Camera bag options

[ashley]

I have various camera bags sitting unused in cupboards but I'm not sure if a perfect bag for all occasions exists. Above all I want a bag that will protect my gear and not have to worry if I get caught outdoors in a heavy downpour.

In recent years I have favoured backpack designs for easier carrying; relying mainly on a Kata R-103 that can be used as carry on for flights and will take a small laptop. It's well made and fine for a day out but it won't take all my kit if I need to go on jobs with more varied requirements and it could do with more pocket space. I was just looking at the new Kata bags online and they appear to be made of a lighter material but I don't know if they protect as well and wondered if anybody had experience of the new v old Kata bags? 

Are there any other suggestions for a decent sized tough backpack capable of taking a couple pro camera bodies + 4 lenses, laptop, light meter, flash and charger etc? I'm wary of online descriptions from manufacturers claiming bags can take huge amounts of equipment when they evidently don't have sufficient space. The Tenba shootout backpacks look interesting.

Thanks

Ashley

[NancyP]

The largest F-stop bags can swallow just about anything. Loki, Tilopa, or Satori, depending on how much space you need. Very heavy duty.

[ashley]

Thanks, I'll take a look. I had never heard of these bags before.

I'm actually trying simplify the amount of equipment I carry on shoots but at the same time I'd like to have a little spare space if I need to rent something.

[Ellis Vener]

"Are there any other suggestions for a decent sized tough backpack capable of taking a couple pro camera bodies + 4 lenses, laptop, light meter, flash and charger etc?"

Sure thing: the Thinktank Photo  ShapeShifter http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/camera-backpacks/shape-shifter-backpacks.aspx. It works great for flying as well. I don't use just the internal pockets (which are great for keeping things organized) but also use the space between them for things like panoramic gear.  One thing I like about the design is that when I have the larger items deployed I can zip it down to a back hugging contour.  I am a long waisted and 6'5" and the ShapeShifter fits me very nicely.

When carrying a lot more gear and needing  room for a raincoat, sweater, water, etc, I like the MindShiftGear Rotation 180 http://www.mindshiftgear.com/products/rotation180-professional

[Alan Smallbone]

There is also the Gura Gear Kiboko, has lots of room and is travel friendly and airline friendly.

Alan

[mvsoske]

the Thinktank Photo  ShapeShifter http://www.thinktankphoto.com/categories/camera-backpacks/shape-shifter-backpacks.aspx. It works great for flying as well. I don't just use the internal pockets (whic hare great for keeping things organized) I use the space between them for things like panoramic gear.  One thing I like about the design is that when I have the larger items deployed I can zip it down to a back hugging contour.  I am a long  waisted 6'5' and the ShapeShifter fits me very nicely.

+1 Great bag!

Mark

[mkihne]

I have the smaller think tank backpack because I often fly on small regional jets and it fits in even the smallest jet's overhead bins. I also have the small roller think tank that I can gate check.

[ashley]

Thanks for all the suggestions; there are definitely some options to consider here.

It's actually surprising how many companies are out there making complete ranges of camera bags that rarely seem to get mentioned on forums etc. It reminds me of a British company called CCS that closed around 7 years ago, despite making really good bags that were popular with mountaineers etc. I suspect they struggled to compete against the lower costs of production in Asia and their marketing was probably a little too relaxed but they were definitely built to last a lifetime.

Yesterday I was in touch with a photographer who has been on a longterm assignment travelling around Asia in all sorts of weather. He tells me he is more than happy with a Kata Pro Light rucksack that is standing up well to the daily challenges, which appears to answer my earlier concern about the new bags. I'll keep doing some research but I'm confident I'll find something suitable.

[Ellis Vener]

"I'm wary of online descriptions from manufacturers claiming bags can take huge amounts of equipment when they evidently don't have sufficient space."

Even if the bag can take "huge amounts of equipment" there are two more pressing real world problems:

Problem 1: Can you carry it comfortably for even a short distance?

Preblem 2:  How easy is it to get to just the thing(s) you need really fast without having to dig through the other crap or spread it out on the ground?

I have a KATA Revolver backpack. It's a very decent backpack with a clever idea built in: a vertical "lazy susan" turntable that you spin to get a specific lens out. Still most times I go out shooting I use the older Thinktank Photo Shapeshifter and the two primary reasons are fit and comfort when it is fully loaded and utility and organization when I or my assistant are switching bodies, batteries, lenses or speedlites.

I first gave the ShapeShifter a workout while shooting in the streets and souks, food markets, and holy sites  in Jerusalem: these are all intensely crowded places and I was out in them from dawn to dusk for nearly a week with three camera bodies and lenses from two different systems, plus my RRS pano gear.  Since then I've taken it on multiple industrial, B2B, and editorial shoots across the USA. TTP's motto is or should be "designed by working photographers for working photographers."

I have no doubt your friend is equally as happy with his Kata Rucksack as I am with my TTP ShapeShifter. Everyone is different. In today's market I have no doubt you will fine something that is exactly suited to you .

[bretedge]

I spent the last six months testing four backpacks designed for outdoor photographers by Lowepro, Clik Elite, Mountainsmith and f-stop gear.  Today I posted the results on my blog.  If you're interested, here's a link to the post: Long-Term Review and Comparison of Four Photo Backpacks.  Please note that this review was not intended to identify and declare one pack the grand prize winner.  Rather, I wrote about my honest assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of each pack.  I hope you find it useful.

[ashley]

I've just had a look at the Shape Shifter and the idea of a bag that can change in size is a good one as I recently discovered with a Kata tripod bag that has adjustable length settings. The immediate point about the Shape Shifter that I didn't like is that it looks like you have to separate the camera body from the lens and I'd rather not be forced to do that in dusty environments. I guess it's pros and cons as always.

[ashley]

I spent the last six months testing four backpacks designed for outdoor photographers by Lowepro, Clik Elite, Mountainsmith and f-stop gear.  Today I posted the results on my blog.  If you're interested, here's a link to the post: Long-Term Review and Comparison of Four Photo Backpacks.  Please note that this review was not intended to identify and declare one pack the grand prize winner.  Rather, I wrote about my honest assessments of the strengths and weaknesses of each pack.  I hope you find it useful.

Thanks. Very interesting.

[Ellis Vener]

"The immediate point about the Shape Shifter that I didn't like is that it looks like you have to separate the camera body from the lens and I'd rather not be forced to do that in dusty environments."

It depends on the lens of course but I've used it with a 70-200mm f/8 IS II mounted on a 1D X, the lens nose down in one of the deep lens pockets. For the past two weeks  I've been doing the same thing with an even larger (wider and longer) lens, a Nikon 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR Nikkor and a D7100 body.

[ashley]

OK that sounds more positive than comments I read elsewhere had suggested. My most used setup is the 1DsII body with a 24-105L lens. Have you ever tested the Shape Shifter in heavy rain? For me there is nothing worse than a bag that allows rain inside so you end up with wet equipment. I tried a Tamrac backpack a few years back and it leaked like a sieve along the seams and zips.

[degrub]

You can try seamseal used for tents and backpacks on the stitching, but no help for the zippers. They have to be shielded from the start. You can use a back pack rain cover for the whole pack, but that is not likely as convenient. Even garbage bags can be used in a pinch.

Frank

[ashley]

You can try seamseal used for tents and backpacks on the stitching, but no help for the zippers. They have to be shielded from the start. You can use a back pack rain cover for the whole pack, but that is not likely as convenient. Even garbage bags can be used in a pinch.

Frank

Tenba and I think F-Stop use the rather clever YKK self healing zippers that have a rubber edge, which would probably be very effective. I'm surprised these are not more widely in use.

The photographer I spoke with about the Kata recently said the bag had been remarkably good in rain, even without a cover but if it became heavy and prolonged the cover would ensure that not a drop would get in. This is one of the few backpacks that opens from the side near your back, so you still have full access to equipment when the cover is in place.

It's good to know about the Seamseal though because the stitching is a weak point on most bags, though for some reason I've been lucky with shoulder bags from Tenba and CCS. My Kata R-103 has a huge big zip in plain sight that has always looked like a weak spot in heavy rain, so I've always covered up rather than putting it to the test. 

[ashley]

Just as quick update I eventually decided to get the Tenba Shootout Medium backpack and it should be here in a few days. Many thanks for all your suggestions and input. 

http://www.tenba.com/Products/Shootout-Backpack-Medium-Black.aspx