beginner backpack

Mase742

hello everybody

i am buying a 350d in a couple weeks. i was debating between the xt and the 20d for a long time, but in the end, the xt's price won.

as u have probably guessed i am a ammature..well kinda.
i am not a beginner photographer, but i am a newb when it comes to dslr's.

i am a highschool student, so most of the time i am either at school, or hanging out with freinds (or at work but we wont get into that lol)

now that u know a little about me, here what i am looking for:

i want a backpack that can hold my camera with lens atached(kit lens or simalar sized upgrade), a tellephoto zoom (canon 70-200 most likely), wide angle zoom (canon 10-20 probably), and an extrenal flash.
to start i will only have the camera and kit lens.

now this backpack also needs to be used for school. aka binder, text book or 2, etc.

i do not need to have all my school gear and camera at the same time. but i do want to be able to put stuff in my bag, and have my camera in there 2 (which is why i wanted a backpack in the first place)

ive looked at varius crumbler packs, and like the styling and reviews, but i am not sure which one, also one that i was looking at more seriussly (farmers double) doesnt seem to be sold in US? i already relize that i won't be able to actually handle the bag before i buy it. so good pictures/demensions are a must. i like how on the Schrinkle u can jsut take out the intire camera section, and it makes it a full clamshell for school. the only problem is it doesnt look like when i have the camera section in, it would give me much room for other stuff.
i am not set on crumbler packs btw.

price range top off= aprox.200 (can go higher, would perfer to go lower oviously)

all and any sugestions are more than apreciated
thanxs a lot!

wxwax

The 70-200 is the problem. It's a large lens and it means you probably can't use the kind of backpacks that keep the camera gear in a bottom pocket and your books in a top pocket.

I'm not sure what backpack will fit your needs.

digitalpins

well I started off with a lowepro backpack but it just held and was used for my 3 lens and camera plus flash and other camera stuff. Then I moved up to a crumpler which I love again just held my camera equipment. Check out this website for great pictures and dimensions of bags.... I used this website alot before buying my camera bags.... http://www.cambags.com/


..

hgernhardtjr

I use several bags for different occasions, from a Pelican case & internal bag (and one with pick-n-pluck foam), to an old, padded Orvis top-opening bag.

But I needed something "every day" to sling into the car yet still carry long distances.

For $34 (still that price at Amazon, but several months ago the delivery was free), I found the "Canon Deluxe Photo Backpack 200EG for Canon EOS SLR Cameras" to be a light, sturdy, everyday use backpack ... price, delivery-time, and size was just perfect to carry my 4 lenses (one is the 50-500 "Bigma"), camera, flash, and a few needed accessories such as cleaning kit and recharger. The only thing I do NOT care for is that it carries a tripod across the bottom rather than vertically up the back of the pack. I actually need (want???) one of the Lowepro DryZone models for very occasional use, but I get along just fine with the $34 Canon backpack.

Hey, it even lets me carry my LightSphere II (yes, I know I've stated "expensive" in the past, but based on lots of good reviews here and elsewhere, I broke down and got one instead of continuing to make free attachments with cut-down milk jugs and plastic bowls like Jekyll&Hyde does so outstandingly well ... and everyone was correct! What a useful, handy device is the LightSphere II!!)!

On edit, the Canon backpack also has a stretchy back/zippered pouch and side pouches ... where you can carry a reasonably sized binder, pens/pencils, and a book or two — OR a small laptop. But if you are like all my kids have been (ages 34-20), you carry a ton of school stuff and really need a BIG bag (BTW, that's how you get slumped shoulders and a bad back, too!), especially if you want to carry all those lenses and other stuff. But for ONLY a kit camera/lens and school stuff, this backpack will do ya.

marklarry28

My backpack
Mase,
I got this backpack. I just loved it.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=40148

Not too big and too small. I carry on this bag:

IBM laptop T42 15" and my gadgets (pens, wallet, keys, notepad and etc)
Canon 20D with a sigma 24-70mm
Canon 70-300mm
Polarizer filter
2 spare battery
Charger
I still with space to add another lens and the flash

If you have more than stuff that you should go to big.

gpphotos

hi...

i am a college student whose main mode of transportation is a motorcycle, i have a nikon d50, sb-600 speedlight, 4 small lenses (3 stored in compartments and 1 stored on the camera) misc gear such as batteries and chargers, a large laptop and a small CD case.

since i ride a bike, i needed a solution that would carry books, camera and laptop, since i couldnt carry a laptop bag and the kit camera bag and books all on my bike. soo...i searched around a ton of places...to no avail.

i ended up going with the Tamrac cyberpack 6, a medium sized pack that holds a large laptop and all of my equipment + laptop. i just carry by books in my arms at school and make a liberal use of my locker at school.

i bought a couple of the modular packs that mount on the sides (1 to hold my filters and 1 to hold my drink bottle or a lens if im swapping out alot)

Head in the Clouds

Hi there ,

I've got pretty much the same gear and it all fits nicely into the Lowepro Mini Trekker (http://www.lowepro.com/Products/Backpacks/classic/Mini_Trekker_Classic.aspx). Plus it has quite a large pocket at the front which you could use for books, don't know how many it would hold, but looks like it would take a good sized folder and some other bitz ... Cost me 'bout $170 i think ....

Good luck. ....

edited to add: looks like there's one for sale in the flea market too...

cmason

Lowepro has a new pack you should look into. It isnt very expensive ~$75, and it holds both camera gear, and books and laptop. The "book" area isnt all that big, but should be plenty. This pack is not huge, about the same size as a regular daypack.

CompuDayPack

CompuDayPack at B&H

USAIR

Try this link it might help you out a little.

Fred

AntoineD

Hi, I'm not really a student anymore but here here's what I do when I have to take both my camera and a few stuff like a computer or some books. I wear an eastpack backpack (the ordinary type, the one "everyone" has ) in which I put a domke insert like this one (but there are many sizes).

I put a D200 with its 15-55 f2.8 in it.

It doesn't take much room and, more importantly, no one knows you have a DSLR with you, wich can always be cool

Later, when you'll have your 70-200 and some other stuffs, you'll know better which expensive backpack you need.

TylerW

On a slightly different discussion of this topic, but...

College wasn't all that long ago for me, and from what I recall, carrying around a dSLR with several hundred dollars worth of lenses and other kit everywhere you go sounds like a really good way to end up with your stuff stolen. And that's a tough recovery to make on a college budget.

I think you'd probably be better off with two bags. A book bag you can kick around, and a camera bag you can keep an eye on like they were the crown jewels.

AntoineD

TylerW wrote:

I think you'd probably be better off with two bags. A book bag you can kick around, and a camera bag you can keep an eye on like they were the crown jewels.

I agree

But one bag (with few gear) is better. You don't have to carry much for college's photojournalism. :