What Camera Backpack?

Hi,

We ordered an Olympus E-410 + 2 lenses last week.

It'll be used as a camera for general family/holiday/hobby use and occasional UW when we do get to dive (3 kids, mortgage - the usual restraints).

I have a pretty good Hahnel padded bag-type case which is well able to take the E-410 + lenses, a compact P&S and our camcorder and plenty of accessories & peripherals, but with 3 kids the transit through an airport on a family holiday is so much easier when you have less in your hands, so I'm definitely getting a backpack-type bag.

Current fave is the Adventure 6 from Tamrac:

http://www.tamrac.com/welcome.htm

It looks like it'll comfortably take the E-410 with one lens attached, the extra lens, a P&S, the camcorder (mini DV) and spare batteries, memory, tapes, etc. I doubt it'll take the chargers in the padded bottom section, but I'm more concerned with its ability to take the necessary stuff for a day out, leaving chargers at home.

Do/have any of you guys use/used any of the backpack-type bags available and what do you think of them?

Thanks,

Mark

Hi Mark,

A bit off topic but Olympus makes this very small bag which fits the E-410 with the 14 to 42/14 to 45 and the 40 to 150 lens. It also comes with an extra battery, Hoya 58 mm digital pro 1 protection filter (fits both lenses), a cleaning cloth and pockets for extra stuff like a remote cable. It cost about the same amount as the filter and battery alone.

http://www.videodirect.com/Merchant2/merch..._Code=OLESYSACC

Phil Rudin

Okay if you're just going too and from in airports etc then this bag is ideal. Also has enough space above the camera compartment for a small camcorder. Additionally, you can throw your laptop in there. Its not the all-weather (AW) style so its mainly for urban transport but a great backpack for the money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lowepro-CompuDayPack-G...1742.m153.l1262

BTW...great seller with outstanding prices of lowepro stuff.

I like the Karachi Outpost by Crumpler. It's spacious and fashionable without screaming camera. I also have the Brazillion and 7 million Dollar bag from them.

Hi,

I had a look at the Naneu Pro Alpha pack (retailing in a local dealer for €50), but for an extra €12, I ended up ordering a Tamrac Adventure 6 today: €62 including shipping.

It just seems to suit my needs best of all the bags I've looked at.

I'm sure I'll be happy with it. If not, I'll let ye know.

Thanks for the replies guys.

Mark

I know it's a little late, but I bought a small CaseLogic hip-type 'holster' bag for my camera to start with, before getting the LowePro Vertex 300 AW to hold the camera, lenses, strobes, and as much of the housing as I could as a carryon. Holster wouldn't hold any spare lenses but would hold the charger, spare battery and cards, etc. so I had a fully-portable if lens-limited solution with it alone. Shoulder strap in addition to the belt (or backpack waist strap) loop made it an easy airport carry, if perhaps a bit of a thief-magnet (small and quite recognizably a camera!).

I still like the holster and will probably pack it empty into my scuba bag if I can, to take on hikes or walkarounds where I won't be using the housing. The Tamrac Adventure series did look awful good to me too though, so I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice, and can no doubt sell it off when you upgrade bigger if it's still in good shape.

I've got two different Crumpler backpacks that I swear by. They're very comfortable, hardwearing and practical, but look funky and come in a choice of colours.

I've got one that has removable padded inserts for laptop and camera equipment (with dividers). The downside is that it's quite a large backpack, and the camera insert fills it - it's big enough for the SLR, 3 lenses, flash gun and miscellaneous extras. I've also used this one without the dividers in for my SLR in the underwater housing with one strobe, which just about fit although it took some work to get the housing open after landing at my destination. Even the slight pressure difference in the cabin was enough to cause a vacuum lock.

So I've just bought a smaller backpack (Crumpler Pretty Boy XL) that has a camera section with dividers in the bottom, which will be big enough for my SLR and one or two lenses (I haven't tried it out yet). The top of the bag works as a general packpack with no foam padding. I bought the bag for my upcoming dive trip, so I can take the underwater kit in a hard case and minimise the weight of that by taking the camera in the backpack and still have the upper compartment for other things I'll need like a book for the flight, my dive computer, etc etc.

They also have a couple of larger backpacks that will take a couple of SLRs with a range of lenses.

Check the bags out at www.crumpler.co.uk

The camera, backpack & CF card all arrived yesterday.

Mrs Phaedrus is delighted with the camera, if a little intimidated - this is our first DSLR.

The quality of the Tamrac pack seems top-notch. The camera section in the bottom takes the camera with lens attached, second lens, charger, camcorder (not the camcorder charger), and all the cables that came with the E-410.

I guess in the future, a pack would be on the cards that would take the camera, the camcorder and a laptop and all the peripherals associated with all three.

But for now, first impressions of the Adventure 6 are very good.

Mark