Camera vests - what do you use and why?

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I never like having heavy things in trouser pockets, I spend the entire time going around worrying that they are going to end up round my ankles unless they are super tight around my waist (at which point they become really annoying to wear - esp if you want to suddenly crouch down).
I do have trousers with good pockets, but I'll keep the content in them as light as I can.


Vest wise I think I'm warming toward a 2 vest approach;
1) A lighter standard vest - cheap fishing/Domke/etc.. something alone those lines which is lighter and thinner and can be used outdoors and around town in general.

2) A heavier duty one that is more a bag replacement than just a vest - eyes on that Vest Guy one, granted its more bulky on the pockets, but I can see it replacing a regular backpack - esp with things like the hydration unit in the back. Less well suited to hotter times, but more suited to letting me carry heavier gear (I could see me using that backpocket section to hold a 120-300mm and pockets around the front for a 70mm/65mm macro and flash - letting me carry both and switch between the two without problems)



As for fashion - I think the only thing I own that counts as fashion is my thick fleecy top (apparently its fashion according to them that gave it to me) and honestly 100% of the reason I wear it is because its super warm Labels be darned its warm

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This might sound crazy but I think a plain old fishing vest would be more comfortable. The Vest guy one looks like it'll get hot fast. How much stuff do you carry with you??

Fishing vests and photography vests are not really interchangeable.

I have a Domke vest, and like it a lot, actually. (Not the Jacket/Vest one, the one with the mesh back. This one: Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Khaki) 734-003 B&H Photo Video)

Fishing vests are much shorter (so you can stand in water without getting the vest wet), and the pockets are smaller (too small). The Domke vest is parka length.

The Domke vest can hold pretty much everything in my camera bag comfortably. The mesh back helps you stay cool.

Whatever you get, don't get a fishing vest. You'll have a really short vest with tons of tiny pockets that can't even hold a filter.

The smallest pocket on the Domke vest is a little larger than the back pocket on BDU pants.

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Out of interest is it the reported 18pockets or only 15 that the video review gave earlier?

[baturn]

oIIIIIIIo, (or however you spell that ) is right .There is no comparison between a fishing vest and a photography vest. Both Tilley and L.L.Bean make travel veste with lots of large pockets but are probably more expensive than some of those made specifically for photography.

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Out of interest is it the reported 18pockets or only 15 that the video review gave earlier?

They count each pen 'slot' as a pocket (there are 3 of them).

15 (non-pen) pockets sounds about right. Some of the pockets overlap though - like two pockets on top of each other, or a large pocket with another pocket inside it.


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There are more than enough pockets though. I have lost stuff inside this vest.

[gsgary]

It does not matter which one you get, wearing anything like this makes you look like a knob, it's like look at me i know nothing about photography just trying to look good

[Overread]

but but the pockets!!!

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Just remembered that I had a couple pictures online...


04191115 by J E, on Flickr
The pen pockets all count towards the listed number of pockets. In that picture, I have a pen in the left one, and a Sharpie in the other two - so they're big enough for pretty much any pen.
And the pocket where the Domke tag is shows what I was talking about with the overlapping pockets. There are actually 4 pockets right there, all the same size.
One pocket is just open on the top (with a small velcro tab) - the one with the Domke tag.


04191116 by J E, on Flickr

There's a pocket under the flap, and another one inside that pocket.

There is also a handwarmer pocket that you can't really see here. The side is open. So, that one area has pockets 4 layers deep.

You wouldn't really be able to put a lens in all 4 pockets, but you could have one in 2 of them, and have flatter materials in the other 2.

There are two large (they're pretty big) pockets on the back too.