Showing posts with label camera bag. Show all posts

Mark III is in Da House

I've just started unboxing this lot:


  • Canon EOS 5D Mark III
  • Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM
  • Canon E2 Hand Strap
  • SanDisk Extreme Pro 16GB UDMA7 CF card
  • Lowepro Urban Photo Sling 250
Battery is charging and I've begun chewing my way through the 401 page manual that comes with the camera.

Camera felt nicely heavy so I put it on the kitchen scale - and then did the same with my Nikon D70s with the 70-300mm lens attached. The Mark III body alone is just 200gr shy of the complete Nikon setup.

Time to attach the hand strap and the neck strap and get the sling bag set up as I want it.

Another camera bag recommendation: Tamrac 5788 Evolution 8

When I asked for camera bag recommendations over at dpreview.com I was first recommended the DH 50 V2.0 holster type bag from Think Tank.

Next next suggested bag was the Sling-O-Matic 20 - also from Think Tank.

The third recommendation I got was for the Tamrac 5788 Evolution 8.

While the Sling-O-Matic is a sling bag that can also work as a backpack the Tamrac is the other way around - it's a backpack with side access which means it can be used as a sling bag.

It doesn't look like it will hold my 70-200mm with the hood attached, so I wouldn't be able to use it as a sling bag, but it looks like a very rugged bag that I would feel comfortable keeping my gear in.

I've added the Tamrac to a page with the other camera bag recommendations

Another great recommendation for a large sling bag

Just as I hadn't really thought about holster bags I had kinda given up on the idea of a sling bag that would fit a 70-200mm lens with the hood extended - in shooting position, and ready to be used the second it's out of the bag.

But then I had another recommendation from the dpreview.com forum. This time also for a Think Tank bag - a Sling-O-Matic 20.

The Sling-O-Matic 20 will fit my gear nicely, the 10 seems too small and the 30 is just too big for the equipment I plan on using.

The bag doesn't really look like much - it's basically just a square box, so it won't win any design awards for its looks.

But, just like the DH 50 V2.0 I got a recommendation for yesterday, this one will, according to Think Tank themself, fit my body, my lens and the hood.

Check out this promo video from Think Tank to get a feeling for the size of gear that will fit inside.





I've added this Think Tank bag to the page with the other recommended camera bags

A holster bag might be the solution for me

When I started looking for a camera bag for my still not delivered Canon 5D Mark III I didn't think of looking at holster bags - I simply thought they were too small to hold anything of the length I was looking for.

But it turns out that I was wrong, and there are indeed holster - or top loaders - that will fit a good sized DSLR with a 70-200mm zoom and the hood attached (extended)

I posted in the dpreview.com forum for suggestions to a bag and one user came back with a recommendation for a specific Think Tank bag - the DH 50 V2.0.

Unlike most other camera bag descriptions Think Tank didn't just provide the internal and external dimensions, but they mentioned specific lenses that would fit in the bag, on a Pro-size DSLR and with the hood extended.

Lowepro seems to make a similar bag - the Toploader Pro 75 AW - but I can't find any description or review that tells me exactly what I can expect to fit in the bag.

I've added the bag recommended in the forum to a page with some of the other suggested camera bags

Which camera bag should I buy?

I'm looking for advice on a camera bag.


I've looked at the reviews of quite a lot of them, but I still can't point my finger at any bag that will be the best fit for my needs.

I've looked at a lot of different types of bags (shoulder, back and sling) but I just can't figure out which one will be the most useful for me.

What do I need it for?


I have a daughter that rides horses, so 95% of all pictures are of an equestrian nature from showjumping and dressage 
competitions.

My old camera (or current until my Mark III arrives) is a Nikon D70s with a 70-300mm lens.

I usually have my kit lens with me in the car, but find that I rarely switch lenses.

My tripod is usually in the back of my car and I find that I don't use it very often.

My thoughts about the different types of camera bags


When I started getting more and more into photography and started "wearing" my camera everywhere I went I played with the idea of getting a sling bag. I liked the idea of having the camera safely tugged away, but with fast access.

But when I decided to get the 5D Mark III with the 70-200mm IS II USM I kinda left that idea behind thinking that I couldn't find a sling bag that would fit this combo.

Then I started looking at backpacks and shoulder bags - and I'm still torn between the two.

Backpacks are convenient to carry around and with plenty of room.

I don't see myself doing any trekking with my gear, but when we're out at competition I sometimes need to handle the horse and I'd rather not do that with my camera wedged between myself and a horse. So it would be nice with a bag nearby to safely tug my camera away for the next 10 minutes.

I will almost always be near my car, so that left me thinking about the type of bag that I never thought I would buy - one of those square shoulderbags.

90% of the time I'll be using the bag as a storage unit where all my gear can sit securely while it gets transported to and from competitions, but then I'll be missing out on the option to tug my camera away in a jiffy.

So I think the best bag for my needs will be a backpack.

And now the big question:

Which one should I get?


I don't have a lot of gear and don't really plan on carrying multiple bodies and multiple lenses with me.

In essence I just need something to safely transport my gear in the back of a car which I can also carry around for safekeeping my gear whenever I need to handle a horse.

The perfect bag would be large enough to hold a 5D Mark III and the 70-200mm with the hood attached

Any ideas?