[Ole]

Thought I wanted to share this with you since I'm quite excited about my new bag!

The ideal photobag doesn't exist. Some of us have been searching for years and have a wardrobe full of bags to prove the point!

But the Tenba Shootout Daypack comes close to the ideal IMHO. I bought it for our trip to Greenland and I really like it. It easily held my substantial loadout (two bodies, FA*28-70/2.8, D FA 100/2.8 macro, F 70-210/4-5.6, FA*300/4.5, DA10-17, DA12-24 (all lenses with their hoods), tele converter, polarizers, batteries) while remaining well within the carry-on regulations of even the most stringent airline.

When you're off the airplane you can expand the bag so as to hold a jacket, sweater, gloves, etc!

It doesn't hold a laptop, that's perhaps a downside to some.

It is not cheap but it is extremely well made and should last a life time!

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[heatherslightbox]

When I was looking for a camera backpack, I seriously considered Tenba and actually did have a chance to handle one when I was at a camera store in Nashville in May. The Tenbas have some really unique features like the tripod holder on the back that adjusts to fit the size tripod that you have and the side pockets that let you access lenses in the backpack itself. The only downfall was the price. For something that I don't use that often, I just couldn't stomach shelling out $150, instead I picked up a used Tamrac Expedition 4. If my gear collection winds up outgrowing my current backpack and I start looking for a bigger backpack, I will definitely reconsider Tenba.

Heather

[walter]

The ideal photobag doesn't exist. Some of us have been searching for years and have a wardrobe full of bags to prove the point!

haha, that would be me. I'm currently using 4 bags, depending on what lenses I want to bring.

Thanks for the tip, the Tenba looks pretty good. They sure packed a lot of features in there.

Here's a link to their website: Tenba - Shootout: Daypack. The video does a good job of showing how it works.

[ryan s]

Oh wow, I think this is the one for me...but can it fit the Kx0D with grip?

The Tamrac Adventure 9 was my #1 choice, but the deal breakers are:
--Waist strap is not removable
--Top compartment is nice, but the bottom is the only "secure" place for camera stuff.

Unfortunately no one around here stocks Tenba, so I can't try before I buy...after seeing the video, I think I finally found my bag

[nulla]

Looks good


thanks for the info

Neil

[ZaphodB]

I've owned or tested various bags by Lowepro, Tamrac, Kata, Crumpler... and I'm sure there is a perfect photobag somewhere out there... probably containing the Holy Grail.

To be fair, I do carry a stupid amount of gear... a 6x7 with lens attached, plus my main system including 5 lenses and both a digital and 35mm body. So far only one bag I've tried will take all that, while staying small enough to take on a plane, being comfortable, having space for book/MP3 player/clothes etc (not a laptop), and not being too obviously a camera bag, and all this at a reasonable price... the Lowepro Mini Trekker AW. I've only just bought this one, but it's the best yet.

The Tenba looks even better, but they don't seem to be available in my part of the world either, at least not in stores for me to try. No doubt I'll end up getting one once I inevitably realise I'm only 90% happy with my current bag

[melander]

YouTube - Tenba Shootout Daypack: Fast-change your life!

[Entropy]

I gave up on dedicated photo packs recently. I now use a Kelty Redwing 3100 with a Y303 (or is it 313?) strap set from Kinesis and LOVE it. It's far more comfortable than any photo pack I've tried.

I'm still working on the internal organization, and will likely be buying some Kinesis cases designed for their Journeyman backpack but still capable of working in other packs.

Renaissance Photo Technology sells a modified Redwing that has a longer zipper (for easier packing/unpacking) and a squared off top (for around 400 CI extra space), along with some slight modifications to the external pockets/strap system. If I hadn't needed the Redwing on very short notice I would have gone for the RPT pack.

Note that if you get a designed-for-hiking pack you will have to do some customizations for photo purposes. But it's easier to make a hiking pack work for photography than a photo pack work for hiking.

Osprey has some incredibly nice internal frame hiking packs but the curved internal frame could cause issues with packing camera equipment.

[Gooshin]

The ideal photobag?

fits into your pocket

weights nothing

can fit everything

[Venturi]

The ideal photobag?

fits into your pocket

weights nothing

can fit everything

Time Lord technology?

[Venturi]

Okay, seriously though. I own the Tenba Shootout (large) and it is an awesome bag/pack. It easily will hold both bodies with grips and ALL of my lenses, a Cokin filter wallet, flash, lots of spare batteries and my 15.4" Toshiba widescreen laptop; plus I could strap a monopod to the bottom and put a tripod in the front pouch/sling/thing.

And I would need a pack mule to carry it for me in that configuration too.

[rparmar]

But the Tenba Shootout Daypack comes close to the ideal IMHO.

Thanks for sharing this information. This does indeed look like the best backpack yet. Too many are too large for today's restrictive carry-on allowances. (10kg and 55 x 40 x 20cm is common over here.)

How much of the interior stuff comes out? Sometimes I might want to use it as a general-purpose backpack around town. And I will sometimes want to reduce the specified weight of 5.30 lb.

Getting general use out of it (and not just as a photo bag) would justify the £120 plus shipping price from the UK.

[Gooshin]

my LowePro 100AW sling bag has been nothing short of amazing for me so far, and its been street/club and just recently wilderness tested.

aside from my camera with a normal prime on it, it held a fisheye, a 10-20 sigma zoom, and a compact 80-200 telephoto in it (F4 makes for small lenses!), my flash, a fork, a jack knife, a can of tuna, my car keys and my wallet.

thank you pentax for making small lenses

[Clicker]

There will NEVER be the "perfect" bag so get use to having LOTS OF bags

[ll_coffee_lP]

Nice bag. Seriously. Please stop giggling.

c[_]