Camera bag/Day sack

Messiah Khan

Messiah Khan

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Alasdair Fowler
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Because I don't like to do thing slowly, it would seem that I already have outgrown my Slingshot 100AW. It has served its purpose up to now(And for the grand total of £25, I can't complain too much), but it has show me what I want in a bag.

My main problem with it; The single strap! I know if it had 2, the whole 'slighshot' thing wouldn't really work, but I just can't really get on with a single strap. So my new bag needs 2(or more:thinking: ) Its too small. I want something that I can at least fit my D40X with the Sigma 150mm attached(~8.5" long in total) with space for another 3-4 lenses. It also should have ample space for filters, cleaning kit, memory cards etc etc.

So that narrows it down to a huge selection. But heres the trickier part; I also want it as a daysack. At the moment, I find myself putting my slingshot with my kit, in the bottom of my Lowepro rucksack, which works fine but isn't very easy to get to once im all strapped in. So it ideally needs 2 sections, one for my camera kit, and one for spare clothes, food and bivy bag etc. And finally I would also like it to have somewhere to attach my tripod to.

So far I have come across;

Lowepro CompuRover AW
Tamrac Adventure 9

With my favourite at the moment being the Tamrac, although I can't tell if its got somewhere to attach my tripod. So my question to you lot; Has anyone tried either of these? What are your opinions? Does anyone know of any other options I should be considering?:)
 
I have the Lowepro Rover AWII, swallows all my kit plus top compartment for bits and pieces and I can put the tripod on the outside. Its very comfortable to wear but access to the camera is not that fast (or maybe I'm not that practised!)

Beware the CompuRover AW is outside some airlines hand luggage limits on size. That may be of help in your decision. I know that the LowePro booklet/website says that it is airline friendly, but if you check some of the hand-luggage limits on some of the budget airlines, technically it's outside. I didn't want some 'jobsworth' putting my kit in the hold so I opted for the Rover AWII.

Mr Perceptive
 
So why not just head off to a proper outdoor shop and get a proper rucksack?! They're full of compartments and most have attachment points for walking poles - many of which will work for a tripod! If you're stuffing all that weight in a bag, you might as well make it one that's comfortable! All the camera ones I've seen have lousy back systems, that I'm convinced will be uncomfortable after 20 minsm whereas the walking ones you can use all day....
 
Cheers Mr Perceptive. Im not really concerned with the wight restriction thing. Im not likely to go abroad any time soon anyway. Whats the longest lens you would be able to get in the Rover AWII?

theotherleft.. ive already got a decent rucksack. Normal rucksacks however arn't compartmentalised, and i really don't fancy having thousands of pounds worth of kit rattling around the bottom. Also many of the camera bag manufacturers(Lowepro etc) rucksack, so I would have thought they would be fairly good at making them properly supportive of the back etc.
 
Anyone had any experiences of Naneu stuff? Specifically the Naneu Alpha Special edition woodland cammo. Ive just stumbled across it, and it looks very good. Its got all the features I want, and ones id not even considered.

http://www.naneupro.com/products/mo-a/#

Im going to hunt for reviews of it now.:)
 
This is probably not somthing you have considered, but one of my favorite bags is the Lowepro Omni Trecker. It can be a back pack or sholder bag, can fit alot of gear, has a tripod atachment if needed, look not like a camera bag (does not screem steal me), can be set up to carry just about anything, and has a hard case option if you need to ship it.
 
I'm also suffering from bag dilema and can only suggest checking the kata bags on top of other suggestions.

Personally, I'm seriously considering either a donkey or a pygmy - i hear donkeys eat a lot and take up a fair amount of room which is a disadvantage not encountered with a pygmy. But, and i think this could be the decider, a donkey is much warmer in winter. This hobby is so expensive! :shrug:
 
Thanks for the suggestion FranchiseJuan, but I can't see that being very comfy carrying around all day. It also doesn't have a seperate section for clothing and food etc. I think I have found my ideal bag in the Naneu Alpha, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be sold in the UK. Ive emailed a US company to see if they'll ship it over, but im not very hopefull. We don't happen to have any US members on here willing to get one shipped over by any chance do we?
 
I have a tamrac adventure 9 and its a big ole b****r. Might be worth having a look at something like that.

Its a ruck sack type with the camera section in the bottom, loops to attach tripod straps and a laptop section in the back. its a good bit of kit.
 
I bought a LOWEPRO ROVER PLUS AW on ebay 2 months ago and although being a good bag I was dissapointed with the camera space in the bottom, load of space in the top for everything - if you go hiking in the hills with your gear this is the bag for you. and has a bungee system on it for tripods.

Lowpros speil: Capacity: large pro SLR with lens attached, 2-4 additional lenses up to 80–200mm f/2.8 and accessories

Lowpro

I sold the above and got the Tamrac Adventure 9 and imo it is the nuts! not as big for gear in the top but then I'd only want a waterproof and a few other odds and sods so suits me. About the same size in the bottom as the lowpro but with the vertical zipper and the pouches on the flap I found the adventure 9 a much better bag. It does have bits on the bottom to attach a tripod but the straps aren't included and I dont think it'l be nice having it there (banging off yer arse every other step) - does have room for a laptop thou :clap:

tamrac speil: The Adventure 9 is a modern backpack designed for the SLR photographer with a pro digital or film SLR (such as Canon's EOS 1D Series or Nikon's D2 Series) with a grip and 5" lens attached, several additional lenses, a flash, accessories and a laptop.

tamrac

(note - I'm quite a newbie and only have 400d, grip & 3 lens - so I may grow out of it)
 
Thanks guys. Yeah, the Tamrac Adventure 9 is quite high on my list. the onlything letting it down at the moment, is I can't see anywhere to properly secure a tripod.

I have however come across another potential candidate; the Lowepro Primus AW. Its yet to be released (Release date summer 2007) but looking at the pics and publicity stuff, it looks great. I like the fact that the camera is mounted sideways as it should allow longer lenses. THe bottom section is also accessed from the side, and the back. I much prefer it opening at the back, as it mean I don't have to rest the back on muddy ground when getting kit out. I hope they release it soon, and at a reasonable price.
 
Messiah Khan said:
Thanks guys. Yeah, the Tamrac Adventure 9 is quite high on my list. the onlything letting it down at the moment, is I can't see anywhere to properly secure a tripod.

I have however come across another potential candidate; the Lowepro Primus AW. Its yet to be released (Release date summer 2007) but looking at the pics and publicity stuff, it looks great. I like the fact that the camera is mounted sideways as it should allow longer lenses. THe bottom section is also accessed from the side, and the back. I much prefer it opening at the back, as it mean I don't have to rest the back on muddy ground when getting kit out. I hope they release it soon, and at a reasonable price.
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I have recently been in the exact same quandary and considered the Tamrac Adventure 9, Lowepro Rover AW, Lowepro Rover Plus AW and the Lowepro Compurover AW.

We are going travelling for 8 weeks, I need the bag for carry on the aeroplane for camera stuff and a jumper & book plus travel documents and a small laptop. Then, it will be used a backpack for camera gear and waterproofs, food, thermals etc for hiking.

I have read many, many reviews on the above.

The Tamrac and Rover both appear to have far too small top compartments.

The Rover Plus is frankly HUGE according to the specs I managed to find.

So, I have ordered a compurover. The shop called this morning, I pick it up on Saturday. I'll let you know how it fares.

As for size, maybe these figures will help ( Lowepro catalogue doesn't state external sizes, but I managed to find a Lowepro fact sheet with them on ).

http://www.devoncamera.co.uk/uploadedfiles/CMS/File/Lowepro_Bag_Dimensions_March_2007.pdf

As you can see, the compurover is a smaller bag ( and supposedly airline friendly ) than the Rover Plus - but has a similar top compartment size. The Rover has a lot smaller top compartment, and funnily enough is still too big for carry on.

I'll report my general comments on the Compurover when I pick it up on Saturday.
 
Messiah Khan said:
the onlything letting it down at the moment, is I can't see anywhere to properly secure a tripod.
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yeah you wont be able to see on the pics on the site. There are two eye straps on the bottom of the bag where you would feed the straps through and tie the tripod on (straps not included), which as I mentioned in my earlier post I dont think it would be great as it would swing back and forth and be held horizontal across your back so you may find yourself getting stuck going through doors!
 
Thanks Ozzybound, i'd be interested to hear how you get on. Size in terms of getting on planes isn't a huge concern for me, so id rather get something a bit bigger than I need. I don't need a huge top compartment(Enough for water proof jacket, trousers, drink and food + bits and bobs), and I think id rather sacrifice top section space for camera space. I suppose one option I could look at, is adding seperate lens bag to attachment points if needed.

Yeah, ive seen that mentioned a couple of times barryj. I don't see why they didn't just put some on the side. As you say, its better than nothing but I can see myself getting stuck on stiles etc(Might have to go through everything sideways). Have you tried these straps then?

On another note, does nayone have any decent pics of any of the bags mentioend so far? Ive found a few good ones in review on forums, but most of the official ones are so deceptive of size etc.
 
Best kit I ever bought was a Domke F7 (google it) and a separate rucksack bought from Man at Millets. The Domke can be hand-held, shoulder carried or round the waist as it comes with its own belt. 3 large interior sections which could each carry 3 D2Xs, 2 large end pouches & 2 more in front. So rucksack partially rests on Domke when out & about.
I paid £90 brand new from http://www.theflashcentre.com but they may have sold out.
Wouldn't give it up for anything!
 
Messiah Khan said:
Anyone had any experiences of Naneu stuff? Specifically the Naneu Alpha Special edition woodland cammo. Ive just stumbled across it, and it looks very good. Its got all the features I want, and ones id not even considered.

http://www.naneupro.com/products/mo-a/#

Im going to hunt for reviews of it now.:)
Click to expand...
I had an Adventure K2 as my first camera bag. Had a really compfy frame that gave a good air gap between the wearer and the actual bag. Overall was a pretty good bag but I severely outgrew it! Mind you my NatureTrekker is not big enough now!!
 
Phil T said:
Best kit I ever bought was a Domke F7 (google it) and a separate rucksack bought from Man at Millets. The Domke can be hand-held, shoulder carried or round the waist as it comes with its own belt. 3 large interior sections which could each carry 3 D2Xs, 2 large end pouches & 2 more in front. So rucksack partially rests on Domke when out & about.
I paid £90 brand new from http://www.theflashcentre.com but they may have sold out.
Wouldn't give it up for anything!
Click to expand...

Not an option I had considered. It looks a bit crazy big to just carry around the waist. Have you walked any great distance with it?

mfwild13 said:
I had an Adventure K2 as my first camera bag. Had a really compfy frame that gave a good air gap between the wearer and the actual bag. Overall was a pretty good bag but I severely outgrew it! Mind you my NatureTrekker is not big enough now!!
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Thanks for that. So was the build quality and everything good? The Alpha actually has more camera space despit being a smaller bag as far as I know. The more I look at it, the more I think this is the bag I want. Ive received a response from Naneu saying that their products will be available in the uk from the end of August, so I might just wait until then. Where did you get your K2 from out of interest?
 
Ive been useing a Tamrac Expedition 4 for over a year now, its a very tough bag which i can comfortably wear on my back for whole days (at least eight hours) my typical load would have a D200 with a sigma 70-200 2.8 attached
(about 10 inches long) plus three to four lenses, there are loads of moveable padded deviders and two transparant zip pouches on the inside, i use these for filters, cleaning pads, shutter release cable etc.
on the outside is a thin pocket that will fit small books, a folded light reflecter, small tools, plus you have two pockets each capable of holding two CF cards and a battery. Finally you can attach a tripod and a monopod onto the rear of the bag although my tripod is a compact velbon model.
I think this bag would be ample for your needs but maybe you concider the expedition 5 which should still be a very affordable bag.
 
Les McLean said:
I use one, (1Ds+100-4000 wil fit in) in conjunction with my packpak (Phototrekker AWII), easy access to camera, protected, slip filters into front pockets etc.

Hey Les i gotta have one of those lenses 100-4000.:D
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Les McLean said:
Have you considered a toploader zoom

http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Toploading/classic/Topload_Zoom_1.aspx

I use one, (1Ds+100-4000 wil fit in) in conjunction with my packpak (Phototrekker AWII), easy access to camera, protected, slip filters into front pockets etc.

If you do consider one make sure you get a harness.
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I had actually considered something similar to that. Getting a daysack like im looking for at the moment, then getting a holster type bag (possibly the Thiktank photo Digital Holster 20) to just 'rest' the camera in while im using it. I would then probably have the holster on a blet, or off the waist strap on the main rucksack.



Impartial-Witness said:
Ive been useing a Tamrac Expedition 4 for over a year now, its a very tough bag which i can comfortably wear on my back for whole days (at least eight hours) my typical load would have a D200 with a sigma 70-200 2.8 attached
(about 10 inches long) plus three to four lenses, there are loads of moveable padded deviders and two transparant zip pouches on the inside, i use these for filters, cleaning pads, shutter release cable etc.
on the outside is a thin pocket that will fit small books, a folded light reflecter, small tools, plus you have two pockets each capable of holding two CF cards and a battery. Finally you can attach a tripod and a monopod onto the rear of the bag although my tripod is a compact velbon model.
I think this bag would be ample for your needs but maybe you concider the expedition 5 which should still be a very affordable bag.
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The expedition series bags don't have any space for clothes/food etc do they?
 
Yeah, I know which one you mean Jonny. I looked at that one, but I recon the back support might be a bit dubious due to its fancy spinning bit. I did however spend ages on the Kata website, amused that you can get bullet proof vests designed especially for photographers. "Now stops high velocity bullets". I wonder if it can stop insect bites as well.:thinking:
 
Messiah Khan said:
Thanks for that. So was the build quality and everything good? The Alpha actually has more camera space despit being a smaller bag as far as I know. The more I look at it, the more I think this is the bag I want. Ive received a response from Naneu saying that their products will be available in the uk from the end of August, so I might just wait until then. Where did you get your K2 from out of interest?
Click to expand...
I bought the K2 from a camera shop in Orlando.

Very happy with the comfort, build quality and durability. Its not as waterproof as an AWII Lowepro but wasnt bought as that.

The only issue I had was that if you forget to zip up the bottom section then all your camera gear falls on the floor but that would be pretty much the same for all hybrid rucksac/camera bags of that style. Anyway you would have to be really stupid to do that wouldnt you!!!
 
mfwild13 said:
I bought the K2 from a camera shop in Orlando.

Very happy with the comfort, build quality and durability. Its not as waterproof as an AWII Lowepro but wasnt bought as that.

The only issue I had was that if you forget to zip up the bottom section then all your camera gear falls on the floor but that would be pretty much the same for all hybrid rucksac/camera bags of that style. Anyway you would have to be really stupid to do that wouldnt you!!!
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Cheers. Hehe, yeah that wouldn't be the most sensible thing to do.(Not talking from experience are we?:p ) The Alpha special edition im looking at actually has an all weather cover, so that should help quite a bit. Its also has the camera section entrance against your back, rather than on the front of the bag. This is one of the reasons I am being drawn to this bag, as it means that if you take it off to get to your kit, you don't have to put the back section down in the mud.

Ive now been in touch with ebags.com who unfortunately can't ship me one direct, but the very helpfull salesperson suggested getting it shipped over via http://www.myus.com Who will arrange the forwarding with full tracking. Anyone used one of these type of services? I estimate the bag+shipping+forwarding etc to be about $140, which is very reasonable in my opinion.
 
Just a thought MK, but isn't Kerso in the US ;) Maybe he could lay his hands on one for you?
 
It's his sister who is in Scotland, but Kerso is in the US.. I think :shrug:
 
MK - it does feel a bit weird with this round your waist but I got used to it very quickly. I don't walk great distances but 2-3 miles I hardly noticed it was there. It's a bit obtrusive in large crowds though.
 
Phil T said:
MK - it does feel a bit weird with this round your waist but I got used to it very quickly. I don't walk great distances but 2-3 miles I hardly noticed it was there. It's a bit obtrusive in large crowds though.
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Thanks for the suggestion, but I think I have settled on the idea of getting the Naneu Alpha Special edition woodland cammo, then if I run out of space, getting seperate lees holders, camera holsters etc and attaching them to the waistband of the main rucksack, or getting some sort of military style webbing and attaching the essentials to that.


jojosmojo said:
There you go MK :)

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showpost.php?p=288391&postcount=57
Click to expand...

Thanks.:) Any idea whats the best way of getting in touch with Kerso? Pm on here?
 
Hi,
I have the tamrac cyberback 9, which doesn't have a dedicated tripod holder. I can attach to one of the side holders. You can also carry on as hand luggage on airlines, which was my main concern with a backback. Tamrac also do a cyberback 6 which does have a tripod holder and appears to be the same size (wish I had that one).
 
MK, sounds like you have made up your mind already about what you will buy.

To contact Kerso, send him a Private Message.

You can normally find good pictures on the WareHouse Express website, it'w where I did my research including sizes before finally settling on the AW Rover II rather than the Rover Plus. I can fit my tripod using the specific pouch outside, D200 with Nikon 80-200 f2.8 lens attached in the bottom internal compartment, at least 3 other lenses and room for sandwiches, water, battery etc. I used it for hilly walks in Ilkley earlier this year without any problems for around 6-7 hours. The centre section comes out to use as a normal sack if you wish.

Personally, the only way to buy is to look at the bag and try it first to see how it fits you, especially if carrying all that weight for hours, everyones ergonomics are different!

Good luck with whatever you choose.
 
Cheers Jas. Ive sent a PM to Kerso, and im just waiting for a reply. If that fails, i'll try a forwarding company, although the one I tried wanted a monthly subscription:( Im pretty much set on the Naneu Alpha Special edition woodland cammo, so im going to do my upmost to get my hand on it. I know ideally I should try it out before I buy it, but unfrotunately thats not going to be possible.

If all that fails, I think my backup plan is to wait for the Lowepro Primus AW to be released, although its camera section looks a tiny bit to small in terms of space for extra lenses etc, but I suppose I could always add lens pouches.

There definately seems to be a slight gap in the market for large backpacking rucksacks with space for camera equipment.
 
Woho! Ive managed to find the "Naneu Pro Alpha Military Camo Woodland" on ebay from the US. Its set me back $137.45 including shipping, which isn't bad at all as far as im concerned (Got to love the exchange rate at the moment) It should arrive within 3-10 working days, so i'll post a mini review when I get it. Right, now what can I spend the rest of my pay on... *goes to scour ebay*:)
 
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