terryt
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- Terry
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I've just bought a Domke F-803 shoulder bag and thought I'd post my initial impressions. I currently use a Kata 466i and Lowepro Fastpack 100 but have been looking ages for the right shoulder bag and couldn't find anything that suited my needs. I was looking for something that would fit my kit but can also be used as a messenger for work so it had to fit my laptop and not look like a camera bag, also it had to be quite narrow.
I was looking at the usual brands (Lowepro, Tamrac, Thinktank, Crumpler, etc) but couldn't find anything that I liked the look of and wasn't too big (or small) and didn't look like a camera bag. I searched loads of camera forum reviews, youtube reviews, everything Google threw at me!
I finally came across the Domke F-803 and luckily they had stock in Cameraworld London so I had the chance to have a look at one rather than ordering blind off the net. I went for the ruggedwear version, I checked the black canvas one but it looked a bit plain. The main flap has 2 zipped compartments, they don't expand so you can only fit small flat items in them. The flap closes with a clasp which is quite stiff but I guess makes it secure.
Inside is another 2 compartments with velcro covers, these expand quite a bit so you can fit bits like batteries, film, filters etc.
As standard the bag only comes with a sqaure divider, you have to pay extra for the FA-230 3 compartment insert which is a bit of a rip off. The square divider divides the bag into 3 compartments, the divider is a fixed size but you can move it so the 2 compartments either side can be adjusted. There isn't much padding inside so you do need to be careful how you place the bag. Also, there are only velcro strips on the top around the inside so if you have any spare dividers from other bags they can only attach to this velcro strip.
Here's the bag with my kit in, Nikon D90 with 16-85mm attached, 35mm f1.8, and SB-700 flash. There's still space above the 35mm to fit another small lens.
Here's the bag with my laptop (11.6 inch). Fits just right leaving enough space for a book. A normal sized mag and A4 pad fits in fine but may get a bit crushed. There's a pocket at the back of the bag which apparently fits an ipad perfectly. The ruggedwear material is a bit greasy to touch in some places but is waterproof.
Its not cheap but I'm happy with it, and I don't think I will need to carry more kit so hopefully will last me for a while. It also comes with a tub of wax, I've no idea how to use this. Also, I learned Domke is pronounced dom-key, like donkey
I was looking at the usual brands (Lowepro, Tamrac, Thinktank, Crumpler, etc) but couldn't find anything that I liked the look of and wasn't too big (or small) and didn't look like a camera bag. I searched loads of camera forum reviews, youtube reviews, everything Google threw at me!
I finally came across the Domke F-803 and luckily they had stock in Cameraworld London so I had the chance to have a look at one rather than ordering blind off the net. I went for the ruggedwear version, I checked the black canvas one but it looked a bit plain. The main flap has 2 zipped compartments, they don't expand so you can only fit small flat items in them. The flap closes with a clasp which is quite stiff but I guess makes it secure.
Inside is another 2 compartments with velcro covers, these expand quite a bit so you can fit bits like batteries, film, filters etc.
As standard the bag only comes with a sqaure divider, you have to pay extra for the FA-230 3 compartment insert which is a bit of a rip off. The square divider divides the bag into 3 compartments, the divider is a fixed size but you can move it so the 2 compartments either side can be adjusted. There isn't much padding inside so you do need to be careful how you place the bag. Also, there are only velcro strips on the top around the inside so if you have any spare dividers from other bags they can only attach to this velcro strip.
Here's the bag with my kit in, Nikon D90 with 16-85mm attached, 35mm f1.8, and SB-700 flash. There's still space above the 35mm to fit another small lens.
Here's the bag with my laptop (11.6 inch). Fits just right leaving enough space for a book. A normal sized mag and A4 pad fits in fine but may get a bit crushed. There's a pocket at the back of the bag which apparently fits an ipad perfectly. The ruggedwear material is a bit greasy to touch in some places but is waterproof.
Its not cheap but I'm happy with it, and I don't think I will need to carry more kit so hopefully will last me for a while. It also comes with a tub of wax, I've no idea how to use this. Also, I learned Domke is pronounced dom-key, like donkey
