What's in the bag or, "How do you carry all that stuff?"...

[Hank Graber]

On the street -no bag just a 35/1.4 on the M8

If I want to bring an extra lens -a small belt pouch.

When I need a bag:

For carting camera, lenses, meters, radio sender, etc -my big bag:
Courierware messenger bag with Domke inserts.

For smaller kit :
Pratt Mariner -beautiful French bag looks like a traditional fishing bag only in a nice grained black leather. I replaced the strap with a Domke strap and replaced the inserts with some custom made padded linen ones.

For location shooting when I need ultimate protection and weatherproofing. Bright yellow storm case iM2100. Easy to keep track of and indestructible.

 

[dfarkas]

For M:

Crumpler 5 Million Dollar Home with M8 and mounted 35/2 ASPH, 90/2.8, 50/2, WATE with Universal Finder, SF24D, extra battery, Tenba media card wallet. Nice and light. For even more streamlined shooting I take just the M8 with 35 and 90. For time exposures at night, I'll hook one of the legs of a Gitzo traveller tripod over one of the side straps. Whole kit weighs well under 10lbs (not including Gitzo).

For R:

Crumpler 7 Million Dollar Home with R9/DMR and mounted 35/2, 28/2.8, 60/2.8, 90/2 AA mounted on 2x APO extender, SF24D (same as M one), extra battery, Tenba card wallet (same). Under 10lbs...who says the DMR is too heay? For extra coverage on wide or long, I'll add a 19 and/or 180/2.8 APO. Then, under 15lbs. Once the camera is around the neck, the bag weight is back under 10lbs. I've found this to be a threshold of PITA. Also sometimes I'll bring the Epson P-5000 in the bag as well, but usually it lives in the laptop bag.

To carry both M and R kits and only have one carry-on bag, I use a Kata OC-84 lighting case with all the dividers removed. 7 Million on one side, 5 Million on the other and the Gitzo in between. Removable trolley has wheels and my laptop bag slides on top of the upright case. This is the absolute largest carry-on size allowed and in fact, I have to remove the trolley to fit in the overhead, which only takes two seconds. Never had to gate check it. Wheels are great to get someplace, then shoulder bags are the easiest to work out of, provided they don't weigh 20lbs+ (Guy?....). Been down the insanely heavy backpack route with Canon and Nikon... not fun.

Oh, and once I start shooting all the lenscaps, front and rear, come off. Takes too long to do the musical cap shuffle. Another reason I like the soft padded compartments of the Crumpler bags. No need for wraps or the like, but still extrely light weight.

David

 

[scatesmd]

I use a sling bag that I love; the Tamrac Velocity 9

Hi Jamie,

I have an M8 and 7 lenses along with a flash. I see there are several sizes of the Tamrac Velocity. For the M8 kit (no other body) would you recommend the V9 or the smaller cases? Did the bag come with enough dividers for the lenses?

Thanks, steve

 

[Jack]

Here is a shot of the b2b caps I described:

Here is an image of my J803 loaded as described, larger version in gallery:

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Hey you stole my bag , give it back. LOL

I am really falling in love with this bag. It holds it all and has a nice carry handle.

Oh and I have a few more lenses

 

[robsteve]

Jack:
I was thinking about getting the Domke insert to use in the waist/fanny pack I currently use.


Do the domke inserts have a bottom to them? The problem I found with some bags like this is the Leica lenses are so small they can sometimes stick out below the protection of the insert and bang together. This is with the Billingham bags and their inserts. The Billinghams are soft bottomed and the bottom will sagg away from the insert.

Edit: did a search and found out the Domke inserts have a bottom sewn into them to prevent what I described from happening.

 

[Jack]

Jack:
Edit: did a search and found out the Domke inserts have a bottom sewn into them to prevent what I described from happening.

They do, but FWIW it isn't padded, so I place a lenswrap folded in half at the bottom of my J803 for extra base protection.

 

[fotografr]

One of the things I most love about the M system is size and weight compared to a full blown SLR system. When I shoot with my Canons, everything goes into a large Domke Photojournalist bag and ruins whatever shoulder it is on. With the Leicas, I rarely want to carry all of it at once so my normal bag is a very small Tenba with 3 internal dividers and one thin pocket that covers the front of the bag. It usually (lenses can vary) contains:

--M8
--24/2.8
--35/2.0
--50/1.4 or Nocti
--SF20 w/Nikon filter pack
--extra M8 battery
--extra SF20 batteries
--extra SD card (4GB)
--Cable release
--Small lens brush
--Lens cloth
--Expodisc
--Spec Grabber

I can carry a small, lightweight bag like this all day and pretty much shoot anything that comes up. And I get back home with no backache or shoulder pain.

 

[PaulMayeux]

I use two bags. A Billingham 306 and a Billingham for Leica. I usually keep the M8, 21 asph, 15 CV and 35 lux in the small Leica bag. Then switch lenses back and forth from the 306 where I keep a MP and M6 LHSA with the 50 lux, 28 elmarit asph and 75 lux, along with that monstrous M8 charger, a few rolls of Kodachrome, some Rollei Pan25. Now the dilemma is last week I sprung for a 24 ASPH and I don't know where to fit it.

 

[ChrisDauer]

My main bag is the Domke J803.
My second bag is the regular Domke J803.
This bag is just enough smaller than the J803 that it is perfect for a one-body, 4-lens travel {snip}

Jack,

I'm a bit confused. Are there different versions of the J803?

-Chris

 

[Jack]

Jack,

I'm a bit confused. Are there different versions of the J803?

-Chris

Hi Chris:

There are two versions of the 803 --- one is the J803 and the other is the F803. The F-series bags are the "originals" and are made of cotton canvas or ballistic nylon. All J-series bags are made of ballistic nylon, and all have slightly larger dimensions (and usually larger pockets) than the corresponding F versions.

PS: How was New Zealand? We want pictures!!!

 

[Jan Brittenson]

Short kit:

Left to right: Tele-Elmar 135/4, CV 12 (on camera), CV 15/21 VF (12/15 on M8), 35/2 IV. Note how the 135 and 35 can both use the same rectangular 12575 hood. Same 39mm thread too, so they can take the same lens cap and filters if that can help reduce the number of itty bitty pieces. RRS L bracket. Strap would come off probably.

Camera and lenses fit in the PhotoRunner fanny pack with a couple of extra batteries and a card case.

Tall kit:

Adds 75/2A and CV 15 with jlm's hood and an IR filter. The 15 adds a perspective change from the 12 while the 75 adds a slightly different rendition and half the reach of the 135. Also some limited close up capability.

In this set up the camera stays on the tripod over my shoulder with a lens, while the remaining four lenses go in the PhotoRunner. In a pinch the camera can fit in the pack as well, with a wrap. A smaller backpack will carry the whole set up fairly easily.

This will probably be my travel kit as well, in which case it goes with the A&A Oskar.

For people, M8 and 35/2 (III). Perhaps 15 and/or 75 in a pocket. Plain bottom cover. No bag.

 

[irakly]

i use a distressed military-green armani-exchange bag with a three-section domke insert that happens to fit in it perfectly. the bag is very slim, it looks like crap and holds an m8 with a lens, four more lenses, three-sd-card case, a small russian vintage tripod with a leica ballhead and a wallet. nobody on earth may think that this is a camera bag.

 

[waynelake]

Have not got Leica M but thought I'd share...
A CompuTrekkerPlus AW. Its all I've got and use it as an advantage. Had to do a quick trip from Queenstown to Auckland and was all I took + a sleeping bag. Managed to fit a change of clothes +some other small items. If I'm taking photos at a specific place I might just take camera + lens and a lens or two in pockets of a jacket.

Camera stuff 400D + kit lens, Sigma 12-24 (only sharp stopped way way down), CZ35-70, EF100 macro, 105-280, 200 1.8, EF2X. 17" MacBook Pro.

A Photo from Queenstown New Zealand Jack... This photo taken 5 minutes ago, is where I'm surfing with Airport wirelesly, bludging someones internet connection. My view...Its bit of a bright day so photo only resized Sigma 12-24, 12 mm F22. Oh, Airport on this laptop can pick a signal 5 kilometers (3 miles) away....

 

[jaapv]

Jan, what did you do to that 135? Is that the Summicron 35 asph hood? Isn't that a tad wide to be effective?

 

[Jan Brittenson]

Jaap, it's the hood from a 35/2 pre-asph. Not sure if that's the same hood as the asph. It's still effective as a hood, as effective as it would be on a 35.

 

[Digital Dude]

Here is a shot of the b2b caps I described:

Here is an image of my J803 loaded as described, larger version in gallery:]

Very nice 30k package!:thumbup:
Regards,

 

[Maggie O]

women with the M system are really in trouble because we start out with both a shoe and bag problem.

I have one pair of shoes that I wear most of the time and a pair of sandals and I don't own a camera bag.

I do have 19 guitars, two basses, a D-Lux3 and an M8 though.

I'd like a nice bag to put my wee kit in- M8, CV Skopars 21, 28 and CV Ultron 35, a 28mm CV viewfinder and a Vivitar 272 flash (which I should probably get a safe synch for, eh?). Any suggestions?

 

[johnastovall]

Since my camera(s) is around my neck (if traveling in Pelican cases) and if I'm carrying over 2 lenses I like the Domek F4AF bag. But I really like to just stick extra lenses in the inside pockets if I'm wearing my Domke vest when not wearing the vest I wear a safari jacket and just pop the lenses in the side pockets. I do keep the lenses in little padded bags (which B&H seem to have stopped carrying).

 

[vieri]

I also have and use the Domke J803 - it carries:

M8 + 2.8/24 or 1.4/35;
M8 + 1.4/75 or 2/90;

CV 4.5/15 - 1.4/50 Lux attached one other (not superglued, but taped together)
the 24 or 35 (whichever is not attached to the M8);
the 75 or 90 (whichever is not attached to the M8);

a 3-card holder;
a table tripod;
pen, pencil, cellph., cable release, a thin usb card reader, passport, money, etc;

I own many more bags: 2 Lowepro backpacks (a smaller one, a bigger one for different needing) to carry my Nikon gear (D2x, D2xs, various lenses); a Domke F803 now used by my better half for her D50 + 18-200; I also have a Nova 4, a Magnum reporter bag... plus, I am getting a Urban Disguise small bag to carry 1 M8 + 2/3 lenses around when I don't need more it's a never ending quest!