Camera Bags

[alwayslearning]

I'd like to get some input from you folks that have some sorts of gear bags. Brand names? What do you have and what do you wish was different in what you have? Do you carry a lot of stuff and end up hardly ever using it? I thought this would be a no brainer .... most of you know I just got a Sony A700 .... thought I'd just pick up the Sony bag made for it. While I'm sure it is a nice bag, I want one somewhat larger. It seems they range in price from 30 bucks to several hundred. I don't want the cheapest but I am on a strict budget.

Larry

p.s. I used my off camera flash last night for the first time. THAT is a WHOLE new photography experience!! That can be another thread though .....

[tmnt]

I just got my first backpack, the lowepro flipside 300.

It won't fit a huge amount of stuff but I'll get my D80 with 80-200 2.8 attached, 17-35 2.8, 50, 100 and 18 - 135 lenses. There's a detachable closed compartment inside to store a few items like a rocket blower and other bits and pieces. The other half of the bag opposite the lenses is only half size pockets so there I'll fit a flash and maybe battery charger/chord. One side pocket has dedicated storage for memory cards and then some room where I store my lense pens. The other side is mesh for a water bottle. Overall I really like it, though would've liked to see a full size lense spaces on both side, wouldn't have added too much to the overall size of the bag (in terms of lugging the thing around).

The good:
- pretty cheap
- good quality
- comfortable, two over the shoulder straps (not sling)
- main compartment zip only accessible from the back, no-one's gonna steal your stuff while the bag's on.
- water bottle holder
- smallish dimensions
- tripod attachments
- put the bag on the ground and enter bag from the back, no dirty shirt

The bad:
- no raincover (no biggie, just throw in a garbage bag or something).
- not that much room (a very good bag for one camera and just a few lenses/accessories).

btw, why don't a lot of bags have waterbottle holders (mesh)? Come on manufacturers!

[alwayslearning]

Thanks tmnt for the quick response and good response. That sounds like it would carry all that I would. And YES to the water bottle holder! I drink a LOT of water daily. I have to have water with me all the time. I like that holder idea.

I looked up the 300 .... list is only $100. Lowepro's site shows photos of cameras in their bags. Thanks.

Larry

[DivotDan]

I have the Lowepro Slingshot AW 300. I love it.

[craigkendall]

I'm glad you posted this. I'm wanting to find a backpack type bag for my HDR-FX7's and I'd also like to see about some type of sports strap that I could wear say skiing and hold the camera close to my body in the front when getting on lift of just skiing to get ahead/catch up... but I'd like to have some sort of quick release to get the camera in a shootable state with some safety line still attached. Any ideas on that one or will I have to, as I feared, fashion my own?

[MasterP]

Two words...

Kata Bags (http://www.kata-bags.com/videoLobby.asp)

They're a bit on the pricy side, but they are simply outstanding