Bags What size bag would I need

DiViVa

New Member
Living in Australia is sometimes a blessing but we live in a vacuum when it comes to camera gear and accessorises , Im looking for a Think Tank canvas bag to house a X100 GF1 + extra lenses LX3 and a few battery's cleaning gear ect .Any forum member have a suggestion which one as I will need to purchase it sight unseen . Thanks in advance
 
a lot will depend on how many extra lenses and of what type ... two pancakes take up less room than 4 legacy teles ... you could try measuring all the kit you want to pack to get a feel for the sort of size bag you need? (allowing for some "wiggle room")
 
Well if you want ThinkTank (TT), which is an excellent choice indeed, then definitely the Retrospective 5! I just sold my Retro 10, absolutely and utterly loved it.....but far too large - especially too high - for my X100 and soon to arrive CSC kit. Same is the case with the Urban Disguise series...these like most TT bags are made for photogs on the go with long or zoom lenses. The Retro 5 was specially designed for the mu43 kit. If you want any advice on where to buy in Oz please PM me, as it took me a while to find the right dealer. Be happy to help.

Tempted to get the Retro 5 myself to house the new gear but also love my Domke bags. I have the F5XB which is a luxury fit for the X100 and accessories, and I will endeavour to have it learn to share with the new body and two kit lenses.....might be a stretch but.....

Domke don't have the eye for detail and the luxury of TT (you will not find a higher build quality), but they use classic designs and materials that simply work!
 
I'm glad you guys are talking bags. I am constantly looking for just the right bag and I never seem to find it, I bought a Crumpler 6MDH a couple of years ago, and its used now for storing stuff I am not using. It works great to protect camera gear, but the velcro is SO strong that you can carry it by its handle and the velcro won't let go... so you might imagine just how noisy it is when you eventually manage to get it to respond to your efforts to open it.

I'm looking for a no-velcro bag that can carry my compacts and a superzoom, as well as wallet, keys, phone, spare specs. That retro 5 looks decent but it also looks really big. Going to check out the Domkes.
 
TT come with velcro silencers which I always found handy. They might look big but they collapse nicely and the shoulder strap is the most comfortable in the business....but I warn you they are like the Tardis ;) The retro 5 - as per my above link - does look a nice fit for CSCs...though I qualify this by saying that I've not tried one in the flesh. Just my 10 and a mate's 30 (now that's a monster!)

I cannot recommend Domkes highly enough. So inconspicuous, but you might have to fashion velcro silencers of your own, unless you opt for one of their metal clip models.

If neither of these works for you, then there's always Fogg or Billingham if you want quality, style and stealth (well except from those who know quality camera equipment)....and they come with a unique feature of cleaning out your wallet for you free of charge!
 
I just bought a Domke F-803. It can even hold my D7000 with a prime and the X100 and looks like a messenger bag. Domke have a lot of smaller bags in the F-series.

I don't like large bags or bags that sticks out (thick bags). I usually carry the camera in my hands and the bag only has an extra lens or a compact in it. I was very interested in the Retrospective 5, but found it to thick.
 
I'm a huge fan of bag inserts, let's me find a bag that has the features I want and not have to pay the premium for a dedicated 'camera' bag. Plus, in those parts of world where it matters, it doesn't scream "hey, there's a nice camera in here!".

I'm currently using this plus this as my minimal bag. The insert is setup for a Pentax Kx with a 17-70 zoom, a 70-200 zoom (normally my old f/4, but big enough for my f/2.8), and a fast prime (usually 35mm f2). If I carry a flash I can stick it in one of the bag's side pockets in it's pouch. With all that I still have tons of room in the bag; I'm really only limited by the amount of weight I want to carry. I've loaded it up with radio triggers, water bottles, extra flashes, rain coat, books, notebooks until it's too heavy to wear cross body.

But I digress. My point really wasn't to advocate for this particular bag, just the idea of disconnecting the search for a bag from what it'll carry. Domke makes nice inserts in addition to their bags.
 
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