Camera Bags

freecom2

freecom2

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Evening all,
I try not to get too bogged down with camera bags and obsessing with gear, but I have been browsing satchel-style bags and it got me thinking... what do F&C use?
 
Billingham Hadley Large. Not the cheapest of bags but it holds loads of stuff and it's waterproof
 
I use a BIllingham Photo Vest. Filters, exposure meters, cable releases, cleaning cloth and brush, notebook, loupe and darkslides all go in. I just have to carry the camera and tripod. My focusing cloth can be worn as a cape.

If I'm walking far, I'll use a backpack which will take the tripod and focusing cloth, together with a Mamiya RZ67 if I want a point and shoot.
 
Most of the time, a Domke F2, but every now and then I'll use my Billingham Hadley Pro. If I'm going to be lugging more stuff I have a Crumpler Jackpack Full backpack.
 
I have a crumbles, I can vouch for its weather/water proof abilities.

It isn't too big though. I also have a flip side sport pro, which can carry the entire kitchen.
 
Sadly a bag obsessive, Billingham 225, 335, 445 and Kata 3N1-20 used depending on what kit is to be carried. The 445 is really only used as a store room:LOL:
 
Really interesting, keep them coming!

(may have some questions aimed at the Billingham users coming up as well, if you all are willing)
 
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Billingham 550 when I needed to carry a lot of gear. If not, then just a normal backpack or bag as I tend to keep it light.
 
I've got an ex Swedish army gas mask bag I use for anything smaller than the rb67. The 67 goes in a Lowepro backpack... This is rubbish carries the weight far too low and hurts my back.
 
Another Billingham junkie here. I have a 550 for travel (perfect carry on size), a large Hadley, an old 445 the only one I don’t get on with, a 225 - not much more space than the Hadley and annoying cube like makes it irritating to carry.

But sadly their pricing has got a little silly of late, the 550 is now £579!

Mark
 
One of the big f-stop bags for when I'm going more than a mile or so from the car. It's really comfy and adjustable so I can carry all the LF gear as far as I want. I have an old Billingham I use when going shorter distances, but that's not very often these days. Alternatively if I'm just out with a TLR I use a normal messenger bag and a lowepro tube-like lens case thing inside it
 
Another Billingham 445 user here with a Tamrac Messenger or an old CCS bag for carrying a body and spare lens or 2 around.
 
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1 APS-C body + 2 primes fit in either a B'ham L2 as a simple shoulder bag, or in a ThinkTank Digital Holster 20 V2 that can be carried inside a rucsac or separately - the choice depends where I'm going & what I'm doing.
 
There's lots of different bag set-ups, but what sort of gear are you packing into your Hadley Pros?

Also, maybe this is a personal gripe, but I always like having a bottle of water on me (or other non-photographic items!), yet all the camera bag reviews never seem to involve people who need any sort of pens, water, or anything which doesn't serve a purpose on a Leica M...!
 
Until I sell some organs to buy a Billingham I use a nice adidas shoulder bag. A small one. Fits an SLR with a lens attached and one of the smaller cameras. Can squeeze a few rolls of film in the front.

It has Darth Vader on it.
 
freecom2 said:
There's lots of different bag set-ups, but what sort of gear are you packing into your Hadley Pros?
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Hadley large but mine is divided into three roughly equal sections, Hasselblad with lens in centre, one lens with hoods on either side, spare film back in each front pocket and then a couple of extra rolls poked in here and there.

Thats pretty full and not much space for phone or sunnies really.

Mark
 
freecom2 said:
There's lots of different bag set-ups, but what sort of gear are you packing into your Hadley Pros?

Also, maybe this is a personal gripe, but I always like having a bottle of water on me (or other non-photographic items!), yet all the camera bag reviews never seem to involve people who need any sort of pens, water, or anything which doesn't serve a purpose on a Leica M...!
Click to expand...

In my Hadley Large (only marginally larger than the Hadley Pro) I can fit my 5Dmk2 with lens and hood attached and my Fuji GW690, lightmeter, notebook, iPad, stacks of film (15 rolls is the most I've ever carried), paperback book, chargers, cables, pens, torch, Gorillapod and a jumper.

Thst was the gear I took to New York in it and I rarely carry that much normally, in fact I left most of the stuff in the hotel during the day and chopped and changed for every day.
 
A Billingham hadley pro, a small crumpler, a large lowepro rucksack, and I mostly use a small old canvas bag that I got free when i bought a camera last year.
 
Thanks for the descriptions. I get the impression the Hadley large is taller, but all the other dimensions are roughly the same?
 
Crumpler backpack as it holds a fat dslr, couple of fat lenses, laptop, pile of bits, cables, cards, with room for toothpaste, razor, some clean pairs of pants and fits Ryanair's fascistic cabin luggage rules. Downside is that if it isn't packed out with pants, the velcro dividers let go and everything ends up in a heap at the bottom. Otherwise a Domke J-1 with loads of inserts. Don't like Billingham bags as you absolutely have to wear chinos, blue shirt and a panama hat with them. It's the law. :)
 
Don't really use a bag at the moment as I only have 1 body and lens, but I do have a Crumpler messenger style bag with removable dividers and space for 2 35mm bodies, 3/4 lenses, flash etc, a 16" laptop slot and much more. Huge big thing that's been used for everything (hand luggage on flights, trains etc, overnight bag when staying at friends/parents for the weekend) and it's not missed a single beat. It's probably a good 6 or 7 years old now and looks brand new.
 
steveo_mcg said:
I've got an ex Swedish army gas mask bag I use for anything smaller than the rb67. The 67 goes in a Lowepro backpack... This is rubbish carries the weight far too low and hurts my back.
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Same here - bought a couple over ebay for a few £s each and they've been great. Gas mask bags or occasionally referred to a bread bags I think.
 
lordy...lol


If it don't fit in a Town & Country camera bag, it don't go.

And when I get there I don't even carry it, it stays in the boot.

So, no bag, I carry about my person 1 RF with lens, the odd filter and 2-3 rolls of film.

stuff lenses, stuff tripods, lifes too short for trecking like a sherpa with junk you might use on the off chance.

A decent pair of cargo kecks come in handy though


I would say that is my philosophy for any shoot, I mean if I was taking Veronica for an outing not an RF, I'd take the whole bag of kit but only actually carry what I needed, so Veronica, a lens, a tripod if necessary......don't need a bag for those.
 
stuff lenses, stuff tripods, lifes too short for trecking like a sherpa with junk you might use on the off chance.
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Which is a great way to run RFs, and how they are designed to be used. It doesn't quite work like that in LF land with 8 exposures for a days shooting. If you find a shot you damn well want to make sure you have the doohickey you need, which definitely includes a tripod
 
I've got a Lowepro backpack kind of thing.

I keep on trying to get a reasonably priced Billingham on ebay, but prices always go a bit too high for me
 
raathistle said:
Which is a great way to run RFs, and how they are designed to be used. It doesn't quite work like that in LF land with 8 exposures for a days shooting. If you find a shot you damn well want to make sure you have the doohickey you need, which definitely includes a tripod
Click to expand...


We aren't talking LF, but if we were I'd be recommending a donkey....



....and cart


Actually, that's a good point, we don't know what Julie is gonna want to pack, and without getting all sexist about it, whether she is up to carrying half the junk the blokes are lugging about.
Its all well and good suggesting a bag to carry 25kg, but she might only be up for 10kg or less even.
 
I love my Hadley Pro. I have bigger bags but I tend to stick to only what I can carry in the Hadley if I have to carry it around all day.

I'd had a load of camera bags fall apart after relatively little use but my Hadley Pro has survived nearly daily usage for the last two years.
 
I've got a Billingham 225 but it tends to get used more for storage than much else. It's a fantastic bag but pretty heavy when full.

I've got a a small Crumpler bag which takes a DSLR body and lens but I'm thinking I'd like a larger Crumpler messenger style which can take a bit more.

The Crumplers are a really nice style and build IMO.
 
joxby said:
We aren't talking LF, but if we were I'd be recommending a donkey....

....and cart

Actually, that's a good point, we don't know what Julie is gonna want to pack, and without getting all sexist about it, whether she is up to carrying half the junk the blokes are lugging about.
Its all well and good suggesting a bag to carry 25kg, but she might only be up for 10kg or less even.
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Julie? Veronica? Who are these people? :bonk:

Contemplating a Hadley Pro. Only a bit worried about the weight distribution, even with the additional shoulder pad.
 
freecom2 said:
Julie? Veronica? Who are these people? :bonk:

Contemplating a Hadley Pro. Only a bit worried about the weight distribution, even with the additional shoulder pad.
Click to expand...


You is F&C's Julie...lol...cos we don't have a name for you, you'd crack some skulls if we called you Mrs, and Freecom sounds like a mobile phone shop.

Veronica is my Bronica

:D
 
Personally, I wouldn't be seen dead wearing one but a backpack is probably the most efficient way to shift tackle.
 
Mamiya ally suitcase to keep all the 645 lenses in. Lowepro Photo Trekker which is the storage/entire kit DLSR transport system, a Samsonite shoulder bag which is really well padded and waterproof and which serves as a daybag for one SLR body + two/three lenses or two SLRs and one/two. The only thing I can't get in is a second lens alongside a 645 body and lens. So I'm vaguely looking for a 15" shoulder bag.
One Oly SLR and 28mm or 50mm lens? Leather Ever ready case every time.
 
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