Another "What bag?" thread

[NLD]

Gear it needs to hold:

D700

80-200 2.8
50 1.4
28 2.8

Speedlight SB-600

And the usual extra batteries, microfiber cloth, plus a few personal items (credit cards, two cell phones, lip gloss, face powder mirror compact, maybe a small hairbrush).

Purpose: Disney (one week with MIL and dd age 8).

If it has a way to attach a tripod, that would be a bonus.

Prefer over-the-shoulder bags that I can wear cross-body, but since it'll be January & cool, I'm open to a backpack if you all tell me it's nuts to wear all that gear in a shoulder bag. We are unlikely to take many breaks mid-day so I'll be wearing this bag many hours while walking all over the place.

Sorry, I know there are a million threads. Browsed them and still can't figure it out. My Disney set-up changes from trip to trip!

TIA... if anyone has personal experience with this particular kind of set-up, would love to hear what works for you.

 

[theduck619]

I use a cross body sling that holds my camera w/ lens attached, a spare lens, cell phone, cleaning brush and has straps to hold a tripod. It is very comfortable well padded.

 

[NLD]

Thanks, theduck. What sling is it?

I'll still need a bag, what with the 80-200... it's a beast. Plus I don't want the flash on the camera all the time. But if there are days I go with only one extra lens, might be worth looking at what you've got.

 

[princesszelda]

I have a backpack. I really like it better then the slings and over shoulder bags. I find them uncomfortable. This is what I have.Lowepro Fastpack 200 I also like that is has seperate compartments for my things and for my equipment. Also I went to a camera store and looked at the bags first. Then I bought mine on Amazon as it was cheaper.

 

[wbeem]

I use a Thinktank Sling-O-Matic, which sounds like what you want. For my needs, I went with the 30, but there are smaller sizes that may be what you want.

It's very comfortable, and you can change the sling very quickly to work on either shoulder. It has a tripod holder on the side, and there is a lot of room inside the bag. Very rugged.

Comes in any color you like, as long as it's black.

 

[ukstitch]

I've recently bought a kata 2n1 bag.

You can wear it either as a sling (over either shoulder), or can put both straps on and wear it like a backpack. If you wear it as a backpack with "crossed" straps then you can quickly undo one strap and it becomes a sling to get at your camera nice and quickly

It's available in 3 different sizes, so you'd definitely get one to hold your kit - I have the middle sized one and can fit a little more than you've listed into it.

 

[NLD]

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'm off to Google!

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I had similar requirements and settled on the Think Thank Change Up. I used it to hold lenses and a flash. I didn't use it to hold the camera. I wore my camera on a BlackRapid strap and never put it away. The bag was just for lenses and accessories.

The bag is primarily a belt pouch. It also includes shoulder straps to take a little weight off your hips and to keep it from sliding down. Normally, I wore it on the small of my back. When I needed to access it, I just slid it around to the front. Overall, it worked really well.

 

[wbeem]

Another idea came to mind. It's the Snoop from Timbuk2.com. It's a messenger bag with an insert for your camera gear. There are straps on the bottom to hold your tripod.

I'm a big fan of Timbuk2 messenger bags. In this case, I didn't buy the full Snoop, but just bought the insert to use in one of my Medium sized messenger bags.

The quality is great and it won't look like an average camera bag. On the other hand, I can fit much more in the ThinkTank Sling-O-Matic I mentioned previously. This also comes in various sizes, but I think you'll need the Medium to fit all the gear you mentioned.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

The key to carrying camera gear at the park, regardless of which bag you choose, is to have your spouse carry it. You have better access to the gear (ever try to swap to a lens in a backpack on your back? ) and they have to carry all the weight. Tell them that it is good exercise and that you are just concerned about their health.

 

[PrincessInOz]

The key to carrying camera gear at the park, regardless of which bag you choose, is to have your spouse carry it. You have better access to the gear (ever try to swap to a lens in a backpack on your back? ) and they have to carry all the weight. Tell them that it is good exercise and that you are just concerned about their health.

Yeah! I totally agree.

I have no problem getting my DH to carry my (camera) body for me.... .... but then I have to fight him to get it BACK!

 

[alloyd1170]

Another vote for ThinkTank's Change Up. I can't stand one shoulder strap bags. They dig into my shoulder and neck. I prefer a waistpack, or backpack (if not hot outside). The Change Up is perfect for me. I wear it as a waistpack, and use one strap cross body for added support. It doesn't bother me at all. I can swing the pack to my front, back, or side. It's narrow enough that it doesn't stick way out. You can also use 2 shoulder straps like a harness (criss cross behind your back). The only downfall to the Change Up is that it is a tad small, especially if you're carrying many lenses. I have a 100-400 lens and with it, I can only carry one other med size lens (or a flash, or two small lenses stacked) in the bag (I have my camera out on a BR strap).

 

[NLD]

While I love the spouse idea, it's not an option! Trip is me, my dd and my MIL. Dh isn't a Disney-lover and isn't coming. And pushing the gear onto MIL isn't an option.

Anyway you all gave some nice ideas, thanks. Decisions, decisions... think it might end up being a backpack this time...

 

[wbeem]

If you go with a backpack, give some thought as to how easy (or troublesome) it is to access it. Some backpacks requires that you take the whole thing off, set it down, and access it from the area where it touches your back.

That's good if you want to prevent someone from going through your gear while standing behind you, but it's a pain if you have to access it constantly.

That's one of the reasons I like slings and messengers. You can still move around with the weight on your back, but it's easy to sling it forward to access without needing to untangle yourself from the straps.

 

[connorsgram]

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I'm a newbie with a dslr. It's a Canon Rebel T3, with an 18-55 and a 75-300 lens. I usually carry a point and shoot, so I'm going crazy trying to figure out the best camera bag that isn't too heavy. Will I need both lenses? I hope to get some good pictures of
Christmas lights, but want pictures with my family in them too. I don't want a backpack. I'm wondering about a holster. Any suggestions on bags will be greatly appreciated.

 

[photo_chick]

I like the Tamrac Adventure Messenger 4. I often carry a tele zoom, 8mm fish, a short prime, and my 28-105 walkaround on my 50D. It will all fit in the bag, but usually my camera is on me and I'll stick a couple more lenses in the bag in it's place for variety. I usually wear it messenger style, across my body. The husband wears it over his shoulder when I foist it upon him.

 

[k5jm]

I have a Tamrac Velocity 8x. And I just ordered a Velocity 9 from Adorama. it is on sale for $29.99 (normally $59.99). I think I like this design better than the 8x.

http://www.adorama.com/TR5749BL.htm...&utm_campaign=Email110911Season&utm_source=ET

 

[fitzperry]

Shoulder/messenger bags hurt my back when I need to carry a camera body, flash, and a couple of lenses, so I much prefer backpacks. Really like the Kata bags--I have both the DR-461 and the 467. The 461 is nice when you want to travel light but it might not be big enough for the 80-200. I can fit my D7000 in it with the 24-120 f/4, 50 f/1.4, Tokina 12-24, and SB600. I think I've even managed to cram another lens in there too, but I think the 80-200 is longer than any of those.

 

[novakonline]

I always took a bag not only for camera, but also for kids stuff...

 

[NLD]

Connorsgram, are you still looking for a holster?

I'm considering getting one too, even though I'm not sure it will hold everything at once that I want it to for Disney. But maybe it would if I keep the camera out of the case and just wear it at all times.

Anyway this is the one I'm looking at. Anyone used this?

http://www.amazon.com/Kata-KT-UL-S-18-Ultra-Light-Select-18/dp/B00433SRU0/ref=pd_cp_p_1