New shoulder bag

So what's your favorite shoulder bag? I need a new one. One body, 2 lenses (17-55, 70-200), a flash, notebook etc. for on the run photography.
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Fiat Lux

DOMKE F-5XA - it's very small and works superbly on the street...Holds a DSLR (e.g. Nikon d300) body and a lens or a large flash
Travel Light!

Bill

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http://www.billcurry.ca

arizonadesertrat said:

So what's your favorite shoulder bag? I need a new one. One body, 2 lenses (17-55, 70-200), a flash, notebook etc. for on the run photography.

Click to expand...

I bought a Think Tank urban disguise 35 v2.0 for exactly the same combo. I use it as a sling bag. The fit and finish is outstanding, and it's amazing how much I can fit in.

http://www.foto-biz.com/Canon/Think-tank-urban-disguise-35-v20

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Thanks
http://foto-biz.com
The Business of Being a Photographer -- Lightroom Q&A

I'm a big fan of Crumpler's shoulder bags. They're made incredibly well (I've had mine for 5 or so years now) and none of the stitching or anything has come loose. Comfortable as well.

I have got the "Vanguard Up-rise 38" and I like it very much. Give it a try, or go for the smaller model, the "Vanguard Up-rise 33", just “google” it and see for yourself.

This bag is similar to the "Lowepro classified" messenger bag series, is similar to the 250AW but less bulky.

The bag has got three/four main dividers and it holds one (or two) DSLR with attached 70-200 2.8, more 3 or 4 lens (less if you put 2 DSLR's) and a laptop (mine is 16' and it fits tight).
Overall quality is very good, and the price is very affordable.
Greetings,

cosmerodrigues said:

I have got the "Vanguard Up-rise 38" and I like it very much. Give it a try, or go for the smaller model, the "Vanguard Up-rise 33", just “google” it and see for yourself.

This bag is similar to the "Lowepro classified" messenger bag series, is similar to the 250AW but less bulky.

The bag has got three/four main dividers and it holds one (or two) DSLR with attached 70-200 2.8, more 3 or 4 lens (less if you put 2 DSLR's) and a laptop (mine is 16' and it fits tight).
Overall quality is very good, and the price is very affordable.
Greetings,

Click to expand...

+1 very good bag bag and very discrete (uprise 38) it is also expandable. also try the kata dc-445. i have both and cant fault either.

http://www.vanguardworld.com/index.php/en/pv/products/photo-video/detail-1-1-4-434.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/520482-REG/Kata_KT_DC_445_DC_445_Digital_Case.html

Will it hold a D300 with SB-D10, a 17-55 and a 70-200?

BC in NS said:

DOMKE F-5XA - it's very small and works superbly on the street...Holds a DSLR (e.g. Nikon d300) body and a lens or a large flash
Travel Light!

Bill

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http://www.billcurry.ca

Click to expand...

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Fiat Lux

I think that it is going to be too small for you; here is part of a user review at B&H:

"The bag is very compact. It just barely fits my Nikon D90 w/ 18-55 attached and a 50mm 1.8 tossed in for low light shooting. Once the 35mm 1.8 comes out, I'll probably toss that in instead of the 50."

I think that the compact version of the classic Domke bag is probably the smallest version that will hold your gear:

http://www.tiffen.com/displayproduct.html?tablename=domke&itemnum=700-30D

I sold mine years ago so I cannot try my D200 and 80-200 in it. But the D200 with zoom attached just fits in my nearly identical Tamrac bag just fits . The other zoom? Hmmm... might be too big. If you carry the gear with the smaller zoom attached and the larger zoom upright it will probably fit, with the lens pushing up the top of the bag a bit. Both the Domke and Tamrac are unpadded/lightly padded, so it's possible to stuff-in gear that won't fit in standard padded bag.

P.S. Having taken a closer look at the interior layout of the compact Domke, it probably is more flexible than the Tamrac when it comes to the interior dividers, so it just may work. Take a look at the interior layout at the link...

Thanks, I will.
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Fiat Lux

arizonadesertrat said:

BC in NS said:

DOMKE F-5XA - it's very small and works superbly on the street...Holds a DSLR (e.g. Nikon d300) body and a lens or a large flash
Travel Light!

Bill

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Hi there-

I had my d300 and an 18-200 lens on and an sb900 in the bag along with some other peripherals - flash cards, spare batteries etc. I doubt that the F5 would hold that AND another lens (maybe a 50 1.4 or something) not the 70-200 2.8 for sure. For that, as the other poster said, you could go up a size and might get everything in. I like the Domke as it is well built, but doesn't look too much like a photo bag, so it doesn't scream "valuable" - works very well for light "run and go" photography.
Hope that helps,
Bill

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http://www.billcurry.ca

BC in NS said:

arizonadesertrat said:

BC in NS said:

DOMKE F-5XA - it's very small and works superbly on the street...Holds a DSLR (e.g. Nikon d300) body and a lens or a large flash
Travel Light!

Bill

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Hi there-

I had my d300 and an 18-200 lens on and an sb900 in the bag along with some other peripherals - flash cards, spare batteries etc. I doubt that the F5 would hold that AND another lens (maybe a 50 1.4 or something) not the 70-200 2.8 for sure. For that, as the other poster said, you could go up a size and might get everything in. I like the Domke as it is well built, but doesn't look too much like a photo bag, so it doesn't scream "valuable" - works very well for light "run and go" photography.
Hope that helps,
Bill

Click to expand...

Just tested for you - the d300 with the 18-200 on and lens hood reversed AND the 70-200 2.8 will fit, but there is NOT enough room for my flash (the sb 900) in there as well. There is enough space for the cards and batteries, but not much else. I'm amazed, as I didn't think the 70-200 would fit, but it does (although it must be near the centre of the bag.)
Bill

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http://www.billcurry.ca

I'm a big fan of my Mekko/Safrotto bag, a virtual clone of the Domke F1 at about half the price. I agree with this reviewer's praise of it:

http://www.ryanvelting.com/2007/08/17/camera-bag-review-safrotto-journalist-bag/

http://www.ryanvelting.com/2008/10/01/camera-bag-review-safrotto-journalist-bag-9-months-of-abuse-the-bag-is-great/

I got mine on eBay. It stands up well to rough use.

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Curtis Clegg

The Safrotto certainly looks interesting, but I would not call the Domke F1 a "compact" camera bag. It's Domke's original and now classic standard size bag; it was my first decent camera bag and it's a good one.

One thing that I forgot about Domke bags is that the standard dividers are unpadded canvas; there are also padded nylon versions available. The downside to the added protection is less flexibility when adding gear. (I've used Domke padded inserts to create my own camera bags.)

Domke was the first "less is more" camera bag. It was originally marketed to photojournalists who appreciated ease-of-access and relatively comfortable all-day carrying over padded protection for their gear. The padding and relative stiffness of typical camera bags add weight and don't conform well to the user's body.

The original Domke is a design based on the Army surplus canvas gas mask bags that were favored by many PJs in the 1970s and 1980s. The padded inserts were added to the product line some time after the Domke was introduced. The low-key "I'm not really carrying camera gear" look was also considered to be a feature by PJs. These days the exterior branding is much more prominent than on the original bags; I've become proficient at using a seam-ripper to remove labels from my gear and clothing.

A number of years ago I picked up a Tamrac bag that resembles the compact Domke. Its exterior is unpadded ballistic nylon and it has lightly-padded interior dividers, as well as a handy expandable rear horizontal pocket for a notebook, etc. I switched because it has better dust/weather sealing and yet it is as comfortable to carry as a Domke. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to be available any more... I searched for my purchase info yesterday but I didn't find it; if I remember correctly it was part of Tamrac's "Correspondent" series but I didn't bump into it on Tamrac's Web site.

Whatever bag you get, I suggest trying the Optech camera bag strap; it is more comfortable than most stock straps, and the neoprene combined with suspension straps makes for a very secure and comfortable strap.

I would never buy a Domke/Billingham/ThinkTank etc.

They are undoubtedly good kit but they scream Camera Kit. I favour a working mans' tool bag. Loads of pockets in side and out, hardbase, I have 18" & 24" in length, a wide mouth will accommodate all bar the kit you need specials for anyway.
For international travel you can not better than RedOxx.
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All comments are purely personal and generally based on my experience.
What I state is an opinion; I may well be wrong.

Are you equating the RedOxx offerings with your "workingman's tool bag?"

I'm asking because the RedOxx bags scream "I've got some bucks to spend on a fancy bag that probably has some expensive goodies inside..."