Bag Problem

Streetwalker harddrive looks best so far, amazing, but too small, remember the lens I will have on most of the time is 600mm for wildlife. It only looks like 40l, almost there, but too small, which is a shame because it looks amazing, really low key and basic looking but nice inside.

F stop bags look amazing, but which would I choose one for:

Nikon D610 + D3300
Nikon 50mm 1.4
Nikon 35mm 1.8
Nikon 24mm 2.8
Sigma 15mm Fisheye
*coming soon - Nikon 24-70 (a beast of a lens)*
Tamron 70-300
Tamron 150-600
Tamron macro lens 90mm
my very solid Pro Video II tripod which is amazing.
Spare batteries, lens cloth water bottle etc

Any ideas? The wesbite doesn't give enough info!

Why is this so hard? I am tearing my hair out just buying a bloody bag. I would be so annoyed at buying a £200 bag only to find that I need to carry my 600mm len in its shoulder bag *as well* which would do my head in.

Is there a solution for this much gear? Most of my lenses are really really small. The 24mm nikon is smaller than half a coke can.

By the way, I weigh over 16 stone so not too fussed about weight.

My advice is do not carry everything in a single bag and I speak from painful experience.

1: I dropped my single bag with its entire contents into a lake, everything ruined.
2: A few years later my car got broke into and all they took was my single backpack which contained all of my gear, everything gone again!

I now just take what I need a small sling and store everything in a peli case.
 
Thank you guys. A lot of useful advice, very helpful. And one unhelpful person. TY CHEERS GUYS.

Think I will order the bag and wait however long it takes if they are really that good! Seems a long time to wait but guess I have no choice.

Thanks to all.
 
Backpacks are very much a personal thing, so if possible go to a decent camera shop near you to try a few different sizes and styles. jessops tend to just have a few of the smaller sizes in stock they can sell to people buying their first camera as an add-on to the sale. I went to the photography show in Birmingham a few years ago and got one there.

I've got a few different sized bags that I use depending on what I'll need, from a shoulder messenger style bag that will hold a body, 24-105, 70-200 and a laptop or iPad, a medium sized backpack that will hold one body, my 300 2.8 prime, a 70-200 and my 24-105. I've then got a huge lowepro one that will fit everything I have including flash, 2 bodies, convertors etc. However with everything in it is a nightmare to lug around, especially with a tripod on the side and filters in the bag as well. So I just tend to use the big one for transporting everything and then take another empty bag with me in the car and take just what I need. I've also got one of those Alpinestars photographer vests which have more huge pockets inside and out that anyone could use, and they comfortably take a 1 series Canon body, 70-200 spare battery, filters and still have space for a few bottles of water and snacks etc. I found that distributing the weight in the vest was less tiring and painful on the shoulders than lugging the largest backpack with everything in it.

Just make sure you get a bag that has a waterproof cover built in. Has saved me a few times when the rain was unexpected or heavier and more prolonged...
 
Agree on the personal choice for a bag,i dont carry as much as you but have 6 different bags (all cheap really) for different outings.

I would echo what D.P said and get the f-stop.

I had never heard of them before until my friend got one,it is one amazing bag and i have never seen a bag like it,its huge and looks like a rucksack and is pretty damn awesome for a large bag,plenty of storage and pockets,if i was going to carry a lot of equipment it would be in a f-stop bag and nothing else,you will be amazed by it.
 
Slight problem is that you have to buy the internal camera padding as an extra. A tilopa bag is looking at $400+ and a 6 week wait.

Therefore I am looking at lowepro bags instead. A lowepro flipside 500 looks like it might do the job well, and costs just over a hundred quid. If I order now, Amazon prime will have it here tomorrow. Problem is that no where near me has one I can go and see. Might just take a gamble on it and sell on eBay if it doesn't suit.

Any opinions on Lowepro bags?
 
I spend my summer on the moors (Schedule 1 licensed work). I like to have a camera and lens with me, specifically one with a bit of reach. I also like the scenery (heather, mountains etc) and like to have something shorter for such things. It's hard work lugging that about, plus waterproofs, plus food/drink, plus binoculars. I've even lugged one of the big lenses I have up one of the mountains on my patch and it was easier without having it in a bag, but I still had to have a little rucksack for water etc. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

My advice, decide on one thing (ie shooting wildlife) and just take the kit for that. Another day could be landscapes and you take that kit. It should be easy enough to get a lowepro or similar which is adaptable to your needs.
 
No way you really need a 40-60L bag for a day shoot.

For that sort of thing I use my Osprey Talon 22L bag. It fits a (padded) 120-300 f/2.8, a couple of other lenses, camera body and accessories (filters etc), food, couple of spare layers and my Tripod.

An F Stop bag is a good option, alternatively get yourself a 25-30L hiking pack that fits nicely and some foam/fabric to make some padding*. Then go through and work out what kit you need, as you seem to be carrying way too much stuff if you need a 60L backpack for a day hike! :eek:

No idea what your tripod is like but if it's an old cheap one it may be worth getting something else smaller a lighter. You may lose a little stability with the long lens but you can sacrifice that when needed if you're not go out to specifically shoot wildlife. Multiple tripods for specific things is very useful, rather than having to lug oversized tripods around when not needed.

(My 120-300 is in a mid thickness dry bag with a foam inner for example)

EDIT: Agreed with the multiple bags tips as well. I also have a 38L Osprey I use for multi day trips, and load that up with camera gear on occasion too, although when I'm doing multi day stuff I don't usually take the large lens.
 
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Bought a lowepro photo classic 300. Stunned at how good it is for £80.

Holds a full frame Nikon DSLR with 150-600mm zoom (attached), a 300mm zoom, 4 primes, a macro 90mm and loads of extra bits and bobs. Plus it looks amazing in olive green.

Well Chuffed with it, everything held firmly in place, and is so well designed you can hardly feel it on your back. An amazing bag all round. The comfiest bag I have ever held on my back.

Would have preferred an F-Stop obviously, but I have the bag in my hand right now and I have saved £300. A no-brainer. If I was making my living from photography on the other hand.......

I might just have gone for an F stop Tilopa with XL ICU, but not worth it for me (for now...)
 
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Be interesting to see how you get on with it while hiking. It doesn't look comfy at all for day hikes (for example the waist strap looks almost pointless for redistributing the weight to your hips).

Can you fit your hiking stuff in there as well, or are you planning on carrying a second bag as well?
 
Be interesting to see how you get on with it while hiking. It doesn't look comfy at all for day hikes (for example the waist strap looks almost pointless for redistributing the weight to your hips).

Can you fit your hiking stuff in there as well, or are you planning on carrying a second bag as well?

Totally filled, it feels as light as feather to me strapped around the waist. I just weighed myself, I'm 16 stone so this might be why (oh dear).

My longest photo hike ever is about 4 hours, so think this suits me just fine. Any issues, I will eBay it and buy an F-Stop but am very surprised that you can get a bag like this for so little money. I paid £80 and it can take my D610 with 150-600, plus a stack of other lenses, I even have a nice space left for another!

http://imgur.com/ctpzXxY

In the picture above, you will see my (£80) bag taking a D610 body, spare battery, a few spare memory cards, a tamron 150-600, a tamron 70-300, a tamron 90mm macro, a nikon 24mm prime, a nikon 50mm F1.4 prime and loads of stuff I have missed, but as yiou can see, there's load of room. I have a whole empty section that would take another 70-300.

This bag can carry a load of stuff and has a waterproof cover built in. Obviously if you are a pro, spend more.
 
I may be a bit late to the party, I use an F-Stop Loka and it's fantastic couldn't recommend it enough.

For future reference Paramo Clothing in Marylebone (Used to be in Covent Garden) hold a large stock of F-Stop bags and ICU's although they're sometimes limited on colour choice.
 
Thanks for the info on Paramo - might just go and have a look. ;)

Got a Lowepro photo classic 300 in the end which I think looks amazing in olive green, and holds all my gear except the tripod. Takes my D610 with 150-600 in the main section easy peasy, even several inches to spare to be honest.
 
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