Why one bag is not enough

Finding the right camera bag is a myth. There is no right one, but rather many right ones. Each one fits some subset of my equipment, appropriate for whatever photo op I am headed to. Well, I guess I could just have one big bag that fits everything. But, that would be big and heavy, and painful to lug around. For example, a small bag that fits my camera and an attached lens is good for a walk in the park. But, a larger bag that fits more lenses and then some is good for a 2-week trip out of town.

It's all about trial and error. I learned the hard way that I have to use it to know whether or not it works for me. The little things are important. Like how the strap feels, how the bag hangs from my shoulders, and how convenient it is to take the camera out, put it back in, or swap lenses.

The look is also important. Most camera bags are the obvious boxy-looking camera bag. That makes it an easy target for theft. I like bags that don't really look like camera bags. Also, boring-looking bags are just not stylish. Sadly, there are few hip modern camera bags on the market.

Lowepro Reporter Light 200

Price: $35 on clearance at my local BestBuy

Dimensions (interior): 9.25W x 6.75D x 7.75H in. (23.5 x 17 x 19.5 cm)


This bag has been discontinued. It is very similar to the Stealth Reporter 200 AW (all-weather). What I love about it is that the lens dividers can be lifted out of the outer shell. The bag itself is also pretty big. The top lid is just a flap. So, I'm not sure if the interior would get wet when it rains.






What fits in it:

The 200 prime is mounted on the camera. That's probably the tallest configuration that would fit in the bag. The 28-135 IS and 17-40 are in the side compartments, leaving some room for other stuff, like more lenses... :)

Lowepro Mini Trekker

Price: $70 (new condition) from B&H Used Department

Dimensions:
Exterior 12W x 12.5D x 16H in. (30.5 x 32 x 40.5 cm)
Interior 11W x 5D x 14.5H in. (28 x 12.5 x 37 cm)

I have the non AW (all-weather) version of this huge backpack. It holds all my equipment; when it does, it becomes so heavy that I cringe to take it out of my apartment. Fortunately, I have not had a need to have all my equipment with me. In fact, the bag just kind of sits on the floor right now. Hmm...perhaps I don't need to have one of these.

The bag is well-built and has many small pockets and compartments on the front exterior. I can't really say how good the straps are since I haven't carried the bag for any long distance. There is a tripod loop thingy in the front of the bag.


The bag:


What fits in it:

There is some serious space in this backpack. Fortunately, I have not filled it up, yet. If it were completely packed, I'd be completely broke. Let's see....what else can I say about this bag? Oh, I can store the 28-135 IS and the 17-40 L vertically (you can see the lens caps). But the 200 prime has to go in horizontally. It's mounted on the 10D in this picture.

Crumpler Tallee

Crumpler is an Australian company that makes messenger bags. The bags look nothing like the average boring camera bag. They are kind of nice-looking! Of course, they don't sell these things where I live, so I had to order online.

Lesson 1: Don't buy bags online unless I've actually had a chance to check it out in person ahead of time.

The bag:
Crumpler Tallee, color "rust".


What fits in it:
10D + 28-135 mounted in main compartment. Many possible orientations.


Main compartment


17-40 in the hidden chamber of secrets.
More space for at least another lens or 2, a flash, or image tank.



What I liked:
The bag looked hip.
Great construction. Doesn't look like it could ever break.

What I didn't like:

A bit too big for what I wanted (carry just 10D + 2 lenses). The color (rust) was much darker than on the Web. It's really a dark brown color...not orange at all. Shoulder strap was too wide, long, and stiff for me. I couldn't shorten it without leaving this huge amount of excess strap hanging in a loop (see picture on the left). Didn't look good. Didn't hang well from my shoulders.

Final verdict:
I returned the bag. It was too big for me, and that loopy shoulder strap looked too weird. Maybe a smaller Crumpler bag (like the 15 Love) would have been a better fit. But it would have had the same shoulder strap. So, I gave up on getting a cool-looking Crumpler.

Elecom OVA-004DR

I got this bag from Yodobashi in Shinjuku on a trip to Japan. For more models, you can go to Elecom's Webpage (in Japanese) and search for OVA. Or look at this snapshot. I like the bag because it looks nothing like a camera bag, and its strap is very soft. I bought this for my UZI (Olympus C-2100 UZ). One day, I had a weird impulse to try to squeeze my 10D into it, and to my surprise, it actually fit.

The bag:
Elecom OVA-004DR, color "orange"


What fits in it:
10D + 1 lens (either 28-135 or 17-40) in bottom compartment (orange)


another lens + wallet + cell phone in top zippered compartment (black)

Lowepro Nova 2

Price: $30 (new condition) from B&H Used Dept

Size (Interior): 8.5W x 4.25D x 7.75H in. (21.5 x 11 x 19.5 cm)

This is the older non-AW version.

The disappointment from the Crumpler Tallee drove me to get this bag. I must admit, as some of my friends know, I swore I wouldn't own a conventional boring-looking camera bag. But, what could I do? I really needed something that could carry my 10D + 2 lenses + image tank + extras. And the OVA was a bit too snug with just the camera and lenses. I went to a camera store and tried on the Nova 1 and Nova 3. The Nova 1 was nice and small. I liked it. But it would only fit the camera and 1 lens. The Nova 3 was huge and way too big for what I needed. The store didn't have the Nova 2. So, I went home and ordered it online. And of course, it had to be in red. I couldn't handle blue or green (yuck!)...and black...well, too conservative.

So, here it is. Just like everyone else in this world, I now own a Lowepro Nova.

The bag:
Lowepro Nova 2, color "red", this is the older version--not AW (all weather)


What fits in it:
Suprisingly, there is a lot of room in this thing. The 10D + one lens mounted, and 2 more lenses on the side. It is pretty snug though. The front compartment can easily fit my blower and image tank.

Lowepro Edit 120

Lowepro intended for this to be a video camera bag. What got me hooked on this one was its handle. It's made of this soft neoprene-like material. The bag is too small for my 10D, but it makes a great lens case.

The bag:
Lowepro Edit 120, color "black"


What fits in it:

28-135 + 17-40	200 F2.8 on its own