pager Loc: Santa Barbara, CA

Have recently purchased some new Canon gear including a Canon 600m lens which doesn't fit well in my hodge podge of camera bags ranging from an old Adorama Slinger bag to Peak design small bag that works well with some older Fuji gear. We lost our camera store in Santa Barbara (Samy's) which is where I would have gone to check out cam bags. So I'm at a loss as to where to look for camera bags. Nervous about buying a new bag on line but I guess that's my only alternative at present. There are so many choices! Some advice would be very helpful. Thank you.

Quixdraw Loc: x

I have several Thinktank bags which have been very good and durable. They also have a new Mindshift line. They aren't cheap.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1077476-REG/lowepro_lp36776_lens_trekker_600_aw.html

I have the earlier version. I think the version 1 if there is such a version. It's held up well. I use it for my 500mm f/4 lens with a body attached.

hwilsonphoto Loc: Montana

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/platinum-street-tech-pro-300-large-backpack-gray/6410000.p?skuId=6410000

I have this bag, which fits quite a bit of gear and is surprisingly pretty comfortable! I've actually worn it on a couple of hikes with no issues.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

This is what I use for my Nikon 600mm f4.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1408191-REG/tenba_636_424_solstice_sling_bag_10l.html

tcthome Loc: NJ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7y6RKm8tH4&t=280s

watch the vid at 3:30 for the bag.
Check out the dimensions to see if it is long enough.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1200055-REG/ruggard_lbb_1600b_alpine_lens_backpack_for.html/DFF/d10-v21-t1-x734077/SID/EZ

venkatesh_eng

[quote=pager]Have recently purchased some new Canon gear including a Canon 600m lens which doesn't fit well in my hodge podge of camera bags ranging from an old Adorama Slinger bag to Peak design small bag that works well with some older Fuji gear. We lost our camera store in Santa Barbara (Samy's) which is where I would have gone to check out cam bags. So I'm at a loss as to where to look for camera bags. Nervous about buying a new bag on line but I guess that's my only alternative at present. There are so many choices! Some advice would be very helpful. Thank you.[/quI

I have a Lowepro lens trekker 600 AW III which i don't use. It is in great shape that I would like to sell. PM me if you are interested.

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

Take a look at the GuraGear “butterfly” bags. Steve Perry, in his video “what I Have in My Bag (Costa Rica)”, Steve talks about the bag and the unique ability to access the interior (and his 600mm lens) without dumping everything else on the ground. I found one used, so I can’t comment on current availability.

Alex A

I'd suggest looking at Vanguard, Lowepro and Thinktank brands.

ggenova64

Can’t go wrong with ThinkTank, Mindshift, LowPro or even Tenba! Ask the Retailer if you could ship the Bag Back!

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

DOMKE

photoman43

See if the 600mm lens will fit the largest backpack from GuraGear. Here is a link to the latest model.

https://guragear.com/collections/camera-backpacks/products/kiboko-v2-0-30l

Dossile

When I need to buy a ‘camera bag’, I head to the B&H or Adorama website. I don’t always buy from them, but choosing the features I want is easier with the filter choices that I make in the search. Soft or hard case, backpack or suitcase or over shoulder or messenger style, size, divider type, price range, material, zippers, weight, etc. After narrowing things down I read the reviews, especially the negative ones. I then price shop on line. What works for one person may not be too great for another. The bags sold on the major photography sites like Adorama and BH are well made and from reputable brands.

A10 Loc: Southern Indiana

Sorry to hear about Samy's. I would stop in every time I would visit the daughter. The farmer's market in SB is amazing.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The LowePro 600 referenced in a couple earlier responses are definitely large enough to accommodate a Canon 600mm f/4. You just won't be able to put a lot of other stuff in the bag with the camera and lens. However, there are various size modular pockets, lens cases, tripod attachments, etc. available from LowePro that can be hung on the outside to expand storage space.

The Canon 600mm f/4 III is almost 18" long and nearly 7" in diameter (earlier versions may be the same or larger... I doubt they're smaller). The interior dimensions of the LowePro 600 are sufficient to handle this, even with the lens mounted on a camera. Ruggard, Think Tank and Tamrac make "clones" of this for less money, but I have no idea their quality (I have several LowePro backpacks and bags, but no Ruggard, Think Tank or Tamrac to compare). I don't know if the Ruggard, Think Tank and Tamrac can be fitted with add'l external compartments to handle more gear, the way the LowePro can. Think Tank also offers an "Airport" backpack that can accommodate a 600mm, but is wider than three above cases and would be able to handle some additional lenses and gear internally. That GuraGear Kiboko 30L looks large enough, too. However, the Tenba sling bag someone referenced earlier is not large enough in length or depth.

All the above are backpacks with two straps. Personally I wouldn't consider anything less trying to carry that large a lens. If you plan to carry it very far, also look for a backpack with a waist strap, to further distribute the weight. Any bag you consider, you might also look at if and how they handle a tripod, because I imagine you'll often be hauling one to use with that lens, too.

All my bags are pretty old versions (LowePro hold up well over time) and my largest lens is a 500mm f/4 that's a tad smaller than your 600mm so I'm able to use a slightly smaller Photo Trekker backpack with it (not sure, but might be similar to current LowePro 500 AW model).

I did a quick search for camera bags with keyword "600mm" at B&H Photo and found the following short list: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/products/Backpacks-Daypacks/ci/176?searchWithin=600mm They only list four backpack-style bags. Perhaps there are others, but those are the only ones that B&H specifically cites as able to accommodate a 600mm. There's also the LowePro 550 AW that appears large enough for a 600mm plus some other gear. I also found a big Porta Brace I'm sure could handle it, but is actually designed for video gear, pretty big and rather pricey. Adorama appears to have a similar backpack selection.