I love camera bags and it seems there’s way too many unused ones stuffed in my garage. Over the course of 40 years of photography, I’ve acquired countless bags and cases to hold, protect and transport my photographic gear that I could now equip a platoon of photographers.
During the 1980’s I spent a small fortune in Halliburton cases to protect my equipment during shipping that throughout years of abuse from worldwide travels, were so scratched, scuffed, dented for being thrown and tossed around by luggage carriers. One-by-one the latches finally broke off and I had to jury rig a clasp to use a lock and key system to keep the lids closed and equipment safe.
In 1991 I switched to the Pelican line, of waterproof cases. Which were durable, but heavy. Having to lift them out of my car and then pull one of those cases to and from the media parking area to either Safeco or Qwest fields, stuffed full of camera equipment was enough to give one a hernia. Now, instead of holding camera gear, they are used to protect and haul around my Speedatron studio lighting system.
As I purchased more gear, my needs to buy a bigger and better bag continued. I must have brought enough Domke shoulder bags; tripod and light stand bags and vests of various styles and colors to make Jim Domke a very happy man.
When my back and shoulders started to ache because of the heavy bags carried, I switched the Lowe Pro’s line of backpacks and belt packs, which distributed the weight eventually across my back and around my waist.
My quest was on to find the “perfect system” that had heavy duty zippers and was both rainproof and rugged continued, until two years, ago when I found these qualities in the ThinkTank line of products that are designed by photographers for photographers. As I sports photographer needing an assortment of lenses at a ready use, I purchased the Speed Demon and attached the Modular Set with a shoulder harness.
For a while I used an Airport Acceleration backpack to transport my gear to and from the car and then stuffed what was to be used along the sidelines into my Speed Demon set up.
When the ThinkTank Shapeshifter backpack was introduced, I found I could carry my laptop, two cameras, two extra batteries, three lenses and a speed light. This product is just what I had to have. Now I mainly use the backpack to carry a laptop, power cord, various cables, spare battery, cords, external keyboard, mouse, card readers, portable hard drives and Verizon wireless card, everything I need in one handy bag for sending images while on location.
Still, there were times when I needed an extra lens or flash that didn’t fit in the backpack. That forced me to invest in the Airport Security V2.0 roller bag. Now, this is the car’s meow, a real Cadillac of bags and is amazing. It’s configured as my sports shooting gear kit and holds three camera bodies, a 14mm, 16-35mm, 28-70, 70-200 and 300mm lenses, 1.4, 2x converters as well as an extender, 10 extra camera batteries, plus two pocket rocket CF cardholders, one full of two gig and the other contains four gig CF cards.
When you’re stuck in a photography well covering a Mariners game, and having to transmit images between innings, its good to have an extra body or lens. There have been times of of equipment failure from fans spilling beer down on you, gear being hit by fouls ball or a camera or lens getting knocked over by another photographer scrambling in or out of the photo well to move to another shooting location.
The V2.0 holds everything I might, or might not need and the gear is all there within easy reach at any time.
The Airport Acceleration backpack I now used to haul around a portable lighting studio consisting of five speed lights, three battery packs, extra double AA batteries, CTO and CTA filters, gaffers tape, bungee ball cords and a light meter. I even have a MK II Ds and two batteries stored inside.
Still, there where times that I need to downsize and just carry what was required to complete an assignment instead of hauling bags full bodies, lenses and flashes. That’s why I purchased the Urban Disguise 40, which holds one camera, two lenses, a flash, its battery pack and a pocket rocket containing 10 CF cards or three flash units, their battery packs, a light meter and filters.
Now, after decades of being a pack mule, hauling around everything, I think I’ve finally found a tried and true system. Much to my wife’s’ happiness, with the ThinkTank products, I don’t think I’ll ever need another bag and can start cleaning out the garage.
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