Help me pick a camera bag.

[K1W1]

And K1W1, where is the review of the Crumpler?

The bag is sitting on the floor beside the desk with stuff in it. It was dark when we got home last night and dinner was more important imo.

[K1W1]

Okay here it is. Obviously long term and in depth. :-)

Rear view, bag loaded with standard 600ml water bottle in one of the side pockets. Could probably fit a 1 litre bottle in there. Tripod fits through those cross straps.



Side view



Inside.
Centre, D300 with MB-D10 and 70-200, Bottom, 16-85VR and SB600. Top, 50mm, Teleconverter and Sigma 70-300 (in Nikon bag).



Trick bit. You can completely remove the camera gear holder. This will fit in the top box of my motorcycle which is one thing that attracted me to the bag.



Empty bag with camera section and laptop holder both removed. The lap top holder secures to the bag between your back and the camera gear.



Side on view with the straps folded back for access camera gear and laptop bag both removed.



Comfort: Seems okay I carried it up the stairs loaded and it's a pack no better or worse than the other 9 or 10 I own. Does have chest and waist straps for stability and D rings (plastic) on the shoulder straps to attach stuff to.

Size: Suits what I want. I want to see if I can reconfigure it so that the 70-200 can be stored both on and off the camera. I think I should be able to do that. I will not normally have the Sigma lens in there that is just for fill.

Hook and loop stuff: Yes plenty but where it is or can be exposed Crumpler have provided covering flaps. Very well thought out in the way.

Niggles 1: No real pockets for bits an pieces like cards and cables and filters. I will qualify that by saying that there are pockets on the laptop bag but if you remove that they go with it. I will probably get a couple of small bags to go in the main area of the bag to hold "stuff".

Niggles 2: The sides of the camera section and shallow (where the 16-85 is in the pic above). There could be an issue with some bulky lenses.

Crumpler logos: Black and not too obvious. A couple of months of bouncing the bag around in the car and putting it down on the dirt and I think it will weather sufficiently not to attract any attention at all.

Happiness factor: At this stage (no actual use) 8.5-9/10

[Myboostedgst]

Thanks for the review. The bag does seem very nice, but it seems like you are paying for the name. I do want the bag, but it is over twice as much as some of the other Lowepro offerings. My decision will be a tough one.

[K1W1]

but it seems like you are paying for the name.

Do you seriously think that any of these bags cost more than US$10-15 ex the factory in China? You will pay for the name on every one.
I'm happy to pay the extra for the Crumpler because I like the stuff and I know that it's bomb proof (and warranted for ever). Everybody needs to make their own decision based on their financial situation and their definition of worth. I have over Aus$6000 worth of stuff in my bag saving a few dollars doesn't interest me at all.

[umijin]

Okay here it is. Obviously long term and in depth. :-)

....

KIWI, which size Karachi is yours? The Crumpler catalogue lists 3, as far as I can tell.

[K1W1]

KIWI, which size Karachi is yours? The Crumpler catalogue lists 3, as far as I can tell.

Medium for me.

[Myboostedgst]

Do you seriously think that any of these bags cost more than US$10-15 ex the factory in China? You will pay for the name on every one.

I understand what you are saying. Even though the bags may only cost a few $ to make, the compaines raise the price to pay for marketing, R&D, and obvious markup to create a profit.

Maybe it is because I have not seen/felt a Crumpler up close, but nothing about that back other than the entire removable compartment is any better than any of the other bags I have looked at. The one thing that does look better about the Crumpler is the interior looks to be softer and smoother. But again, it is hard to compare when looking at pictures online.

I didn't mean to offend you by saying you are paying for the name. IT is your purchase and your money after all. As you said, you have over AUS$6000 worth of gear in the bag, while I will have less than US$1000. Big difference there. Hell, buying the Crumpler would mean that the bag is more expensive than my most expensive lens (55-200VR).

[nowin]

I have a Crumpler 6 Million Dollar bag for my camera gear, but I also use a Boda Junior in the field.

The bulk stuff stays in the Crumpler in the trunk, and I put the 200mm lens, batts, cards and whatever else I need for 4-6 hours in the Boda for the field and track shoots.

Just my .02 on how I use bags.

[Myboostedgst]

I have a Crumpler 6 Million Dollar bag for my camera gear, but I also use a Boda Junior in the field.

The bulk stuff stays in the Crumpler in the trunk, and I put the 200mm lens, batts, cards and whatever else I need for 4-6 hours in the Boda for the field and track shoots.

Just my .02 on how I use bags.

This is what I might end up doing. Maybe I will buy a 6 Million dollar home for now and then pick up a backpack for future hikes.

[Myboostedgst]

So I just got back home from looking at some camera bags. I will say that the local store only had a couple of Lowepros, but did have a large selection of Tamracs in stock. The main problem with the Tamracs was that they felt huge and bulky on my back. They felt like a true camera bag/box on my back, not like a backpack with some camera gear inside.

I really wish that there was a crumpler dealer somewhere in my area. I really want to go try on a Karachi and a Million dollar home and see how they feel.