Going through bag after bag is an unavoidable chore for anyone who uses a camera with non-negligible heft. After going through 3-4 camera bags, I think I’ve finally found an all-round match.

The Optexes

When I bought my first digital camera in 2001 (a venerable HP 912) from Future Shop, I was also sold a “matching” camera bag like every unwitting consumer. It was an Optex camera bag. Not exactly cheap for what it offered – the capacity/bulk ratio was too low, access wasn’t convenient, uncomfortable, and as a bonus looked ugly as hell. Used it for the trip to New England and Europe – then I made it stay at its rightful place, in the closet, to hold other underused equipments ever since.

My second digicam bag was an Optex belt-mounted pouch that’s just enough to hold my then A80 in 2004, a few extra memory cards and AA batteries. Perfect for its purpose as an all-in-one pouch for a small compact – albeit slightly bulky. Extremely convenient. Used it for the trip to Portugal and Spain, although later sold together with the camera. Wouldn’t hesitate to get a similar bag if the need ever arises again.

Sling bag by Roots

The transition to a DSLR finally arrived in 2004 and of course together with it came another bag. Roots sling bag which to this day I’m pretty contend with, being able to hold a DSLR body, 2 small zooms and a small flash (or 2 larger zooms, no flash) batteries, lens pen and a few filters.

It works pretty well as a run-around bag if I know in advance the lens choice with the condition that this choice also happens to be small. Made it a snap to engage the camera by just swinging it around. Works well for trips where the hotel room is usually nearby and not a lot of personal items are needed on the go. Brought it to California, Yosemite and Shanghai, Hong Kong, etc.

Tamrac Adventure backpack

Most other times however, I need to pack more than just photographic equipments. The search began again and the Tamrac Adventure 6 did the job marvellously. Holds a DSLR body, 2 small zooms (or a small zoom plus a small flash), 2 small primes, lens pen, some filters, extra batteries and memory cards, lens cloth, plus on one occasion an engagement ring.

The non-photographic compartment can hold my passport, a small book (passport-sized Japanese detective novel), handkerchiefs, a pack of tissue paper, titbit in a ziplock bag, a cap or two, a sunglasses case plus some odd items I must have missed. I could use it to hold an additional small zoom if I don’t need to bring as much personal items. The sides hold 2 small bottles of water. You’ve guessed it – it’s the main walking bag and I used this over the years for trips to Vienna, Maldives, Japan and then to Patagonia, each of these trips only needed a limited selection of lenses. It at least looks sufficiently compact for what it can hold, and I expect it to continue to be my main all-purpose bag for a while.

Crumpler Keystone

My odyssey for bags could have ended here, if the DSLR body or the lenses didn’t get bigger, or if I lived in the ideal world where the lens choice is always small and known. Then came this trip to Hong Kong for a dear cousin’s wedding where I were to document the entire day, plus a short walking/hiking trip around the city, on top of preparing to take some random shots I’ve fancied for a while.

So I needed a bag to store mostly photographic equipments, but with a large selection of lenses. It needs to be reasonably secure (cannot be opened from your back for the peace of mind), not too big and make me look like an astronaut on the moon. Bonus if it can hold a small computer.

The search narrowed down to LowePro Flipside 400 AW, Think Tank Urban Disguise 35, and Crumpler Keystone. The Think Tank was quickly eliminated as I found shoulder bags to be not very comfortable for long walks – it has a harness that converts it to a backpack, but then I also found it too rigid and with a low capacity/bulk ratio. Then the Flipside 400 was also eliminated because of its astronaut look – at the same time the Crumpler was on sale at 25% off at Henry’s, so I drove there and picked up the last one left in store.

The recommended configuration is a DSLR body, 3-4 lenses, one accessory and a 12" laptop. Here’s what I put in: K-7 body with neck strap, AF-540FGZ flash, DA10-17, DA*16-50/2.8, DA*50-135/2.8, FA50/1.4, FA35/2, DA40/2.8, Vivitar 2xMFTC, spare Li-Ion and AA batteries, hand strap, Pelican memory card case, some filters, lens pen, Joe Demb Flip-It, sunglasses case, AND a 9" Netbook. I also managed to stuff in an extra CD in one occasion. The strap it has on the outside for my tripod is a pleasant bonus. Although I still cannot fit in all my lenses, this is enough configuration for most shootings. It only needs a side net to store a bottle of water to be perfect. Here’s a picture of the Keystone in all its glory, with contents (low camera phone image quality)

Crumpler also claims that its bags “don’t scream camera bags” thus are more secure. Might be true a few years back, but with almost all camera stores selling them these days it can hardly be the case. More, if I were a thief and saw you holding a camera that remotely looks like a DSLR, I’d assume your bag was full of expensive lenses and accessories regardless of its shape and form.

All in all except for the first Optex, these bags are all highly recommended, each fulfils a different purpose. I think my journey for bags will end here – I cannot imagine at this moment that I’d venture beyond what they can do. :)