Camera Bag Suggestions

[Hugh]

Hi,

Now I have the grip on the 50D it doesn't fit in my current camera bag (well not without a large bulge anyway). I need to get a new bag and am looking for some suggestions/recommendadtions. It can't be one of the stupid priced ones so should be sub £100 really.

I need to carry:

- a gripped 50D (with Sig 10-20 attached)
- a Sig 17-70mm
- an EF 70-200mm
- an old and quite large flashgun
- 7 or 8 Cokin filters
- Cokin filter holders
- plus room for memory cards, cables, blowers, spare batteries, cuddley toy, lens cloths etc.

It must be a backpack/rucksack and will ideally have room to carry non photographic items such as a waterproof and a piece of Kendle Mint Cake.

Thanks

Hugh

[Paul Iddon]

Lowepro Mini Trekker AW. < Link.

Excellent bag. Great price at the moment.


Paul.

[James Wheeler]

I had one of those for quite a long time and it won't be quite deep enough for the 50D with the grip on it. It wasn't for my 40D and the very top of the body stood just proud of the protection. I am fairly convinced this is what killed my shutter release (which I managed to get fixed under warranty).

It is indeed a great bag though!

I have upgraded to the vertex 200 AW which is just over your budget and isn't great for carrying a waterproof jacket unless it packs flat (in which case it fits in the laptop section). This is a significantly larger bag than the mini trekker aw but is a billion times more comfortable to carry. It also has a great attachment which can customise how you carry your tripod.

I think Park Cameras had a decent price on the vertex aw 200.

The other one I was looking at was the Nature Trekker AW II, but again, over your budget a bit I think.

[James I]

Lowepro Mini Trekker AW. < Link.

Excellent bag. Great price at the moment.


Paul.

Hi Hugh, I have the lowerpro described by Paul, I thought it was great until my brother got a Tamrac bag, it knocks spots off the Lowerpro, take a look Search for tamrac Expedition - Warehouse Express.

Happy Hunting James

[Hugh]

Paul,

Thanks for the link (and Jessops plug ) - do like the idea of a bag that I can put other stuff in as well but worry about the protection of the 50D with its grip on - as James has pointed out.

The other bags look good (thanks James and James) but don't have the non photographic equipment section I am looking for. I think it is going to be harder than I thought to find just the right bag!

Another question I have been pondering is the suitability of the £35 bag on the Stealth Wildlife site - Seems to have plenty of space but I don't think it has any of the padded divider things to protect camera equipment.

Thanks for the replies.

Hugh

[James I]

Hugh, would it be possible to get to Focus on Imaging? You would be able to see many options there and try them too.

James

[paddy]

Hugh - I had the mini trekker, but found it lacked enough space for warm kit / food etc. I bought a Tamrac Adventure 9, which has so far served me well. I carry my 5d with battery / grip attached with 24-105 lens fitted, 17-40mm, sigma 150-500 and 2x converter - all in the camera bit. Then there is room in the top for my filters, food, warm kit etc. There's also a laptop slot that is useful - I mainly use it for a thermarest for if I'm sitting on anything cold! My only grumble is it doesn't quite hold enough for a full mountain day, but then my quest for such a bag goes on....

For a day out I find it spot on - £84 on warehouse express....

[Hugh]

Hi James,

I am hoping to - I think I have a date with MarkOne and that is a very good suggestion to get some proper hands on experience.

Paddy - not looked at the Tamrac Adventurte series - I will have a look at those )hopefully at FOI).

Thanks

Hugh

[James I]

Is there a planned day to meet at FOI?

James

[neptuno]

I have the Lowepro Mini Trekker Aw and found no problem fitting my gripped 50D and once my grip for the 7D arrives that will be no problem either. Not that I fill it up every time i go out but I can fit camera with 300f4 and 1.4x converter attached, 70-200 f2.8, tamron 90 macro, EF17-85 and canon Ef 10-22, plus 580 EX flash in a sliplock lens case on the outside. There is still room in the pockets for memory cards, filters and batteries etc - its b..... heavy though

Stan

[EOS-Phil]

Is there a planned day to meet at FOI?

James

Would be good if we could organise a CFF day.
I will be travelling down from Harrogate so if anyone wants to meet me on route (A1 M1) we could share a car and perhaps the extortionate car park charge.

Phil

[Mark W]

Hugh I have the Vertex 100AW, this suits my needs for all of my gear, be mindful that you wont always need all of it as it then really becomes a burden.

[Bumble]

I've had a tamrac bag for about 2 years now and I'ts been excellent. It takes my 1D (or 40D with grip) with a 70 - 200 + 1.4 attached. Also a flash and a 24-70 lens. The front pocket takes my waterproofs trousers and jacket. The little pockets in front of that take camera cards and spare batteries. I shove a monopod down one of the outer sleeves on the side and a folding stool down the other.

The bag has sat out in torrential rain for a couple of hours and nothing has got wet inside. I think it's this one Tamrac Expedition 5x (5585) from SomersetCameras.co.uk

The only thing it fails on (and the reason I'm now looking for a bigger one) is that it only takes one camera body happily. If you put a second in, it does tend to stand a bit proud.

[James Wheeler]

I have the Lowepro Mini Trekker Aw and found no problem fitting my gripped 50D and once my grip for the 7D arrives that will be no problem either. Not that I fill it up every time i go out but I can fit camera with 300f4 and 1.4x converter attached, 70-200 f2.8, tamron 90 macro, EF17-85 and canon Ef 10-22, plus 580 EX flash in a sliplock lens case on the outside. There is still room in the pockets for memory cards, filters and batteries etc - its b..... heavy though

Stan

Oh it will fit, but the top of the body stands proud and if you have some hard bits on the pockets inside the lid they can press on the top of the body around the buttons.

Just one to be wary of, I upgraded my bag as I was worried about it having had a shutter button die on me (I subsequently moved harder objects out of alignment with that).

The nature trekker aw seems to have space for a jacket and so on. Worth looking at the Tamrac range though certainly

[Hugh]

I really appreciate all the recommendations from you all. I have checked out the Lowepro and Tamrac sites to look at the specific ones mentioned but I don't think they really meet my requirements.

What I really need is a backpack that will accommodate my camera equipment but also has plenty on non camera space for all those other things I want on a day out - room for coat, hat, gloves, cucumber sandwich, couple of cans of special brew - and this is where I am strugggleing.

The ideal bag (I think) would be the Tamrac Adventure 7 (under £50) Tamrac - Model 5547 - Adventure 7 Photo Backpack The other option would be to get an ordinary backpack and then fit in some padded dividers (I think Domke do various configurations you can buy).

Hugh