[rrobinson54]

I now own a Pentax K10D, with grip permanently attached, 18-55mm lens, 50-200mm lens, AF360 flash. I plan to add all three limited lenses (21mm, 40mm, 70mm) and that will be it. Any suggestions on the best camera bag to securely hold this equipment? I am considering the Lowepro 550D or the Crumpler 7 million dollar bag. Any other bags worth considering?

Thanks!

[davemdsn]

I use the Lowepro Slingshot (large). Great fit for the camera and 5 of my 6 lenses, plus room in the top compartment for my flash and Rocket Blower.

I am going to be in Binghamton at the end of this month/early next month.

[Chuck Lee]

LowePro Slingshot 200

[Chuck Lee]

Lowepro Slingshot 200 for all you have and 100 for single camera plus lens and strobe for walk around.

[blwnhr]

I've got a Lowepro CompuTrekker AW. Awesome bag. Has comfortable room for my K10D+grip, 18-125, 50-500, flash, difuser, TC, plus I've got enough room for the 2-3 short lenses I'm looking at. Plus it has a convenient tri/monopod holder. And it is SO comfy to wear for extended periods. I wore it for nearly 4 hours and didn't get a sore back or anything.

[davemdsn]

How big of a computer will that Computrekker AW hold? Is the bag small enough for airplane carry on? I am taking a long trip later this month and am looking to carry one less bag - currently the Slingshot 200 for the camera and a laptop bag for the computer.

[WMBP]

Hate to be so unoriginal, but I'm also using a LowePro Slingshot 200. Fits the K10D with lens attached, and has compartments for four more lenses, plus other stuff.

I'm not sure it's the best bag for in-the-city use, say, for lugging camera equipment in your car to a shoot. When I go to a sports event, I usually carry just the equipment I know I need and I use a separate bag for that. But hiking in the Rockies, the slingshot feature of the LowePro Slingshot 200 was really useful. I was able to keep the camera in the bag, and keep the bag on my back while I was hiking. But if I wanted to take a picture, I could drop my trekking poles, "slingshot" the bag around so it was on my chest, and have the camera out and ready to shoot in about 5 seconds.

Will

[blwnhr]

How big of a computer will that Computrekker AW hold? Is the bag small enough for airplane carry on?

My new Dell 14" laptop fits perfectly. A 15" might struggle. As for planes it would be at the upper limit for plane travel but it'd pass I would think.

[Lowell Goudge]

I have 3 different Lowepro bags, and load them depending upon the need.

1 large phototrecker backlpack, one small phototrecker back pack with laptop pouch, and one shoulder bag.

I bought the large backpack when I still shot film, and it could hold everything except my celestron C90. Everything = (2 bodies with winders, 28-105 and 70-210 zooms, 24, 50, 100, 300 400 mm primes, 2 flashes plus 3 teleconverters and extension tube set).

Since going digital I have added 2 DSLRs, 3 new zooms and an additional flash.

Large bag now carries my gear when I go away on weekends, and this changes depending on what I want to take.

Smaller back pack is usually for vacations, and can carry a PC if I am restricted to 1 carry on.

Shoulder bag is for taking 1-2 lenses, flash and camera body on day trips

[Lowell Goudge]

My new Dell 14" laptop fits perfectly. A 15" might struggle.

I have put a 17 inch dell wide screen laptop in the bag but the zipper can't quite close around one corner of the bag. It was good enough to get to 1 carry on, but once I arrived at the destination the laptop stayed put.

As for planes it would be at the upper limit for plane travel but it'd pass I would think.

Except for some small regional jets and turbo props where the overhead is restricted, there is no problem. So far, I have used the bag on B757, B737, and Emberair 170 jets.

[davemdsn]

Thanks for the info on notebooks. I have a 17" and want to take it back east with me, but would like to have one carry on instead of two. With a computer that wide it is tough to bet a bag big enough to hold it and my camera gear that still fits in the overhead. It is extrememly thin and not very deep, but it is wide. I have a bag that fits it like a glove so it might be easier to take that and my Slingshot than to try to make one bag work.

[shutterdrone]

How big of a computer will that Computrekker AW hold? Is the bag small enough for airplane carry on? I am taking a long trip later this month and am looking to carry one less bag - currently the Slingshot 200 for the camera and a laptop bag for the computer.

I've had the Computrekker AW for a few years, it will fit my 17" thinkpad no problem. Only problem is, IMO, it's a horrible pack. It's too big for casual use, and you have to have a perfectly sized body for the bag to be comfortable trekking. Find the waist belt useless on my 5'10" frame. It doesn't really have room for anything but camera stuff, and I rarely need to carry _that_ many lenses and such in the field (your needs may differ, obviously).

I just recently got the Tamrac Adventure 6, and I find it a heck of a lot more comfortable and useful for my needs. (I don't carry my LT in the field), perhaps the Adventure 9 would be good choice, and have room for something other than just camera gear. (I am able to fit all of my camera stuff, 1st aid, several water bottles, change of clothes and a couple of meals in the Adventure 6, with my tripod strapped to the bottom.)

!c

[GaryML]

I now own a Pentax K10D, with grip permanently attached, 18-55mm lens, 50-200mm lens, AF360 flash. I plan to add all three limited lenses (21mm, 40mm, 70mm) and that will be it. Any suggestions on the best camera bag to securely hold this equipment? I am considering the Lowepro 550D or the Crumpler 7 million dollar bag. Any other bags worth considering?

My standard bag is the Lowepro Slingshot 200. It will hold all of your current gear but it may be a little crowded adding three more lenses. What I like about the Slingshot is that it is nearly as comfortable to carry as a backpack, but your camera can be easily accessed, nearly as easily as a shoulder bag.

I also have a Slingshot 300 for use when carrying my Sigma APO 100-300mm f/4 EX DG (which is 8" long and weighs 3 lbs). The 300 can easily handle this (plus camera, other lenses, etc.) whereas the 200 is overloaded with this much weight. The 300 is more comfortable to carry because it has a full waist belt. It will definitely carry all of your anticipated future purchases. But it is pretty bulky (nearly the size of a full backpack). It's probably overkill for your needs.

I also have some smaller Lowepro shoulder bags for traveling light.

Crumpler makes some nice bags, especially their shoulder bags. If you prefer this style you might check them out. I tested a Crumpler 7 Million with a full load of gear and it was more comfortable and convenient than most other shoulder bags. You might also look at the Lowepro "Reporter" professional series and the Domke shoulder bags.

Whatever you decide, be sure to test out the bag in the store with all of your gear in the bag to see if it is comfortable and convenient for you. Spend a good half-hour walking around the store. You might be surprised when a bag that feels good for the first 5 minutes starts to hurt your shoulder or back after 20 minutes.

[eduzabo]

I've had the Computrekker AW for a few years, it will fit my 17" thinkpad no problem. Only problem is, IMO, it's a horrible pack. It's too big for casual use, and you have to have a perfectly sized body for the bag to be comfortable trekking. Find the waist belt useless on my 5'10" frame. It doesn't really have room for anything but camera stuff, and I rarely need to carry _that_ many lenses and such in the field (your needs may differ, obviously).

I just recently got the Tamrac Adventure 6, and I find it a heck of a lot more comfortable and useful for my needs. (I don't carry my LT in the field), perhaps the Adventure 9 would be good choice, and have room for something other than just camera gear. (I am able to fit all of my camera stuff, 1st aid, several water bottles, change of clothes and a couple of meals in the Adventure 6, with my tripod strapped to the bottom.)

!c

I recently bought my Adventure 9, and took it on a trip to Israel and Turkey last month.

I had my K10D, 16-45, 70-300, 50, 540 flash, Sony 717, batteries and rocket blower in the main camera pocket, cards, etc in the cover, Dell 15" laptop, all chargers (for the laptop and two cameras, cell phone, plus an AA charger), plug adapters, extra 120GB hard drive.

Tripod was with the luggage.

When I had everything in it it was heavy as hell, but everything fits great.

On a daily basis I left the laptop, chargers, etc at the hotels and carried just the photo gear, with the tripod strapped under the bag.

The only "inconvenience" of this bag is that you (or someone with you) cannot access the main compartment with the bag on your back. I mean, you can actually do it, but there is the danger of having something fall-off (almost happen once with me when I asked my daughter to reach for the 70-300 lens).

Otherwise, I used the upper compartment for snacks (no need for a jacket during the summer in that part of the Mediterranean) and the side pockets for two 1.5L water bottles.

Highly recommended!!

EZ

PS: did someone already coin the term BBA (LBA, CBA)?

[shutterdrone]

PS: did someone already coin the term BBA (LBA, CBA)?

If not, they should. I don't have LBA, but I definitely have BBA. I have the Computrekker AW, Lowepro (square?) bag, Adventure 6, some no-name very small bag (for holgas and such), a German bread bag (for city shooting, it looks nothing at all like a nice, fancy, camera bag), a hard case from the 50s (for the century graphic), two different waterproof cases, a whole slew of standard laptop/backpack style bags, and I'm about to buy a 2-day internal frame pack.

I've found that I desire a bag specifically for each kind of shooting I wish to do -- back country, city, carrying a bunch of gear on a road trip, day hikes, half-day hikes, etc.

!c