Camera Backpacks

[DanSir]

Any reccommendations on photography backpacks? which one do you like....


Danny

[marknjen]

Check this thread here....what-bag-camera?

[VegasMike]

I've got a Thinktank that I really like. It has plenty of storage and adjustable panels. The model I have does not have storage for a laptop but they do have models that do. Price was reasonable.

[OsmosisStudios]

Depends what you want to haul around?

My daily use bag is a Lowepro CompuDayPack but it only carries a bit of photo gear (im a student: laptop is a priority).

My studio-in-a-bag bag isn't actually here yet. It would be a Lowepro Computrekker Plus AW, or a Vertex 200. Either one is considerably bigger, but will carry just about anything.

[RichardTaylor]

I have a number of them and they have different uses.

(1) What camera gear do you want to carry?
(2) Do you need to carry a laptop as well?
(3) Do you need to carry personal gear also?
(4) Do you need it to be "weather proof"?
(5) do you need it to be airline carry on size?
(6) Do you want quick access to your camera gear?
(7) What is your budget?

[Swisstony10]

I have several bags. My "day-trip" bag, which I also use on holiday and stuff is a Tamrac Adventurer - it'll hold a camera with a mid-sized lens attached, along with a flash and maybe a spare lens if it's little (like a 50mm) in the camera compartment at the bottom. and the top part is useful for odds and ends, like sandwiches, a bottle of water, that kind of thing. I fitted a couple of D-rings to the fronts of the shoulder straps, so I can attach the camera to them using Tamrac's quick-release strap system, which carries the weight of the camera quite nicely if I'm on a trip somewhere, distributed across my shoulders.

For small assignments, where I know I don't need much stuff, I use the Canon bag which came as a freebie with my 50D - it'll hold a camera with a decent sized lens, a spare body or a couple of lenses, and a flash, with other gubbins (batteries, memory cards, etc) in little pockets. That's not a backpack though, it's a shoulder-bag, so it's not really much use if I'm going to be carrying it around all day.

My carry-all (I like Osmosis' "studio-in-a-bag" title) is a Calumet BP1500 backpack. It'll hold a body with a 70-200 f2.8, a body with a 24-70 f2/8, a couple of speedlights, more batteries than I've ever actually needed, TTL cables, light meter, fisheye lens, spare zoom, tripod (with a neat external pouch & strap combination), flash triggers, single light stand, 2 small brollies, laptop, bits and also bobs. Admittedly, that does tend to be a bit of a bugger to pick up and swing onto my back, but still.. It's basically a little bit bigger than a Lowerpro Pro Runner 450, but about £40 cheaper (no idea if it's available in the US, and if so, whether it's still cheaper than the Lowepro)..

EDIT - I just looked at Calumet's website (for something else), and noticed that the BP1500 is now only very slightly cheaper than the Lowerpro PR450. Still slightly bigger though, by the looks of it.