steelhorzz wrote:
I've been toting my camera, lenses and accessories everywhere I go. AND will continue to do so....
I've been fortunate to travel a great deal of the world and our great country taking pictures, for my own, and family's pleasure.
But with both the shoulder bag and lens case it's just a bit awkward.
I'd like to get a "sling" bag or a "back pack" to carry all my equipment instead.
Protection for my equipment, ease of carry, and convienent access are my key points.
My equipment consists of:
Canon 7D Mark ii,
3 lenses, (10-22mm, 24-105mm, and a 70-200mm),
flash, assorted filters,
couple extra batteries & charger, memory cards, connector cables, lens cleaning kit.
Weight is not really an issue as much as carrying 2 bags with straps over my shoulder through airports, on buses, etc. (They just slide off my shoulders at inconvientent times).
I've been searching on line looking at various bags but unfortunately not all of them show you pics "loaded" with equipment.
So I'm asking for your recommendations, based on your experience, (and similar volume of equipment as me), not only a brand, but a model number.....
My problem is Dimensions don't mean much (to me), as you never really know if you made the right choice until the dividers are in place with your equipment).
Thanks to everyone in advance. 😁
I've been toting my camera, lenses and accessories... (
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I've been using LowePro backpacks for many years. They are good and a backpack will be much healthier for your body. The only downside with a backpack is that it's slower to get to gear, change lenses, etc. For that reason, once I'm on location I usually switch stuff to small shoulder bag (LowePro, too). It holds two lenses in the main body and has moudular lens cases on either end that hold additional, small lenses, a flash or even a water bottle. My camera and third lens are now out for use, so this small shoulder bag is just to be able to make changes quickly.
A small LowePro backpack I use will fit in an airplane overhead and holds up to a 300mm f/2.8 lens, along with some of other stuff. I've traveled with 5DII w/vertical battery grip, 20mm, 24-70mm, 135mm, 300/4 and 1.4X, as well as a 580EX II flash, flash bracket, plus the smaller miscellany of photography such as spare batteries, charger, lens/sensor cleaning stuff, extra memory cards, yada, yada. All together it weighs about 22 lb.... so not light, but small enough to carry-on an airplane and manageable in airports along with a roller bag for everything else (clothes, etc.... including a tripod, if needed).
I also have a larger LowePro backpack (not their largest... one step down, I think), that will accommodate up to a 500mm f/4 or 600mm/4. I use it when I travel by car, primarily. It's too large for air travel because it would need to be checked, which I won't do (I have at times packed it up in a box and shipped it ahead).
Note that LowePro sells a couple different types of "backpack straps" that can be used with shoulder bags, so they could be carried more comfortably through airports, then converted back to a single strap, shoulder bag once on location and shooting. I'd avoid "reporter" style bags, though... which typically don't zip securely closed for travel (are designed for fast/easy access instead).
I used all three LowePro items last weekend (short trip by car, with lots of gear: 3 cameras, about a dozen lenses, etc.) and noticed that I'm probably going to need to look at new bags soon. After fifteen years of regular use the smaller backpack and shoulder bag are showing a lot of wear and tear... so probably will need something soon. OTOH, beat up old bags that still work fine (as these do, except for one zipper on a lens case), might be less attractive to thieves!