Safari and camera bags

FWIW I'm using a Think Tank Change Up. It fits my G85 with a 100-400 mounted and my GX7 with 8-18, 35-100/2.8 or 12-35/2.8 mounted, both with nose down, with room for another large-ish lens in between them. For that matter, if I had two 100-400 lenses, it could fit both cameras with those lenses, with a third in the slot between them. It has a wide waist belt along with a couple of shoulder straps so it's quite comfortable for day-long use. When sitting in a vehicle, you can loosen the belt and let it sit high on your torso. I also have a couple of Peak Design Capture Clips, one on the belt and one on one of the shoulder straps (I'm currently using it with just one strap). There's also stretchy outside pockets which are handy for stowing lens caps and filter cases, and inner pockets for managing batteries, unused filters, lens cleaning stuff, wallet, glasses, etc.

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/products/change-up-v2

I did three safaris using Canon DSLRs (primary body, plus a backup) and also carried a Sony RX-100 compact with a 28-100 equivalent lens. The primary body had a 100-400L lens on it all the time I was in a vehicle. The spare DSLR body never left the rucksack.

If animals were too close for the DSLR and 100-400 I used the compact, which I kept in a case on my belt. About 95% of the animal photos were taken with the DSLR. I'd have found trying to juggle a second DSLR just too awkward.

I could see how keeping an EM5 plus short zoom in a belt case could work well for nearby animals and landscape shots. But I wouldn't fancy trying to juggle a third camera.

Further to my suggestion of the Change Up, I just used it on a small boat tour through some of the islands in the Gwaii Hanaas archipelago.  Sitting on the bench seat, it was quite comfortable having the pack sitting on my lap, and secured to me via the waist belt and one shoulder strap.  My G85 w/100-400 and GX7 w/12-35 were immediately accessible via the open bag (both bodies facing down, side-by-side).  When we landed and were walking around, I carried the G85 w/100-400 in the bag and the GX7 on a Capture Clip attached to the shoulder strap.  This worked out very well.  I also kept a Sony X3000 action cam attached to the waist belt via another Capture Clip.

The Change Up provided a great balance between ease of access to everything, including my filters, and a comfortable and flexible carry solution.  Besides the above-mentioned lenses, I also carried an 8-18.  I could also have fit another lens in there.

Chizuka wrote:

larsbc wrote:

Further to my suggestion of the Change Up, I just used it on a small boat tour through some of the islands in the Gwaii Hanaas archipelago. Sitting on the bench seat, it was quite comfortable having the pack sitting on my lap, and secured to me via the waist belt and one shoulder strap. My G85 w/100-400 and GX7 w/12-35 were immediately accessible via the open bag (both bodies facing down, side-by-side). When we landed and were walking around, I carried the G85 w/100-400 in the bag and the GX7 on a Capture Clip attached to the shoulder strap. This worked out very well. I also kept a Sony X3000 action cam attached to the waist belt via another Capture Clip.

The Change Up provided a great balance between ease of access to everything, including my filters, and a comfortable and flexible carry solution. Besides the above-mentioned lenses, I also carried an 8-18. I could also have fit another lens in there.

Hi, although this post was started a while back, I thought I would ask you the following regarding the Think Tank Change Up V2.

Could I fit in it the Panasonic G9 with the PL 100-400 (mounted) and the Panasonic G85 with the Olympus 40-150 Pro (mounted) next to it, with room somewhere for the Olympus 12-40 Pro?

I'm 95% sure that you could.  I know I could fit two G85s mounted to 100-400s in the bag with room for a 12-40 in the lens slot between them.  One of the G85's would have to be turned 180 deg so that the long side of each body would be toward the middle of the bag when the camera/lens combo is stowed lens facing down.

2nd question: besides using this bag on a safari or boat trip, have you ever hiked with that bag or walk for a couple of days with it?

I've never used it on a safari.  Just on a boat trip and 2 weeks of daily walks.  I think our longest walk was a 4-hr hike.  I didn't have any lower back pain even though I wore it on the side of my hip or perhaps mid-way between my side and my back, with only one shoulder strap (the other strap was in the mail).