How Do You Carry Your Kit?

[Cuban]

Now I am acquiring more hardware, I find myself about to use three camera bags!
For this next trip I have a Lowepro Slingshot 100AW, a Lowepro CompuDayPack
and now a nice Sigma lens bag.


While it is fine, but not ideal for most trips, but when I'm next flying...
it's going to be tough. Should I try to jam everything into the CompuDayPack
or is that asking for trouble?

What do you folks use / do?

[chris.mapey]

Get yourself a Billingham

I used to faff around with more than one bag (Lowepro Trekker & various lens pouches)

Now all fits into one Billingham 445.

I have fitted in there at the same time:

D300 & MBD10 grip
D70
17-55 f2.8
70-200 Sigma f2.8
Sigma 10-20mm
Nikkor 50mm f1.8
Nikkor 18-70
SB800 flash
Sigma EF500 Super flash
Assorted tut (Rocket blower / filters / memory cards etc)
15" Toshiba laptop

All into one (hernia inducing) bag

HTH

Chris

[Cuban]

I should add, I need to house the Sigma 150-500 which is a major space muncher.

[4hero]

bags are a nightmare, or is it buying too much camera gear thats the problem...

I use a Lowepro Vertex 200AW for my main stuff.



Lowepro Mini Trekker AW for my a lighter load.



And a Crumpler Bunny Man (the green one) for taking to work 'n stuff.

[Simpo Two]

chris.mapey said:

Now all fits into one Billingham 445.

I tried lifting his Billingham once and didn't manage it...

I keep all my stuff in a cupboard (triple wardrobe actually!) and just take out the bits I want to use for each job, loading a normal size bag accordingly.

[Goldeeno]

I use a bag.........




a slingshot... but to be honest... get the biggest you can... i thought the slingshot would be fine.... 8 months later.. i need a new bag choose wisely.

[Olivero]

All the bags mentioned are good, very good in fact but with one problem. They all shout, expensive camera bag, "steal me" Maybe that won´t be a problem where you are going, but for me defiantly is. I bought a cheapish black rucksack, then blacked out the label and any markings, then for good measure made it look scruffy. Did the same with my camera using black tape, so have the worlds only Ninga edition D300. Well worth doing, the pictures it takes are just the same but with a whole lot less hassle (riots excluded).

[EmmaP]

My car whenever possible. Seriously.

I have a trolley if necessary. Why do you need to carry so much kit? It's not healthy to carry that sort of weight for any length of time. It's better to have one big back-pack in my opinion. 20kg is my max (I'm only 57kg).

I use a Lowepro Computreker AW. Nobody has ever tried to rob me and I work and travel alone mainly.

Edited by EmmaP on Friday 11th July 09:11

[Cuban]

EmmaP said:

I use a Lowepro Computreker. Nobody has ever tried to rob me and I work and travel alone mainly.

Thanks, Just checked that out Emma and it looks very good, although the model up, the Rolling
CompuTrekker Plus AW may be the (expensive!) answer.

It's actually intersting to see how much people take with them.
In reality, mine is not all camera gear, just the D40, 4 lenses 18-55, 55-200, 150-500 and a .25x
Fish Eye, SB-800 flash, 3 Cokin filters, Pod camera support, a Rocket Blower and I'll now add a
monopod.

The rest is the lap top, gps equipment, a few small manuals and tour files etc.

Although it appears easy to suffer GAS, so I may soon need to use one of my Genesis flight cases!

[stigmundfreud]

as simpo said just go out wiht the lens you are wanting for the shots you are after. I only ever take my 17-40 and 24-105 with me though I might just piss around and go back to the 50 1.8 for a while.

No point taking everything with you

[Cuban]

stigmundfreud said:

as simpo said just go out wiht the lens you are wanting for the shots you are after. I only ever take my 17-40 and 24-105 with me though I might just piss around and go back to the 50 1.8 for a while.

No point taking everything with you

Problem is every 2-3 weeks I go on tour for 7-10 days at a time and cover 5-6 countries during the tours,
so I'm in Cities, up mountains, at race tracks, beach front etc etc, so I have so many different scenarios thrown at me.

Is 3-4 lenses excessive in those circumstances?

[Simpo Two]

Cuban said:

Problem is every 2-3 weeks I go on tour for 7-10 days at a time and cover 5-6 countries during the tours, so I'm in Cities, up mountains, at race tracks, beach front etc etc, so I have so many different scenarios thrown at me.

Is 3-4 lenses excessive in those circumstances?

No, but the point he/me were making is - take what you actually need. Obviously your needs are more vaied than mine - in your case I'd use the car as a mobile store and sub-select from that. I'm on foot all day (and don't want to look sweaty!) so I travel relatively light - body + one fast lens + flashgun round neck, two other fast lenses + ultra-wide in the bag, tripod in paw if I need it - which isn't that often; it often stays in the car all day but it's within range if I need it - technically for dim churches but also for groups, so I can engage the audience better.

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 11th July 08:16

[Cuban]

Simpo Two said:

Cuban said:

Problem is every 2-3 weeks I go on tour for 7-10 days at a time and cover 5-6 countries during the tours, so I'm in Cities, up mountains, at race tracks, beach front etc etc, so I have so many different scenarios thrown at me.

Is 3-4 lenses excessive in those circumstances?

No, but the point he/me were making is - take what you actually need. In your case, I'd use the car as a mobile store and sub-select from that. I'm on foot all day (and don't want to look sweaty!) so I travel relatively light - body + one fast lens + flashgun round neck, two other fast lenses + ultra-wide in the bag, tripod in paw if I need it.

With you now - yes I do already do this, but I was thinking more in terms of when I go to America
on tour and I think the Rolling CompuTrekker Plus AW may have to be the answer.

Cheers anyway.

[brocks]

I travel by plane at least twice a month and like to have my camera with me. But I also carry a Laptop. Since the one bag rule came in I needed a new bag and i also had my 100-400 lens to fit in. I asked around on some photography forums and went out to by a Lowepro Vertex 300 as I could still use it as carry on luggage but came home with the Lowepro Computrekker AW.

It holds:

Canon 400D
EF 24-105L IS
EF 100-400L IS
50mm f/1.8
17-55 ef-s
EX 580 Flash
laptop, Mouse
ND filters
Filter Holders
Spare batterys
Spare cards
Note book, Pen
Power Supplies
Manfrotto Tripod (Externally)
Cleaning Kit
Although I don't use it I can also get the EF 90-300 lens in too if i wanted to.

Cuddly toy and a Fondue Set.

It also has a built in rain cover!

[havoc]

Have none of you heard of 'travelling light'?!?

[Simpo Two]

havoc said:

Have none of you heard of 'travelling light'?!?

Image = tonnage!

This is actually becoming quite a good 'I've got more kit than you' thread. I'd need, phew, let me think - probably three, no, make that FOUR, articulated lorries and a team of roadies to get all my gear round places

Edited by Simpo Two on Friday 11th July 09:49

[CVP]

Daily use - Think Tank Speed Racer belt bag. Big enough for D3 + 2/3 lenses and a flash and some cards. This is even big enough for holidays where I'm not tajking the 200-400.

Nature holiday / Big travel - Think Tank Airport Acceleration backpack (legal carry on size) which will take the above plus D2x and 200-400 zoom. Tripod would go in hold luggage.

Chris

[havoc]

OK you kit-fiends, a quick question.

I've got a LowePro Orion Trekker. The bottom-half is JUST big-enough for my day-kit (40D, 17-50 f/2.8, 28-135IS, 70-300IS, cards, filters, cleaning cloth).

I'm going to NZ in September, and am THINKING of getting a 50mm f/1.8 before I go:-
- If I do, which lens do I sacrifice? OR
- What replacement pack do I buy that can still be carry-on luggage, and has a separate compartment (ideally at least as big as the O-Trekkers top) for water, book, magazine, etc. for the flight. AND I can still take out on day-trips without looking like Boba Fett!!!

Cheers,

M.

[Greg964]

Olivero said:

All the bags mentioned are good, very good in fact but with one problem. They all shout, expensive camera bag, "steal me" Maybe that won´t be a problem where you are going, but for me defiantly is. I bought a cheapish black rucksack, then blacked out the label and any markings, then for good measure made it look scruffy.....

I do this too.
I don't like wearing a camera round my neck, and got tired of taking a rucksack off my back every time i wanted to take a shot. So i use a soft shoulder bag now which i can open without taking it off. In it there's a simple divider, taken from my now defunct camera rucksack.

[molly]

As well as a knapsack I use a sleeveless jacket with about a thousand pockets. Spreads the weight around even if you do feel like michelin man. Useful for all the 'tiny' bits of kit. Most of the pockets are zipped. so nothing falls out and gets lost