Now that we have a dedicated photography forum here I presume we also have a few peeps on board who travel loads with their camera and laptop.

How about recomending a good bag that can hold a 15.4" laptop, a body with lens attached, a couple of lenses, trevel documents, the freedom bag, and general other things you take with you on the road AND is within the "one bag" carry on regulation.

I'm currently lugging around a laptop bag and camera bag on a daily basis and would love to have just one bag that can do all I need it to do.

Please list what you have, what it holds and the cost of the bag.

I did say "not backpack", right?

Cheers
/E

Anything from Lowepro, or do they just sell the laptop/camera specialty bags that they claim to have invented? I just bought a smaller bag of theirs and that was one of their claims, on the promotional card on the bag.

Do you want wheels or is a duffle bag (factor) okay?
(Just wondering - I'd be the last one to ask, as I bought the Oly DSLR rather than a Canon :D)

Sounds like the Crumpler Brazillion Dollar Home bag.

Insanely expensive at $280 bucks but it sounds like exactly what you are after

http://www.crumplerbags.com/Cart/index.php?prodId=277&catId=22&optId=10462

Do you want wheels or is a duffle bag (factor) okay?
(Just wondering - I'd be the last one to ask, as I bought the Oly DSLR rather than a Canon :D)

Either would do. As long as it won't tempt a checkin agent to weigh the bag. ;)

Sounds like the Crumpler Brazillion Dollar Home bag.

Insanely expensive at $280 bucks but it sounds like exactly what you are after

http://www.crumplerbags.com/Cart/index.php?prodId=277&catId=22&optId=10462

Have been looking at Crumpler Daily as the camera pouch can be taken out and the bag used as a strict laptop bag.

They are insanely expensive though.

I don't use one, but ThinkTankPhoto's Urban Disguise series of packs might be what you're looking for:

http://thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_UrbnDsgs2.php

Slightly less expensive than the Crumpler bags, and maybe a bit more discreet than Crumpler's (apparently, I read somewhere that the odd color combinations on Crumpler's bags are because their designer is actually color-blind - like how the Karachi Outpost is khaki/olive on the outside, and sky blue on the inside).

Probably either the UD50 or 60 would carry what you need, and about $100 cheaper than the Brazillion. Like I said, I don't have one of these bags myself, but I can attest to the build quality of TTP gear - I think they use tap-dancing elephants as part of their testing. :) I've got a bunch of the components for the belt system plus one of their new Digital Holsters, and I'm a fan.

I'm using Tamrac Turbo CyberPro.
It holds everything I need, but it's a little too heavy with Canon 300D with 24-70 mounted, 70-200, 17-40, Sigma 500 DG flash, and 15" Macbook Pro.

If your equipment is similar to mine, I would strongly recommend getting a roller bag.

I'm using Tamrac Turbo CyberPro.
It holds everything I need, but it's a little too heavy with Canon 300D with 24-70 mounted, 70-200, 17-40, Sigma 500 DG flash, and 15" Macbook Pro.

If your equipment is similar to mine, I would strongly recommend getting a roller bag.

I presume you are US based. I'm UK based. I need something that looks like bag and content weighs 5 ounces and not 20 lbs. that is why I have to go with a shoulderbag, preferably messenger style.

But thanks
/E

I don't use one, but ThinkTankPhoto's Urban Disguise series of packs might be what you're looking for:

http://thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_UrbnDsgs2.php


Well, it doesn't look like a camerabag, that's for sure. It looks more like a "I'm a laptop steal me" bag. And it can't take the camera with lens attached.

But other than that - thanks.

/E

I'm UK based.

Since I mentioned Crumpler before I should point out that Crumpler seems to behave like two companies, the Crumpler products you get in the UK and Europe are totally different than the ones we get in the "New World" (Australia and the Americas)

Well, it doesn't look like a camerabag, that's for sure. It looks more like a "I'm a laptop steal me" bag. And it can't take the camera with lens attached.


The page for the UD50 says "A regular size SLR with a lens attached can also be put straight down inside of the bag." You just can't put one with a vertical grip (1DS MkII, D200 w/grip, D2x, etc) in with the lens mounted.

If you're worried about it not looking like a camera bag or a laptop bag (the Crumpler Brazillion looks like a monster laptop bag), I might suggest a large plastic shopping bag - maybe one of those reusable blue ones from Ikea. :D I think you'll find that with the exception of the color schemes of the Crumpler bags, most bags that are designed to hold a camera and a laptop end up looking like a high-value bag. The Domke bags (http://www.tiffen.com/products.html?tablename=domke) are pretty much the gold standard for working photojournalists, and they look, well, pretty much like everything else.

This was posted in another thread (http://www.shootsac.com/) and might be in line with what you want/need (except there's no way it's going to hold a laptop), but it doesn't exist yet, and my Y chromosome prevents me from evaluating it. :)

I've been using this:

http://www.ebags.com/the_north_face/off_site/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=75827

The picture makes it look a bit bulkier than it is, or maybe I've just never stuffed it that full. There's a padded laptop compartment. The main compartment is pretty big, though not specifically made for camera equipment.

A few thoughts after having gone down the same road myself recently.

Check the LowePro Stealth Reporter D650 shoulder bag (street price around $160.) There should be plenty of room for what you need to carry and it should handle the laptop.

Here's another idea. I had a 15" laptop, but decided it was too heavy and bulky to carry around so went with a 12" screen instead. Then, I got the Lowepro bag that's slight smaller, the Stealth Reporter D550 (street around $150.)

It will carry a Nikon DSLR with lens attached, a telephoto lens, flash, laptop, extra battery, GPS and mount, memory cards and batteries and cables, Kensingon power supply that will run the laptop and other gear on AC or aircraft power, iPod, noise-canceling headphones, APC mobile power supply (extra battery for iPod, Treo, or whatever), travel router and still a little room to spare.

AND, turned on its side, it will fit under the seat of all the planes I've flown on lately, allowing you to carry it on as your personal item and also carry another bag for the overhead bin (like video camera/gear, or clothes.) I fly AA almost exclusively, and have carried it under the seats on 757, MD80, RJs, and even the turboprop SF3s.

You might be able to get the larger bag (D650 that will handle the bigger laptop) under the seat, also, since the depth on the bags is the same (11"), but it would be tight.

Worked for me.

Here's another idea. I had a 15" laptop, but decided it was too heavy and bulky to carry around so went with a 12" screen instead. Then, I got the Lowepro bag that's slight smaller, the Stealth Reporter D550 (street around $150.)


If the MacBook Pro comes out in a 12" model again I just *might* be convinced to trade down. I loved the powerbook version of it. The portability is unbeatable.

Now, I have had reports that the Stealth 550 actually can fit a MBP in the laptop section and I am looking at it. I've also found a seriously good deal on a tamrac 5618 (http://www.tamrac.com/5618.htm) for half the RRP in UK and that is very very tempting.

Still, the size of the Stealth 550 has more of a pull than the tamrac.

/E - soon to be owner of 3 lenses to the canon.

Get a big shoulder bag and a laptop sleeve.

Get a big shoulder bag and a laptop sleeve.

And have the lenses rattle around with everything else?

No thank you. Had to do that on a trip. Never again.

/E

One other thing on the Lowepro bags--they have a nice padded area for the laptop and you can rearrange the interior dividers easily, plus they are weatherproofed.

And have the lenses rattle around with everything else?

No thank you. Had to do that on a trip. Never again.


Padded cases. I think I talked about it in another thread, but I just take a daypack with a laptop sleeve, my camera in a holster, and a couple of padded lens cases from ThinkTank.

I would *love* the lowepro but it has to be ruled out. With the dumb size regulations in UK it won't cut it.

Looks like it will be a tamrac 5618 for me.

/E

I would *love* the lowepro but it has to be ruled out. With the dumb size regulations in UK it won't cut it.

Looks like it will be a tamrac 5618 for me.

/E

That makes it tough if you're carrying camera gear that you would never check. I wouldn't even connect through London because of that.

That makes it tough if you're carrying camera gear that you would never check. I wouldn't even connect through London because of that.
London isn't the only airport in Europe. It is also not the only airport in europe that has this dumb one bag and size rule. It is all over europe now so it really doesn't matter. Lowepro will have to come out with new bags that are within the carry on size restriction if they want to carry on selling them.

Unfortunately, so is the case.

Anyway - I have a lightroom book to read.

/E

London isn't the only airport in Europe. It is also not the only airport in europe that has this dumb one bag and size rule. It is all over europe now so it really doesn't matter.
/E

Didn't have the one-carry-on-bag-only problem on Air France or TAP Air Portugal in January/February. But that's a big concern when carrying gear, since I'm sure not going to check it.

I've had very good luck with my Prowe Pro Trakker backpack. I can fit 2 slr bodies, a 300mm lens, 2 zoom lenses and 2 regular lenses plus a flash and extra batteries/charger in it. The laptop fits in an outer bag that detaches and can be carried seperately. I have yet to find an overhead luggage bin that it won't fit in. It's got great padding and is water resistant.

I've had very good luck with my Prowe Pro Trakker backpack. I can fit 2 slr bodies, a 300mm lens, 2 zoom lenses and 2 regular lenses plus a flash and extra batteries/charger in it. The laptop fits in an outer bag that detaches and can be carried seperately. I have yet to find an overhead luggage bin that it won't fit in. It's got great padding and is water resistant.

Hey, that is great - for you. Considering I don't want a backpack (as the titel says) your suggestion won't help me much.

Also - I know that the regulated size is well within what the overhead compartment can take so a lowepro stealth reporter 550 AW (which is a shoulder bag) might be to big in one dimension according to regulations but will have absolutely no pronlem at all fitting in to the overhead with stacks of room to spare.

Anyway - thank you for your suggestion, however - backpack is not what I'm looking for.

Didn't have the one-carry-on-bag-only problem on Air France or TAP Air Portugal in January/February. But that's a big concern when carrying gear, since I'm sure not going to check it.

Flying out of where? Wthin which countries?

I believe the one carry on rule was rolled out all over Europe in April. If it hasn't - great! Still won't help me much as I happen to be in UK so I am forced to stick to the one carry-on rule.

However - that is a completely different thread.

/E

Flying out of where? Wthin which countries?

I believe the one carry on rule was rolled out all over Europe in April. If it hasn't - great! Still won't help me much as I happen to be in UK so I am forced to stick to the one carry-on rule.

However - that is a completely different thread.

/E

That was before April, so things might have changed, but that was connecting through Paris (Air France) from Nigeria to Lisbon, and then changing airlines in Lisbon. But TAP Air Portugal still says on their website one personal item and one carry-on in coach and two carry-ons allowed in biz, so YMMV.

That was before April, so things might have changed, but that was connecting through Paris (Air France) from Nigeria to Lisbon, and then changing airlines in Lisbon. But TAP Air Portugal still says on their website one personal item and one carry-on in coach and two carry-ons allowed in biz, so YMMV.

Most airlines are saying the same. When I flew Lufthansa in feb their site said 2 carry-ons but as the UK regulations then said one only I called to check and indeed - the site was lying.

/E

Most airlines are saying the same. When I flew Lufthansa in feb their site said 2 carry-ons but as the UK regulations then said one only I called to check and indeed - the site was lying.

/E

Not good. That can really make things difficult.

And we thought the TSA here was bad...

Not sure if this is an option, but you said you wanted something that doesn't look like it might be weighed - have you considered big women's purses? I have never had my purse weighed on checkin, even flying into London airports. I have a purse big enough to carry a laptop, my video camera, and my DSLR-like camera (Panasonic Lumix Fz50). I wrap each with clothing - emergency outfit in case checked luggage gets lost. (only outer clothing gets used for wrapping in case I want to get at them during flight!).

That way you can check your laptop bag, with the extras (extra batteries, etc.) that usually weigh so much, perhaps placed inside your regular luggage. Use the laptop bag when you arrive, after you get beyond the one-bag rules.

I have since decided I no longer need to bring my laptop (though my husband still wants to). I bring a small 30G storage device to transfer my photos to. Haven't used it up on a two week, 3000+ photo trip yet. If I do, I start making CDs at internet cafes.

I took a plastic bin and fitted it out with foam to fit my camera and lens and put it inside a roller bag. I put my laptop in the outside pocket inside a foam case. I decided the bin and foam took up too much space so I bought a tamrac rolling bag cyber pro express rolling photo 5263. It's about an inch too big in all three dimensions for UK (I think, I'm US and won't fly through London). I didn't have any trouble last summer through a number of Scandanavian airports (FinnAir and SAS). No one even cared. That was last summer though. You might try Tamrac 691 Big Wheels. It is 22 inches, though. The downside is it weighs 11 pounds.

I'm off to Central Asia and trying to decide what to do.