Camera bag

Hi does any use a bag that is not a camera bag for body and lenses

Personally no, I like the fact that a camera bag is designed to hold my expensive photography equipment.
I also imagine that if Joe public some sees you remove a camera from a bag, if it's the rucksack type then they will probably think it's a normal one.
 
I put a bag that is made for photographic gear inside a bag that isn't, does that count?
 
ive been looking for a new bigger bag when I started only had the body and kit lens now the kit is growing I like the idea that a camera bag holds all your kit for you
 
Interesting..
I'm assuming you do this for security?

Nope, just prefer proper rucksacks especially those with a mesh frame that keeps them away from your back.
Also want room for other stuff like clothes and food, water bladder is another nice option to have.
 
Hi does any use a bag that is not a camera bag for body and lenses

Only when I was in Thailand.
1. Because it was my hand luggage so wrapped my lenses & camera up in a few tshirts and pants in case my main luggage got lost and I needed some clothes.

2. I thought it'd less likely be stolen if it was in a normal rucksack. (it wasn't stolen so a success in my eyes)
 
Just clip some carabiners and a tin mug to the outside of your camera bag.

Could get some red socks and a walking pole or two as well, then its head first down a slippery slope to joining a camera club. :)
 
Nope. Camera bags come with padded dividers that make a huge difference to protecting your gear. You could of course get the dividers separate and stick them into a non specific camera bag, but why would you? You can get decent enough camera bags really cheap if you're not a label whore
 
Using an F-stop padded insert in a 5.11 Rush 24 as a day pack or a Rush 72 for extended gigs. Works well for me, protecting my camera gear and accommodating other stuff like my hydration system, IFAK etc.

GC
 
Osprey hiking bag with a camera insert, works an absolute treat, more comfortable and nowhere near as expensive as a camera bag... i would never buy another camera specific bag again

I use a Gregory bag, very similar to Osprey in design and feel the same as you about camera specific bags.
 
Manfrotto Off Road backpack which has a removable insert for days out, a Lowepro Flipside 300 for photo trips without much hiking & a Firetrap messenger style bag with a ICU which is a perfect fit for general use.
 
And your problem with camera clubs is?

This from an old post, still applies though

I tried a camera club, can see why the youngsters would be put off, but so was this reasonably youthful 55 year old ( I do wear more modern attire than some of my years and still have a liking for loud rock music)

Some of the oldies were pleasant enough, but just so ancient in their ways, my arse went to sleep sat watching a slideshow of some blokes trip to Prague, highlight was the halftime break to take tea and suck a biscuit. Went again to see if it was always that dreadful, even worse and another two hours bum numbing while some hitherto unseen pompous old git gave his "expert opinion" on assorted slides and mounted prints.
Really didn't like this judge character, not sure if it was his sanctimonious attitude or the way he bullied and bossed his timid missus (assistant) about that gave me the hump most, in hindsight it was definitely the latter.

I'm not interested enough to try and form my own community, guess that's the problem although not sure what happens when all the olds pass away and take their care home clubs with them.
 
You've got 2 years on me but I'm with you all the way with the music scene :D

Oh and sorry for going off topic.

Nothing wrong with 55 year olds rockin' out to Zep, Purple, DC etc;)

We need a Devil's Horns emoji thing!

GC
 
Osprey hiking bag with a camera insert, works an absolute treat, more comfortable and nowhere near as expensive as a camera bag... i would never buy another camera specific bag again

Been looking at this solution myself. What sort of capacity is your backpack?
 
I often use a Normal Ruck sack and have my camera inside a soft cotton back to protect it.

I have a Kipling Duffel Bag that is actually part camera back part duffel.
 
I like the F Stop bags because of their versatility for camera gear and other equipment and comfort over other camera bags I’ve had. Their camera rear access is grest along with the different sized ICU options, but have to say I recently got an osprey stratos 24L backpack for walking/hiking (without a camera) and it’s so comfortable. I’ve found a F Stop small shallow ICU (I already had it) can fit into it well so potentially I’m thinking of using it in the lakes in a few months when we have some high mountain treks to get to a photography location.

When I was looking at a hiking day bag I was thinking about it’s possible potential for photography on the odd occasion too after reading this:

https://petapixel.com/2017/03/30/camera-specific-outdoor-packs-suck-heres-use-instead/

I checked out all of the backpack options in a camp shop taking the ICU with me and decided the Osprey Stratos 24L was the right one for me because if it’s zip access, harness fit and right size as a walking day bag. It just so happened to be the same one as the link!
 
you can get much cheaper camera bag inserts from the likes of amazon at a much cheaper price than fstop
If I didn’t already have the F Stop ICUs this is the route I would have taken. Much cheaper too.

If you are walking up and down mountains a proper rucksack is going to be much better than a standard camera bag. Most Camera bags don’t have properly designed harnesses to carry and spread loads so are hanging off you rather than spreading load to the right places. Camera bags are great for trips around town, parks and zoos because of the access, but out in the countryside walking miles between locations you feel it after a full day. Inserts and osprey (other brands are available) rucksacks are usually cheaper and don’t provide less protection either.
 
Nothing wrong with 55 year olds rockin' out to Zep, Purple, DC etc;)

We need a Devil's Horns emoji thing!

GC

Sounds good to me, I will ask the mods on the site help section.

That was taken from an old post, hitting 60 later this year and still rocking, pleased to see a fair few older than me when I saw Evanescence last year.
Just bought a ticket for Within Temptation in November and will probably do Nightwish in December too.
 
Good approach, I have a Think Tank Retrospective 6, I love the functionality, but despite being outwardly very plain, the shape of it still screams camera bag.

Biggest problem with these is the complete lack of any protection on the bottom of these, even the lowepro has some protection on the bottom.
 
Nope, just prefer proper rucksacks especially those with a mesh frame that keeps them away from your back.
Also want room for other stuff like clothes and food, water bladder is another nice option to have.

Yep, currently swap between the lowepro 22l hatchback https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lowepro-Ph...TF8&qid=1536176947&sr=8-2&keywords=lowepro+22 which i got on wex for about 25 quid and an osprey proper backpack stratos 36l https://www.amazon.co.uk/Osprey-Men...UTF8&qid=1536177026&sr=8-4&keywords=osprey+36 with an insert. currently this one, a bit longer and narrower than the previous one that was too big in there https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01DNAGWAU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
Then also it depends what you actually want to do, my 2 options above are only 2 of my walking only bags, then theres the retrospective over the shoulder bag, the lowepro stealth 650 and stealth 350, the lowepro nova 100 and of course the Osprey Kestrel I've just used for an overnight wild camping trip up Kinder to cart camping and photography gear to get a sunset and sunrise shot!
You never only have one bag!
 
Hi does any use a bag that is not a camera bag for body and lenses
The answer as informative as the question is simply "Yes"
I think the question needs expanding some to get a more meaningful answer.

"Body and Lenses" implies interchangeable system lens, most often SLR camera, that would beg carting more than one alternative lens around. B-U-T, even then, a camera only needs one lens to take a photo; and if lens attached to body, what else do you need?

My most-Used camera of all time, and still used, is a little Olympus XA2 film camera. It has integral lens, and is diddy enough to slip in a pocket, which is how it's been carried most of the last thirty odd years.

My favorite camera is a Sigma MK1 SLR. It fell out of an stick clearance at some point in the early 90's and I decided to build up a 'Period' 1960/70's outfit around it, when rummaging through the bargain bins at the Camera shop when I popped in for film. It came with a soft case, and Ziess 50 on the front., and a strap pouch was added to take a 29mm wide angle, then another to carry an accessory flash. The kit was migrated into a army-surplus knap-sack at one point, as I added a 135mm portrait lens and some other odds-n-sods, in their own cases, then eventually to a 1960's 'vanity case' style camera bag with partitions for lenses & stuff, when I added more 'guff' including a couple of tele-converters and a 300mm telephoto.... B-U-T no-one says you have to take it all with you, all the time... and often I would just grab the camera and soft-case and the most appropriate lens for potential subject matter, maybe stuffing the 29 or 50 in the strap pouch....

In similar manner, modern Electric-Picture-Maker lives in the gadget-bag... along with the spare lenses and the spare batteries, SD cards, travel charger, etc etc etc,,,,, B-U-T no one says I have to have ALL the Gear, ALL the time.... and with 'zoom' lenses? Most of what's in the camera bag would never be needed anyway.... I ride a motorbike, and space is at a premium on them, so again, like the old Sigma, I'm most likely to slap the kit 18-55 on the front, grab the camera, slip a spare SD card and battery in my pocket, and 'just' haul the camera and non of the superfluous 'crud' with it.

So the answer remains 'yes' to the question you asked.... but rather potted.. I DO own and do use dedicated camera bags, but I don't always use them, when out and about.... SO what do you REALLY want to actually know?

Is a dedicated camera bag really necessary? No, its not.
Is a dedicated camera bag the 'best' way to carry gear about? Well, not always.
How important is the 'look' of a dedicated camera bag advertising its a camera bag, how worth-while is being 'incognito' not advertising carting camera about?
Etc etc etc.
Its all an open ended question, so what really do you want to know?

So much is so circumstance dependent.
 
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Osprey hiking bag with a camera insert, works an absolute treat, more comfortable and nowhere near as expensive as a camera bag... i would never buy another camera specific bag again
Same here
I spent ages looking for a bag to carry both camera and waterproofs, food and water. All of the camera rucksacks are either far too big for day hikes - at least twice as big than a day hiking bag, or add far more weight than needed.
Im not in the habit of throwing my bag down and dont have to store it in overhead lockers on planes so all thats required is something to prevent accidental knocks. I have an insert that takes a small DSLR and 2 lenses. It goes in either my messenger bag or osprey day sack. I carry a drysack thats large enough for the insert to slide into should I get caught in heavy rain. The daysack weighs less than a kilo compared to 3-6 kilos that a similar sized camera rucksack would wiegh. And takes everything needed for a days walking. If short trips the messenger bag gets used instead
 
Hi does any use a bag that is not a camera bag for body and lenses
Quite often. Cheap canvas messenger bag. Domke protective wraps. Have never had any problems for casual (low-key) days out.

Mind you, it hasn't stopped me spending a fortune on 'proper' camera bags. It' matches my wife's obsession with handbags and shoes.
 
This is the most uncamera bag camera bag that I have.

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But it was a recent addition, before then I actually used a normal messenger bag and just put my camera in it between shooting when i am out and about.
 
Now to me that SCREEMS posh camera bag or Womans handy bag or posy mans bag and is just BEGGING to be snatched.
Now if it was a bit battered and stained, a bit world weary, then thats a different matter.
 
I've got a cheap padded insert that fit's in several bags depending on what's needed. I've got a Lowepro pro trekker which is a bit big if you are just out for a walk or holiday. I've got a nice smaller canvas backpack that i used for one or two lenses for a walk or a messenger bag which comes on holiday with me.
 
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