Good camera bags?

What camera bag(s) do you use?  I have a highly portable camera bag and a not-so highly portable camera bag.

My highly portable camera bag is a Lowepro Adventura 170 (Black).  With some squeezing in, I've gotten it to hold my E-PL6 with 14-42 lens attached, my OM-D E-M10 Mark 2 with 75-300 lens attached and a 40-150 lens in its case.  In its second pouch is the charger, with the charger cord and a 3rd battery in its case (the two cameras have batteries and memory cards in them, of course.)  The E-PL6 and the 40-150 lens are in the bottom layer of the bag, while I've used the divider (with velcro strap) to place the OM-D E-M10 Mark 2 in the top layer (above the divider.)

The second camera bag is a large Quantaray (looks more like a small suit case), which contains my Nikon P900, extra batteries and chargers (for both that camera and an extra charger for my Olys) as well as external power sources (for both the Nikon and my Olys.)

It’s a boring bag, but I’ve found the lowepro event messenger 150 to be excellent.

+1 for the Event Messenger 150

Funny how great minds think alike.   I have used the Lowepro Event Messenger 150 as my lightweight inexpensive bag (often within a daypack or carryon luggage), and the Tamrac Apache 4.2 as my small bag for one body with one or two lenses and a small strobe.  For two bodies and up to four lenses, I like the Tenba Cooper 13 Slim - very comfortable and does not look like a typical camera bag.  However, I do think it is quite overpriced new, but I am happy with the one I found barely used for less than half of the new price.

Although I have a few expensive Bellingham bags, my favorites for most all occasions are the Think Tank  Mirrorless Mover series. I have the smaller 25, the mid size 25i and the larger 30. Which one (or two) I take depends on what I plan on shooting, but even the little 25 model will accommodate my E-M1 III with the 12-45 Pro mounted and the 8mm f/1.8 FE Pro for a small about town trek.

ThinkTank Retrospective 5. Its a nice size for a mirrorless kit, well made and a sdnsible design.

Also very water resistant even without the supplied cover. I got caught in the mother of all storms, so bad we had to be rescued by the police. Soaked to the skin, the bag was too, but all the gear inside was bone dry.

richj20 wrote:

I've never cared for normal camera bags when out in public. I've always liked small, unobtrusive shoulder bags that I find at luggage shops, or even at pawn shops.

I’m the same. Definitely NOT a fan of photo bags. That’s like wearing a sign that says “Steal Me”

I prefer sling bags and lumbar packs with zippered lens cases and/or padded inserts. With those I can choose any bag that works best for the day. I generally carry my camera out and ready, unless I’m cycling with it and it’s away and protected in a cycling pack with a 3 liter hydration insert.

Often, I’ll attach a lens case to the pack strap for quickly swapping lenses without having to fiddle with the bag.

Patagonia fly fishing sling pack with a variety of lenses. Collapsible water bottle in side pouch.

7-14mm on left in separate lens case, 2 lenses in right in 2 lens padded insert.

Patagonia Atom Sling with Mountainsmith Small Zoom bag , sadly they’re discontinued.

Fanny pack carried sling style. With Mountainsmith Small Zoom pouches. Swap pouches or lenses. 3 lens kit for the day.

I

Being a bit of a hipster, I generally also prefer something that doesn't scream camera bag. I also tend to stick to one relatively small camera, and I've learned from experience that I typically never use more than two lenses per outing. While I've got a few others bodies and lenses, my main kit is a GX80 with a combo of either the Lumix 14-140mm and/or Olympus 17mm, 45mm and 75mm.

After using various messenger bags alongside JJC neoprene lens cases, I decided to get a small dedicated camera bag for city and everyday use. Found this neat little thing on Etsy. It's relatively room, lots of pockets, and not a single zipper. If I go with a single lens, or the two smaller primes, I can just about fit in a water bottle too.

I find the Think Tank Retrospective 5 perfect for my m43 system.  Compact, well made and doesn't shout camera bag.  For my other system I have a Billingham bag which is used in all weathers several times a week, is now a few years old and looks even better with age.  I can't recommend it highly enough and it was worth every penny.

My m4/3 bag is a Billingham Hadley Pro. About 3 or four years in the African bush, in and out of boats and vehicles, in rain and blazing heat.  I have beaten this thing and it looks like new.  I love it.  It also makes me look fairly normal if I take out the camera insert and use it as a messenger bag on super rare visits to travel agents in Europe.  It looks more classy in a rural gentlemanly way (when paired with a barbour jacket and a shave) than most of the geeky techno bags.  Or the ones that look like Italian man purses.  

My 'big bag' is a F-Stop Tilopa.  It can swallow a 6dii, 100-400ii, 24-105, 16-35, 85mm F1.8, Sigma 20mm f1.4, Pana G9 and 12-60, Oly 40-150R, viltrox adapter, Peak Design travel tripod in one side pocket, Zeapon motorized slider in the other side pocket.  ND grads, filter holder, remote release, batteries, ball head for the slider and all that stuff in the lid pockets.  Jobu design tripod strapped to the side.  And a DJI Mavic air drone kit in the space on top of the internal camera section.  Like this it weighs about a small hippo but works very well to stagger from a vehicle or boat to a spot.  Despite appearances the bag material is not as durable or robust as the Billingham, but as it can carry the contents of a small house that is a compromise that I can live with!

It very much depends on the gear I'm carrying. As this is the M4/3 forum we can assume it will be an M4/3 body and a couple of lenses.

My current favourite is the Lowepro Nova Sport 7L AW. This holds a small body (e.g. Pen E-PL6) and 2-3 lenses, plus odds and ends which I'd rather not have in my pockets.

Living as I do in England, I've found the pull-out rain cover useful.

A larger option, for my G80 and bigger lenses, is the Lowepro Slingshot 100 AW. Not so convenient as a shoulder bag but more comfortable when you are carrying some weight.

I've been using the Retrospective 5 ever since I bought my Lumix GH1, and it has served remarkably well as the GH bodies grew. I now use it with my G9 kit, though it is starting to be a bit of a squeeze - I usually have two Voigtlander f/0.95 primes in there, and the PL50-200mm, and those three lenses are neither light nor small.

Saying that, I don't feel in any great need to upgrade the bag to a larger size. I still have room in there for a variety of screw-on filters, the Laowa f/2 7.5mm prime, the Lumix 12-32mm pancake zoom, and the 1.4TC for the aforementioned PL.

The only time I use another bag is if I'm going to an airshow, as, if I hire the PL100-400mm, it doesn't fit comfortably in the Retrospective 5.

Link

Cheers,
Paul

john isaacs wrote:

OutsideTheMatrix wrote:

What camera bag(s) do you use? I have a highly portable camera bag and a not-so highly portable camera bag.

My highly portable camera bag is a Lowepro Adventura 170 (Black). With some squeezing in, I've gotten it to hold my E-PL6 with 14-42 lens attached, my OM-D E-M10 Mark 2 with 75-300 lens attached and a 40-150 lens in its case. In its second pouch is the charger, with the charger cord and a 3rd battery in its case (the two cameras have batteries and memory cards in them, of course.) The E-PL6 and the 40-150 lens are in the bottom layer of the bag, while I've used the divider (with velcro strap) to place the OM-D E-M10 Mark 2 in the top layer (above the divider.)

The second camera bag is a large Quantaray (looks more like a small suit case), which contains my Nikon P900, extra batteries and chargers (for both that camera and an extra charger for my Olys) as well as external power sources (for both the Nikon and my Olys.)

I primarily use LowePro. They have a narrower profile which I find more suitable to m43 as well as FF f/4 gear. My favorite bag is the LowePro Mini Trekker; I can carry two E-M1.2's with 7-14 f2.8. 12-40 f2.8, 40-150 f2.8, and a tripod (inside the main compartment), plus a flash and various accessories.

My second favorite bag is the Tamrac Apache 6.2, which is good for one E-M1.2, 12-40 f2.8, flash, flash bracket, and accessories. Or I can use it with the 7-14 f2.8 and 12-100 f4. I love the canvas look, as well. Black gets tiresome after a while.

I really like my LowePro too, I'm thinking of getting a second one for the rest of my gear.  The Mini Trekker sounds like it might suit me, is it somewhat larger than the Adventura 170 which I have?  That Tamrac sounds interesting too, is it well-padded?

drsonic wrote:

+1 for the Event Messenger 150

LowePro makes some "sneaky good" bags!

nice colors there!

I like the small size and unobtrusive nature of those bags.  I need something for my "garden outings" too, as I find that when I'm watering, different kinds of birds seem to become less shy   I also catch the occasional cottontail munching on my grass.