Big Bag Q

david1701

david1701

Messages
10,870
Name
David
Edit My Images
No
Sorry guys, but I need some help with this.

I have a gripped 50d and it won't fit in my fastpack 350 properly anymore. For a while I have been wanting something a bit bigger for my accessories (inc a light stand and big umbrella) possibly something wheeled as it can get dammed heavy, but also something portable as I often need to carry the bag over rough terrain. A laptop slot is also important.
I take all my kit when I go away / go home for the weekend so it kinda needs to fit in one bag. - Liking the kata bags but easy as to brand - cost will have to be sorted out when I know how much I need to spend.

My kit list:

gripped 50d (fairly massive now)
eos 650 film body (hope to use it more and more)

80-200 f2.8L (about the same size as a 70-200)
28-75 f2.8 DI (tamron and a fair bit smaller than the L offering - I think)
19-35 short but with a fat front element(82mm)-would like to upgrade to 17-50f2.8
50mm f1.4
50mm f1.8 (for film body)
all with hoods

430exII - would intend to add a 580exII aswell at some point

light stand and umbrella - tape/velcro together to go into a tripod holder with a little luck

Ezybox in its bag along with umbrella adapter and a billion cables - actually overflow the lowepro cable bag

Laptop (15.4")

cheers guys I can't make heads or tales of the sizes on t'interent
 
hmm. the perfect bag is always tricky to find. Have you tried looking at the think tank range? http://www.thinktankphoto.com/index.html

I use one of their Urban Disguise bags, but they make ones with wheels. Build quality is excellent.

I had a Kata 3-in-1 bag for a while, which you can also get a trolley for, but didn't like the design so much and wasn't convinced I could put as much in the bag as I needed...

Good luck
 
That's a lot to carry, and if it's over rough terrain then I would have thought a back pack was the best option, but access is difficult. A shoulder bag is better for that like one of the big Lowepros or a Billingham would take it all.

Each to their own, but I don't see the point of the film camera, especially with the duplicate lens, and if you could keep it to one flash gun that would make it a heck of a lot more manageable and you could get it in a Lowepro Slingshot. Good for hiking but with quick access. Or a smaller shoulder bag.

Basically I would question whether you need to take all that stuff all the time. You can't use the film camera and two flash guns very often. Or maybe you can :thinking:
 
thats the thing most of the time I use the bag there's enough room (without grip), but when I go home I need all the kit as I have no idea what I will be doing over the weekend/week and I really need it all to go in one bag as i have a holdall as well that I put clothes (or washing if i'm going home) in.

heading off to ogle think tank bags, but as you say wheels is good for some things and bad for others, but a backpack offers greatest flexibility at expense of your back, maybe I need to work out what I need first....

for portraits I need the gripped body 80-200 50mm all the lighting stuff, but like to take the other glass in case an opportunity to use something different comes up.

Sports I need the gripped body and 80-200, maybe the 28-75 as well in case

music I need speedlight 50mm f1.4 and maybe 80-200

but dammit I never know what I want to do so I always want all of it so I can always do whatever :confused:
 
I'm thinking the think tank antidote as it looks v flexible as to carrying options and is dammed light empty, and I can put my lightstand on the side, might still need to put softbox in other bag but its the big metal things that hit me in the leg that are infuriating :p however it is over budget so maybe I can put away and stretch the budget....

clicky

Anyone know of a cheaper supplier?

or anyone have any experience wit this bag or its brothers that I oughta know
 
I've been looking at the crumpler pyjama pride and it seems promising. They're also available a little cheaper on a well known auction site
 
I have the Lowepro nature trekker
It's huge!!! :eek:

It's great to wear though as it's a similar size to a normal outdoor day pack with properly designed and padded straps.

It weighs a lot empty though and once it's full of kit you'll have +25 pounds on your back without a tripod or lappy. At those sorts of weights i'd not consider a single shoulder strapped bag on flat ground....never mind the rough stuff

Awesome build though (y)
 
I like the crumplers but never understood which were the big ones - its tricky to judge sizes from pics online.

trying to reduce empty weight as I hope to be flexible by leaving as much kit as possible behind but for extended stuff I need it all in case :confused:

vertex 300 ogling

loving the look of the vertex any one know of it for less than 130 as thats the jessops price and I can get it sent to the store in town, haven't beaten 135 delivered online
 
I carry a gripped 40D with a 100-400mm attached, a 17-85IS, Sigma 10-20mm, 15" Laptop, plus extras such as 12v charger for the laptop, external hard drive, memory card reader, batteries, cards etc, and to carry all this I use a Tamrac Expedition 7X, and I can still get some more gear into it.

Might be worth a look....
 
david1701 said:
or anyone have any experience wit this bag or its brothers that I oughta know
Click to expand...

I've used a ThinkTank Airport Acceleration for a couple of years now and Sue (whooshdemon) uses an Airport Antidote.

I think they are great bags and would replace mine with the same again.

Review from me here
 
Oh, on the review, I note the weight it was loaded to. I regularly run mine at 18kg full and can use it all day. You'll struggle to hit that weight with the kit you list.
 
Sorry to butt in (Well, a bit sorry)

Paul, how much do you rate the think tank bags for build etc against a similar lowepro?
I'm considering one of their streetwalker pro bags...
 
it's all good - and master trinity I currently have a fastpack - and asked me to buy it :p

ogling tamrac

hmm I really like the look of the think tank, but the acceleration is a bit ott, I'll PM sue and ask her how she rates her antidote.....
 
RichardtheSane said:
Sorry to butt in (Well, a bit sorry)

Paul, how much do you rate the think tank bags for build etc against a similar lowepro?
I'm considering one of their streetwalker pro bags...
Click to expand...

I really like them Richard. Well made. Mine's been all over the place over the last 2 years and is still holding together perfectly. Wall thickness is a bit less than the Nature/Photo/Pro Trekker series but that helps keep the weight down and I've never felt my kit in vulnerable. The top guy there is a former designer at Lowe Pro. I'd like a Steetwalker for when I don't have the 500 with me and want a smaller bag.

david1701 said:
hmm I really like the look of the think tank, but the acceleration is a bit ott, I'll PM sue and ask her how she rates her antidote.....
Click to expand...


She's my other half so I'll warn her it's coming! ;)
 
There are lots of pictures of various bags on this German site, which might help you figure out a good solution - http://www.taschenfreak.de/indexlisteart.htm.

There's also a whole bunch of bag reviews here - http://www.cambags.com/,
and here - http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=585253

Here's a Think Tank Airport Acceleration V1, which I suspect would cope with all your gear....

20090406_191543_LR.jpg


You can just make out a 70-200/2.8L IS and 100-400 buried under other stuff. There is a stretchy tripod pocket and various attachment straps supplied and a laptop case that slips into an elasticated sleeve on the outside of the bag. You can buy low profile dividers that will allow the laptop to be stored inside the bag. The V2 appears, from photos, to be an improvement, especially in terms of security for the laptop. There is plenty of room for one camera to be gripped, or both with a bit of juggling, and you can clearly choose to have lenses mounted or not.

Dell XPS M1710 17" laptop trying, but just failing, to squeeze into the supplied laptop bag....

20090406_191554_LR.jpg


No problem for my 12.1 incher. 15.4" should be fine....

20090406_191600_LR.jpg


Compared to my Lowepro Slingshot 200 AW....

20090406_191606_LR.jpg


The tripod straps are removeable, as is the rain cover and waist belt, and the shoulder straps can be tucked away to turn the "rucksack" into a "case". Here it is once again compared to the SS 200, and with the shoulder straps tucked away.

20090406_191641_LR.jpg
 
Think Tank interior looks like 18% grey, like Lowepro.
 
odd that german site is great, that and your pictures have kinda gotten me swayed towards the acceleration in case my kit grows (though as of now I intend to be upgrading for the most part - apart from a second body and maybe some primes)


anyone know where they are cheapest, antidote is 111 delivered frommorris but the acceleration is 180 there....
 
Unfortunately, Think Tank stuff is a bit like Stella Artois - reassuringly expensive. £180 is actually a pretty decent price for the Acceleration. In the US it's $279 so when you consider today's exchange rates, and then add VAT, £180 is probably as good as it gets.

I do like their stuff though. I also have their Skin Set and Pro Speed Belt modular waist belt system and their Urban Disguise 60 shoulder bag. With that lot, the Acceleration, and the Slingshot 200 I hope I won't need any other bags for some time to come.

I have nothing against Lowepro, or anyone else, but the Think Tank products are definitely well designed and constructed. The Airport.... range of backpacks are designed on purpose to meet international carry-on limits, a constraint that Lowepro seems to have ignored with some of its otherwise similar sized packs. If you're not taking your stuff on planes then Lowepro might offer better value, or at least cheaper prices.
 
well the vertex 300 is 180 quid in my local shop and they'd need to order it in (cheaper online I know) so tbh the money is similar I just try to shave the odd fiver off

also the acceleration is out of stock - dropped them an email about it I'll have a google and see if anyone else has them at similar prices, someone has at 185 but I can't remember where
 
I have a lowepro minitrekker, an aw computrekker and a Tamrac Expedition 5

The minitrekker now gets used by my son, but before that I used to just put into it what I needed, especially if walking. I intend to use the computrekker that way too, with the Tamrac as a backup/safe storage at home/bigger bag if needed later..

I bought the tamrac thinking it was a lighter bag than the computreker, but it's just the stuff I carry (too much).

Realistically you can carry too much stuff
 
david1701 said:
good call, think I'll give clifton a bell when they open
Click to expand...

Ooooooo - careful. I just noticed that by description and the product image they appear to be selling the V1. I don't know the ins and outs of what changed between the V1 and V2 but the laptop storage/security looks far better on the V2.

If it was my money I'd almost certainly want the V2 (the one I now have is the V1). I think there is at least one other security enhancement on the V2 as well. Jacobs has stock and it is the V2.
 
I did see it badger and it was v helpful considering getting an antidote as they're cheaper and in stock, need to go give some shops a call.....
 
Take a look on Amazon... Gem photo back pack..... I have one of these, and it is very very well made, and very capacious... The price is unbeatable!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top