Recommendations for a GOOD Quality Camera Kit Bag

Billingham 555. The only camera bag you will ever need. An investment for life.

KR

Tony

Thanks Tony,  I have a small Billingham that I use for carrying small stuff incl binos on field trips when I hand carry the main camera/lens. It is a made for life bag for sure, it even looks & works like new after being lost in mud after a wash out storm in Tanzania. 

I have looked at that model (555) unfortunately it will not carry all my usual gear,  but especially my big lens,  so does not fit the bill for getting all the kit in the bag for air/road travel.

Hi Mike

I bought a Domke F-803 last year for my M9.

The great thing about it is that a)it's beautifully made b)is waterproof c)extremely rugged and d) unlike a Billingham, doesn't look like a camera bag. It may be a bit small for your use (although I was able to fit an M9, an M6, both with lenses on, plus a small Leica C-Lux 2 compact, a small Manfrotto tabletop tripod AND an iPad in it once!). Pricey at £150 but well worth it IMO.

The Domke range of bags are tough and unobtrusive, and by looking on their site you may be able to fit one big enough to hold all your gear. Can't recommend them highly enough.

K

Billingham has served me well over the years.  G

Hi Mike,

I have 2 Kata rucksack type bags. They are light, well constructed with good protection and flexible compartments for bodies and lenses. I have one medium and one large size but the large bag is still of hand luggage size with most airlines. Both also have the facility to use a trolley attachment. I've had mine now for 3 years with no complaints. I have to say the smaller of the 2 bags meets most of my requirements. I can carry 2 bodies, 2-3 good size lenses, flash gear etc in this one.

Worth a look.

ATB

Steve

Err, since when has a Billingham looked like a camera bag ? To me it looks like a , well, ...... Billingham.

Nothing quite looks like a Billingham.

And mine, like others have said, is the dog's doodah's.

Yep, sounds like a mighty big shoulder bag you need!

Like Steve I use a Kata backpack and it's had tons of use but is still 100%. I use a think tank retrospective bag too which is a shoulder bag, is very well designed and in its pinestone colour doesn't look like a camera bag. Don't know quite how big the biggest one is though for you?

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/...ne-shoulder-bag.aspx

I have a Crumpler backpack - superbly made with plenty of options to rearrange kit inside.

I have a smallish Crumper bag. Very well made and tough, and also does not scream 'camera bag' which may be a good thing perhaps. They do larger ones-although you sound like what you actually need is an assistant rather than a bag!

Bruce

Volunteer porters offering services for free are very welcome Bruce.  

I have spend the last 24hrs since posting this subject rethinking my field trip kit & have realised I need to rationalise it to the type of trip & to the subject matter.  Plus some stuff really needs to be let go.

I am off to east Africa in just a few weeks & rather than rush & regret I have resigned myself to a cheap'ish bag that will do the job in the meantime & to look out to see if something better can be found or another solution worked out.

The main dilemma is my usual bird lens is huge but it is not carry bag & air travel friendly so have decided it has to stay home unless the trip is bird specific. 

I hate changing lenses in dusty bush so with 2 bodies I will get by with 100-400 & 17-85 & with a x2 extender for the LBJ's it should work. Then hopefully I should be able to find a corner for the 10-20

Which ever bag you choose Mike, have a great trip.

ATB

Steve

Hah, when I have to 'get by' on holiday it means taking my S95...

Well I gon an dun it so thanks for all the ideas

Searched www & was suitably confused with more options than is good for sanity.  As per previous posts I had made my mind up to rationalise the field kit & try something low cost. So I loaded a selection of body & lenes & went to Morris Photo at Chip Norton.

The Billingham range did cause me to linger a while, hmm nice, they are very well made & stylish bags, but did not really do it for my idea of a field kit bag. IMO do not have the required protection for the bits inside.  I found there were much better designed for purpose camera bags & some that soon got on the short list.

Final choice was Tamrac Ultra Pro 11

Small enough & will fit all I really need, I just hope the local vomit comet airlines think its small tho’

Well-made fabric soft body but with robust hard floor, external pockets & PC carry slot & moveable internal sections.

Its got purpose made locations for 2x bodies with fitted (smallish) lens (2 bodies with lenses is a big plus for me).  It fits the big 100-400 except its lens hood unless I leave the big flash unit at home,  all the chargers & wires, assorted bits, m-cards, bino’s & camcorder.

This is the slightly bigger Pro 13,  but you get the idea of the 2 bodies & the movable internal sections

I think I’m done.