Messenger Bag

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Sean Wilson

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Hi,
Any recommendations for a messenger bag, to carry 1 x pro body DSLR with lens, a couple of extras lenses mainly short but wide and a 12.9 inch iPad.
I don’t mind if it is large but ideally cannot exceed 230mm x 400mm x 510mm as using it for a holiday.
Decent quality but not in the Billingham price range.
Tried a few local shops, but they only keep a limited range in, cannot find anywhere nearby to view a decent range.
Thanks.
 
I’m just about to get the Tenba DNA 15 Messenger bag, WEX doing it for £125.
 
Gandalf said:
I’m just about to get the Tenba DNA 15 Messenger bag, WEX doing it for £125.
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good price, i am about to sell my dna 13 messenger, so not sure if i like it being a good price :p:dummy::giggle:
 
 
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Strangely enough I was looking at that just before coming back here to see if anyone had replied,also looked at the Vanguard Alta rise 33/38, unfortunately missed a great deal on the Up-rise the previous model.
Edited, replying to Gandalf
 
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I have seen the same one as Sparkler suggested on EBay, same price, it has dedicated compartment for the matching tripod,
It did seem too good to be true, was worried about the protection it afforded
 
That manfrotto bag does look very good value - my caden bag (holds DSLR, 4 lenses and laptop when I travel) has just worth through against an internal zip, so I'm going to give this a try.
 
Bought the Manfrotto one on a whim. It's HUGE! much bigger than I need. I'm sure I'll use it at some point, but the search continues
 
NickTB said:
Bought the Manfrotto one on a whim. It's HUGE! much bigger than I need. I'm sure I'll use it at some point, but the search continues
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Didn't you once mention you liked the look of the Tenba's?
 
The Manfrotto is long but not so wide & more of a briefcase than camera bag shape, but I couldn't easily fit a Dell XPS15 into the laptop pocket. The single handle appears badly placed for carrying, but the strap has a good shoulder pad.

Mine arrived yesterday, but I won't get time to load it until tomorrow night.
 
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JJ! said:
This is what I use, although I would go for the normal size Cooper 13 for a DSLR.
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Good point, I only have m4/3 gear, it might be a bit tight, but not keen on the wider bags
I have a brand new 13 Slim with the labels on in a case under the bed
Got bit of a mild OCD type thing going on that compels me to buy spares of things
Always have s***loads of batteries and memory cards, just about to buy an identical spare camera body
Madness I know, but better to be prepared than caught out
 
tijuana taxi said:
Good point, I only have m4/3 gear, it might be a bit tight, but not keen on the wider bags
I have a brand new 13 Slim with the labels on in a case under the bed
Got bit of a mild OCD type thing going on that compels me to buy spares of things
Always have s***loads of batteries and memory cards, just about to buy an identical spare camera body
Madness I know, but better to be prepared than caught out
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Yeah I use to have the normal one for the D750 and now the slim for the A7iii - its a quality made bag!
 
@NickTB ..... it’s the reason I’m going for the Messenger 15 as I want to carry both my X-T2 and X-T3 which are both Gripped, with a lens each + one spare.
 
i have the tenba messenger 14 i think it is, really nice bag, holds plenty of kit but does feel heavy on the shoulder i find. I have upgraded the shoulder pad to a billingham one that someone on here put me onto and while it is an improvement i do still find that after a few hours wandering it gets uncomfortable and a coffee break is needed
 
NickTB said:
Bought the Manfrotto one on a whim. It's HUGE! much bigger than I need. I'm sure I'll use it at some point, but the search continues
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Is it?

It's hard to tell on line. I'd like something big enough for my A7 and a prime (the biggest lenses I have are the 85mm f1.8 and 28-70mm) plus a couple of bottles of water and snacks. I'm looking at that bag now and can't decide if it'll be too big or just right.

Would it pass for carry on?
 
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woof woof said:
Is it?

It's hard to tell on line. I'd like something big enough for my A7 and a prime (the biggest lenses I have are the 85mm f1.8 and 28-70mm) plus a couple of bottles of water and snacks. I'm looking at that bag now and can't decide if it'll be too big or just right.

Would it pass for carry on?
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It looks way too big for what you need, was interested myself until I saw this - it's as big as my old Thinktank Sling-o-matic 20 - which I now find huge! and use it for storage only. Much as I hate tiny little hipster 80's school-bag looking bags, it's more something in between those and this Manfrotto I want.

Just flick to 1:55 and then make up your own mind

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL49xME9h-g
 
I actually have the DNA 10 not 11. But this is the Manfrotto and the DNA side by side

 
Cagey75 said:
It looks way too big for what you need, was interested myself until I saw this - it's as big as my old Thinktank Sling-o-matic 20 - which I now find huge! and use it for storage only. Much as I hate tiny little hipster 80's school-bag looking bags, it's more something in between those and this Manfrotto I want.

Just flick to 1:55 and then make up your own mind

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL49xME9h-g
Click to expand...

Just been looking at Billingham Hadley small and pro. but the problem is that these bags aren't big enough to take a tiddly little A7 without the bag bulging, the bag is only 3" wide which is pathetic and to be honest I just don't know what cameras these bags are designed for. Looks like compacts. This is exactly the problem with the Billingham bag I have at the moment.

Perhaps I'm wrong to expect to fit a camera in a camera bag without the bag bulging but it seems like this will stress the camera and the bag and eventually cause rub marks on both.
 
woof woof said:
Just been looking at Billingham Hadley small and pro. but the problem is that these bags aren't big enough to take a tiddly little A7 without the bag bulging, the bag is only 3" wide which is pathetic and to be honest I just don't know what cameras these bags are designed for. Looks like compacts. This is exactly the problem with the Billingham bag I have at the moment.

Perhaps I'm wrong to expect to fit a camera in a camera bag without the bag bulging but it seems like this will stress the camera and the bag and eventually cause rub marks on both.
Click to expand...

Honestly look at Amazon basics or Caden bags, I have one here [mine was Bestek, now Caden I think as can't find the one I have on there anymore] that was £30 - it's well padded, water proof exterior, has padding inside and is deep and wide enough to hold a camera with small lens attached, a flash and another lens, my mini pixi tripod, rocket blower and all the usual extras. Something like this one here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CADeN-Phot...enger+bag&qid=1558540402&s=electronics&sr=1-6

The price on this Manfrotto one is attractive, but it's just the badge otherwise. Some of the generic make ones are built just as well. I have that one a couple year now and it's still good as new, and been out with me many times.

Actually this is more like the one I have, exterior is a bit like an old fishing bag, which I kind of like: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CADeN-Mess...Z4QRHPMX1A2&psc=1&refRID=ED7RXAP5SZ4QRHPMX1A2

Only mine is all yellow padding interior. I have had it out in the rain a few times and nothing got so much as a drop inside
 
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The Caden bag quoted above is almost exactly the same as the Tenba DNA at a third of the price. I can't see the dimensions though?
 
NickTB said:
The Caden bag quoted above is almost exactly the same as the Tenba DNA at a third of the price. I can't see the dimensions though?
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Just under the price option, they have the dimensions in inches: 14 * 5.3 * 10 - which is about 35 x 13 x 25cm
 
Cagey75 said:
Actually this is more like the one I have, exterior is a bit like an old fishing bag, which I kind of like: https://www.amazon.co.uk/CADeN-Mess...Z4QRHPMX1A2&psc=1&refRID=ED7RXAP5SZ4QRHPMX1A2
Click to expand...

I have a couple of these, one of which has been my go-to bag for the last 3 years, been all over with me, and has just developed a small hole on the back from rubbing against an internal zip. I replaced the internal padded section with a larger one (because the supplied version was too small for the bag) & it will take a D610, 4 lenses and a 13" Macbook. This is what the Manfrotto will replace.
 
ancient_mariner said:
I have a couple of these, one of which has been my go-to bag for the last 3 years, been all over with me, and has just developed a small hole on the back from rubbing against an internal zip. I replaced the internal padded section with a larger one (because the supplied version was too small for the bag) & it will take a D610, 4 lenses and a 13" Macbook. This is what the Manfrotto will replace.
Click to expand...

It must be a bit larger than the one I have - Most I would get into mine would be camera, 2 lenses and a flash with the usual small extras. Might just get this one myself.
 
ancient_mariner said:
The Manfrotto is long but not so wide & more of a briefcase than camera bag shape, but I couldn't easily fit a Dell XPS15 into the laptop pocket. The single handle appears badly placed for carrying, but the strap has a good shoulder pad.

Mine arrived yesterday, but I won't get time to load it until tomorrow night.
Click to expand...
Got mines today. Great for £24.99 inc delivery.
I thought the same about the handle.
Great value though. I'm sure it will get good use.
 
Ok, so I tried the new bag, and it's a behemoth, with a caveat. The big compartment, obviously made to hold a camera, cannot be partitioned across the middle, so the camera can slide around where you might have fitted an extra lens. I also think that the rear pocket will take a 15" laptop OK.

Old bag and A7II, 24-105, 12-24 and hidden at the front, Sammy 35 f2.8.
IMG_20190523_203541.jpeg

New bag with same inside, and LOADS of spare room. I just hope the strap doesn't pull out like some customers have mentioned on Amazon.
IMG_20190523_203509.jpeg
 
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Strangely enough I put mine the opposite way around, my lenses fit neatly in the mesh side, my 70-300mm slides nicely in the orange tube, just put of one of the orange partitions under the camera with a void underneath which I might fill later, so I don’t have to reach to the bottom of the bag for my camera.
I like the bag it’s not perfect but certainly worth the asking price and more.8DC17768-0ECE-4022-9F81-F27E8C24CB07.jpeg
 
I was trying to work out how to get mine home as I cycle to work and already carry a rucksack.

As I ride a Brompton, and happened to have my front luggage with me, I took the frame out the Brompton bag and used the clips to attach the messenger bag to it.

Fingers crossed it all stays on.C6C71755-3327-412B-A929-BD31E52BA8C9.jpeg
 
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I ordered a Billingham. The one that came is nothing like the colour of the one on the site, it's looks like diarrhoea.

Oh well :( Serves me right.
 
NickTB said:
Bought the Manfrotto one on a whim. It's HUGE! much bigger than I need. I'm sure I'll use it at some point, but the search continues
Click to expand...

On the same link was a Manfrotto Pixi - which is smaller (but double the price).
 
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