Camera bag recommendations for D800E plus lenses

Can anyone recommend some camera bag options for me please? I use a D800E with battery grip as a body and 2 lenses - the 24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200 F4.0. I also like to take my SB700 flash unit. At a later date I will be adding a wide angle prime.

I would prefer a bag that can be accessed without taking it off and putting it on the ground (ie not a backpack). I do a lot of assignments where I have to shoot sports events in poor weather conditions so ruggedness and weather resistance is a big plus. I have been looking at the Lowepro Slingshot 202AW but am wondering about other options. Any advice much appreciated!

I have the Lowepro Pro Messenger 200W

In it I keep a 70-200 2.8 VrII and a Sigma 50 1.4 and a 24-70 2.8 attached on a D800

There's still room for another lens and a flash

I use Tenba Messenger DNA 15 for my D800E + Grip + 24-70/2.8 with hood in shooting position, 70-200/2.8 VR II with hood in inverted position plus Samyang 14 mm/2.8 (this is small lens but its front with cover is fat) and quite a few accessories. You can take out the camera padded compartment and use it as a regular messenger bag if you need it. It can be hooked on carry on for air travel. It has padded compartments for 15.4 inch MacBook Pro and and iPad. I can even put my Tamron 150-600 instead of 70200! Its suits for both formal and informal dress. Excellent water repellant material and well padded except at the top, which has zipper to easy access and top-loading. I like it. If you do not use grip I believe you can use a smaller version DNA 13. Also DNA 13 has compartment for 13" thin laptop. DNA 13 is the size I love but is is tight for camera with grip and I could not fit my 15" laptop. It is slightly smaller in all dimensions.

Having said that, IMHO the best way would be to go to a store and try out. I have regretted couple of times buying online.

For those situations, like at a HS football game, I gut out Samsonite hard case and use cutted foam or towels to keep your equipment from damage. The case gives me flexibility to change configuration. Shown here for 400mm, 70-200mm, two camera bodies, monopod, etc. Very protective against roughness.

Juggers said:

Can anyone recommend some camera bag options for me please? I use a D800E with battery grip as a body and 2 lenses - the 24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200 F4.0. I also like to take my SB700 flash unit. At a later date I will be adding a wide angle prime.

I would prefer a bag that can be accessed without taking it off and putting it on the ground (ie not a backpack). I do a lot of assignments where I have to shoot sports events in poor weather conditions so ruggedness and weather resistance is a big plus. I have been looking at the Lowepro Slingshot 202AW but am wondering about other options. Any advice much appreciated!

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I used Timbuk2 messenger bags with an ebay foam divider i it. The 'small' sized one will swallow two D600s, a 17-35 2.8, a 50 1.4 and a 24-70 2.8. A 'medium' sized one will swallow all that plus my 80-200 and a speedlite. I like them because they just look like a messenger bag, not a camera bag. Lifetime warranty, plus they are durable and waterproof.

I'm fond of the Domke bags. Over time, they mold nicely to your body, are light and offer decent protection.

I spoiled myself 3 months ago with this one:


Not cheap but lots of space, sturdy, ergonomic and easy waterproff zip on top to get your cam+lens out rapidly.

jan

I use a Think Tank Speed Racer waist bag.

Pics here, with lenses and gripped camera: http://www.cjcphoto.net/misc2/speedracer.html

The Speed Racer is the only Think Tank waist bag that is big enough to take a gripped DSLR. It will easily hold what you want.

When hiking to your photo destination, you can wear the bag in back where it is out of the way. When you get to a shooting location, you can simply rotate the bag around your waist to the front, where it is designed to work out of standing up or sitting.

This bag will get pretty heavy when loaded up to be used purely as a waist bag. I use a trick I learned from my old Tamrac 750 - I wear the shoulder strap cross-wise (from left shoulder to right waist). The strap takes some weight off the bag and keeps it from pulling down so much (also allows you not to have to tighten the belt so much that it is hard to rotate). It also allows you to simply unclip the belt loop and not have the bag fall to the ground. (It can be quicker to get into rather than rotating around if you have a jacket on.)

The belt itself uses Think Tank's modular design where you can fit optional accessories to it of your choice. In my case I put a water bottle holder on one side and a 'Chimp Cage' on the other. Normally I put a water bottle in that holder, but in a pinch I can put in a lens. The Chimp Cage normally holds 'stuff', but could hold a second, gripped body.

Rotated to the front, you can sit down without taking off the bag. And work out of it. Useful in helicopters and small planes where you have no space. Convenient on trains, buses, taxis, etc.

When traveling, I usually rotate the bag to the front, and wear a Think Tank backpack with more gear in addition. Problem there is you can't use the waist belt on the backpack, so all the weight ends up on your shoulders from the backpack. I only do this combo when traveling through airports as it gets pretty heavy.

The quality of the Think Tank bags is extremely good, as is the design for the most part. My only complaint is that the belt buckle design isn't a quick-change sort of thing, which would be really useful when switching in and out of a jacket. (Belt too tight with jacket on, or too loose with it off).

By the way, I used to use a shoulder bag for about 10 years. Tamrac 750 (older design, had a hideaway waist belt back in the 90's).

The only reason I kept using it that long was the waist belt, which allowed me to get most of the weight off my shoulder. I finally gave it up because shoulder bags always end up hurting my shoulders. The waist bag is smaller, but gives me a practical limit of stuff to carry, which is generally more than i need.

Domke J-3.

Here some options:

• http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/826269-REG/Lowepro_LP36407_PAM_Pro_Messenger_Bag_180.html
• http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823536-REG/Lowepro_LP36394_PAM_DSLR_Video_Fastpack_350.html
• http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._Photo_540_Airport_Navigator_Rolling_Bag.html
• http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/370756-REG/Tamrac_526101_5261_CyberPro_Flyer_Briefcase.html

Juggers said:

Can anyone recommend some camera bag options for me please? I use a D800E with battery grip as a body and 2 lenses - the 24-70 F2.8 and the 70-200 F4.0. I also like to take my SB700 flash unit. At a later date I will be adding a wide angle prime.

I would prefer a bag that can be accessed without taking it off and putting it on the ground (ie not a backpack). I do a lot of assignments where I have to shoot sports events in poor weather conditions so ruggedness and weather resistance is a big plus. I have been looking at the Lowepro Slingshot 202AW but am wondering about other options. Any advice much appreciated!

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Hello

same way, for me last year....

This is perfect to me

please take a look to my post:


best regards, Eric

One thing I forgot to mention in my earlier reply is the weight of the bag itself - one of the reasons to go to store to get a feel.

mgatov said:

I'm fond of the Domke bags. Over time, they mold nicely to your body, are light and offer decent protection.

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+1 on the Domke bags

Hi everybody. Thank you so much for all your replies. Much appreciated and food for thought. Many of the options mentioned are unfamiliar to me so I have plenty of investigating to do. One thing is for sure though - need to get something soon! Thanks again, Andrew