How do you organize your bag or backpack?

[Evgeny]

How do you organize dividers in your bag or backpack for a medium format camera?

I'm especially interested to see variants for Contax 645 with 2-3 lenses and flash.
Thank!

 

[Dan Henderson]

I bought the Photobackpacker system (an Apug sponsor.)

 

[Evgeny]

Thank you for reply.

Are prism and lens attached when your camera in the bag?
How do you position of your camera - lens down or horizontal or whatever else?

 

[Lori V]

Organize? My MF is resting on a folded dishtowel in the main compartment, film in the front pocket.
The 35mm bag is more organized because I have several fixed lenses.

 

[Evgeny]

Interesting solution. What is your towel?

 

[Dan Henderson]

The advantage of the Photobackpacker system is that you can buy individual cases to fit specific camera and/or lens needs individually, and combine them on a board in your pack, all held in place with velcro. I have 1 case with a divider that holds the body with lens attached and another lens, a second case that holds 2 lenses and extension tubes (also divided,) and a third case that holds filters, light meter, etc. The camera case holds the camera in a horizontal position with the finder attached. All cases fit nicely in a Kelty Redwing pack with some room to spare around the edges for film, lens shade, etc.

 

[Iwagoshi]

Evgeny,

I'm too paranoid to carry anything that looks like a camera (or laptop) bag. I sometimes use a cheap overnight bag (hard bottomed with feet) subdivided with shoe boxes (or equivalent) lined with pieces of backpacker foam pad. I've used towels but after awhile too much lint floating about and loose threads catching on things. I have a "please steal me" silver Halliburton that I don't use anymore, the interior foam turned into mush, a bitch to clean up. Presently I'm looking for an old cheesy bowling ball bag to tote my RB, lenses-n-stuff.

Terry

 

[panastasia]

After searching for a number of years, I found a canvas rucksack 17"x12"x6"(deep) w/leather bottom, padded back, waist belt and padded shoulder straps. This pack holds (inside): Gitzo carbon fiber tripod (16" packed size), RB and 3 lenses (in leather pouches), 3 film holders (roll and cut film), film, rain gear, lunch and a few navigation tools. Total weight is about 22 lbs and very comfortable for a day in the back-of-beyond. The Photobackpaker cases also fit very nicely in this no nonsense pack. 25 lbs seems to be my upper limit in weight these days, I'm 60 this year.

If I pack my little Galvin w/2 lenses I can knock off 8-9 lbs, totaling under 14 lbs. Nice! Good for reaching high elevations.

Paul

 

[Vaughn]

I just toss in the Rollieflex into my pack with the 8x10 since it is so small I don't notice the extra weight...

Vaughn

PS...I do wrap it in the darkcloth for a little protective padding...

 

[makan]

All my things photographic go to small plastic boxes which they fit full, occasionally it's a bit of foam that doesn't allow them to wiggle and make noise. The boxes then get their place in the backpack as the need is. Less weight than any Photo backpacks.

 

[xtolsniffer]

I actually use a fairly small Kodak shoulder bag that is just big enough to take an RB67 with one back and a single lens attached. Into the pockets on the bag go a lightmeter, spare back, small extension tube and filters (orange and polariser). On top of the camera goes a lee filter holder, soft grad and warm-up filters in a cloth pouch. Film is stuffed into any remaining gaps. This set-up actually weighs less than the 35mm gear I used to cart around as I would regularly take every lens I owned. I like the discipline of just taking one camera and one lens out, but if I need another lens I just take it in a lowepro lens pouch and use the slip-lock attachment around the shoulder strap of the bag. The tripod has a strap too and that goes on the other shoulder.

 

[makan]

I actually use a fairly small Kodak shoulder bag that is just big enough to take an RB67 with one back and a single lens attached. Into the pockets on the bag go a lightmeter, spare back, small extension tube and filters (orange and polariser). On top of the camera goes a lee filter holder, soft grad and warm-up filters in a cloth pouch. Film is stuffed into any remaining gaps. This set-up actually weighs less than the 35mm gear I used to cart around as I would regularly take every lens I owned. I like the discipline of just taking one camera and one lens out, but if I need another lens I just take it in a lowepro lens pouch and use the slip-lock attachment around the shoulder strap of the bag. The tripod has a strap too and that goes on the other shoulder.

Isn't the era of dedicated photo bags over anyway? It just makes you an easily recognizable target for the professionals of a kind...

 

[Kvistgaard]

I suggest you take a look at Domke's assortment of padded inserts. They are designed for Domke's own range of bags, but work just as well with any other bag. They are soft, lint free, flexible, affordable, even. One thing is to note that they are not padded in the bottom, so you'll have to cut some sort of foam into pieces the size of the inserts' footprints, and put them inside the insert. That is, if you use them in a non-Domke bag (the Domke bags have a padded bottom, which is why their inserts haven't). They do make inserts that will hold MF gear.

I use this solution myself with a plain North Face backpack, and it works really well - I have my gear hidden in a fairly anynomous-looking bag, with room for extra clothes, lunch, and all the other non-photo related stuff you want to carry around when outside.

 

[Evgeny]

BTW, my bags are F.64 BP Large Backpack (Mfr# BPB • B&H# F6BPB) and F.64 MFX Medium Format Shoulder Bag (Mfr# MFXB • B&H# F6MFXB)