Spain - travel bag? Gorillapod/mini-tripod?

Hey all - going to Spain (Barcelona/Madrid) for 11 days and looking for a new travel bag. I'd prefer something that doesn't scream "camera bag, steal me!", and would also help facilitate lens changes (somehow the wife doesn't like being a lens holder..)

My gear for the trip:

Canon 450D (looking for a used 60D, but may not happen before the trip)
EF-S 15-85
EF 50 1.8
EF-S 10-22

EF-S 55-250 (still debating on whether or not I need the reach in Spain, thoughts??)

I was also considering getting a Gorillapod or small SLR. I'm 90% shooting hand-held, but on my last trip abroad, I did a few nighttime long exposures where I had to try and seek out flat surfaces...

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

As for a really nice bag which doesn't look like a camera bag you should look into the Ari Marcopoulos from Incase. If you want it to be less sporty, look into the offerings from Billingham. I have good experience with a Billingham Hadley Pro that I've sold on when getting the Ari.

adams828 said:

Hey all - going to Spain (Barcelona/Madrid) for 11 days and looking for a new travel bag. I'd prefer something that doesn't scream "camera bag, steal me!", and would also help facilitate lens changes (somehow the wife doesn't like being a lens holder..)

My gear for the trip:

Canon 450D (looking for a used 60D, but may not happen before the trip)
EF-S 15-85
EF 50 1.8
EF-S 10-22

EF-S 55-250 (still debating on whether or not I need the reach in Spain, thoughts??)

I was also considering getting a Gorillapod or small SLR. I'm 90% shooting hand-held, but on my last trip abroad, I did a few nighttime long exposures where I had to try and seek out flat surfaces...

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Click to expand...

First: you already have a small-body SLR. Did you mean a u4/3 camera? Perhaps a better option would be to bring along a fast-lensed enthusiast compact, like a P7100, G12, XZ-1, or the like. Very useful for interior shots and discreet situations that your DSLR won't be appreciated in. And your wife can shoot it most of the time now that she's not schlepping your lenses.

2nd: You'll be using your 15-85 90% of the time and your 10-22 the other 10%. These lenses are a perfect combination for the narrow streets and situations. Your 50mm is too long of a prime, though fast, and your 55-250 will sit there lonely. The fast lensed compact will sub for the prime, and the 55-250 will be good mostly for spy shots. If you want to bring them, do, but tuck them away in a safe corner of your luggage and only bring them out if you think they'll be used that day.

Therefore, look for a bag that can handle your camera with a lens attached, plus one additional lens. Your camera is fortunately small bodied, which means the bag you carry can be pleasantly small. Here are some suggestions:

ThinkTank HubbaHubbaHiney. sleek, cheap, zipper closure, doesn't look like a cam bag.
ThinkTank Retrospective 5. small classic canvas messenger bag. Elegant.
Crumpler 3 Million Dollar Home. Another, hipper messenger bag.

LowePro Passport Sling. Looks like one of those "healthy back" sling bags, can carry other personal items as well as cam stuff. Good to work out of.

Another possibility is to use something like an Osprey Veer or Warp (available at REI) with a photo insert (available through B&H or any good pro photo store). These bags are designed as travel day shoulder bags, so have nice wide zippered openings with extra compartments that make it nicer to carry your daily personal needs as well as your camera without looking dorky. They also have a small stowable waist belt which you can use to keep them from bouncing or being spirited away, and which can take the load off your shoulder in a pinch. Always a good thing. If possible, go with a zipper closure bag. More secure, quieter in operation.

The Incase Ali is a sleek, superb sling bag, but for your needs, it's really quite large. Ali's carrying a full size body and pro zoom lens in it, plus a flash. Go svelte.

First thing: Spain is a civilized country - use common sense and you won't need to buy another bag (assuming you already own one). I would in any case avoid any sling bags that hang over one shoulder, they can be very tiring - I can carry 2 complete DX/FX systems in a 2 strap pack with no trouble, but ache badly with just a single light setup in a sling bag.

It makes sense to buy (used) a 2nd small DX body and have the 2 shorter zooms mounted. The 55-200mm zoom in your pack is useful for some shots even in the cities mentioned, especially for candid portraits of locals.

The 50mm is useful because it's fast but its focal length on DX makes it less so for general city scenes and using it wide open at night will reduce DoF (still, it's a tiny lens so take it anyway).

Using a tripod, (Benro travel angel maybe), you will not need a wide aperture, so your short zooms will do fine for night exposures except where there is movement. On this last point - consider a ND filter and small aperture for a long exposure where moving subjects will not register. I used this method in St Marks Piazza in Venice where at least a 100 people passed in view during a 2.5 minute exposure at twilight, but the resulting image shows an empty piazza.

Finally, Don't spend all your time in the cities - Spain has so much more to offer and my preference is for the smaller towns and villages.

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When all else fails - read the instructions.

Thanks for the input everyone, I will look into some of the bags, including 2-strap. I was on the fence about the 55-250 but if I can bring it and only carry it out in certain situations that may work out!

Strongly recommend trying to get to Granada if you can