Camera Bags

www.dennismook.com

Recently, I have been reading several articles and blog posts on camera bags.  It got me thinking about my own love affair with camera bags.  I think we all like camera bags, probably too much.  Like most of you, I have too many, but I bought each for a legitimate reason.  I have three backpack bags, a number of Lowe Pro shoulder bags, a very high quality replica Leica M bag that is made in New England, two Think Tank Photo bags, a Domke F2 that I bought from Jim Domke long before he sold out to Tiffen, Eagle Creek small bags, a large Tenba bag that I carried my medium format Pentax 6X7 and lenses in for 20 years, a Domke photo vest that I have had for over 25 years, etc., etc.  In other words, lots more bags than pairs of shoes.  The opposite of my wife!

A few years ago, I bought the Think Tank Photo Airport International (I think that is the name of it) to take my gear on our 13-day Alaska cruise tour.  At the last minute, I switched and took the Domke F2 canvas bag.  My old reliable.  (I didn't have to put it down to get stuff out or change lenses.)  Last year, my wife and I took three weeks and drove as far west as Idaho from Virginia with stops in the Tetons, Yellowstone, Black Hills, Badlands, Custer State Park and many other places.  I bought a Think Tank Photo City Walker 20 in black for that trip.  At the last minute, I changed all the gear out and took my old reliable 35 year old Domke F2 canvas bag.  Each early winter, friends and I spend a long weekend on the Eastern Shore of Virginia photographing wildlife.  I always take my Domke F2. 

So, even with all those bags I own and contrary to my intentions, I seem to always go back to the Domke F2.  Why?  It is lightweight.  The material is low-tech--canvas.  It has minimal padding as I think most bags are over-padded for most uses.  When I bought it, the dividers in the main compartment were simply canvas with no padding, which means I can put my large, professional quality Nikkor lenses safely inside.  It has a multitude of pockets, not too many and not too few, to place my accessories.  The shoulder strap is sewn all the way around the bottom for security.  The shoulder strap is wide and strong and long enough to allow me to either carry it on the shoulder or bandolier style.  It is really easy to open the bag flap, tuck it in between the bag and your body and get things out of the bag.  It is the easiest of all my bags.  Finally, I can put more gear in it than I can in my Think Tank Airport International or any bag of similar size.  The bag is relatively small but holds an awful lot.

What are the downsides?  Well, it is not waterproof or dustproof.  But I carry the waterproof cover for one of my Think Tank bags in a side pocket.  Water and dust have never been a problem for me.  I have read where others have had corners wear out, but mine hasn't.  I have been using this bag pretty steadily since the late 1970s and it is as solid as a rock.  I suspect that Jim Domke over built the bags and, after he sold the company to Tiffen, they changed the construction.  No holes or worn spots in my bag to this day.  The strap has no padding, but I bought a strap pad that is the same one used by USPS carriers (in the 1970s when I bought it;  I'm sure they use different ones now, but the one I have has held up for 35 years with no need to change it.)  The insert on the new ones is made form padded nylon and the large lenses won't fit well in it (why I still use the old canvas insert).  If I would have had gear scratched or beat up because of no padding, I would not be using it, but I have never had that problem.  It looks like a camera bag so it might be prone to theft, but I'm really, really careful and have never lost an item in the past 43 years of photographing.

Inside I have a Nikon D800E, Nikon lenses--16-35mm F/4, either the 24-70mm F/2.8 or the 24-120 F/4 VR, the 70-200 F/2.8 VRII, a 50mm F/1.4 G, a Nikon 1.4 TCII tele-converter, 77mm polarizer and 8X neutral density filers, Passport Color Checker, a Think Tank card wallet, spare batteries and charger, cleaning materials, plastic bag for going from inside to outside or reverse, a Think Tank Photo rain cover, the lens hoods for the 4 lenses, a wired and wireless release, and a bunch of other miscellaneous things.  I do have room for my SB-800 strobe with remote cord, if I need it for a particular outing.  In other words, I don't lack for space for putting in what I need.  I don't actually like carrying all this stuff at once as it is heavy.  I'm old.  Lighter is better!  So, I sometimes remove some things and leave them in the car if I don't immediately need them.

Will I stay with the old tan canvas Domke F2 forever?  I don't know.  I will until I find a bag better suited to my needs.  As I think seriously about downsizing to a micro 4/3 system and selling all my large Nikon gear, I won't need a bag that carries as much as the Domke F2.  Over the years, I have tried and tried to downsize and reduce bulk and weight.  I have, but sometimes I slip and find myself buying large gear again like the gear in this post.

Now, if I can only find the perfect bag for my Olympus E-M5 and lenses......  I guess I'll keep hunting.

Thanks for looking.

Enjoy!
Dennis Mook