Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/01/26
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]A couple of quick baggie thoughts - and I admit that I, too, am a bit of an Amelda when it comes to bags of all types... One thought is to carry the camera and to stick two extra lenses, a meter and some film in any kind of little non-photo waist pack...I have a little cloth and leather job from Orvis that works..I usually just sling it over my shoulder... Another solution is, for want of a better name for it, the all leather mussett bag produced by Timberland....waterproof leather - tough as nails...two front pockets...and I have a Billingham three-pocket padded cloth insert inside the bag...this easily carries an M, three lenses, film, meter, flash, note book, and a lot of other trash...it does NOT scream camera bag...just shoulder bag...It is, as I noted, really tough and definitely water proof...the only draw back is that, being leather it is comparatively heavy for its size...but I've thrown a Domke shoulder pad on the strap and I do find it to be a successful jury rig.. Now..the cost factor...the bag costs six arms and eight legs...but....for those of you within hiking range of Boston/Cambridge...there is a shoe store/leather place right off Harvard Sq. called the Tannery...it appears to be owned/run by folks from somewhere in the middle east..I would guess Lebanon....They Bargain....Ask them the price, they tell you, you then tell them that that's ridiculous, and all the sudden you're hearing very different numbers..... Cheers.... Oh....Question for those who have made the leap to the Sekonic 508: Does it do everything it is supposed to do? And is the spot metering really accurate? Thanks... - -----Original Message----- From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Paul C. Brodek Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 1999 10:14 AM To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] Re: Camera bags Dear LUGgers, I have been trying to stay out of bag topics because, quite frankly, what Imelda Marcos was to shoes I am to camera bags. Pity the poor LUG addict, not wanting to feed the monkey, and all that. My resistance is plumb wore down. The new LowePro stuff, unfortunately, looks interesting. Thanks for the link, Darrell---I think. :-} I wanted to mention a few bag ideas, mainly for those interested in maximum compactness and/or mobility.... If you're lucky enough to have a collapsible lens for your Leica, you can fit a body (with lens collapsed), moderate strap and very compact light meter into a padded lens case. I have a Tamrac Extreme Series (70cm tall x 8cm wide), I think it's supposed to be for a 35mm telephoto or medium format lens. LowePro looks to have some cases that might also work. The Tamrac has a very sturdy rear loop that secures at the bottom with velcro and snaps, allowing you to hang it from your belt or attach it to other bags. Doubles as a lens pouch; also good protection for when you need to shove your camera into another less-protected bag. Staying with the collapsible lens theme, the newish Billingham Stowaway Pola bag (21.5cm tall x 20cm wide x 6.5cm deep---the short but wide one) will fit a body/lens/strap with room for two back-to-back coupled medium length lenses or one 135mm, plus compact meter and a couple rolls of film. No internal dividers, so the lenses need to be in a pouch, and keeping the meter and extra film in the main compartment can make it a bit jumbled, but it makes a nice, small package. Loops on the back to attach to a belt, but the weight could lead to trouser drop, which would allow me to clean my lenses with yet-to-be-retired underwear.... Last hint makes use of all your internal bag divider detrius. I haven't found a photo-specific waist/fanny pack that has the quality strap/suspension setup you find on hiking/climbing waist/fanny packs (Mountainsmith, Osprey, Overland, etc---Mountainsmith's fancy name for bum bag, by the way, is Lumbar Pack). But the hiking/climbing bags offer little or no padding. Until you toss in your spare Tamrac, Domke, LowePro, Billingham, etc dividers. Then you get padding plus a bag that stays put when you want it to. Not so important to me when I'm driving or taking public transit, but when I'm cycling or hiking there are times I want my bag to stay out of the way better than the photo bags do. Later, PB On Tue, 26 Jan 1999 08:52:05 -0000, "Wood, Darrell (London)" <wooddar@MLE.CO.UK> wrote: >To those interested. > >I have been looking for a flexible camera bag outfit for years for all >occasions. I have just purchased some of the new Lowpro Street & Field >series. I would recommend it. > >http://www.lowepro.com/Default.htm > >Hope this is usefull. Paul C. Brodek Kobe, Japan pcb@iac.co.jp