Can anyone recommend a good camera bag?
Preferably a backpack style bag as I do a lot of walking/hiking etc.
Thanks
Can anyone recommend a good camera bag?
Preferably a backpack style bag as I do a lot of walking/hiking etc.
Thanks
For several years, I used a Lowepro Mini Trekker which served me well; but when it started looking too shabby etc I looked around for a replacement, because that model isn't produced now.
Eventually I settled on a Lowepro Vertex 200 which suited me, but it was quite a bit bigger. Which is fine if you want to carry a lot of gear, but can be cumbersome at times when going through undergrowth and under low branches etc.
I wanted a tripod carrying option and there are several external mounting positions. And my occasional use lighter weight tripod folds up small enough to fit inside.
Quite comfortable to walk with once you get all the straps to your liking; but as I previously mentioned, a bit on the 'chunky' side; very well constructed though.
But as Jeremy said, we really need full information about your intended use, including extra items besides photo equipment which you need to carry.
I've been looking a Manfrotto one, anyone used one of them before?
I use four different types and styles of bags for which all serve different purposes and take different amounts of gear depending upon what I'm doing and where I'm going.
I would suggest the first thing to decide is what gear you want to carry in any bag. Cameras, lenses, filters, bits and pieces etc and start from there.
Oh oh Matt! Can of worms here mate!
I feel sure I won't be alone in answering, which one do you I tell him about, as I've got lots!
The different varieties, do serve different purposes & I've even chopped the insides of one & modified it....
So the best answer I can give is when you do decide on the style, choose a good brand & it will last you a long time. Also some take so much gear that you could never lift them if full (well I couldn't anyway).
Brands I suggest are Thinktank, Lowepro & Kata
& as a wise accountant once said...buy cheap, buy twice
Good luck!
This is what I use. Not enough external pockets, but easy access to the camera.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/VANGUARD-UP-...KKWAQSD7VCHMG9
Presently on a Japanese trip with pro gear.
Using an F-stop quick access rucksack bag with F-stop large inner and laptop sleeve. Extremely good. Suitable for mountaineering. Not cheap.
We also have a Lowepro that I have posted about on here before. Use search function.
For walk around, I either don't bother with a bag at all (I want to take photos, not dig around in a bag) or any kind of shoulder bag that is big enough. Camera bags make you a target. You need minimal protection if you are careful.
Welcome to the neverending quest. One really good question to ask yourself is do you need to accommodate a tripod?
IIRC, the Manfrotto bags are basically Kata bags. Kata is, iirc, an Israeli company that also makes body armor.
I've used two of the Kata backpacks, the Sensitivity V where the same zipper died on me twice, and which Kata replaced for me twice (lifetime warranty): once with another Sensitivity V, and the second time--because by then the design flaw was pretty evident they'd stopped making it, with one of the Digital Rucksack series. I like how protective it is, and the design, and that the interior is a bright yellow, so you can easily spot stuff in the bag, but the straps aren't the most comfortable and are pretty stiff--particularly for long-term haulage. I generally use mine more like an office briefcase, so it's not a problem for me. But when I'm hauling my gear around Comic-Con on my feet for four and a half days, it gets annoying.
For me, the website motherlode on camera bag reviews is cambags.com. The only drawback is that their review database isn't always up-to-date with new models, but the user photos folks send in can be very helpful in establishing whether all your gear can be accommodated.
The Tamrac Velocity, which is a sling style that is available in a variety of sizes, has met my needs perfectly for years. Maybe it will do the same for you.
The advantage of a sling style is that you don't have to remove the bag from your body to place or retrieve equipment. The Tamrac system also allows you to easily add storage components to the outside of the bag.
I have the ThinkTank airport commuter backpack. As far as fitting gear, it's really a smart and well thought out bag. Place for everything. My only complaint would be that the shoulder straps fit me a little funny and keep the bag to far up on my shoulders. I'm 6'4" so that might be why but it's only an issue when it's fully loaded with laptop and all. It stows well in the overhead compartments and seems really well built. If I were to go deep into some back country though I'd opt for a packer frame.
http://www.thinktankphoto.com/produc...-commuter.aspx
Last edited by Texas Dave; 31st October 2014 at 01:53 PM.