Other Accessories Camera Bags - sling bag, shoulder bag or back pack?

[Ox Online]

I really need a new camera bag, the one I have is too small (lenses stacked on top of each other without padding). This is all the more urgent with us planning a holiday to NZ in September. I was hoping for a little advice and shared experience about what basic type works for you. In NZ we'll mainly be in a fixed location or motor home, with potentially a little bit of hiking. Beyond that, I need something just for everyday use - outings with the camera club, something just to store my gear in.

Initially I'm wondering about the pros and cons of sling bags, shoulder bags and back packs.

Also future proofing. i.e. I don't currently have an external flash, but want to get one in the next year or so. Should I buy a bag only for my current kit, or is it OK if there's a bit of room to move (particularly thinking of the backpack/sling bag scenario with items stacked vertically)?

Any brand/model recommendations are very welcome, but more considering the ergonomics at this stage.

[ghenton]

I started with a small bag that I could put the camera and a couple of lenses then a sling bag, I am now at a full back-pack and a sherpa (the wife). and I nnneeeddd mmmoorrree.

Gerry

PS 2nd wife is apparently out

[thebinaryman]

For reference, A Lowepro Nova 3 AW holds all the digital gear in my sig, except for the 50-200mm which has it's own case. There is one empty lens spot in my camera bag for future use. I like the Lowepro Nova series, they come in various sizes, are reasonably compact whilst holding a lot of gear. They seem to be very space efficient (cube shape), making the best use of space available. The Nova 3, 4, and 5 bags have many compartments, while the Nova 2 has just three. The insides are completely adjustable. There is the all weather cover to keep your gear dry from rain and snow. They are cube-ish shaped with a shoulder strap, very comfy, high quality feel.

[Michael Meissner]

Originally Posted by Ox Online

I really need a new camera bag, the one I have is too small (lenses stacked on top of each other without padding). This is all the more urgent with us planning a holiday to NZ in September. I was hoping for a little advice and shared experience about what basic type works for you. In NZ we'll mainly be in a fixed location or motor home, with potentially a little bit of hiking. Beyond that, I need something just for everyday use - outings with the camera club, something just to store my gear in.

Initially I'm wondering about the pros and cons of sling bags, shoulder bags and back packs.

Also future proofing. i.e. I don't currently have an external flash, but want to get one in the next year or so. Should I buy a bag only for my current kit, or is it OK if there's a bit of room to move (particularly thinking of the backpack/sling bag scenario with items stacked vertically)?

Any brand/model recommendations are very welcome, but more considering the ergonomics at this stage.

I have all three types of bags, plus one type of bag that you didn't mention (bags that fit on a belt), and use them in different circumstances.

If I'm going to be going all day, the backpack is what I typically choose, as it is the most comfortable. The downside is you typically have to take the backpack off to change gear. Another downside is you have to remember how much room the backpack takes up when you are in a crowded situation. I can imagine in high crime areas where things are packed, it might be easier for a thief to get stuff out of the backpack without you noticing.

In terms of backpack, it depends on whether you need to carry other things than just camera gear, and whether you need to travel by air. If I'm just carrying camera gear, my backpack of choice is the Delsey Gopix 90 that I picked up a few years ago. From the photo, it looks like they have redesigned the bag, fixing the one flaw with the bag (namely the zippers don't go all of the way down, and it is harder to get into stuff in the bottom.
http://www.delseycamerabags.com/view...p?productid=16

One thing with a lot of the camera backpacks is their idea of what airline carry on size is and the airlines idea differs, and the bag is too tall for a lot of smaller airplanes (the gopix isn't that tall, and will fit under a seat and in most overheads).

I've also briefly used the National Geographic medium backpack (that Jens bought from me). The NG backpack is a good size for traveling, but I couldn't fit my laptop in the compartment. It has an extra space that you can use for carrying non-camera gear.
http://www.amazon.com/National-Geogr.../dp/B000FJ2OSM

I was away on a trip, and found a Lowepro CompuDaypack for sale cheaply, and bought it, but I only used it once. I need to carry a medical machine (CPAP) and I thought the bag would be the right size for carrying camera, laptop and CPAP as a backpack, but the CPAP is just a little too big. However, I recently changed models, but I haven't tried out the bag since then.
http://products.lowepro.com/product/...ck,1922,16.htm

If I'm not carrying the full gear bag, I often times will go with my sling bag (Adorama Slinger). It can hold one camera and most of my lenses. It gets wearing at the end of a day, and it is really only designed for wearing on the right shoulder, so it is harder to switch around. Since I don't shoot with a portrait grip, it doesn't bother me, but with the Slinger the camera won't fit with a grip (and the larger pro slinger isn't as well made according to the reviews, and would be too large for my purposes). The gray Sligner that I bought is no longer for sale, and at the moment, the only one that is in stock is the camo version:
http://www.adorama.com/GBSLCA.html?searchinfo=adorama slinger&item_no=3

The slinger has two features that make it nice. First, it isn't that tall, so it can fit in my carry on roller bag plus my laptop and CPAP machine (just barely). Second, I can put it inside of a normal backpack (such as the $20 one I bought at my previous employers company store) if you don't want to advertise you are carrying camera gear.

Finally, the shoulder bag. I find with my bag (National Geographic NG-2477), I can get my gear all by touch, without having to put the bag down or rearrange it or take my eyes off of my subject. However, since it is bigger than the Sling bag, it encourages me to carry more gear, and so it gets heavier. The 2477 is large enough that I can carry the laptop on a trip, though I prefer not to carry the laptop around with me during the day. I must admit, I like it because it isn't neoprene. It fits underneath airline seats and in most overheads:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Explorer.html

At some point, if I ever get my act together, I will probably put my older bags for sale (National Geographic 2475, above mentioned CompuDaypack, Ritz large shoulder bag).

One other thing, if you haven't seen it, go to cambags.com. It shows pictures of how various photographers put their gear. It is mostly N/C shooters, but you can get an idea for similar Olympus gear.

The bags that fit on the belt are nice. I tend to use them when I'm going to renaissance faires in costume, and I have 2-3 pouches to disguise the camera gear. Thinktankphoto.com as a set of bags to go on a belt. The problem is if you have an extra large stomach like I do, it can be hard to get a large enough belt, and you do have to take off the belt in many cases.

[shrinkpictures]

I have a Lowepro computrekker AW Backpack and a Slingshot 200. The Backpack holds about 80-90% of my gear, while the Slingshot holds less than 1/2.

I bought the Slingshot 2nd, as a smaller bag for when I am going out for a few hours. It holds 1 body, 3 lenses and a flash. Being a slingshot, it goes over 1 shoulder and I find that it is OK if I am going out for a few hours, but anything longer and I prefer a backpack to better distribute the weight.

Get yourself a decent backpack and use it as your storage and when you are going on longer hikes. My choice of the size of backpacks basically came down to how big can I go for Carry-on Luggage on Domestic flights In Aus (we are pretty restricted here). I would recommend doing the same and having a backpack.

The advantages of the Backpack is it can take quite a lot, is comfortable to carry all (most) of my gear when out hiking all day.

When I am on a longer trip and working out of my Car, of course both bags go in and I just work out of whichever one is most appropriate at the time.

Looking at your kit, a bag the size of a Slingshot 200 will take it all and still leave a bit of room. Your full kit is pretty light and a Sling bag would not pose a problem carrying it around all day. It would come in under 3kg, including your battery chargers etc. If you are planning on adding the 50-200 or any other lens this size or bigger, then a Backpack will shine. Whatever you do, keep your current small bag for the short outings where you don't need to carry everything.

Take your kit to your local store, pack it all into a Bag and then put it on your shoulder and see how it all feels - is there enough room? is it comfortable on your shoulder? I did this before buying my Backpack and the one I thought I wanted was terribly uncomfortable once it was packed and I ended up with the Compu Trekker AW backpack instead.

[Tydive]

I have the thinktank speed demon, which is a fanny pack style. I can easily swing it around and wear it front side or back, which makes for easy access. It also has a strap so it is easy to sling. I added a modular pouch to hold my 70-300, so my entire kit fits. If I had the slightly bigger speed freak I could have the 70-300 mounted and enclosed.

Very high quality. Thinktankphoto.com also I think thee is a discount coupon code on one of the adds on this site.

[Ox Online]

Thanks for that excellent roundup, Michael, lots of food for thought. And too, Bob, I hadn't realised domestic flights had stricter luggage requirements in Oz, I would have only looked at the international leg (although it may be an intl flight from Perth, I'll have to check).

Sounds like a backpack might be the way to go. I realised after I posted this that I'll occasionally want to pack a smallish camcorder, as well, but that won't be a primary consideration.

I also wandered into the local Camera House after initially posting and it seems to have more competent sales staff than when I was last there (helped along by the young guy I talked to today who owns an E3! - how often do you get that?), so I'm more confident about going through them.

He was pretty keen on the Lowepro Mini Trekker, which is weather proofed - a consideration for NZ in Sept/Oct. Also an integrated tripod holder.

Also looked at a Fastpack, but it seems these and slingshots only give fast access to your camera, not the whole bag.

Not sure about the laptop thing. Don't know whether we want to take the Macbook to NZ or not. Apart from that I don't think I really need to port one and I do all my editing on the desktop, so I think I'll leave that out of the equation. (Have to think through the storage issue for the holiday, but having family there a few CF cards and burn to disk when we're with them is probably the optimal solution).

[250swb]

Shoulder bag for high use and easily getting at your kit, sling bag for hiking and changing lenses not so often, back pack for slowing down a hike and carrying the kitchen sink.

As I don't like the idea of carrying all my gear around (it defocuses the brain and gives to many options on 'should I use this or that lens') I don't use a backpack because they beg to be filled with junk.

A sling bag can be very annoying if you want to grab a lens quickly, but very comfortable otherwise.

A shoulder bag is very easy to use, but it can put strain on one side of your body/back if carrying it long distances. But, my favourite bag is the Think Tank 'Urban Disguise 40' . A conventional shoulder bag, superbly designed, great for airplanes and travel, built like a brick outhouse, AND you can buy a shoulder harness that turns it into a backpack. So you could have the best of both worlds?

Steve

[Gillymaru]

I have the lowepro mini trekker which is fine for holding the E510, 14-54 and 70-300 plus a couple of batteries and filters etc.
It sits comfortably on my back and is ideal for carrying the camera all day. It does a great job for a small lightweight outfit.
I think a bigger bag would be needed if I had a flash and more lenses to carry about.
Hope you have a great time in NZ Alex, I would love to get over there sometime this year.

[davsv1]

I really don't like my slingshot, it is ok for a short trip but the trekker is much better for me. I find the slingshot very uncomfortable and not as easy to organize as my trekker, although the micro trekker is now too small and I will look to get a mini trekker. Took the slingshot to NZ for new year and doubt I would again, took the trekker last time. My slingshot was also too heavy to go on a pacific blue flight, I had to take camera (E3)and 14-35 out and carry them, mind you coming home they didn't make me do that, (typical difficult aussie's).
Dave

[Petephoto1]

Alex I would explore the Think tank series as Steve suggested . Plan on buying a bag for your trip according to you needs buy a bit more room for expansion , but do not fill it for the days shoot. Urban 40 or 360 some suggestions. Top quality and durability in my honest opinion is this line. have a great photo vacation Cheers Pete

[chuckjoga]

I bought a combination hydration pack/backpack to carry all my gear because I thought I would use it for mountain biking and hiking. After loading it up, even without water, it was a seriously heavy load. And it left very little space for food, first aid, tools, etc. This setup is only good for transporting the whole kit to a site.

After thinking about my activities, I decided on 2 Lowepro TL Zoom cases (big and small) and a chest harness. I can take 2 bodies with 2 zoom lenses (14-54 & 50-200), filters, and FL36 anywhere and have almost instant access to either camera. The cases also come with belt loops, which I don't use. Mountain biking with one camera and using the chest harness allows me to be taking a shot within 5 seconds. Just leave the camera on and the lens cap off.

If access to your camera is the most important criteria, it's hard to beat a holster style bag. The next best thing is the sling that you can whip around for quick access. Come to think of it, maybe I need all the different styles depending on what I plan to do.

Holster - Quick access, minimal equipment
Sling - Semi-quick access, medium amount of equipment
Backpack - Carry everything

-Chuck

[wigpro]

I too was befuddled on getting a larger bag for day use and finally chose the AW 200 Sling bag and I am quite happy with it. You'll see below that I already had a backpack to use for long trips and to carry "all" my gear, including my laptop. There is a link to a review below which lists all the gear I carry in it.

What I was looking for was a smaller bag to carry for day trips and the AW 200 seems to fit the bill exactly. The quick shoot function works very well and will hold my e-500 with 50-200 lens hood reversed, with no problem. I also carry my 14-54, 40-150 - 70-300 and 35 macro with no problem. Bower flash and ring flash fit in the top pocket, with filters, extra cards ect. scattered about in various pockets and slots. It takes a bit of getting used to when putting it on, but once on, it is stable and easy to pull around for camera access. So far I really like it. I will be doing a full review in the next few days.

There is also some interesting reading here:

http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=43471

I also have the lowepro Fastpack 350 - see review here:

http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=42513

Good Luck and Enjoy,

Jim

[Ox Online]

Originally Posted by Petephoto1

Alex I would explore the Think tank series as Steve suggested.

That looks like a nice bag. My problem is I don't know of any local (Perth, Oz) dealers so I'd be buying it 'blind'. But I like the idea of being able to attach a harness. How would that work for short hikes (obviously not something for a long hike)?

Originally Posted by wigpro

There is also some interesting reading here:

http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=43471

I also have the lowepro Fastpack 350 - see review here:

http://forum.fourthirdsphoto.com/showthread.php?t=42513

Good Luck and Enjoy,

Jim

Thanks Jim, I did a search but couldn't find any threads. That's a really helpful discussion.

[Petephoto1]

Alex , I would imagine they would ship world wide , I bought blind and they are on the west coast ,, I could not be happier. The 360 if you view the video explains it assets. cheers Pete


http://www.rotation360.com/r360_video.html

[Ox Online]

Originally Posted by Petephoto1

Alex , I would imagine they would ship world wide , I bought blind and they are on the west coast ,, I could not be happier. The 360 if you view the video explains it assets. cheers Pete


http://www.rotation360.com/r360_video.html

Thanks Pete, I figured they would. Just that buying without trying concerns me (although only a little), I guess that's why we have forums like this! It certainly gets strong recommendations so I'll give it some serious thought.

I use a Pelican 1560 case and a Lowepro Stealth Reporter 600, mostly the Pelican though as I do a lot of location work and need to carry enough gear safely to get the shots required.

[lekkousa]

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...ulder_Bag.html

I carried a DSLR 3 lenses, all zooms, flash, portable hard drive, intl elec converter, usual cleaners, cards, etc. comfortably.

This is the single best bit of camera kit I have ever purchased! I took this with me to the Pilbara, Port Hedland, even Marble Bar and it survived and thrived and is still going strong!

Here's the bottom of my Pelican, you can see:

Power cord and sync cable for a Bowens Monolight
Bronica ETRSi w/75mm lens
E-500 w/35mm f/3.5 Macro
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8
ZD 70-300mm f/4-5.6
Microsync Triggers + EC-25
E-1 w/35-100mm f/2

Here's the lid of my Pelican, you can see:

Backup Wireless triggers
Batteries for E-1 and Bronica
Lens Cloth, Pen, Business Cards
Sekonic L-308s, Video Cable for E-1, CF card holder, and a roll of Provia 100 to be devoloped

[Ox Online]

I briefly considered a Pelican, mainly for the flight, but it really is overkill and I think would cause more problems than it solves for my needs.

[Godfrey]

Originally Posted by Ox Online

I briefly considered a Pelican, mainly for the flight, but it really is overkill and I think would cause more problems than it solves for my needs.

It would indeed.

Your sig line says "Oly E-500, 14-45, 40-150, 35mm Macro". If that's the kit you're carrying, a Domke F803 Camera Satchel or Billingham Hadley Pro would carry everything, plus all your travel stuff, without any problems at all. And be comfortable to wear all day, relatively innocuous, and protective of the gear. And either would last you 15-20 years of hard use with any care at all.

I replaced my F803 with the Hadley Pro recently. Not cheap in the US, but a superb bag.

[fotoyvel]

FWIW I like Domke shoulder bags -- they come in various sizes with various padded inserts. I like them because they last forever under very harsh treatment, are waterproof enough, tho canvas; and the straps DO NOT SLIP! Even off a slick nylon shell. Almost every other shoulder bag does slip.
The sling bags that go over one shoulder and under the opposite arm won't slip either but they seem to be designed for cameras with long lenses carried lens down, like a holster...
I have never used a backpack because I cannot see carrying that much crap just to take some photos. And people on THIS forum probably like smaller, lighter, more compact cameras or else they'd be on the Canon forum.

Check out the Domke line but be VERY careful measuring as Domke's SMALLER bags all sound like they'll work --judging from the alleged internal measurements -- until you try to fit an actual camera in them. The larger models are plenty roomy.
Hopefully you live near a well-stocked photo store so you can take your gear and try the bags. That's a good idea whatever your style choice is.
Mike

[Ox Online]

Well, I was made an offer I couldn't refuse on a used (excellent condition) Lowe Pro A200 Slingshot. It's big enough for the foreseeable future, the brief time I've tried it seems comfortable (and I can return it if I change my mind - he doesn't have the money yet), basically does what I need in the short and medium-to-long term. A$30 was too good an offer to pass up (retail new for A$130 or something).

Thanks for all the ideas.

[Neddog]

That's a fantastic deal, Ox!! I would've jumped on it too.

I got myself a sling bag with a huge discount, too... It's not a photo bag though, it's a Halo slingbag for an Xbox system - but has all the padding and reinforcement for my camera gear - at only $5 off the clearance table, and it's about the same size as the Slingshot A200 (a little wider, but a little shorter). xD

Sometimes I sorta wish I had a full backpack instead, since the sling bag does get a little heavy with all the weight on just one shoulder. But all in all it works well for me, allowing me to carry my usual gear of body, lenses, filters, extra batteries, spare flash cards, lenspen, etc. along with a small light kit including flash, diffuser, sync cord, charger, and batteries. You really can pack a lot of stuff into those bags! o_O

[saichiez]

This was perfect for my e-510 and lenses. Padded beyond belief. Also good back padding. Laptop pocket for my Toshiba Portege M100 (12 inch screen). The SLRC-6 had 6 lens pockets below and was still only 18" tall. The SLRC-5 has 5 lens pockets. The top sections was a very nice fit on the e-510 body and one lens... either the short or long kit zoom. The bottom section has removable dividers that are shaped and foam filled.

I sold it with my e-510 (terrible mistake). I originally got mine new on eBay for 45$. I had the six lens model and never used two of the lens pockets. Stuck my snap/shoot in one. Misc in the other.

Two full length zipper pockets on the side for manuals, cords, etc.

Plastic snap buckle straps on each side for monopod, possibly tripod.

I'm getting another to replace it.

http://www.caselogic.com/slr_camera_...modelid=111277