Which size bag for my gear?

[Fodrigal]

I've tried a few bags and I always seem to end up picking ones that are a bit too small for what I end up wanting to carry around

I've just bought an RX1R and will want to carry it around alongside my A77 and a few lenses. Both these cameras are on the small side really so there should be plenty of bags that will fit them.

I've looking at the ThinkTank Retrospectives as I like there understated looks .

Anyone with experience know which of the sizes would be ok? I'm tempted to just go for the 10 but any opinions on how big they are in practice would be much appreciated.

Any other recommendations suitable for bags would also be great

Thanks

Matt

 

[tuttonp]

Matt
You really have two choices regarding bag size.

Buy one big enough to hold you current kit and the resign yourself to having to buy different bags when you collection increases
Buy one with enough space to expand into and then have a relatively empty bag for now

I plumped for option 1

I have a Retro 40 and 50, after moving from a 5, 10, 20 and 30!! plus shed loads of other bags up to a massive Lowepro Commercial AW

 

[Nod]

IF you think you'll ever want to take it as hand baggage on a flight, go for the largest that's acceptable to the stingiest airline. Empty space can always be filled with spare socks etc. but an extra lens won't fit in a non existent slot! Like many (?most?) I have an assortment of bags, some of which my kit has outgrown and some for specialised use. Currently my main 2 are a LowePro MiniTrekker which holds pretty much (but not quite!) the full SLR kit and a LowePro Fastpack 350 which holds a 4 lens, 2 body Fuji CSC kit with accessories and room for a change of clothes. Both are backpack types.

 

[mikew]

Another option is to find a bag you like and buy it secondhand on ebay in different sizes.mine is now like a set of matching luggage

 

[Major Eazy]

Buy a bag that is little bigger for your kit, to allow you to future proof yourself should you one day decided to buy extra equipment, or also to give you extra space for any other non-photographic stuff, like water bottles, light jacket, whatever else you want to carry around.

Or

Lay down your gear on the floor, look at them, see what you got, like 2 cameras, 2 flashguns, 3 lenses, then go on the internet or get catalogue, most of them would show some icon of how many cameras, lenses, etc., would fit in. Something like Bag A would show the following icons: A camera, a flashgun, a couple of lenses. Bag B would show camera, flashgun, 3 lenses, Bag C would show camera with attached lens, another camera, flashgun, 4 lenses.

From this, you judge the nearest matching icons and your kit, so you would know which bags is right. Also use common sense to figure out roughly kit size and shape for another kit. For example, if Bag C can carry 4 lenses, surely you could image if you were to replace one of the lenses for a flashgun.

i'm sorry but there is no hard and fast rules on which bags is suitable for the number of items and size of your gear, as every photographers' gears are different, bags would display some simple rule of a thumb idea of how many and what kit it would carry.

Most of them would show pictures or drawings of the kit in the bag, just use your imagination to see if it looks like your kit.

Or

Buy bag that happens to be bit too small, but leave one piece of kit that you feel you are unlikely to carry. I'm sure many of us have in past experience taken all the kit with us, only to have not used most of them. An example, you got a bag that leaves no room for ALL your kit, one of the lenses had to be left out, you're going to take photos inside a small building, so leave the big telephoto lens at home.

Or

Bring your gear to a shop or photography show (of if you don't want to bring it all, then make a list of what you got or take a photo of your gear), let the staff there figure out which bags would suit your gear, they'll offer you a number of bags, you just pick whichever you like.

 

[Carlo]

One that won't be too heavy for you when all your kit is in it!