The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Best camera bag for medim format cameras

bythewei

Active member
Let's face it. Bag makers don't really think about us medium format users when designing their bags.

That said, anybody with a nice bag to recommend for Hasselblad 500 series user who plans to travel overseas for shoots?
 

ghoonk

New member
WL, I have a Lowepro Vertex 200AW that holds my 500CM, 4 film backs, with enough space for 4 CF/CFi lenses, my 6093T Proshade, extra rolls of film, filters and filter holder. if you're keen, I'll bring it along with me back to SG in May and you can try it out for yourself ;)

And it fits a 15" MBP as well ;)
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
I love the f-stop gear bags. I have the Guru for around town and the Tilopa BC for hiking. Extremely versatile and well thought out.

--Matt
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I agree with Matt regarding the f-stop bags. I use the Tilopa with large ICU for my Alpa/IQ outfit with 4 lenses and all the associated stuff. However, you can easily pack the ICU to hold a MF DSLR body and glass. If you need more space then the Satori & XL ICU will pretty much hold anything you need for MF gear.

Another bag that worked well for me with my 645DF gear and lenses was the Gura Gear Kobuka bag. Lots of room and the bag handles the shape of MF DSLR bodies and larger glass well.
 
Last edited:

Sheldon N

Member
I'll add a +1 for the f-stop bags as well. I use the Tilopa with a Large internal camera unit (ICU) to hold my RZ67 kit. With a smaller insert you could pack quite a bit of non-photo gear along as well.

Here's a couple pics of my kit in the bag.



 

bythewei

Active member
Thanks all for the input. The f-stop bag looks like a winner especially because I am hiking quite a bit and don't want an additional bag to store clothes.
 

bythewei

Active member
I'll add a +1 for the f-stop bags as well. I use the Tilopa with a Large internal camera unit (ICU) to hold my RZ67 kit. With a smaller insert you could pack quite a bit of non-photo gear along as well.

Here's a couple pics of my kit in the bag.



Sheldon, just want to get your opinion on this. Based on the following setup, which insert should I get? Large or Medium:

503CXi
501cm
50mm cfi
150mm cf
2 film backs
P25 + batteries and charger
misc filters and film (15 rolls)

What do you think? Will Loka suffice or a Tilopa?
 

Sheldon N

Member
Sheldon, just want to get your opinion on this. Based on the following setup, which insert should I get? Large or Medium:

503CXi
501cm
50mm cfi
150mm cf
2 film backs
P25 + batteries and charger
misc filters and film (15 rolls)

What do you think? Will Loka suffice or a Tilopa?
I might lean towards the Loka with that amount of gear. The Tilopa is a full size backpack with lots of room, you might be more comfortable with the smaller profile Loka. Good comparison pics here:

F-Stop Loka, finally! (bonus: side-by-side Tilopa) - FM Forums

You might be able to do the medium ICU instead of the large too, check out the photos at f-stop to see what gear you can fit into each size ICU.

ICU - Pro Series
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Beware, though, the Loka was "shipping in 4 weeks" for 6 months. I don't know how long you'd have to wait for one. I ended up with the Tilopa because it was available. I'm not sorry, but it is probably larger than I really needed. The Loka looks perfect for a large, but not debilitating, amount of gear.

--Matt
 

bythewei

Active member
Beware, though, the Loka was "shipping in 4 weeks" for 6 months. I don't know how long you'd have to wait for one. I ended up with the Tilopa because it was available. I'm not sorry, but it is probably larger than I really needed. The Loka looks perfect for a large, but not debilitating, amount of gear.

--Matt
Not sure if it's even available in this side of the planet.

And then there's the maximum hand-carry size. You reckon the Loka and Tilopa is 'small' enough to hand carry?

The reason why I'm shopping for a new bag in the first place is because my current bag is too bag to hand-carry and I was forced to empty my camera equipment and literally 'hand-carry' them.

Not a good experience.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
In the US at least the Tilopa is definitely carry-on legal. No problems so far with stowing the bag as the backpack pretty much guarantees that you can't over stuff it.

However, I typically try to avoid the smaller commuter jets which have pretty small stowage room above. That might be a problem with any of these solutions.

For my DF kit I tend to now use a Think Tank belt system. I put all the lenses in pouches and the whole lot fits inside a Pelican 1510 that I can carry-on. At the destination I put the pouches on the belt instead of using a bag.
 

David Schneider

New member
Let's face it. Bag makers don't really think about us medium format users when designing their bags.

That said, anybody with a nice bag to recommend for Hasselblad 500 series user who plans to travel overseas for shoots?
I think bag makers start with space limitations (like airline regulations) and then design bags. They are customizable enough so that they can be used for dslr or mf or whatever.

Choice of a bag is going to be determined by regulations of the overseas airlines as much as any factor.

My travel bag is a Think Tank that works on US airlines. I forget the model. It has backpack straps for emergency carrying use and a laptop compartment. I use an f-stop XLL insert inside a free bag from Fuji that holds my most of my dslr and mfd gear for travel by car or to studio. Both companies make good products.

I have found that if a domestic fight looks like it's full and there's a chance they'll make you check your carry-on as you board, if you approach the airline people ahead of time and ask them if you could board early because you don't want to be in a position to have to be forced to check tens of thousands of dollars worth of camera gear they are reasonably accommodating.
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
The Tilopa BC is just slightly too large if you stuff it. I had no trouble taking it as a carry-on, but I was careful to tighten the outer straps a bit before I packed it. Basically, the Loka just fits around the pro-depth inserts and the Tilopa has some extra depth for stuffing in clothing. As long as you tighten the straps to eliminate that extra space, the packed back fits as carry-on with no trouble. It is the same length and width as the Loka.

--Matt
 

Sheldon N

Member
I've carried on the Tilopa on US flights before. I even had it loaded to the gills, 1Ds III + 5 or 6 L series lenses, Elinchrom Quadra pack and head and a laptop. Darn thing weighed around 45lbs. I just kept it on my back and acted like it wasn't heavy. I even got it onto a mid sized commuter plane too. :)
 

Shashin

Well-known member
I've carried on the Tilopa on US flights before. I even had it loaded to the gills, 1Ds III + 5 or 6 L series lenses, Elinchrom Quadra pack and head and a laptop. Darn thing weighed around 45lbs. I just kept it on my back and acted like it wasn't heavy. I even got it onto a mid sized commuter plane too. :)
And your sweating and shortness of breath has not tipped off the TSA agents?
 
Top