Kata BP-502 + Sinar F2?

[Shutter]

I'm currently looking for a backpack for my Sinar F2 and I stumbled upon the Kata BP-502.
(http://www.kata-bags.com/Item.asp?pi...d=4&ProdLine=4)

The internal main compartment is about 38cm x 28cm x 54cm, which means that I could store the whole camera without disassembling it.

Can anyone confirm this assumption or does anyone have any experience with this backpack?

[Atul Mohidekar]

I don't have Kata BP-502 but could share my experience with a couple of other Kata backpacks...

After using a non-photo backpack for a few months for carrying a view camera, I gave in and first bought Kata HB-205 and later (when I upgraded my camera) bought HB-207.

HB-205 - smaller backpack used for Arca Swiss 6x9
HB-207 - larger backpack used for Arca Swiss 4x5

I used the smaller HB-205 for Arca Swiss 6x9 and now I use the larger HB-207 for Arca Swiss 4x5. The backpacks are wonderful and are extremely well made. They are bulit like a tank - afterall Kata makes body armor for Israeli army! I was surprised to find the smaller HB-205 had slightly better shoulder padding than the larger HB-207. The suspension system and the waist belt are great. The smaller backpack could be taken as a carry-on luggage on a flight but the larger seems too large for that. The larger one has a laptop compartment (which I have never used) and another small comparment at the top in addition to other compartments that the smaller one has. I use the top compartment for lens shade, a measuring tape, etc. Both backpacks have three more compartments for accessories on the outer side of the large lid that opens/closes the backpack. I use these for filters, cleaning accessores, etc. I carry about 30 lb weight in HB-207. There is an inner compartement on the lid, too. There re two more open pouches on either side of the backpack with darwstrings. I use these for a water bottle and the extension rail. The backpacks also come with the tripod pouch that could be attached externally. I have never used it. I wish Kata had made HB-207 without the laptop compartment and had used the same slightly bulkier shoulder padding as its smaller sibling (HB-205). Overall I'm would highly recommend both backpacks.

The backpack you are looking at, BP-502, is even larger than BP-207 and much heavier, too.


// Atul

[Shutter]

Thank you for your reply, I just checked the specs for the 207...would be quite hard to fit the Sinar into that, I'd be about 3cm short (207 has 18cm width, Sinar has about 21cm and I don't want to squeeze it in, it's way too fragile for that) but apart from that it's a great backpack.

Well I think I'm gonna go with the 502, hopefully it's the right thing to do.

I guess there's not much of a choice on the market these days except for maybe a hard/softcase and that'd be really uncomfortable.

[Ed Richards]

Unless you take the bellows off and fold the standards parallel with the rail. Then you can pack it in a much smaller space.

[Shutter]

Unless you take the bellows off and fold the standards parallel with the rail. Then you can pack it in a much smaller space.

I know but it's just such a waste of time to fold it together and then unfold it again...especially when you're in a hurry. Sure it's better than completely disassembling it but I'm not looking for the lesser of the two evils

By the way, even if I fold the camera it'd still be about 22x21x33cm

[Atul Mohidekar]

Shutter,

Here are a couple of threads on this forum that might be useful, if you have not already seen them:

1. Show your bag:
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=31080

I'm planning to post some pictures, in the thread above, of my LF backpack setup when I get some time to take the pictures.

2. Backpack recommendations:
http://www.largeformatphotography.in...ad.php?t=17150


// Atul

[Shutter]

Thank you for the links, but I haven't seen anyone with a monorail backpack, they're all rather compact field cameras and they fold together more or less nicely...whereas the F2 is extremely bulky and won't fit into like 95% of all common backpacks.

[Andrea Gazzoni]

how many euros are they asking for this BP-502 ?

andre

[Shutter]

300€ / 444$

without taxes it'd be 250€ / 370$

:-/

[Atul Mohidekar]

Try eBay. I got the HB-207 much cheaper there. It was used but in a very good condition. There are couple of 502s currently listed and one was sold for $102 recently!


// Atul