Bag recommendation?

Can anyone recommend a good photo gear bag? My current photo sling is literally falling apart. It's been with me to Jamaica a couple of times and for about 8 years now.

Currently my kit consists of:

Nikon D7100
Sigma 17-50 f/2.8
Nikon 55-200 VR
Nikon 50 f/1.8
Nikon 35 f/1.8
SB-600
A few filters, some AA batteries, D7100 charger, extra battery, etc..

I ordered this backpack from Amazon and boxed it back up within 3 minutes because the quality was horrible: Amazon.com: Acuvar Professional DSLR Camera Backpack with Rain Cover for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic, Pentax models.: Camera & Photo

I've been looking at this bag from Amazon, but I'm not sure it's big enough: Amazon.com : AmazonBasics Large DSLR Gadget Bag (Orange interior) : Photographic Equipment Bags : Camera & Photo

I've also been looking at this: ***SALE*** $179.99 I SHOOT RAW ThinkTank Photo Retrospective 30 + (FREE Card Holder) , but it's really expensive. Is this bag worth the premium (Fro branded or not..)

I currently have a single shoulder sling, but I'm not sure if that's what I want again. I'd also like something that's going to last a while, and my next lens purchase will be some version of a 70-200 f/2.8 - whether it be the Nikon or something more "plasticky" like the Sigma or the Tamron, so I'd like a bag that can hold that as well.

Any recommendations?

Tamrac makes some great bags and backpacks, and I've heard Lowpro makes some good ones too at a more reasonable price!
My favorites are the Tamrac expedition backpacks, though they are pretty costly new and even used if they are the newer versions!
This is a expedition 8 not the newer 8X, I have both the 8 and 8X! They are both awesome packs, but they might be a little bigger than you want! But a 5 to a 7 might just fill your needs great if they don't cost too much for what your looking for!



For a strap, I would look at the Black Rapid shoulder straps! They are made very well and comfortable!

PS. The pouches on the sides are an add-on and don't generally come with a bag. But they have several different types of pouches that can be added to these packs, and is a great feature in my opinion! You can even add a padded lens pouch if say you lack the little extra room in the pack. I think they come in three sizes too, but I can't remember for sure.

DonnieZ said:

Can anyone recommend a good photo gear bag?

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Consider either the Manfrotto Pro Backpack 20, or the larger Pro Backpack 50. Both are simple, clean and extraordinarily well designed.

How stuck are you on a bag as opposed to a "backpack"? I travel a lot and find a backpack style a lot easier to deal with, but that's just me.

That 'gadget bag' is really dinky and I doubt it would handle even the small amount of gear you mentioned. I'd give it a miss.

The smaller Tamrac 6 Bill mentioned goes for around $250
Amazon.com : Tamrac 5586 Expedition 6x Photo/Laptop Backpack (Black) : Camera Accessory Bags : Computers & Accessories
as opposed to the $625 for the 8X that he has. (I about fainted when I saw the price).

If the $250 sticker price doesn't send you into cardiac arrest then you might want to consider this Lowpro:
Amazon.com : Lowepro Pro Trekker 450 AW Camera and Laptop Backpack Bag - Black : Camera & Photo
WAY bigger than the Tamrac 6 (or even the 8). Only drawback is that it is not waterproof which is bizarre for a $275 item. A friend of mine has one and he loves it though.

If your wallet, like mine, is inhabited mostly by moths then you might consider this:
Amazon.com : Professional Gear Backpack for Digital SLR Nikon Cameras, Laptops and Accessories by USA Gear - Works With Nikon D7200, D810A, Coolpix P900 & More : Camera Cases : Camera & Photo
which is a step above that Acuvar ... but dinky also

(Just my 2 pence worth and not implying ANY endorsement on my part)

Sounds like your gear would fit into a roomy shoulder bag. I use a Domke F2 for this purpose:

Domke F-2 Original Shooter's Bag Sand Canvas - 700-02S

There are many sizes, shapes, colors and materials. Mine is the original (real original) tan canvas bag back from the era when they were made in Jim Domke's garage. Mine is well worn, but not broken in any way yet despite the OLD age.


When I need room for bigger lenses (like 300/2.8 VR mounted on D4S) I put them into a LowePro FlipSide 500 AW backpack. The Lowepro backpacks are well made but pretty low cost and come in many varieties and sizes:

Lowepro | Flipside Camera Backpacks

DonnieZ said:

Can anyone recommend a good photo gear bag? My current photo sling is literally falling apart. It's been with me to Jamaica a couple of times and for about 8 years now.

Currently my kit consists of:

Nikon D7100
Sigma 17-50 f/2.8
Nikon 55-200 VR
Nikon 50 f/1.8
Nikon 35 f/1.8
SB-600
A few filters, some AA batteries, D7100 charger, extra battery, etc..

** snip **

Any recommendations?

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For that gear, check out the Think Tank City Walker series. I have the 20 and it's my go-to carry bag.

https://www.thinktankphoto.com/collections/citywalker-series

They make some nice bags.

Hi Donnie. The bag you returned and the one you're eyeing are both in the under $25 range. I doubt you will find a quality bag around that price big enough to hold a future 70-200mm f/2.8 lens along with your camera, other lenses, flash, and accessories. The Fro Knows bag doesn't appear to have a great deal of padding the way he flattens out the empty bag so personally I wouldn't want it.

There are shoulder bag and backpack manufacturers that make durable bags with padding. Can you give us a higher price range and also let us know if you'd prefer a shoulder bag or are leaning more towards a backpack?

Being a female, my needs may be a little different than the needs of guys. I own a couple of Tamrac bags that are discontinued. They are shoulder bags that covert to waist packs. I also have several bags. One is a big bag to hold gear that I don't take with me and which also stores things I don't use frequently. Then I have a couple of bags to choose from when I go out. One holds the camera and 2-3 lenses. The other can hold a couple of bodies as well as a couple of lenses, or I can take one body and add 3-4 lenses (and I can squeeze even more into it). Just remember, the bigger the bag, the more it will hold. And gear gets heavy if you are carrying a loaded bag.

Think Tank makes several types of products one of which is a waist belt where components can be added individually. If you want to carry a 70-200mm f/2.8 attached to a body, they make a component that can be securely fastened to the belt for it.

Please give some thought to a higher price point and let us know if you are leaning more towards a shoulder bag or backpack.

I have always and will always recommend Lowepro for camera bags. they're extremely well built and are guaranteed for life!

www.[B]lowepro[/B].com/bagfinder

Just to state the obvious:

Shoulder bags: Good for quick access, really bad for your back once you get past a body and single lens.

Backpack style: Lousy for quick access (but shouldn't your camera be in your hands?), much better for your back.

I had one of the original Tenbas that looked a lot like pforsell's Domke, and it was good for my old OM2n outfit because it was relatively light, but these days I use a Lowepro backpack style that has lasted me for over a decade now and still looks new.

I ordered the large AmazonBasics bag you linked to. It definitely won't hold all your gear. The picture below is the 7100 with kit lens 18-140 on it. It is of decent quality. I would say middle of the road. Not cheap crappy material, but also not as nice of bags that are $50-$100+ more.

If you are interested in an AmazonBasics bag, I would recommend the backpack version. It holds a lot more than the large shoulder bag, and is still under $50. Amazon.com : AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Backpack - Orange interior : Laptop Computer Backpacks : Camera & Photo

DonnieZ said:

I've also been looking at this: ***SALE*** $179.99 I SHOOT RAW ThinkTank Photo Retrospective 30 + (FREE Card Holder) , but it's really expensive. Is this bag worth the premium (Fro branded or not..)

Any recommendations?

Click to expand...

If he'd have shipped them to the UK I would have brought this as an extra bag but hey ho...

Ive been harking on about it for a while but I really cant wait for my Peak Design everyday messenger bag to get here (just waiting on shipping email)

Cant see me needing another bad for a very long time !!

https://www.peakdesign.com/product/bags/the-everyday-messenger

Wow - what a huge response and a lot of variance.

One concern that came up was budget. I don't mind paying for a quality item that will last, but I don't want to go overboard. I think $150 would probably be the high end for me, unless there was something I saw that was perfect - I might be able to stretch it to $200. It's one of those things I can hint to my wife that I might like to have for Christmas or otherwise I'd pick up after the holiday - I don't know what she wants to spend or if she's already picked something out for me.

My big concern is holding a 70-200. I don't want to have to carry the 70-200 in a separate bag - I'd ideally like to be able to put the lens mounted to the body in the bag - which I know the "Fro" bag above advertises that you can.

DonnieZ said:

My big concern is holding a 70-200. I don't want to have to carry the 70-200 in a separate bag - I'd ideally like to be able to put the lens mounted to the body in the bag - which I know the "Fro" bag above advertises that you can.

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The Peak Design one will comfortably too

Here is a vid and in it Art shows different setup configurations in the bag, you can see just how deep it is when he gets to the DSLR configs from about 12 mins

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmtjqnxxLbo

I think 'ryans1230' suggestion is the best budget bet for a person 'hinting at the wife for a Christmas present' option.