I’m taking a photography class this semester (it’s a requirement for my degree) and am borrowing my Dad’s old but super-snazzy 35mm camera for the course. I will now be responsible for a camera plus a humongous zoom lens and an additional 135mm lens. These must be kept pristine. I know exactly squat about this stuff but in looking online there seems to be a large range of options and I really don’t know what is best. My friend who is in the class with me has a backpack style thing that is all padded and compartmenty and nifty… but I just really don’t know.
I can’t spend a lot of money. Anyone care to share their experiences or opinions? What to look for, what to look out for, etc?
I’m another Domke desciple. I love my F-2. However, Domke bags are shooter’s bags…made for comfort when carrying and easy of access to the equipment. They don’t have a lot of excess bulk (which is why I like them), and they protect the gear enough for everyday use. However, they are a bit light on padding, so if you’re paranoid, you’d probably want something with more padding. In the year that I’ve owned my Domke, though, all my equipment has held up fine, despite tons of shooting.
I bought mine from Ritz camera when I got my camera. It has a place for at least two lens, if not three, plus plenty of room for extra stuff. I don’t know the name of it off the top of my head but I can’t imagine I paid more then $30-40 for it. I’ve had it for around five years now and taken it all over the US and Europe a number of times on my motorcycle and everything still looks good. The case is a bag and not a backpack type and is around 12-15"x 10" x 10" or so. I’d have to look when I get home what the name is.
If you want to go ultra-ultra cheap, get one of the insulated cubical lunch carriers- the ones they sell at Wal-mart, with the shoulder strap- and a couple blocks of styroform. Line the bottom with a layer of styro, then cut holes in the blocks so they comfortably cradle the camera and accessories (obviously you want the blocks to fill the case). Mr. Kitty has been hauling around a nice Minolta with a zoom lense and other accessories (the film and camera cleaning kit fits nicely in the front pouch) for several years, through a number of vacations, and has never had a problem. Plus it’s waterproof and holds a fairly consistent internal temperature.