Anyone Have A Shootsac??

Cuties02q

Just wondering if anyone here is using a Shootsac and what you think of it

Here is the link: http://www.shootsac.com/

mike_k

Looks interesting, but I'd be afraid of my lenses spilling out. To me there's a tradeoff between easy access and securing your gear - with securing your gear being a higher priority. Seems a little pricey, too.

I'd rather go for something like this.

dangin

looks expensive and not as functional as a dedicated camera bag. i have one of these from calumet. i think it's a rebranded tamrac bag. mine usually has:

• 2 D200 bodies w/ lenses
• 2 sb-800 flashes
• a fisheye lens
• another zoom lens or a lightsphere diffuser
• remote trigger for my strobes
• ~12 AA batteries
• 2 spare d200 batteries
• extra CF cards
• 2 tripod qr plates
• 1 sb-800 tripod mount
• pen
• business cards
• pocket knife

i could replace the lightsphere w/ 2, maybe 3 pocket wizards. there's still room leftover... also, it has a rain sleeve that zips out from under the bag that goes over it when you're out and it's coming down cats and dogs...

as far as i'm concerned, they can keep the hoighty toighty sac to themselves.

sirsloop

i don't think I would actually buy something called the "shootsac" rofl

I was driving into work the other day and I was following an ice cream truck: "NASTO'S ICE CREAM".

Who the hell comes up with these names?

ivar

I saw it somewhere. I think it was Dancinkate who had one.

claudermilk

Never heard of it before. I wouldn't use one (even if it does support a local vendor)--too many compromises made for being fashionable. What photographer is really that worried about being fashionable on a shoot anyway? Face it, we're all geeks, embrace your geekhood!

sirsloop

claudermilk wrote:

Never heard of it before. I wouldn't use one (even if it does support a local vendor)--too many compromises made for being fashionable. What photographer is really that worried about being fashionable on a shoot anyway? Face it, we're all geeks, embrace your geekhood!

You're usually judged by your photos, now how good you look while taking them

dangin

sirsloop wrote:

You're usually judged by your photos, now how good you look while taking them

whatchatalkin' bout, willis? i always look good while shooting!

sirsloop

I can't wait for coach to release their new camera bag. My old one has one thread come loose and I had to throw it out

cmason

I am not sure i can talk to fashion sense, though the shootsac is pretty snazzy looking. But to me, it seems too minimalist.

I use a reasonably inexpensive Tamrac bag that is quite similar in function to the shootsac. It is well padded, messenger bag style, and does not look like a camera bag.

http://www.tamrac.com/5534.htm

This bag will hold two lenses and a camera with lens mounted.

gryphonslair99

Not high fashionable, but very useful and less expensive.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16242-REG/Domke_734_003_PhoTOGS_Vest_Large.html

saurora

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Not high fashionable, but very useful and less expensive.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16242-REG/Domke_734_003_PhoTOGS_Vest_Large.html

Ack! You're missing the whole point of this bag, which is not just fashion, although it counts for alot ... as in sales!!! (I think the gal is a marketing genious as well as great photographer). I have this bag and while I haven't put it to good use yet, I am pretty impressed with it's design (as in how it is built!). It is made out of the same material as a wetsuit, so it is soft but tough. It is really aimed at wedding photographers, who need their lenses quickly and easily within reach for swapping. It allows you to carry around several lenses easily accessed without setting the bag down and having to worry about it's whereabouts. One thing I like is that it "hugs" your body while loaded, and wraps around your side......it doesn't protrude like a normal camera bag. I think it would work well for the market it is aimed at, but obviously you wouldn't take it out in the marshes, etc.! I'm not a wedding photographer, but I have to confess the interchangeable covers are gorgeous and so clever that I just had to have one..............I'm worth it.

(It's pretty pricey, but you have to also figure in the 'cool factor'. )

claudermilk

OK, but there's already Kinesis & ThinkTank serving that market. Not a cool-looking for sure, but proven to be quite functional based on all the happy user comments I've read. Enough so that I'm looking real hard at their stuff for my event shooting.

I'll agree she's got an interesting idea and is doing some great marketing. Competition is always good. However, I don't care for that kind of bag for a couple of reasons & feel the Kinesis & ThinkTank are probably more effective. But that's just me. Besides, it's fun to keep stirring the pot....:poke:heh

saurora

claudermilk wrote:

OK, but there's already Kinesis & ThinkTank serving that market. Not a cool-looking for sure, but proven to be quite functional based on all the happy user comments I've read. Enough so that I'm looking real hard at their stuff for my event shooting.

I'll agree she's got an interesting idea and is doing some great marketing. Competition is always good. However, I don't care for that kind of bag for a couple of reasons & feel the Kinesis & ThinkTank are probably more effective. But that's just me. Besides, it's fun to keep stirring the pot....:poke:heh

Oh, I so totally agree, Chris (about stirring the pot!!!) but I still don't think I'd wear this to a wedding shoot! :haha

dangin

saurora wrote:

Oh, I so totally agree, Chris (about stirring the pot!!!) but I still don't think I'd wear this to a wedding shoot! :haha

funny you should say that; i know a guy that does. no, it's not me. i have some fashion sense...

urbanaries

I want a shoot sac really bad, but I just can't justify spending $200 on one now... (I want the baroque cover, too of course!) Aside from being super cute, they do seem to fit the bill for little items you need while you're actually shooting.

It's interesting this circle of "elite" (whatever that means) wedding photographers that are selling products directly to other photographers. David Jay, Jessica Claire, Kevin Kubota, etc. They all link to each other's products, business tools, and their images look, well, the same.

Cuties02q

I have one and I do like it although it is not cheap but it sure is pretty. But I have been making my own covers and now I like it even better

Here is mine with the Festive cover


Here are the covers I have made

My Favorite

urbanaries

Wow very interesting! I love that you have made your own covers. That's awesome!

Do you care to show us what the inside of one looks like??? I am really curious and can't find any shots.

Cuties02q

Sure thing I will take a few pics tonight

gryphonslair99

saurora wrote:

Ack! You're missing the whole point of this bag, which is not just fashion, although it counts for alot ... as in sales!!! (I think the gal is a marketing genious as well as great photographer). I have this bag and while I haven't put it to good use yet, I am pretty impressed with it's design (as in how it is built!). It is made out of the same material as a wetsuit, so it is soft but tough. It is really aimed at wedding photographers, who need their lenses quickly and easily within reach for swapping. It allows you to carry around several lenses easily accessed without setting the bag down and having to worry about it's whereabouts. One thing I like is that it "hugs" your body while loaded, and wraps around your side......it doesn't protrude like a normal camera bag. I think it would work well for the market it is aimed at, but obviously you wouldn't take it out in the marshes, etc.! I'm not a wedding photographer, but I have to confess the interchangeable covers are gorgeous and so clever that I just had to have one..............I'm worth it.

(It's pretty pricey, but you have to also figure in the 'cool factor'. )

Oh I get the fashion and usefullness, but I prefer useful and safe. I have insurance on all my gear, but I really don't want to replace a $1200 + lens for a fashion statement. It just does not look like something I would feel comfortable using. Besides, were would I get shoes to match????giggle

ChatKat

All Black... all the time....
I have one and I think they're terrific. They hold your stuff while you are event shooting. For street and hiking type I use several bags - Love my Kata H-14 or the Lowepro sling back pack but when you're shooting a wedding this is great. Everything is right there and safe from not only theft but it's got enough padding on it. I like the idea of making my own cover - I would put a zipper pocket in the cover for keys and some cash leaving the pockets free for gear only. And if you go in my closet most of my shoes go with it...they're black!


quote=gryphonslair99]Oh I get the fashion and usefullness, but I prefer useful and safe. I have insurance on all my gear, but I really don't want to replace a $1200 + lens for a fashion statement. It just does not look like something I would feel comfortable using. Besides, were would I get shoes to match????giggle[/quote]

claudermilk

saurora wrote:

Oh, I so totally agree, Chris (about stirring the pot!!!) but I still don't think I'd wear this to a wedding shoot! :haha

stir...stir...stir... :heh No? But I hear all the cool kids are wearing them this year.

Seriously though, I agree that the safari vest is not the thing to wear to a wedding shoot. I could swear I saw an example photo on the Kinesis or ThinkTank sites of their modular belt system with a guy wearing a suit as an example wedding setup. Didn't look too bad. Yes, he was obviously a photographer, but didn't look like a hopeless geek. Besides, they're all black, so fit right in.

Now back to picking on the shootsac. It looks to me like that strap would get uncomfortable after a while--it's totally unpadded as far as I can see. Why?

Cuties02q

The strap really does need some padding

Hindsight

claudermilk wrote:

Never heard of it before. I wouldn't use one (even if it does support a local vendor)--too many compromises made for being fashionable. What photographer is really that worried about being fashionable on a shoot anyway? Face it, we're all geeks, embrace your geekhood!

Chuckled at this, so true. Now I've just gotta tell this little story. The first time I geared up with my new shoulder harness rig with the belt pouches etc I felt like such a complete dork. My wife was standing there in the kictchen laughing away and then said quite seriously, "honey. You aren't really going to wear that in the show ring." It wasn't stated as a question if you get my drift. I was being put to the test. Either a) embrace my geekdom and toss fasion aside, or b) worry about how I looked. I decided to embrace the geekdom, but even so I was a little self-conscious at my first shoot with the thing.

Then after about 3 hours of shooting, and having everything I could ever want right there, plus having figured out how to secure the camera strap to the "o" rings on the shoulder harness so the weight of the camera and 80-200 2.8 wasn't on my neck, I was starting to like the thing and fashion be damned. Then some other photogrpaher showed up on the event. Being the offical OP I was keeping one eye on anyone shooting from the rails, but so far the only people there were point and shooters, and the occasional consumer SLR/lense user. But this guy.. this person had a harness with every belt container, 2 pro bodies with a long pro lense and a medium pro lense both with hoods and basically looked like he was ready to go to war.

I was like.. "gulp." I stared at him.. he stared at me. He outgeared me by at least 3x. It was showdown at high noon -at the Estes Park corral. *queue pale rider music* Anyway.. not to be anti-climatic, but he wandered away and I never saw him again during the show. BUT- since that day I've been completely transformed as to my perception of what it is to appear like a camera geek. He was just badass with all his dorky pouches. I felt like I'd brought a knife to a gunfight.

Okay I'll shut up now, I've got work piling up here.

urbanaries

gryphonslair99 wrote:

Oh I get the fashion and usefullness, but I prefer useful and safe. I have insurance on all my gear, but I really don't want to replace a $1200 + lens for a fashion statement. It just does not look like something I would feel comfortable using. Besides, were would I get shoes to match????

I am not sure I understand where the "unsafe" is coming from? I guess I'll wait until I see pictures of the inside to make that call! (TIA Stephenie!)

chrisjlee

Boda bag is more useful.

urbanaries

chrisjlee wrote:

Boda bag is more useful.

oooooh, those look awesome!!!! thanks for sharing!

Cuties02q

Very cool bag...I love how well the website shows the bag. I just wish it was a bit prettier...lol

saurora

chrisjlee wrote:

Boda bag is more useful.

Very slick bag (another pricey model!) . Buying camera bags is like buying an automobile .... no one model is perfect for every event. It's no wonder I always leave stuff at home.....it's always in my 'other' bag!!!

urbanaries

Cuties02q wrote:

Very cool bag...I love how well the website shows the bag. I just wish it was a bit prettier...lol

it looks like the perfect shooting companion (sheesh, for $200 it SHOULD BE!), and a lot prettier than one of those vests :puke1

saurora

Cuties02q wrote:

I have one and I do like it although it is not cheap but it sure is pretty. But I have been making my own covers and now I like it even better

Wow, that's very clever of you!!! (That way they can match your shoes!!!:D )