Camera Bags

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Pelican 1510
Domke F1X
Melvin and Moon

Domke F6
Banana Republic Camera Bag


Domke F803

The above pictures are of my favorite camera bags. I get asked a lot of questions about camera bags. Mostly what bags do you use and why.

Pelican 1510- this is the largest Pelican case that is carry on approved. I bought this case last Christmas because I was in need of a hard carry on case for transporting my camera gear around. This case can hold my 1DMKIII with 70-200f2.8 IS mounted with lens hood reversed, Canon 50mm f1.4, Canon 85mm f1.8, Canon 24mm f1.4, Lens Baby 2.0, Rocket Blower, a few CDs, 3 Pocket Wizards, cables for Pocket Wizards, card case, note pad, pens, clips, business cards, a few ponchos, 3 way power adapter, a few gels, the battery charger for the 1D MKIII, and a bunch of AA batteries. I use this case mostly for transporting gear from my home to my end destination and will then switch bags to one of the soft bags.
You can purchase the Pelican from Amazon here Pelican 1510-004-110 Medium Carry-On Case with Padded Dividers.

Domke F1X- this is the big boy bag that everyone will recognize you as a PJ with. It is a big heavy canvas bag. I love it. I use this bag when I am going to need to carry a lot of gear and wont be able to go back to the car or studio to swap out gear. It is a soft bag with out much padding which keeps the weight of the bag down. It is also a really easy bag to shoot out of. This bag can carry almost everything that the Pelican 1510 can. One of the best features of the Domke bags is the gripper strap. The strap grips really well to your shoulder and does not slip.  You can purchase the Domke F1X from Amazon here Domke 700-10S F-1X Little Bit Bigger Bag (Sand).

Melvin and Moon- this is primarily used as a grip bag. It is a big nice canvas bag. It generally hauls around a Nano stand, power cables, A clamps, Super Clamps, reflectors, Gaff tape, flash brackets and other grip accessories.

Domke F6- This is a smaller F1X it takes away the pockets on the outside of the bag except for a front pocket and a rear pocket. This bag can hold 4 lenses and a camera body. This used to be my primary walk around bag. It is made of the same canvas as the F1X. It is a soft bag that conforms to the body. Also the bag wears in really well. I have used this bag for about 4 years and it is in amazing shape. Like the F1X it is a water resistant bag. I use the standard Domke 4 pocket insert which is a bit snug if you want to put the 70-200 in the bag with the lens hood on. I generally put the lens hood in the larger compartment or on my strap.  You can purchase the Domke F-6 from Amazon by clicking here Domke F-6 Little Bit Smaller Bag (Sand)

Banana Republic Camera bag- this bag pulls double duty. This bag is primarily my man bag but also serves as a camera bag for events where I have to be more dressed up. I throw the Domke 3 pocket insert into the main compartment and it allows me to put three lenses in the bag. I then just swap out lenses. The front compartment has enough room to store a flash and a battery pack and a cf card case. This is not the most easy bag to work out of but when I shoot grip and grins at social events this is usually my go to bag.

Domke F803- this is my new go to walk around bag. It holds three camera lenses, some batteries, a note book, and has room for a few pocket wizards. This is the rugged wear edition. It has a coating of wax on the outside that makes it more watter repellent than the other Domke bags. It also wears in really well. Like all Domke bags it is a soft bag with minimal padding.  You can purchase the Domke F803 from Amazon Domke 701-83A F-803 Camera Satchel Bag (Brown Waxwear Finish)

When I am looking at camera bags I am looking for a bag that will be easy to carry, will wear in well, and has minimal padding. I like bags with less padding because they give you more room for gear and are lighter weight. Also I find that a lot of photographers put too much faith in the padding in their bags and will treat them carelessly. I find that if you are gentle with these lightly padded bags that they work really well.