Camera Bag Help

myvinyl333 · Jun 25, 2011

Need a bag that can hold two camera bodies w/grips and lenses. (70-200 and 17-50) I shoot with 2 cameras in a concert setting, suggestions?
Thanks,
jorge

usayit · Jun 25, 2011

Have you looked any bags that caught your attention? Might give us a better idea of what style you are looking for. Kinda like going to the dealer and saying I need a car to drive. Help us narrow it down a bit with style and price.

I have like the Lowepro stealth reporters (400AW) and Domke shoulder bags.

myvinyl333 · Jun 25, 2011

usayit said:
Have you looked any bags that caught your attention? Might give us a better idea of what style you are looking for. Kinda like going to the dealer and saying I need a car to drive. Help us narrow it down a bit with style and price.

I have like the Lowepro stealth reporters (400AW) and Domke shoulder bags.

I have two lowepro shoulder bags now, that are fine for one unit. Was just looking for a bag that I can carry around at a festival that will house all ( two bodies/ lens)my gear, but not be a "carry all" size.

GooniesNeverSayDie11 · Jun 25, 2011

Tamrac 5608 Pro System 8 Shoulder Bag (Blue) 560804 B&H Photo

I have this one. It will hold both. Click on the picture to enlarge and you can see a drawing of the inside. You can remove the middle dividier so that the gripped cameras will fit ( although this cuts down on lens space ) But you can leave the 70-200 attached and then have the second body with no lens attached and several lenses stored.

Patrice · Jun 25, 2011

Camera bags are like shoes, different ones for different purposes. A bag to carry all your gear but is not carry-all size is going be near impossible.

I have a number of different bags, from large hard cases for transport to small "ready" cases, also backpacks and modular Lowepro systems. I pick the one suited for the activity planned.

A very useful one I have is a non desrcript messenger bag with a comfortable shoulder strap and a fold over flap cover. In it I have some neoprene sleeves that I secure in place with a strip of velcro. It's a very useful bag, does not scream expensive camera gear, fits in with the urban landscape, molds itself to the curve of my hip, has a number of small pockets for note pad and pen, cleaning cloths, memory cards and various other small items. In it I cary a fx camera body with a fast 50mm attached, a f2.8 tele zoom, a f2.8 mid zoom and an sb-800 with quantum battery. One of the best street and event bags I have. And cheap!

Derrel · Jun 25, 2011

Patrice has the right idea, I think. A "messenger" style bag holds a surprising amount of gear. I have a bunch of actual "camera bags", but I also have a plain, nondescript, black sort of luggage bag, a cheap, cheap offshore-made one that I bought at either K-mart or Target, in the luggage department. It does NOT look like the messenger-style camera bags, because it is not. But it holds a LOT of gear, and yet, compresses very thin, because it is not padded.It is about 13 inches long, thee inches across the top, and 11 inched from top to bottom. It has a couple outside pockets, and inside has a mesh pouch on the lid, and it will "expand" when filled. The back side, outside, also has a mesh pouch.

Padding is overrated. If all you need is something to carry gear in, and you do not plan to slam it around, drop the bag, and throw it in ahead of you onto the car floor, then why the need for much padding? You can carry lenses in pouches or lens cases if they need protection. No need to baby your NIkon stuff. You ought to see the way newspaper guys treat their gear.

myvinyl333 · Jun 25, 2011

I guess I would afraid of being clumsy in a beer packed festival with no pads when forced to drop your gear for safety reasons...(LOL) I have been using a lowepro Flipside 300 , but find it small for two bodies and 4 lenses. I have a Tamrac Pro 12 that is too clumsy for walking through crowds. I usually end up walking w/ my bodies criss crossed on my shoulders... I am looking @ the Messenger style bags on line in hopes of finding one.

Patrice · Jun 25, 2011

myvinyl333 said:
I am looking @ the Messenger style bags on line in hopes of finding one.

Any inexpensive waterproof cordura messenger style school bag from the big chain stores will do.

B&H, for one, sell a variety neoprene camera body gloves and lens socks for just a few dollars each. Put a layer of closed cell foam on the bottom of the school bag and you're good to go.

GooniesNeverSayDie11 · Jun 25, 2011

Yeah, I wouldn't worry so much about dropping them. Even a padded bag will run the risk of messing up your lenses with a good jolt. The padding is mainly beneficial to keep the inside items from beating against one another.