[victormeldrew]

without a "serious" looking camera and separate bag, you'll be less of a target for thieves.

To the uneducated, the GR looks like a cheap point and shoot. The educated give you an appreciative nod.

[Jonathan Mac]

I always take a backpack, but I tend to take a lot of gear and there's no other way to carry it all day. For a single camera and lens a shoulder bag is probably the most practical.

The alternative is something I'm not sure of the name of, but I have one. It's a camera bag with a waist strap but can also be used as a shoulder bag, but it also has an extra strap which, when wearing the bag around the waist, can go around the leg to keep it still. So it ends up being something like a holster as it's strapped to a leg.

[Saltwater Images]

Anything around town I use a Domke F5xb

Road Tests :: Domke F-5XB Camera Bag - Carryology - Exploring better ways to carry

Another vote for th F-5XB ruggedwear here. I have used this bag for travel for the last 5 years with the following combinations:

- K-5II, HD DA 21/40/70
- K-5II, HD DA 15/35/70
- K-5II, HD DA 21/40 and D FA 100 Macro WR

A water repellant bag or has served me well in rainy climates, -20 Celsius (and colder) in Quebec City and every day shooting. It’s a simple, well built, functional bag of exceptional quality. I have 4 camera bags to utilize depending on gear load out. 3 of them are Domke, the 4th is Think Tank. Domke designs superb gear.

There’s room in the bag if you want to use a shoulder strap but most often I only utilize a hand strap when carrying this bag. It’s small, casual looking and blends in without screaming camera bag!

[wstruth]

I love shoulder bags for the street and travel, because I find it's much faster to grab your camera from one than a backpack or sling bag. If you're going into in a store, they're easily moved to the front of your body so you don't knock anything over. My favorites right now are:

the Domke F-5XC: Small and easily configurable, I used it with my K-5 and now my KP. I especially like how I can make a false bottom and use the front zipper area to carry three primes or small zooms.

Lowepro Passport Sling. The most comfortable bag I have for street and travel. It's great for a camera and one or two lenses, but it can hold a surprising amount of stuff if you want (you'll need extra lens cases). it's expandable too, so it can store a windbreaker or small purchases.

[aslyfox]

I am very happy with this one that I had found on Amazon

Camera Bag, GRM Vintage DSLR SLR Messenger Bag Canvas Leather Shockproof Camera Shoulder Bag Laptop Bag

Camera Bag, GRM Vintage DSLR SLR Messenger Bag Canvas Leather Shockproof Camera Shoulder Bag Laptop Bag – GRM

[jddwoods]

Another vote for th F-5XB ruggedwear here. I have used this bag for travel for the last 5 years with the following combinations:

- K-5II, HD DA 21/40/70
- K-5II, HD DA 15/35/70
- K-5II, HD DA 21/40 and D FA 100 Macro WR

A water repellant bag or has served me well in rainy climates, -20 Celsius (and colder) in Quebec City and every day shooting. It’s a simple, well built, functional bag of exceptional quality. I have 4 camera bags to utilize depending on gear load out. 3 of them are Domke, the 4th is Think Tank. Domke designs superb gear.

There’s room in the bag if you want to use a shoulder strap but most often I only utilize a hand strap when carrying this bag. It’s small, casual looking and blends in without screaming camera bag!

I have the Domke F-5XB and really like it and also recommend it. I will, however add my pitch for another option to consider; the Domke F-803. This is a wider but flatter messenger bag design which makes it particularly convenient for carrying under your arm, which I prefer in crowded city areas. When carrying around I really do not notice it being larger than my F-5XB but it can hold more, if a larger bag is an option. Here is typically what I use:
In my F-5XB: K-5 with DA 21 and 40 Limiteds.
In my F-803: K-3 with DA 16-85, 55-300 PLM and DA 15 Limited.
Both highly recommended. Note, both bags are available in multiple fabric and color options. I prefer the rugged wear canvas over the nylon but if cost is an option, go with the nylon.

[ThorSanchez]

Lots of good suggestions from everyone, thanks. I kind of like the small messenger or shoulder bags, but I don't know how I'd take to the one-shoulder strap for extended periods. I have a small-ish Tamrac backpack that I've used a ton over the last 5-6 years, and in the end there's a good chance I'll fall back on that. I'm probably overthinking this, but I have a nagging itch that I'm going to not want to always have a backpack on. I suppose another option is (gasp) use the call phone (a Google Pixel with a perfectly decent camera) when I want to go really light.


I'm intrigued by the GRIII, but I'm probably not going to spend $900 on that the same year we're taking a huge family trip to Europe. I can't convince myself it's worth it, so there's little chance I'll sell that idea to the wife.

[stevebrot]

Anything around town I use a Domke F5xb

Hey, that looks very similar to the small bag my daughter gave me. It both looks like and doubles as a lunch bag. If I do take a bag when doing urban work, that is the bag I take. Unfortunately the maker (Poler) recently filed bankruptcy. That being the case, a regular padded/insulated lunch bag might also fill the bill. That is what I have used in the past.


Steve

[victormeldrew]

I'm intrigued by the GRIII, but I'm probably not going to spend $900 on that the same year we're taking a huge family trip to Europe. I can't convince myself it's worth it, so there's little chance I'll sell that idea to the wife.

My GRII will be for sale as soon as the GRIII arrives...

[tokyoscape]

I will go on a trip in Europe soon too. I had a shoulder bag last time. I took 2 primes a day and a K5. The rest were phone, table top tripod, etc... Shoulder hurts every day

This time I will use waist bag. I have been doing street and night photo every weekend in where I live. A waist bag with 2 primes or just a da10-17 on k3 seem to be the best combination for me. The less lenses I carry the more time I have for shooting and the longer the distance I can cover.

[Timotis77]

I wasn't satisfied with all the bags sold for cameras. And I didn't find that backpack are convenient because it is not straightforward to pull the camera in and out of the backpack without having to stop, open the backpack etc. So I use a hand made shoulder bag designed to fit the K1 with DFA15-30 horizontally with the handle on top ready to pull the camera out of the bag, there is also a front and back flat pockets for city map, phone, memory cards, 1 spare battery and pen with paper. If I don't use the DFA15030 I can also fit the DFA2470 or DFA28105 + bottle of 500ml water. With this bag only and nothing else, I can do sight seeing the whole day.

I'd be very keen to see this handmade shoulder bag, if you have pictures of it?

I’m of the similar premise, I find many/most/if not all of these camera bags sold all have short comings and don’t 100% do the job…..

Not to say they would for others, but personally none really ever 100% suit

I currently use and ‘don’t mind’ the Kata Access-17 PL for my Larger Medium Format Pentax 645z (Also have the Kata Access-14 PL for my Nikon D810). These can carry a body with large lens attached and has smart side pockets, which can hold another lens in one pocket and battery and whatever else in the other.

[Ishpuini]

Smallest bag I have is typically for street photography use. It's the ThinkTank Retrospective 5. I love it! The shoulder strap is among the best I ever tried: it is wide and as such nicely distributes the weight, plus it has an antislip layer that actually works in keeping the bag on my shoulder in situations when most bags would have slipped off. Mine easily holds a Pentax APS-C body with one limited lens mounted and two others (in their leather pouches) next to it. Lots of pockets too.

ThinkTank recently made a new version that looks ever more versatile, esp in terms of the additional pockets that take less room in the internal space. I won't be changing my old version for a new though, because the d**n thing won't wear down. It is just too durable... ;-)


Wim

[Lowell Goudge]

when travelling on holidays, fue to limited time for changing lenses, and space for a lot, i generally take 2 bodies and 2 lenses, and simply switch cameras, i use a sigma 10-20 and tamron 28-105 specifically. in the past this was with the K7 and k5 but now that i have the K1 i will use it with the tamron because this is full frame lens. i use a Fossil messenger bag, (the size that just fits an ipad and use it to carry what ever stuff i have, plus the body that is not in my hand at the moment.

at home, i often take my K10 which is my official M42 body since the lens locking mechanism failed, and i take the same messenger baf with 3-4 M42 lenses. my M42 kit is extensive, with about 15 lenses from 16mm fisheye through 300mm f4.5 , but usually for the street stay below 135mm

[sculptor666]

31ltd on the camera, 43ltd or 70ltd in my pocket... but usually i just bring the backpack anyway.

[abruzzi]

IMO, with street phototography, the camera doesn’t go in a bag, because you want it out and ready. Me personally, i don’t want to mess around with changing lenses, so it’s generally my MX with a 50mm lens in hand.