Ann’s Current Camera Bags
Image for demonstration purposes only. Ann has not switched over to Nikon cameras.
My main bag is a MindShift Gear Backlight 18L backpack. It’s not quite big enough for me to pack all of my gear for a long trip, but it’s sized perfectly for my torso, which means that I can carry it all day even when it’s fully loaded.
It may look small on the outside, but open up the back and you’d be amazed what I have in there. There’s enough room for my camera body with my favorite 35mm/f1.4 lens attached, 5 more lenses, extra batteries, cleaning supplies, some screw-in filters and the carrier for my Lee filter set (turned up on its end so you can see the case.
The inside of the back panel (out of view) has a magnifying glass, spare SD cards, and other accessories, as does the outside and top pockets. It’s a great bag and I’ve got my eye on the Backlight 26L, which should be big enough to let me carry some of the Lee filter accessories I have to carry in a side bag for now.
The reason I’ve largely stopped using my even bigger bag, a Shimoda Explore 30 backpack is that the torso length is simply too long for me, even though it has a harness system that adjusts for torso length. Even at its smallest setting it was too long for my back, which meant when loaded up (and heavy), it didn’t fit well and was very uncomfortable.
Not that it’s a bad bag, Dan used it on our trip to Madeira (he wanted a bigger bag than his Guru, but not his big Mindshift Gear bag - so he borrowed mine). With the harness adjusted to his torso, he said it fit surprisingly well. Not as good as his regular bag, but better than the Guru loaded up. With backpacks, fit is everything, and you don’t really know until you’ve taken it out and run it through its paces.
I have a travel backpack as well that I’ve used for short trips. It’s a Peak Designs bag that you access the contents from the side. It’s great for bringing a camera and an extra lens along for the day when you might want to make some nice pictures, but aren’t really “photographing.”
It’s been just the right thing for a few of our non-expedition trips.
Like Dan, I have a few shoulder bags as well. When Dan got a Domke (not the one he has now . . . as you will see), I wasn’t sure how much protection it really afforded a camera and I took the safe route and got a padded bag. Over time, watching him use the Domke (and me the heavier padded bag), I realized it was really well designed and it didn’t look like the extra padding was needed. So, on one of our trips I asked Dan if I could use his Domke for the day and I was hooked. When we got home, I ordered a Domke for myself. The extended name says it all - Domke F-8 Small Shoulder Bag RuggedWear.
It’s a great bag for a camera and a couple of lenses. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t as big as Dan’s F-2, which was a really nice size. So I wound up getting an F-2 myself, except in the WaxWear. If that sounds familiar, well it should be because it’s now Dan’s bag. We swapped bags!
So here’s my (Dan’s old) Domke F-2 Rugged Wear camera bag in the traditional brown with tan straps.
What a beauty! And just like Dan’s bag it is perfect for a camera with a lens, four more lenses, and provides lots of space with front and side pockets for various odds and ends. It’s surprisingly comfortable for long-carries and is so easy to swap lenses with. Its no wonder that it’s been a favorite among photojournalists for years.
The only real problem, if you want to call it that, with the Domke bags is they look like photography bags and look a bit out of place being carried around in the city. Plus, both bags are a bit bigger than needed on occasion. So I once more followed Dan’s lead and looked at the Think Tank Retrospective bags, settling on the Retrospective 5, the smaller sibling to Dan’s Retrospective 7. Call me a copy cat, but when it’s good, it works for me!
It’s a great bag for a camera and extra lens, or a camera and the Lumix point-and-shoot, with a front pouch for cleaning supplies, spare batteries and SD cards. Carrying it around all day is no burden at all.
As you can tell, I love my camera bags and I’m already eyeing my next. I doubt it will be my last!