Bag recommendations/comments?

Not long after I got my K20D, I bought a Crumpler Muffin Top 4000 to go with it. Needless to say the claim of carrying SLR with small zoom attached, plus 2 additional lenses was less than truthful

/story

So anyway I've been looking at getting a bigger bag - an attempt to buy a Timbuk2 messenger failed - and I'm looking at Lowepro's D300/D400 Stealth range. My main concerns are waterproofing and carrying capacity - I'm quite often out in heavy rain (the reason I was going for a Timbuk2 hack - they're completely monsoonproof) so I'd need it to be able to withstand all of that (how substantial is the 'rain cover'?) and also carry a reasonable amount of gear (ie everything in my sig, [EDIT: With the exception of the tripod!] preferably with space for another lens or two in the future - the two M42 lenses combined are about the size of the 18-55, if that helps).

I'm not particularly bothered about external size - both are smaller than a Timbuk2 Medium Messenger which I happily cart back and forth to uni every day!

I should add that if anyone has alternative suggestions (in similar price/carrying capacity range) I'd be extremely grateful!

I have a 600. It fits 50-200, 18-55, 24, 135, 85, 10-24, 2 ef-500s, charger, gripped K10D and there's still some space.

It's damned heavy, though.

The AW cover is good. not perfect, but good.

I would consider a flipside or a fastpack250. The fastpack takes a laptop and then flash, four lenses and the body. And you still have space for lunch.

Bret

I have a fastpack 250 - as yet unused - BUT there's no rain cover with it I'm honestly not sure just how much you could get in it .

Every bag with the letters AW (all weather) will have a rain cover, rain cover is the same material is a normal rain jacket so it will keep any rain out for sure and the bag themselves can withstand some rain.

If it gets really moist you can look at one of these link

Have a look at the Slingshots, my 100 takes my K200 with grip and Sigma 18-200 and has room for several more lenses.

It also has a waterproof cover, as all Slingshots do I believe.

Alternatively look at the Faspacks, although they don't have a waterproof cover. Still, my 200 kept the camera and lens dry in Girona lately.

Most (actually at the moment, all) of my photography is done in urban environments, so wouldn't be too comfortable in having that amount of gear out of sight on my back

I have a fastpack 200, too, and that list is what I fit in there on a regular basis. It's not much smaller than the 600, even though it might seem that way.

If I take the ball head off my 322, I can get that in, too, along with a diffuser and another flash and the radio triggers. The flask goes on the side (which then wobbles too much for my liking...) and I don't see that you need much more.

As far as rainworthiness goes, I don't really know. I subject my 600 to snow regularly - and it's fine - but rain? 2hrs in heavy rain last November was no issue at all. The cover also has sewn holes for the shoulder strap, which is really cool.

At the present rate of progress, the next bag will be a pro runner 450AW...and the 600AW will probably go.

Bret

(sorry, that's a 'frotto 233)...

I have the Tamrac Adventure 9 which has done me well, but I find it more and more frustrating that you have all your kit in one main area of the bag. Therefore when you want to quickly get your camera body out you are also exposing all your other lenses and any other bits and pieces to the world.

The next bag I buy will deffo have a seperate location for camera body + grip and one (attached) lens, which is normally a 16-50.

I have a big Billingham which my wife bought me 20 years ago - she wouldn't spend anything like that now on a birthday present!

It's a lovely robust bag.

I have a Kata 467 rucksack. It has two compartments, the bottom one padded (the padding is removable) and the top one not so it is dual-purpose. Alternatively, you can keep lenses and stuff in the bottom and your camera ready to use quickly in the top. It also has a padded laptop pocket. Suits me as I like something adaptable. It would be fine to travel with, for example. It seems pretty well made and does not look too obviously like a camera bag, which may make a difference around the wrong people. It comes with a bright orange rain cover. The cover is fine but -1 for the colour.

I can recommend a Billingham Hadley Large as an excellent roomy well constucted camera bag. I carry a K20 with 17-70, 55-300, 10-20, 2X Converter, Memory Card Caddy, £ spare batteries, Cable release, ND Filters, Polarisers. With the quality of the materials it will no doubt last as long as my photography days. Price approx £115.

If you want a similar smaller bag, then there is the Billingham Hadley Standard or with an extra pocket and top handle the Hadley Pro.

We use Billingham Hadley Pro bags - very accessible, waterproof and compact. We find them big enough in the field and they hold quite a bit of kit.

Both myself and my wife haveSlingshot 100's which carry camera two kit lenses and one other small lens. Itis a comfortable bag to carryand has a waterproof cover. You can take out the camera withoutremoving the bag which is very handy. The 200 version is bigger but not sure how much more kit it takes.

I have a Lowe AW mini backpack which is great. But TBH I've found I like travelling light, so moving to Lowepro SLR bag with a spare Lowe 1M lens case and a small pack for filters clipped to the strap. Less is more...