Bags and Cases and Camera Travel

Hello,

Looking at camera bags and cases I wondered if there is a general safe way (position) in which the actual camera should be placed into a bag or case, and which is ideal for transportation.
I see illustrations of some lens being detached from the camera and packed face down separately, while others leave the lens attached and pack the camera on its bottom. And then of course you have the top loader type bags where the camera goes in lens down.
So please excuse the naivety of this question, the answer is probably very obvious, but just wanted to know if there anyway you can do any damage in carrying the camera the wrong way.
Thanks.

It's an interesting question, and whilst I don't profess to know the correct answer, I carry my kit with camera and lenses separated, camera with body cap on and camera base down, and lenses with caps on both ends, mount facing down.

All this, however, assumes that the kit is in a proper camera bag over which you have control, including the fact that when put down on a floor, or in an overhead compartment, the bags base is down. Not all cases lend themselves to this, a back-pack style bag for example, or a Peli with handle.

I use a holster type CCS bag for my camera, when out in the mountains. Usually attached to my rucksack hip belt. The CCS cases support the camera by the front of the body with the lens down. The lens is not supporting the camera.

I have used one of these bags for my Super A, K10 and K5 over many years and many mountains both uk and abroad with no problems. All three cameras are still fully working and never had any damage to any lens despite thumping up and down the hills. Only wish my knees were as well protected!

I use Billingham Hadley bags and keep the lens on the camera and the lens facing down. The logic is to minimise lens changes that open the mirror box to dust and to carry the camera so that dust falls off the sensor rather than on it.

This requires the purchase of an extra Superflex insert to allow the camera to be held safely lens down. The camera is supported by the insert so there is no weight resting on the lens.

Re-reading this I see that my response was more to do with transporting kit from A to B, as in on holiday or a trip, rather than a more generic camera bag question.

There's only one change for me when it comes to camera bags on a shoot, and that is I leave the 'walk around' lens on the camera body, and in my case the camera then lies back down, lens up, with the camera base facing outwards (it's in the end compartment of a Lowepro bag). Otherwise, lenses are in the other compartments, mount down.

Also, I use more than one bag, a large Lowepro for 'bulk' storage, and a smaller one into which I decant camera and a few lenses as required. I have far too much kit to be able to carry it all, but can never decide what I should take!

Additionally, when I'm out somewhere that's new, or where I know that I would want a greater available selection of lenses than I can carry in the small bag, (and the venue allows, i.e. Kew, Wisley, etc), I wheel my large bag(s) around on a fishing tackle trolley which also carries my tripod, etc.