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Photographer friendly backpack

Photographer friendly backpack


Postby leeboyce » Thu Jan 04, 2018 2:36 pm

Happy new year, everyone.

I spent a good chunk of last year focussing on my general fitness and this year i'm hoping to do some more lengthy trips and whilst i'm away - take my photography a little more seriously.

I'm wondering if anyone can suggest a backpack or two that they find to be useful for photographers? My current bag is 60L which I can live with but would be happy to look at some larger bags too.

Key requirements being:
- keeping my gear safe
- accessibility
- comfort

Perhaps there's no magic bag and I just need some clever tricks?

Thanks
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby Ben Nachie » Thu Jan 04, 2018 4:17 pm

You might want to look at something like the Osprey Xenith. It has large pockets accessible from the front, and a side entry zip, I believe.

Comes in various large sizes, and if Osprey's other products are anything to go by, will be comfortable and we'll designed.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby walkingpoles » Fri Jan 05, 2018 4:45 pm

When lugging 60l through the bog, the set up of the camera compartment is usually of my least concern.

Is there something about your 60l bag which you find suboptimal with respect to carrying a camera with you? When I fill my 60l bag and it ends >15kg, I usually only take my small camera with me due to weight anyway. And the small camera lives with its bag or without it in the top compartment of my backpack. Or a zip pocket of my coat if I am wearing one.

If I decide to bring my DSLR, I always have to customise my set up because I choose the lenses (or number of bodies, but if it is more then 1, then I won't be walking far anyway) according to the photos I'd like to take and the weight I am willing to carry. If I bring the long lense along, it is a cloth bag to protect it from scratches and it is the last thing I put in my backpack so it lives somewhere at the top and I can get it out without getting the sleeping bag out first. I use the cloth bag for the lens on its own or the combo. If I only bring a wide lense or a prime, I am wearing the camera in its proper stuffed bag around my neck, or again in the cloth bag inside my backpack if weight is an issue. Additional lenses go with their covers in the same bag or an outer pocket of the pack, so that I have a chance to find them in need.

I don't consider water too much of a problem as the expensive kind of cameras should be able to deal with some of it on its own. But I never put a thermos with coffee in my backpack anyway. I once carried the camera in these proper sealed waterproof bags, but I find it takes too much time to get it out. If I hit something torrential, there is usually also the option to put the cloth bag inside a plastic bag.

For indoor type photography I bought a photo bag with 3 compartments with which I can carry up to 5 lenses. The camera lives in the cloth bag or around my neck. And the purpose of the bag is less to carry stuff around but rather to have my gear only in one corner of the room. The bag has also the advantage to stow SD cards, a towel and other small thingies you might have with you. In the field they go in my wallet or a small separate bag.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby BobMcBob » Fri Jan 05, 2018 8:05 pm

Completely agree with the above. These so-called 'camera rucksacks' are a waste of money as they're heavy, not very comfortable, and all he internal gubbins gets i the way of the important stuff.

Just find a comfortable, decent, proper rucksack, stick your camera i a camera bag and treat it like another piece of gear. If the weather's OK mine lives slung over my shoulder anyway.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby Iainm » Sat Jan 06, 2018 11:34 pm

I just take a regular backpack. Depending on the season and length of trip, I will use either a Mountain hardware Scrambler 35ltr or Osprey Atmos 65ltr.

The 65ltr bag has a separate zipped section at the bottom which I put a padded foam insert in, just a cheap thing from amazon.. This fits my lenses and accessories. My camera is usually carried over my shoulder in a small bag made by Mindshift. If the weather is poor, I'll just put my camera away in the main part of my bag.

With the 35ltr, I carry my stuff inside the main part of the bag. I put the lenses in neoprene pouches to provide a bit of protection (cheap from amazon again), any accessories go in a small dry bag.

I've never felt that either of these options are putting my equipment at risk of damage.

Like has already been mentioned, photography specific bags tend to be heavy, very expensive and leave little space to carry anything else.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby starless8 » Sun Jan 07, 2018 10:28 am

Because I am a photographer first and a walker second, I do have various camera specific bags.

One of these is a rucksack, made by Manfrotto. It is perfect for me, and for day walks, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything more.

It is, in fact, very light, and well made. The amount of other stuff you can fit it depends entirely on how much camera gear you want to put in. There are compartments which you can alter to suit your requirements for the day, within reason. One of these will take a camera and lens attached, and can be removed via the side without opening the whole thing. Otherwise, you lie the bag on it's front and unzip. I would say there is enough room for a camera and lens, 2 further lenses, a small flask, and then a compartment for food etc. Small compartments for accessories, too.

I would not really suggest this sort of bag if you are just taking a camera and a single lens, as I often do. Then I leave the bag at home. I do use the bag for non-walking days.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby leeboyce » Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:53 pm

Thanks everyone

I think the Osprey Xenith suggested by Ben might be exactly what i'm looking for. Coupling that with the padded dividers/inners i've collected over the years from different day bags I think i'll be able to get what I want.

I'll hopefully be hunting the bag down this week so i'll let you know how i get on (:
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby Gdad55 » Sat Feb 10, 2018 3:33 pm

Hi my son and I use the F-Stop Sukha 70l as a multi day pack and Loka 37l as a daypack with two interchangeable ICU’s, they are pretty much waterproof without the rain cover and with the ICU’s offer great protection and easy access for your camera gear. They are expensive but very well made, comfortable and rugged. The wide range of interchangeable Internal Storage Units (ICU’s) available mean it’s easy to configure your backpack to balance the amount of camera gear to trekking gear you want to carry for any given outing. Alpinetrek in the U.K. and Photospecialist in Europe (the Netherlands I think)
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby Will N To » Tue Mar 13, 2018 6:06 am

I've hauled a lot more camera gear to a lot more places than I care to remember. 4x5....6x7 Pentax...(I think the secret to it's durability was reinforced concrete).
Don't know about photo friendly backpacks per se. Either I had too much gear or as now a DSLR an extra lens, no tripod and a smile.
Tip for all camera bags. Get some White Krylon for plastic. Give all those black holes in the bag a good shot. They will never turn white, but they'll get light enough so you can find your usually black camera widgets. 60 years of black pockets on camera pouches and bags should be enough proof that the people making the stuff don't use it, don't care, and think marketing is the critical element in photography.
I've taken to slinging my DSLR in a loop in the camera strap. Did this for two months in Japan, climbed mountains with my Nikon tucked into a loop in the strap (like a holster). Having to pull open the loop to holster the camera while I was in Japan, did make it a two handed operation, still it was a good system. When I got my new Optech strap, the webbing from the pad to the camera wasn't long enough to make a loop, so I sewed my own.
I always near permanently duct tape the lens shades on to the lenses (I still need to tether the caps-for my new lenses) Nikon caps are terrific for lenses less than 55mm in diameter--larger ones pop off and get lost and have no tether options. Scrap the surface and epoxy something to it that you can attach a string. A little velcro on the cap and the strap will keep it safely out of the way.)
For my upcoming Highlands et al adventure I'm making a neoprene holster as an upgrade to the loop.
The neoprene holster, now in rough stage (neoprene 'can' so far). 28-300 FX Nikon zoom: lens shade is about 4.2" in diameter. I made the opening 5.2" in diameter and it tapers to 4" (7" height). What I quickly discovered was that while the opening needs to be larger than the shade diameter. About 1.5" inside it can narrow such that the shade has to squeeze in (but only just a bit). Better fit, keep out the dust and rain.
Some company maybe Op-Tech, makes neoprene lens covers, but they're a two handed hassle-lousy design. Make your own.
[BTW neoprene is really fun to work with. Butt joints-so you cut it to the exact size you want, glue both sides of a join, like contact cement, let it dry then push it together. For reinforcing the seams, hand stitching. Did a couple hours of that today. ] When I get it finished I'll post some photos.
And whatever you do try to forget that Ansel Adams took his most famous photos within about 150 feet of a road with two assistants doing the hauling.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby Ben Nachie » Fri Mar 16, 2018 8:40 am

Just stumbled on this-

https://youtu.be/E5LP_YFXJIM
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby mrssanta » Mon Mar 19, 2018 12:36 am

Will N To wrote:Tip for all camera bags. Get some White Krylon for plastic. .

I love your practical approach - if you don't see what you want, make it!
But what is Krylon?
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby NanashiNoProfile » Sun Sep 16, 2018 5:51 pm

I'm sure you'll have sorted yourself out by now but perhaps if anybody else is looking... I was in a similar situation after gathering a number of lenses and then getting the fear I'd need each and every one while wearing a 26l bag. I thought I would have to go massive, but in the end Osprey's Stratos 36 fit the bill really well. Tall and wide enough to slot a tripod down the one side, while lenses in their cases stack up the other side where the is a handy vertical zip to access, removing the need to open the bag and unpack everything in the hunt for a lens at the bottom. A large pocket on the back, plus a smaller one below easily take food, coat, extra layers. The cover of the bag has two pockets (one above, one below) that take first aid kit, various tools, small books. Waist pockets will even fit a 50mm lens (or lenses around that size), and I found that the walking pole loops actually worked really well to hang a lens pouch from if you're switching regularly. Good bag.
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Re: Photographer friendly backpack

Postby GoodOldNorm » Thu Sep 20, 2018 9:53 pm

I carry my camera in a Lowepro Nova 2 camera bag fastened to my rucksack straps. It sits on my chest for easy access. There are several sizes of Nova top opening bags the choice is yours you can Google for the sizes. I use 2 alloy climbing carabiners to attach the bag through the webbing loops on the rucksack straps .The lowepro bag has a cover but I also waterproof the bag with Fabsil and carry a polythene bag to put my camera in if the weather gets really wet. having the camera on my chest helps balance the load.
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