Airport friendly Case/Bag

[Dvenosa]

Hi,

I would like suggestions on a airport friendly case/bag that fits a Sinar F2. Think Tank its too expensive for me. Any tip?

[brian mcweeney]

Is this for check-in or carry-on?

[Matus Kalisky]

I guess you are speaking about carry-on.

I made a good experience with Photobackpacker Kelly 2650 - just do not stuff it completely full. Advantage is that the belt is removable what leaves you with a backpack with weight only little about 2 pounds. Still - the harness is very good and fits guys up to 175 cm (my height). There are bigger models but these would not fit the carry-on anymore.

Still - I guess that the F2 is a tad heavier than my Tachi 4x5 - so I would not put in inside "naked" - the low weight of the Kelly means not the thickest material in the world. Have a look at the camera and lens cases from Photobackpacker (http://photobackpacker.com/home.asp) - I use several.

There is also a very interesting backpack from http://www.kgear.com . I have never seen it live, but was considering it when getting the Kelly a year ago.

[tbirke]

Daniel,

I use the Lowepro Photo Trekker AW II - fits the F2 perfectly in the lower half and 2 lenses, film and holders in the upper half. I have flown with it within Europe, to Asia and the US several times - never had any problems to get it through as carry on.
Here is a link to the product site - http://products.lowepro.com/product/Photo-Trekker-AW-II,1992,14.htm

Only problem: it will not carry a p2 8x10, which I am using currently!

[Dvenosa]

Thomas,

good to know! Do you think it wil fit a Sinar F2, Schneider Symmar-S 150mm, 5 holders, a Sekonic L358 and a Hassel 500cm with 80mm? If it fits it will be my dream bag. I was almost thinking about getting a Peli case and sending the Sinar for check in...

[tbirke]

I am not quite sure about the blad, but I think it should it if you chose a clever layout of the dividers. The rest will fit in easily. Then again, airlines always allow for "one piece of carry on luggage plus either one laptop, handbag or camera" So just in case it doesn't fit, you could always strap the blad round your shoulder.

[ki6mf]

I have two of the Joe Fabrice backpacks from Adorama. Current price in the USA is $79.00. Adjustable compartments and a separate bag for laptop.

http://www.adorama.com/GBRBK.html

[Pat Kearns]

I use a Sears brand tool case. It has foam that can be custom cut or removed and divider boards used. Pictured it shows my Tachihara 4x5 with cases containing my
90mm, 150mm, & 210mm along with a 100mm for my dslr. I can change the configuration to carry my tlr mamiya with 5 lenses, 2 - 35 cameras with 2 lenses. It fits in overhead bins easily and doesn't scream, cameras please steal me. It is rock solid as evidenced by the scratches on it. Of course, I ship all my film, holders, and other equipment to the first lodging stop via FedEx or UPS. The size is 18"x13"x6".

[Tim Meisburger]

I was in Indonesia recently, and a friend of my brother-in-law has a small outdoor equipment business; essentially a few old rock climbers sitting around in a house sewing backpacks and tents. Remarkably high quality stuff.

Anyway, I travel a lot and wanted a camera backpack specifically for carry-on, so looked up the maximum dimensions for carry-on luggage and designed a two-layer backpack exactly those dimensions. The lower layer (next to my back) has padded compartments for camera, lenses, film holders, light meter, and tripod (the tripod compartment is sealed and accessed through a separate opening to prevent dirt from the feet getting in amongst the camera stuff). The top layer is essentially an open compartment into which I can pack enough clothes for a short trip, and can be compressed down out of the way when I am using the pack in the field.

I asked my brother-in-law's friend to make this for me, and should have it in a few week. If the quality looks good (and I'm pretty sure it will be) and the price is right, I'll make an announcement on the forum. I am not sure my design will be that good, but there may be other people with their own designs that would appreciate the ability to have a custom case or pack made specifically for their gear and needs.

Cheers, Tim

[Dvenosa]

awesome