Gift for husband, need bag advice

owsballa

I just bought my husband a 30d for his birthday this summer & want to get him a bag for Christmas to carry his gear. He carries his camera, a 70-300mm lens, a 50mm lens, an external flash & a camcorder, along with battery chargers and some other misc items. Right now he uses our baby's diaper bag. He doesn't care if it is a backpack, sling or shoulder bag. So which bags should I be looking at for him to carry his gear. I would like to stay close to $100
Thanks, Alie

ian408

owsballa wrote:

I just bought my husband a 30d for his birthday this summer & want to get him a bag for Christmas to carry his gear. He carries his camera, a 70-300mm lens, a 50mm lens, an external flash & a camcorder, along with battery chargers and some other misc items. Right now he uses our baby's diaper bag. He doesn't care if it is a backpack, sling or shoulder bag. So which bags should I be looking at for him to carry his gear. I would like to stay close to $100
Thanks, Alie

The Nova series of bags from Lowepro fit the requirements you've described.

Take a look at this.

lifesdisciple

owsballa wrote:

I just bought my husband a 30d for his birthday this summer & want to get him a bag for Christmas to carry his gear. He carries his camera, a 70-300mm lens, a 50mm lens, an external flash & a camcorder, along with battery chargers and some other misc items. Right now he uses our baby's diaper bag. He doesn't care if it is a backpack, sling or shoulder bag. So which bags should I be looking at for him to carry his gear. I would like to stay close to $100
Thanks, Alie

Lowepro makes great bags. I used the Micro Trekker 2 for the past 4 years but have since out grown it. I picked up a Tamrac Expedition 7. It is a little more than $100 but is capable of carrying everything you mentioned. From my expreience as you put more into a bag and the bag gets heavier extra shoulder and back padding helps rid body of aches and pains. This bag has the extra as well as many others in the Tamrac and Lowepro family. Good luck with your searching.

ivar

owsballa wrote:

...Right now he uses our baby's diaper bag....

I love it.

I can vouch for Lowepro, I've had one for years, and it never let me down.

HeldDown

Well, I may be the KING (or, at least crown prince) of camera bags - I have WAY too many, and constantly find I'm still missing one. I have a whole closet full.
Those were my credentials - here's my suggestion:
Today I picked up the LowePro Rezo 190AW for around $40 USD. It is an EXCELLENT bag, in which I can fit a 70-200 2.8L, 3 smaller (wide/mid/short tele) lenses, my flash (w/ omnibounce) 30D w/ grip and 17-40 mounted - I can even fit all hoods (the 17-40 hood just hooks around the arse end of the standing 70-200.) If I'm taking both bodies out, I can get FOUR short lenses plus a 30D w/ grip and 350D w/ grip, both with short telephotos mounted in the bag. The front has a nice big zippered pocket for cards/batteries/snacks/prints/rolled magazine/etc. I am a HUGE fan of this bag for what I paid - it's pretty small and has a nice comfy strap.
If you're looking for something BIGGER, the CompuTrekker AW is great: my entire kit, incl. laptop and its various and sundries, can live in there, even with a compact change of clothes stuffed in the front.
So those are my two suggestions (the rest of my collection isn't really worth mentioning; I don't like it :P ) I'm sure he'd love either one! Happy shopping and happy shooting!

- Geordan

wilsonjg

FIRST OF ALL.............what a nice wife you are!!

Second, although the "diaper bag" was not intended to be used as a photo bag, there is a lot to be said for using it. It does not "look like" a camera bag and will deter thieves from even thinking about stealing it!!

Can't loose with the LowePros............

claudermilk

Lowepro or Tamrac would be the first I'd look at. I have bags from both companies (one is over 20 years old), and they are great bags.

Check out cambags.com to see what the various models can carry.

ivar

Crumpler is another favorite...

Phyxius

I have the Lowepro 3 AW. I ALWAYS carry my D50 w/ the 18-55 lens and the 70-300mm f/4-5.6. There is plenty of room for another small lens (the same size or smaller than the 70-300mm. The back zipper can easily fit 5-6 CDs the side mesh pockets can fit smaller water bottles (or if you don't have a 3rd or 4th lens you could stick one of the .5 liter bottles, tightly capped, inside the bag. I usually keep my keys, chapstick, and lens pen in the topflap zippered area. And there's "storage" inside the top of the bag and a zipper compartment good for extra batteries, cards, and cables. I do like the all weather cover too, but you can't open the bag without taking the whole thing off again.

I've hiked around horse shows and Las Vegas with this bag. The strap is long enough that you can cross it over your shoulder (like a sling bag) for better comfort. I LOVE that you can get into it easily (top loading). However, my SB800 speedlight is a tight fit. So, I just unhook the shoulder strap and run it through the belt loop in the back of the speedlight case.

I'm looking into a fast zoom telephoto and it won't fit in this bag but...

I also have the Tamrac Expedition 5. (Picture from google.)


Quite a bit more storage here AND you can use it to carry the superduty tripod that can hold up the 11 pds of camera/lens you're using Those nifty straps on the front hold the tripod and the little pocket on the bottom, in the front has a tripod foot holder and is reinforced plastic.

The zippers for the small pouches are special weather resistant zippers and the zipper for the main section of the bag has a drawstring weather "seal". Lots of nice cushions for your back/shoulders too.

I went camera shopping today for my brother's Christmas present and I saw a bag with a special area for a laptop. Too much weight for me though. The laptop can stay at the hotel.

So, I guess it depends what kind of shooting you'll be doing. The backpack is great for hiking and horse shows. When I don't need the tripod or f/2.8 lens (when I get it!) the shoulder bag will be .

rosselliot

well personally, I HATE all camera bags...why you may ask? because they look like camera bags! I'm thinking about getting the filson bag:



and sewing some padded pockets into the inside to use as my camera bag.l it has a zipper and it has plenty of room to keep my laptopl my 30D, my 70-200 lens my other lenses and all of my cards and stuff. and I can customize it how I want! plus, in case you didn't know the quality of filson, the only thing that can pierce that canvas is a diamond pointed needle. filson was created during the gold rush to provide long-lasting bags to the travelers and they keep up that standard. they have all kind of bags though, luggage, messenger etc, look around and see what you can find. I'm going to get some luggage there whenever I find the time to look through them all!!!

so that's my plan, I like the look, the arm straps are saddle leather (the strongest part of the hide) so it'll last a long time....and it's weather resistant too....and it doesn't SCREAM camera bag!!!!!!!!!!!! on vacation or on subways no will know exactly what's in the bag...because it's merely a tote, not a uni-tasker like a camera bag.


just an idea!!!!!!!

also, I looked into Wilson leather products, my current computer bag is a wilson, and it's GREAT! their leather ages SO well and it's very sturdy, I don't hesitate at ALL to recommend it.

- RE

rosselliot

there's the other bag I'm debating, it's jut out of your price range that you mentioned...but, hey maybe you'd rethink that for such quality?!!?!?!?!

guess it depends on your husband's style...personally, I don't think camera bags go with anything....hahaha.

good luck!!!!!!!!!

and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- RE

Fred Maurer

Alie, Here's a link to another post on DGrin. This is an excellent bag in your price range. I use one all the time and it is great!

http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=48524

Fred

UT Scott

Fred Maurer wrote:

Alie, Here's a link to another post on DGrin. This is an excellent bag in your price range. I use on all the time and it is great!

http://www.digitalgrin.com/showthread.php?t=48524

Fred

I'll second the Slingshot 200AW, I just got one for myself a little while ago an I'm loving it. The slinging to the front get the camera out is awsome and it holds a lot more than you would think. I've been able to get a D50, 18-55, 50 1.8, 24-120 vr (hood on, not reversed) a 70-210, and a tamron 28-75 2.8, or a d50 with 24-120 vr (hood reveresed) with a 50 1.8, 18-55, and a 70-200 2.8 vr. In the second case you have to give up being able to get your camera with the sling thing. It's a great bag and I don't think it looks too much like a photo bag.

Good luck!