does not carry them and I'd like to have a look at them in person.

PS Does anyone have experience ordering via ebay from some webshop in Hong Kong? Sounds kinda fishy …