Best bag for carry on luggage?

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Chris
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I am flying to Italy next month to do a few city breaks. I'm taking a camera :D but the Vertex 300 I use will be to big for carry on :shake:

I can't find anything on their site about specific allowances for camera equipment. I might just be blind :shrug:

First question is do any of you fly with large cameras? If so what has been your experiences? I don't mind having to pay a little extra as I'd imagine I'd also be overweight :help:

Second question what bag is good for hand luggage?

I would like to take..

D3s, 24-70mm, 70-200mm, 20mm, SB900 and odds and sods like cleaning bits cards etc.
 
I have a Lowepro Mini Trekker which fits neatly inside my cheapy roller flight case.
You wouldn't have any problems with your lenses and kit but the Mini Trekker is barely deep enough to fit a pro camera 'standing'. I'm sure I had a D3 in there at one time though.
 
The think tank bags are the ones to go for, lots of room for pro gear and some also come with backpack straps and wheels to make it easier to move around
 
I carry a Lowepro fast pack 250 for all of my traveling, and then every day to work. I currently have a D90, the full set of 'kit' lenses (18-55, 55-200, 35/1.8), an SB400, a sto-fen diffuser, a pack of filters (2 UV, 1 polarizer, 1 ND8), the battery charger and lead for camera batteries. When I travel long distance (either to the US or to China) I also add in a spare macbook batter, various plug adapters, macbook charger, my Sat Nav with window mount and plug, a change of shirt/pants, and some assorted 'bits'. This all goes in the bottom HALF of the bag. The top half gets an ipod, head phones, travel docs, deck of cards, lunch, kindle/books, and sometimes a light jacket. The computer goes in the computer pack; cleaning cloth and USB go in the front zipper. This bag holds a lot of stuff. It fits with room to spare in an overhead of big planes, it fits just snug in smaller puddle jumpers (<100 *** commuter flights).

I don't know how much taller the D3 is compared to a D90, but if it is comparable to a gripped D90 it would just fit in the main compartment. By rearranging the velcro pads, you could put the 70-200 on the camera, 24-70 parallel, and then the 20 and SB900 on the side. It would be snug, but would fit. I wouldn't recommend it though.

The fast pack 300 or 350 are both a little bigger, have a similar layout, and include a chest strap (which the 250 lacks and I really want). One of them would be my suggestion.

Thanks
Rick
 
Who are you flying with? Ryanair are the worst for carryon, Easyjet are great, I use a Kata 3n1-30 and it swallows everything I throw at it, body, grip, flash, 70-200 2.8, 100-400, 17-55 2.8 plus ancilliaries. Fits in Easyjet's sizing structure no probs.
 
Backpack, with a camera bag (the one that just lets you put a lens on the camera and squeeze a 50f1.4d lens in the bag too). A small side pouch/hip bag with an old tshirt as padding for the remaining lenses. Usually I try to put it under the seat infront, although last two three times it has gone in the over head locker.

I don't have a d3 though, so...

Weight wise - most say max 10 kilos. If you are travelling with a partner, you can put a lens or two with them..?
 
I just bought a GEM backpack, supposed to be a copy of the Lowepro Computrekker. Only had it a fortnight but seems to be really good, and looked to be smaller than the regulation carry-on sizes. And it's only £40!
 
Peli 1510 or PeliStorm im2500 - both very similar: hard cases with pull out handles and casters. Crucially both fall MM within the airline-standard dimensions for carry on luggage.

I bought mine just after Christmas (before VAT change) from http://waterproof-cases.co.uk/peli_storm_im2500_airline_carry_on_case-p-531_546.html and you need to remember to add foam padding or dividers. Plenty of room for a D3 and some glass - I keep body and 4 primes in mine with space left for either 2xSB800 or my 70-200mm. Also fits my MacBook, paperwork and a few bits and bobs like duct tape and torch.
 
We flew back from Italy (Ancona) with Ryanair at Christmas. At the departure gate there was a set of scales set up and all hand luggage was weighed and excess charged for. But all priority line passengers were waved through without being weighed. Not sure if this always happens but if you carry on is a little heavy booking priority boarding might be worthwhile.
 
Original Poster said:
You've certainly got a few suggestions here, bags is always a bit of a minefield as everyone will recommend what they personally use (as I have above).
Click to expand...

Indeed some great suggestions! :thumbs: I will look closer at the lowepro flipside and trekker and think tank ranges as I need to be able to carry it about when I'm there.

Priority boarding would also seem to eliminate the charges on weight as I may tip over 10kgs! :help:
 
fitzer said:
Who are you flying with? Ryanair are the worst for carryon, Easyjet are great
Click to expand...

Easyjet and BA are my current favourite airlines because of their no-weight-limit policy on cabin baggage. That means my ThinkTank Airport Antidote can get packed with most of my gear (around 15 kg) and I've no worries as it's exactly the right size.

When I'm flying with somebody else I try to make the bag look as light as possible. When asked if I have hand luggage I just swing it off my back, give a jaunty "Just this." as it dangles from one thumb, then swing it back on. Never, ever been asked to have it weighed.

If that should happen then I fly wearing a vest with a load of big pockets. I reckon that could fit almost all of my gear.
 
Adding my 2 penth and again just going by my own traveling , I have used a lowepro mini treker but that was quite a few years ago 2002 going to Canada, but sure the it would have been not to much different. think I had my Canon eos 5 Film in those days, and managed to fit it in along with various lenses. More recently this year I used a Tramac Areo 80 which I had my 5D and 24-105 17-40 flash and another in. I 70 -200 should fit in without any problem, that was on easy jet and did not have to put in the hand bagage check thing it was the current max size for carry on but not sure about weight though just slung it over the one shoulder to make it look light the one advanrage of using that bag is that It had a space for a laptop but used that to carry my flight doc and book to read and there is also another compartment to carry small accesories. I have also used a Lowepro classifed 160 which held 5D two lens and flash spare batteries, memory and travel stuff. again no real problem apart from on pne of the flights I needed to take some gear out so it could go through the machine again as they said there was to much electrical equipment I had my compact and ebookreader so maybe so :lol: You might be able to get all of what you want to take with you, and is well within size limites.
 
Spend the cash on a thinktank airport international v2.

YES, it is £235. However... well, it'll pay for itself in chiropractor's appointments that you'll never need to make :) It's also just...perfect. lol.

it swallows gear too...

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I took the computrek to NYC 2 years ago along with my Nikon D700, 70-200 , 14-24, 24-70 plus a sb800,filters and hard drive storage - It all fitted and came in under 10kg and fitted in over head compartment.

I have travelled with many airlines over the past three years with this bag and it works great, I would watch for the weight restrictions as they can be very restrictive 5kg is the minimum i have had to contend with however, I always carry a large jacket with big pockets to ensure all equipment gets on as hand luggage and passed check in.

http://products.lowepro.com/product/CompuTrekker-AW,1924,16.htm
Hope this helps,

R
 
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