Hey OSP'ers,

Please tell me what bags you are using (while shooting) during your events(???). You know as you are shooting the event and you need to carry three lenses or so; what are you happy with?

Thanks,
Mike

Shootsac. Love it.

My ShootSac has cost me more than I can say. And after speaking with several other photographers I have heard others having the following problem. I have had my 85mm 1.2 fall out of my bag as well as my 16-35mm 2.8. The 85 1.2 ended up being unrepairable from Canon and cost me a$500 deductible for replacement through my insurance. The 16-35 cost $140 luckily it was mainly cosmetic damage. Matter of fact any of you ladies that want this ShootSac bag can purchase mine for $100. I will post it later.

I however LOVE my Domke Bag. I forgot what model that I have but it is perfect and holds four lenses or two or three lenses and a camera body or flash. It has never let me down and and because of it's flatter base none of my valuables have fallen out.

I know Jessica has a huge following....Heck I am one of them and I am in no way wanting to start a controversy or argument, but as a journalist I move quickly and shoot at a fast pace. The above instances happened over 6 months ago and I just feel like it was time to express what happened to me. I know some of you don't move as fast and switch lenses as often as I, so the shootsac is a perfect alternative, but for me the bag of choice is Domke.

All Boda all the time!

I also have the shootsac, and I love it, it's very comfortable and easy to use. I haven't had any issues with it yet.

+1

I know I've heard stories of people losing their lenses out of their bags, but I think I've read more about people loving their Shootsacs than having issues with it. Personally I've had no problems with mine and I love it.

i love my shootsac so much i could sleep with it.

i hope and pray nothing ever falls out of it and breaks becasue i can't afford a big repair bill .

but, we are all here to be honest and if you have a problem wtih a product, regardless of who promotes it, it needs to be spoken about, also as a warning to someone unsuspecting who mayb e doesnt have insurance to cover breakage, etc.

the problem is, i believe, that the 'squeeze' factor of the neoprene can sometimes 'squeeze' the lens right out of the bag. especially if you have another lens right behind it.

Can you set a ShootSac or Boda bag down (do they have a flat bottom)?

Is the Domke bag you have a 4f by chance?

Thanks,
Mike

I too, am not a Shootsac fan. Had one, fought with it, sold it. It's great for some people; just not for me. I tried many bags in between before falling in love with my Domke. It's great!!!

Tana,

Which Domke do you own?

Thanks,
Mike

I love my ThinkTank stuff! Airport International... solid.

I like the Boda I can put the 70-200 in with the hood on, though I often feel like I am fumbling around, switiching lenses is easy and I never feel like I am going to loose anything.

+1 It is with me on all my shoots.

I have a Domke that I absolutely love. I had one a few years ago, thought it was too ugly and gave it to a photog friend. I had no idea how much I would miss it! I bought a new one this past year and it goes everywhere with me. Seriously, I love the thing. I use it for portrait shoots when I just take one camera, one flash, and two lenses. I also shoot with it on wedding days when I want to just carry extra lenses, batteries and flash cards. It looks a little rough in my opinion since it's made out of a really tough canvas material, but it is black and I've found nobody pays attention to me anyway. LOL The strap is long and has a non-slip stuff on it, and the bag can be set down and will stand up. I love it. I'll look up a link to the one I bought.I'm pretty sure this is the bag I have, but it doesn't have any pictures of the inside. Domke BagMines also black.

hey guys im new here . I have actually been reading for a while but decidedto join in . I was wondering if anyone could tell me the dimesion of the boda bag. Please

I was thinking about getting the shoot sac but i heard the equipment isnt as preotected or somethign to do with the padding. I like the boda and all its nifty pockets. could some one if they can take a pictures of theres and how the equipment fits in the inside. that would be so helpful .

thanks!

Sorry Mike - I just saw this.

I have the F-3X Super Compact Bag. It is great. It fits across my shoulder, I can store my camera with lens attached and I have quick access to the pockets on the side.

** The only thing I had to do was to cover the velcro for those moments when I'm in the church and need to open the bag. Other than that, I love it, very durable and can put up with my abuse.

Crumpler 6 million dollar home is what I carry, and a Tamrac roller bag carries all the gear between shoots and on planes.

Ryan, I have been thinking about getting that bag. Do you find it has enough room for you? What do you typically keep in it?

I adore my Shootsac. A LOT. hehe

I don't have troubles with the lenses coming out...in fact I have trouble GETTING them out when I need them sometimes. lol They're just in there so tight. (Which is a good thing!)

Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home is what I carry my lenses or a quick setup in. I'll lug two bags to the shoot and arrange things to one bag with camera in hand to hit the streets.

H

Dave, I usually carry a spare lens or two in it, and just sling the 5D's around my neck/shoulders for quick access. But, if I'm packing to just go shoot somewhere (not a wedding), it's usually 2 5D's, lens down, with a prime attached to both (most zooms would work, too, 'cept the 70-200).

It's not a huge bag, but it's a good size for carrying a couple lenses and a body ... plus it's really water resistant and well-padded.

this Tumi accessory sachel.. I love it

http://www.tumi.com/products/index.cfm?fus...Link=DetailShot

I need a new bag and I think I've decided on the Crumpler Million Dollar Home series, but I'm just wondering if anybody can compare the 6 and the 7 mil bags.

Is the 7 much bigger than the 6 and is it pretty big to carry around for shooting? I wish stores carried the 7, but I've called around and there are only a few that even go up to the 6.

Thanks!

[I love my Kata bag. The yellow interior makes it easy to find stuff, it can sit down on it's flat bottom. I use a waist bag even though I know I look like dork, I just can't have all that weight on my shoulders. My only gripe is that the strap is a little thin, I've been looking at bodas online and I like he looks of that wide strap, I just wish I could see one in person.

The 6 Million is 12.6"x9.4"x7.1" and the 7 Million is 15"x11"x7.1"...they are really close in size. I just bought the 7 Million on Monday and am going to return it, because it has three different strips of velcro and I'm not a big velcro fan personally, but other than that, I love it. Of the two, just get the 7 Million, it's not much larger, but can fit bigger lenses width wise.

I my BODA because it's comfortable (either across the torso or around the waist), has lots of zippered compartments to secure stuff (manual, CF cards, batteries, battery charger, pens, flash, business cards, etc.), and stays shut with heavy-duty clips that are easy to get open.

Yes, the Boda has a flat bottom, but it depends on the weight distributed on whether it will stay upright or not.

There are a lot of shooting bags to choose from, so it's a matter of finding one that fits your style and is comfortable on your body with the way you move around

+1 to all of that. I started out with the Shootsac and it didn't work for me, and got a Boda, and the Boda is perfect for what I was looking for. Still haven't tried it on the waist though.

i have a crumpler company embarassment which i've used for one wedding, so I'm still in the getting to know it phase, but it has a ton of storage. It's a discontinued model but can still be had online in some places I'm sure. the only thing I don't like is the big velcro patch, I may come up with something to cover it so it's not constantly tearing during weddings lol

Just got the Think Tank Urban Disguise 40 and so far it's fantastic....just enough room for everything I need to carry around with me and nothing I don't need.

I love my shootsac - BUT I only use it with my Leica and they'er all prime lenses which are so tiny - falling out it not an issue. The only SLR lens I would put in it is my 10.5 fisheye.
The big honking zooms and lens shades don't lend themselves well to it. Love it, but as an add on, not an only bag. My other bag is a bag made by a guy who hand makes I think, mostly for Leica - really well balanced - Seth levine. Love my Domke F6's too.

The Boda Dry Lens Bag is awesome. Perfect for holding whatever you need. Also super adjustable, tons of pockets, and good depth. Holds a 70-200 with the hood on and will hold another prime and a smaller zoom on the other side. Lots of possibilities. Boda = wedding in spanish, so it is clear what this bag was designed for and it is perfect for that in my opinion.

Check out Armin's review here on the Boda Dry. It shows you everything you need to know. He even has a video showing how he uses it.

Armin's Boda Dry Bag Review w/ Videos

Man All you shoulder people must be way tougher than me.

Think Tank Urban Disguise 50 works good for me. I can load it down or go light. Very versatile as a shoot bag or a primary bag. It has all but replaced my Tamrac Cyber Expedition 8 backpack. For Weddings it gets my D3 and D200 + 70-200mm, 24-70mm and 14-24mm, 1-2 SB800's and a MacBook too the site without feeling too heavy. While shooting I usually just go lighter though with a couple of lenses and one body.

The Shootsac just didn't work very well for us. I was always afraid something was gonna fall out, but I know other people love it.

We've got the Airport International bag from ThinkTank and it's great. We still also bring our Tenba and don't have that much in it, so if I need to take just a couple items and a roller bag isn't the right fit (like on the beach) it's perfect.

I really like the Lowe Pro Specialist 85AW.

Think Tank Airport Security roller and a Think Tank belt for running around. There is simply nothing faster for lens changing than the belt. It's a hole at the top of a pouch... no fancy flap, no zipper, no nesting lenses in a deep boxy bag. Need a lens? Grab it.

If you care about speed, get the belt. If you care about looking cool or pretty, get the others.

I have a ShootSac and like it OK....

The 1st time I used it, I didn't push my 70-200 IS in there deep enough and it fell out pretty hard. I had to send in the lens for a fairly pricey repair. *sigh* But it hasn't happened since I've been very careful to push it ALL THE WAY IN the bag from then on!

Because I carry the 70-200, 24-70 and 16-35, along with flash batteries and camera batteries, flash cards, etc...plus my keys and cellphone, my ShootSac gets REALLY heavy on my shoulder over time. I need to figure out how to attach some kind of shoulder pad on the strap or something b/c my neck/shoulder muscles hate my guts the next day after a long wedding!

I like it b/c I want to be able to carry all my gear on me at all times, and preferably not in the fanny-pack style. (Makes me feel so dorky!)

Try this strap--

Op/Tech S.O.S. Strap

I've been using one of these for years. It's by far the most comfortable bag strap I've ever used. It's also very well-made and durable.

At weddings my assistant carries the light stand and a Lowepro Stealth Reporter 300 full of lenses, flashes, pocket wizards, more cards, Tylenol, Altoids, and about a dozen other things I can't remember right now. One of the best decisions I ever made was to spend $100-150 per wedding for someone to carry stuff and sit with the bags.

I carry a Think Tank Urban Disguise 30 with an extra flash and 3 lenses. It can hold 3 lenses (more if you stack them) including a 70-200 if the other lenses are small.

I have a LowePro rolling bag, or a LowePro backpack for most of my things. I just bring one of them depending on the venue. I like the LowePro street and field waist belt system for use while I am shooting. I can add lens pouches and accessory pockets to customize what I carry. I can carry CF cards, 3+ lens, and an extra flash, batteries, etc. and have quick access to everything and it is comfortable for me.

When you guys use larger bags where do you keep them while shooting???????

Backpacks, roller bags, etc..........

Thanks,
Mike

I use the Domke F-802, it is slightly larger than the F-803 and doesn't have that bag's 3 compartment insert, it is open inside - which I like.

Interior Dimensions 15.5 x 4.0 x 12"

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1602...hel_Black_.html

Event stuff (Depending on the type of event):

Lowepro Stealth Reporter D300
ThinkTank Photo Modular Set w/ Speed Belt and Racing Harness


General Transportation:

Lowepro Vertex 200
ThinkTank Photo Airport International

I use the Shootsac, and I did love it at first, until it slipped off my shoulder (cringe ) and my beloved bag went crashing straight down onto cement from about 3ft in the air. The impact caused damage to two lenses (both repaired to normal condition, whew), a shattered lens filter and huge panic/anxiety attacks for the following hours as I had to call my boyfriend and explain how I just damaged over a $1000 worth of equipment in one go. Not a happy day for me.

Not necessarily any fault of the Shootsac and I ALWAYS sling it over my shoulder cross-ways now, but I think I could stand to have a bag that's better padded. I still like it and have never had any lenses fall out of it but I'm seriously considering some other bags now.

Talk about learning from your mistakes!

Domke Pro Bag

All black (sans logo) durable canvas. easy to tow around a wedding with all the pockets i need

awesome demo by armin!

Last week I bought the Tamrac 5605 Pro System 5 Camera Bag....


I noticed it has the functionality of the Boda Bag for about 1/3 of the price...

A soon as Mr. Brown delivers it, I will update you about its performance...

I use one of those plastic poly-sacs that you get at Wal*Mart. They are very inexpensive...in fact, they are free with purchase of any item from Wal*Mart. It's kinda ghetto-chic. Blue to match my...eyes.

I am in desperate need of an "upgrade", but right now I wear a $12 Eagle Creek fanny pack (I know, total dork), with my fisheye in a lens pouch on the right hip, open lens pouch on the left hip for when I need to plop my 17-55 into something while I use another lens, the 70-200 in the case it came with hanging off my right shoulder, and my Canon battery pack on the front. The fanny pack holds my keys, cellphone, ID/money/business cards, Ibuprofen & bandaids, memory cards, batteries, and any paperwork I might need.

I am not big on straps coming across my chest, so I am thinking I might get the Boda bag with the waist belt option.

Hehe.

You're ridiculously funny.


I use a LowePro Stealth Reporter.... as a shooting bag. I've got some ridiculously huge backpack thing that I use for travel... I don't love it, but it'll work for now.