Anyone using a shoulder bag???

[Sam]

I understand most people here like to use real non photo backpacks, however working in an urban environment I would like something different and faster to work out of.

I have a Domke F2 that can hold my 4x5 and even a leica M6 kit, but its too small to hold the 4x5 and an SLR. I am considering either a Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II, Domke F1x or J1, Or a Tenba Metro press P899. I really like the Photo trekker because it would be easier carrying all this weight on my back but I think a shoulder bag might be easier to work out of. Any opinions? Suggestions?

[Walter Glover]

Sam,

I use a Lowepro Magnum MF AW to carry a Technikardan 45S, up to 6 Lenses. a Sinar Zoom II RFH, Filters, Light Meter, Colour Meter, Compendium Shade, Reflex Viewer & Polaroid 454 pro.

It is great to work out of and can be paced on the ground without much fear of dust and grit getting in. The back-packs (I have a Super Trekker for my Toyo 810M Mk II when I'm bush bashin') have a problem in my estimation that the open top sits very close to the grpound and the unzipped cover lolls about in the dirt gathering up muck that will easily enter the kit.

A shoulder bag can remain on your shoulder with the gear accessible when security is difficult whereas a back-pack must be removed, and put back on.

Just my thoughts.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Try the Crumpler Fux Deluxe. It's comfortable to carry, is relatively easy to work out of, and looks like a messenger bag. I use it for my Tech V and can carry seven lenses, shade, filters, meter, usual small accessories, and four Grafmatics.

[Bob Eskridge]

I use a large Photoflex bag with a Bush Pressman and seveal lenses etc. This Photoflex bag has a waistbelt plus a shoulder strap. The waistbelt takes most of the losd off of my back and is very comfortable. Not sure they are made anymore but maybe something similar is available.

It is very easy and quick to work out of this bag while still carrying it. Everything is right at hand, right at waist level. You don't have to worry about the ground - whether wet, uneven or insects etc. Plus, not so much worry about someone grabbing it while working in an urban setting.

[Garry Teeple]

I use a tool bag purchased at Lowe's for $16. It holds a Wista SP, three lenses, eight film holders, lightmeter, loupe, filters, and other accessories. I really like the outside slip pockets as they are perfect for the cable releases, notebook, pencil, and other small items. They're also extremely tough, as built to haul a lot of tools. The shoulder strap crosses the bag from one side to the other which helps it stay on the shoulder much better. You also get a smaller bag with it all for one price.

[John D Gerndt]

I am with Garry on this one. Innocuous and cheap makes you less of a target on the street. Swallow your pride and keep your cameras!

Cheers,

[David G. Gagnon]

A shoulder bag would be decidedly easier to work out of, but a shoulder can only take so much. Going from point A to point B will kill you, unless you're a roadside photographer. Several years back I bought Tamrac 614, which will hold two complete 35mm systems plus. I never really took into account how great the weight would be. I still have it, but it stays home, acting as a storage case in which I put equipment that I rarely use.

Unless you're using a light 4x5 camera, one lens, and readyloads, I'd advise a backpack.

My two cents.

Good luck.

DG

[valar]

Hello

I am using a cooler bag measuring roughly 20cmX30cmX60cm that has decent padding, plus it keeps the film holders cool during summer, and the metal bits of my arca swiss warm during winter!

With all the films and accessories plus tripod it does get pretty heavy, which is why I include walking about with my LF gear in my weekly exercise quota

[Ted Harris]

I use a shoulder bag all the time whe I want to travel light and have done so for more than 40 years. For most of that time I used an LL Bean Haversack made the old fashioned way in the UK out of three layer canvas, cotton-rubber-canvas, that was totally waterproof and extremely durable. Of ocurse it was durable, it lasted from 1958 until maybe 5-6 years ago. I mourned its passing and searched and searched for a replacement. Of course there was Billingham but I wanted something more flexible andm, hopefully, at a more reasonable price. When I stopped thinking camera bags and just started thinking bags it got easier. Thre are still a number ofo English companies that make 'field' bags the good old fashioned way. After some searching I found a 'fishing' bag by Tyneside that has become the perfect replacement.



Pictures below give you a bit of an idea. Basically I can pack it easily with my Horseman (my 4x5 Phillips also fits fine), two or three lenses, spotmeter, darkcloth quickload holder and 20+ packets of film. there is still room left over for more odd bits and it is not bulging or uncomfortable. On topof that I dont' worry abut rain and the other elements and this bag will outlive me.



http://www.members.aol.com/slberfuchs/bag.jpg

[Ted Harris]

I still seem to be having the same problems I have been having for several weeks posting pictures so .... go to http://www.leathercrafts.com/system/index.html and you can seetheir bags. I have been using moine for about two years now and swear by it.

[Kirk Gittings]

I used a Tamrac shoulderbag for years that converts to a half baked back pack. I don't think it is made anymore. It is the one that Zone VI sold for a time. It was only good for short distances (two miles at the outside) before my bad back or bad shoulder was killing me. At the view camera conference, I bought a Lowepro Photo Road Runner AW with the wheels and a real back pack set up. So far it is great. I've tried it on a bout a mile jaunt and it was much more comfortable. Want to buy the Tamrac?

[Sam]

Ted - Can you post a pick of how your fishing bag is loaded?

Kirk -No thanks. I am not a Tamrac fan. Maybe I'm just unlucky but Iv'e had two that the seems came a part.

[Ted Harris]

Sam,



I am still having trouble with uploads so I emailed it to you. Anyone else wants to see the bag please let me know and I'll forward the mail I sent Sam.

[Jim Galli]

Just back from vacation in Oregon. Told myself the Zone Vi shoulder bag would be fine for any distances from the car I might decide to walk. Ouch! Big mistake. BIG.

[David A. Goldfarb]

The Crumpler bag has a wide strap that goes across your chest and then there's another small strap that goes between the big strap and the bag to keep it positioned properly. I've taken it on day hikes, maybe 6-8 miles round trip.

[CXC]

I routinely use an off-brand ('Kiwi') 35mm shoulder bag from ePay to carry a small 4x5 kit. It's about 9"x9"x18". I conveniently carry 2 moderately sized lenses, ReadyLoads, and a minimum of other gear, topping out in the 10-15 lb. range. End pockets each hold a lens, the long side pocket is perfect for ReadyLoads and holder, and the body holds a reasonably-sized folder (Walker) or a very small monorail (Gowland). Straps on the bottom edge hold a smallish tripod. The trickiest part IMHO is in fact the tripod; my solution is the one deluxe overpriced item I own, a Gitzo 1228; strapped to the bottom, it sticks out front and back a little bit, just be careful indoors not to bang it around too much.

Summing up, if you can deal with ReadyLoads, 2 or at most 3 moderately sized lenses, and have conquered the tripod issue, than a shoulder bag is totally doable.

Only when I expect to walk more than a couple miles straight, or need more/bigger lenses/camera(s), or am on my bicycle, do I find it necessary to use a backpack (f64).

[QT Luong]

I have found shoulder bags to be a pain to carry if they weight more than a few pounds. The only way I would use one is with a couple of lenses and holders, and carry the camera mounted on the tripod on your shoulder. This way you can indeed work very fast.

[Kirk Gittings]

Sam,

I understand. This one came apart too and I had to have it repaired and strengthened.

Kirk

[K. Praslowicz]

Anyone have anything to say about the Domke F-804 (http://www.saundersphoto.com/html/body_f804.htm) with its backpack strap accesory? One bag being a backpack for walking, and a satchel for working seems very desirable.

[wfwhitaker]

I'm using the Domke F-804 satchel, but have not tried the backpack strap accessory. The 804 serves pretty well as a working bag for 4x5. It's not perfect, but then no bag is. In it I can fit a Wisner 4x5, three lenses and a box of ReadyLoads in the main compartment. Readyload back and filters go in the front pockets. The darkcloth rides on top, but under the flap. Meter's on my belt. It's a compact kit, but can still become quite an armload. QTL's comment above about shoulder bags becoming a pain is right on. I am acutely aware of the bag's presence after even a short walk.

The alternative, I suppose, would be a backpack. But I have never understood how to use a backpack when it has to be set on the ground to load and unload. All to often the ground is sand-covered, muddy, wet or afflicted with some other undesirable quality. At least with the satchel I can hang it from my tripod and work out of it. Perhaps the backpack strap accessory is worth considering.

[Frank Petronio]

I tried several of the popular backpacks and shoulder bags, as well as some of the non-photographic solutions. What I've arrived at is to pack individual items into smaller, padded cases and then throwing the cases into a traditional daypack, satchel (like the Domke 804) or camera bag. I've found the Gnass Gear cases for lenses and their film holder case to be excellent - I can fit a ReadyLoad holder and 40 RLs into the three-pocket film holder case, and it can hang off the tripod in use. I also have a few "ditty bags" for small items like lens wrenches, focus scales, level, etc. Kinesis Gear, while mainly aimed at the SLR audience, makes several cases that can hold 4x5 cameras and other stuff. I used to put my Technika into a Kinesis, toss it and the Gnass Gear case into a daypack, and put the meter on my belt. Small items are in a ditty bag, and I'll wear the loupe around my neck during shooting. All this also fits into my courier style shoulder bag, and it works well for air travel.

I've found the Kinesis belt system to become a swaying, swinging mess if overloaded, but with a moderate load the belt system is a joy to work out of. But I feel dorky wearing it, and it can get hot, so I don't use it as much as "normal" bags. BTW, the Kinesis website has a lot of good "thinking" and general bag information, including comparisions and opinions about other manufacturers! Good reading.

While the Kinesis, Lightware, and other pouches are expensive and well made, there are also a lot of cheaper alternatives to consider like insulated lunch bags, Tupperware, and lowly Zip-Loc bags... Lowe-Pro also has a line of small "wet-suit" neoprene cases made for digicams that work well for individual items.

The only thing I don't like is lashing tripods to packs but I use a heavy Gitzo #3 metal. If I used a light 1228 Carbon Fiber tripod I doubt I would notice it at all!

FWIW, I love Domke bags but avoid the original canvas ones (as the 804 is) in preference to the ballistic nylon (as in the F2B). The canvas catches a lot of dirt and tends to fray and rip easily - the nylon has held up much better. For SLR shooting with normal sized lenses (not huge zooms), it is hard to beat working out of an Domke F2....

My next purchase is for a "maximum legal sized" airline carry-on case (Porta-Brace?) in which I can throw all this stuff into. It is not as elegant as having "one bag" but the reality is our needs and gear change all the time, and there is no single perfect solution.

[Scott Walton]

I have used my Domke F1X for years with no problem... well until I start bringing my Tech III out and start mounting lens ect. That's when the crowds appear and someone (it never fails!!!) manages to ask "...is that a Hasselblad.." I have always like shooting with the F1X because I can hook it to the tripod as a stabilizer, bungie it to the back of my mountain bike, or just carry it on my shoulder. Yes, I have had people chuckle but they are the one's with the backpacks and by the time I have my camera setup and have exposed film, they are just taking it off their shoulders... Just something to think about if your a speed shooter.

[Christopher Condit]

"I have never understood how to use a backpack when it has to be set on the ground to load and unload."

- My backpack has a handle at the top by which it can be hung from the hook under a tripod, clearing the ground. Granted, it sways a bit. Alternatively, if setting up in one spot for a while, the pack can be slung over the top of the tripod, before attaching the camera, by crisscrossing the shoulder straps. This is more trouble, but the pack is then higher, steadier, and tilted back a bit, making it easier to access.

Actually I don't care much if I get mud on the outside of my pack; I just don't like to bend over to use it on the ground.

[Bob._3483]

Christopher: have you though of using a tripod apron (http://www.adorama.com/BG3146.html). You could probably knock up something similar yourself using webbing straps and pop-rivets to hold the backpack high up between the tripod legs.

Personally, I use a couple of plastic boxes (padded with sleeping pad foam) inside a normal backpack; putting them on the ground is not a problem. One day I will bite the bullet, part with my credit card and get a "proper" photo backpack...

Cheers,