Gear Bags for your RF system

[SolaresLarrave]

Just wondering... which kind of gear bag do you use to store/carry your precious <sounding like LOTR's Smeagol> rangefinders?

I have a Tamrac Superlight 2, model 5402, in which I store and carry stuff for my Nikon SLR, and I'm thinking about getting another one for the Leica gear. Dimensions, something like 8.75 X 9 X 6 (WHD). Any suggestions about carrying an extra body and lens? :)

[back alley]

years ago i bought an insert for a real camera bag. it's small but will hold my 2 mamiya 6 bodies w/ lenses attached.
i put the insert into an old bookbag i bought at the university bookstore. it does not look like a camera bag at all.
i have another bag i use, with the same insert (can't remember where i bought it) that's newer and nicer looking but still does not look like a camera bag. it's a bit sturdier than the old canvas bookbag and has a couple more pockets.

joe

[lars]

I use some foam rubber, a padded campstove bag, and then an army surplus medic's bag.

Here's the foam rubber I glued together to hole my Bessa R with Jupiter 8, a 75/2.5, and a 35/2.5.

[lars]

Here's the camp stove bag. It's padded and designed to hold small, one-burner stoves. In this pic, the foam rubber and camera & lenses are inside. Sorry for the pics, they were taken under available light with my video cam's CCD.

[lars]

And finally, here's the army bag.

[lars]

And here's our lovely model showing off the bag. I've attached my courier bag's shoulder strap to it. That's how I carried the RF kit when I was travelling. I also had room for my wallet, PDA, and some odds and ends.

Back at home, I carry my junk in a black Cordura courier bag. The RF stuff gets carried every day, I just moved the camp stove bag into my courier bag. Books, wallet, PDA, cell phone, extra film, jacket, etc all fit in there w/o problems.

[taffer]

You know Francisco, I use to travel light on my daily "adventures". A small simple shoulder bag, with some kind of inner minimal foam protection, and which holds a RF (from a tiny Ricoh to a bigger 7s) with lens, gossen pilot-2, some film, mobile phone, keys, wallet and a small book.

More or less something like this (sorry, there are no scale indicators, but it's very portable). It's good when camera bags don't look like camera bags, I once read about somebody who used a "mother's" bag, the ones used to carry spare diapers and things like that. Sure nobody would think you're carrying your preciouss Leica there ;)

Speaking of preciouss, can't wait to arrive home to be with my beautiesss again :D

[rover]

Well I have adapted a manly "diaper bag." Actually, I felt it necessary to have a manly diaper bag, so I bought an LL Bean Wide Mouth Duffel, size small. It is big enough to put my stuff, Sammy's stuff and a camera. OK, in reality, as manly as it is, it is my purse.

The Adorama Slinger bag is nice too, I got one of those and like it quite a bit.

[SolaresLarrave]

lars, you're not supposed to close your eyes when you shoot! Keep one open!! :p

Now... I've put a bid on a camera bag in eBay. Let's see what happens. If not, there's a Tenba bag in Adorama which I like. I'll keep you posted!

[Alexander]

Francisco,

Just curious as to what Tenba bag you are looking at buying.

Yes, I must admit to being a bag junky. I don’t own too many but rather just seem to look at them a lot. I have a Tenba Traveler (415) that doubles as a business/computer bag when necessary (It looks like an every day business satchel). I like it because it can be expanded to hold a couple of bodies and lenses or zipped up it does just fine for one camera and my regular business totes. I got this one after reading a good review from Kepplar (sp?) in Popular Photography a few years back.

I also have another bag, a Tamrac 750 daypack that I keep most of my camera gear in for various treks. I just rearrange between the two bags for whatever type of excursion I plan on taking. I like the daypack for times when I will be away from the vehicle or just out hiking.

Regards…Andrew

[SolaresLarrave]

It's a relatively cheap Tenba P106i for a camera body plus assorted stuff. It'll be roomy enough to carry my two or three lenses in (out of their pouches), the SF20 flash (in pouch), 35mm and 120 film. Maybe a couple of filters somewhere... And perhaps a meter and my trusty Zeiss Ikon Nettar to boot!

This is just a back up, in case my eBay bid on a larger (and more expensive) Crumpler bag falls through.

I was interested in a Domke F-5XB, which probably would have been the ideal size, but it seems Domke went for Chapter 11, so Tiffen items will be hard to come by, according to the guy I talked to in Helix Camera.

[dll927]

I keep my Leica and its three lenses in a non-descript bag that came years ago with a subscription to a LIFE book series. It's light gray in color with a black shoulder strap, and does not scream ANY brand name on the outside. BTW, it didn't cost me a dime, at least not in addition to the book series. I keep the lenses in soft bags with tie-strings.

[MP Guy]

I am having a hard time finding a bag which will hold one mamiya 7 and one leica which I can attach to a back pcack or on my back. I do a lot of hiking and a regular bag just wont cut it. It needs to be integral with my backpack. I currently just throw everything in with my cloth into the backpack and its an ordeal whenever I need to get the gear out for a shot.

[SolaresLarrave]

The bag I'm after has no photo logo or any indication about its contents. I must admit I'm drawn to those thing, but the thought of having my stuff ripped off really makes me reconsider.

I wonder... Nah! Nothing worth wondering. Thanks a lot for the advice! I'll keep you posted about my progress (?).

[fcg]

i have over the years used about 6 bags. im in a urban environment; where keeping your gear unnoticed and ready is a challenge.
one favorite sleeper is the std open canvas carryall- used by most teachers to schlep their paperwork about. a second is a rumpled paper bag; in which the camera is placed- that canbe either a grocery type or lunch size/
i rework the interior with packing tape untill its solidly seems good.
i often use a variety of domkes- black+ totally worn- the 3x;the sachels;etc
these are super; and quiet.i redo almost every interior compartment with thinner packing; etc.
i found a great japan made ; olive; sachel for cameras or computers-this was for computers; its really well made;and was at a yard sale-so cheap youd have to buy it.
i use a grey woven leather womans bag;it just looks abit like im carrying my wifes bag.
i use several waist packs- leather or cordura; these work well but i feel fat.
i use a variety of those workmens- plastic lunch carriers- these are super; and often at yard sales.
i use a grey samsonite womans makeup case- these are tough and you can carry a lot.
& if it dosnt have a strap i make one up;usually climbing strap and a caribiner for a clip.
you need to have some fun+ get into hiding the gear in somthing totally unbelieveable.
fcg

[taffer]

I wonder... Nah! Nothing worth wondering

Hmmm... Francisco, this is the best way to be inquired about that wondering ! :)

[lars]

Originally posted by fcg
i use a grey woven leather womans bag;it just looks abit like im carrying my wifes bag.
i use several waist packs- leather or cordura; these work well but i feel fat.
i use a variety of those workmens- plastic lunch carriers- these are super; and often at yard sales.
i use a grey samsonite womans makeup case- these are tough and you can carry a lot.
& if it dosnt have a strap i make one up;usually climbing strap and a caribiner for a clip.
you need to have some fun+ get into hiding the gear in somthing totally unbelieveable.
fcg

Um, you're not into this for the cameras, are you?

;-)

...lars

[SolaresLarrave]

Well, I didn't go for the Tenba bag; a series of clicks on the B&H website got me a Lowepro Nova 3 AW in green, roomy enough for my two bodies (with lenses on), a third "eye", flash, filters and some film. It does say "Lowepro" but then... it has a zipper and a flap, and a waterproof cover tucked under a hidden pocket!

Thought you'd like to know. It seems to be a good fit for the gear, but I'll tell you later how it works in the field.

[GeneW]

Francisco, I like the Lowepro bags myself. I have a Nova 2 and Nova 3 (non-AW) for when I'm travelling light or slightly heavier.

The Nova 3 is roomy enough to carry my Canon 300D with kit lens, 70-300mm Sigma for the Canon, a Leica CL with 40mm attached, a CV 21 and CV 90, plus a Sekonic meter. And doodads of course.

Gene

[Stu :)]

For my Bessa R I've been looking at the Crumpler bags. They seem very well made, water proof (the guy in the local camera store poured a litre a water over the bag to prove this point), comfortable (I'm yet to own a 'proper' camera bag that's comfortable to wear) and best of all they are "Urban Camouflaged". The colours aren't the normal blacks, greys, drab blues and greens that scream- "Look! Camera Bag!” And the style isn't your normal camera bag style either.
A friend of mine keeps his Mamiya TLR in one, when I first saw the bag I didn't believe him.

Stu :)

[Hawkeye34]

If you are looking for an efficient system for carrying RF gear, look at the Kinesis website. http://www.kinesisgear.com. This has several small bags that attach to a really comfortable waistbelt, and which can be fixed on the outside of a rucksack too. I use the now discontinued 512 bag with an UPstrap (www.upstrap.com) non-slip -really ! - bag strap. This holds two Contax 11a bodies and three lenses plus the meter and film. You don't have to buy the belt - each bag has loops on the back. I am not connected to the company in any way, but I use this system to chop and change according to what I want to carry when walking and hiking. Rich Stum, who makes this kit, is a working PJ and knows what he is doing.
My dos centimos on belt systems !

Hawkeye

[LCL]

I understand that Cartier Bresson had a cloak of invisibility. Certainly he was an innocous guy that nobody seemed to notice. In that spirit I too try to keep my camera and gear low key. The bag is an old airline type. Inside my M7 and lenses are wrapped in old well- washed t-shirts. I even have black electrical tape over the red logo and white engraving.

But I can't resist wearing a black beret.

[back alley]

beret, hhmmm, i wonder where i put that thing...;)

joe

[furcafe]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5159

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2249

[BJ Bignell]

I'm also looking at the Crumpler bags, for the "I'm not a camera bag" factor. I need a bag to hold the R with three lenses, film, and a small lunch.

[RObert Budding]

I use a Domke J-803 bag to carry my Contax IIIa and 35mm, 50mm, 85mm, and 135mm lenses. I also carry a light meter and several viewfinders and lense shade. It's a very nice bag!

Robert

[simonclivehughe]

I've really gotten to hate any type of shoulder bag, preferring to use a beltpack which keeps my hands free but allows easy access to the gear (and keeps it always where you can see it). Right now, I'm using the Lowepro Sideline Shooter, a fairly small and reasonably priced bag, but I can get the following equipment into it:

Bessa R3A body (Backup)
Lenses: CV 12mm, CV 21mm, CV 28mm, CV 35mm, CV 50mm, Elmarit 90mm
Viewfinders: 12Dmm, 35mm, 135mm
Manfrotto tabletop tripod
Beanbag (small handmade one)
Extra batteries, SD cards and film
Sekonic L508 meter
Small reflector

I then carry my main body, the Epson R-D1 and one of the above lenses separately. If I pare down the lenses taken then I can fit the R-D1 body into the bag also. I've been using the UPstraps on all my cameras for a few years also and highly recommend them.

[DougK]

I just picked up a cheapie Case Logic "camcorder messenger bag - small" at Circuit City for my Fuji GA645. A mini tripod, 5-pack of film and the camera fit in the main compartment perfectly with enough zip pockets to stash lens pen, cable release, etc. The whole thing is very compact and doesn't scream "camera bag".

For my XA, I just use my pockets.

[tomchuk]

A Domke 3 compartment insert (http://tiffen.com/domkecat33.htm) fits perfectly into a small Timbuk2 classic messenger (http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/catalog/productlisting.t2?priceSizeId=73&skuSetIdStr=84&categoryId=6) for a comfortable, waterproof, "doesn't look like a camera bag" camera bag.

[Jan Brittenson]

My favorite is the Lowepro Orion daypack. It has a bottom camera compartment and a top daypack section. Best of all, it looks like a really cheap canvas daypack. Holds a largeish camera like a Mamiya 7 or 35mm SLR with 3 lenses, or a Leica M with all the lenses you can afford. :) I bought it new on ebay for, I think, $40 (US) from Henry's.

[BJ Bignell]

tomchuk: Thanks for the heads-up on the Timbuk2 bags. I'll add them to the list. I like the ability to custom-order colours/features that I want. :D

Jan: For backpacking, the Orion is pretty good. I had one, but I'm pretty tall and have a long back. The backpack was much too short on me, and was therefore a bit uncomfortable. My sister really loves having it, though. One nice feature of the Orion (over a regular backpack) is the belt, which allows you to take your arms out of the backpack, spin it around, and open up the bottom compartment for access to your gear, without taking the whole thing off and setting it down.

[vsolanoy]

I like low-key, non-camera case looking bags on most occasions. I carry my RF and a Digilux 1 in a cheap Eddie Bauer vertical messenger bag I got at Target. The Digilux 1 is in its leather case, and the RF is in a large neoprene lens sack. I'm planning on finding neoprene to line the interior of the bag to provide extra shock protection. I really wanted to get one of the Billingham RF bags, but they're entirely too expensive.

For my Canon 10D, I actually carry around a small camera backpack. I found it's the only tolerable way to carry 5 lenses and a body for day long trips.

[Roger Hicks]

At the risk of sounding pretentious, small Billingham bags complement Leicas perfectly: iwhich one you choose depends on how much kit you want to carry. There's the same (heartwarming? snobbish?) appeal of using THE BEST. Other photographers recognize Billinghams but to the uninitiated (including thieves) they look kinda ordinary.

But then I love my Alpas and I've just bought a 12x15 Gandolfi Universal. The Gandolfi probably dates from before WW 1 but quality never goes out of style...

Of course the absymal weakness of the American rupee (or dollar, as it was once known) makes anything European less attractive in the USA. Since Dubbya was appointed president the dollar has lost around 1/3 of its value. Not good if you are paid in dollars -- and about 1/3 of my income IS in US dollars. I'm grateful that the rest is in hard currency.

Cheers,

Roger

[fredus]

I use a Domke F5-XB for my M6 setup (Body + 2 lens, films etc ...) I'm wondering how the Donke 3 compartment would stick to the timbuk2 bag ...

Fred

[sf]

By system, I assume you mean a body, more than one lens, and perhaps an auxillary viewfinder or two.

For street photography:

the most innocuous bag you can find, and one that you can put things into and remove things from with great ease.

I actually use the inside pocket on my Carhart jacket (nice lining has no lint) - it fits my R3A with lens perfectly, it's protected, it's not visible, and I don't have to carry something that labels me immediately as a photographer or tourist as many camera bags do. That lable can be dangerous in some areas. ALSO, if you shoot somewhere like Los Angeles, which I do, or the international district in Seattle, you might want to avoid carrying something that someone could grab from you. No one can pick the camera from my inside coat pocket (it's zipped), and no one is going to target me for a mugging because I have no visible gear. I never take more than one lens on a street photo outing. Don't want to be switching lenses, etc. when in public - multiplies your 'photographer' image. You don't often see tourists switching lenses around. I can sit on a bench, or while walking, casually remove the camera from my pocket, take a few shots, and if there are no more obvious opportunities for photos, I just stick it back in there.

For travel phtography:

PELICAN case. Get one that holds your system and a few rolls of film and batteries. Self contained, extremely durable, quickly opened and easy to assemble a camera without digging through a traditional camera bag. ALSO, you will never leave anything behind because missing gear leaves obvious holes in the foam inside the case.

[Little Prince]

Those Timbuk2 bags sure have funky colors.
I have an Orion AW bag too. I find it somewhat uncomfortable. Guess I prefer backpacks over beltpacks. Beltpacks handle very strangely. Though the Orion has a daypack that attaches to the waistpack, the former is rather small and doesn't improve the mechanics of the combination too much. However using the daypack alone for an RF kit may be another thing entirely. Haven't tried it.

[DaveSee]

I have two "bags." One for daily, one for extended jaunts: North Face "Sidekick" and
Domke FX3, respectively. Domke holds Bessa-T, Leica M6 and 5 lenses, filters and
about 20 rolls of film... oh, and a Nikon Coolpix 950 too. Sidekick holds camera and
four or five rolls: small, and NO hook-n-loop(velcro) thankfully! I HATE velcro when
I want quick and quiet access to my gear. The Sidekick uses a magnet to hold the
flap down... and it's kept close to the body, my choice position.

I looked at "classic" strapped bags (Billingham, M-classic, etc) and those padded
bags in nylon and foam... but I'm not jumping from planes, nor chasing bulls: pads
make the bag stiff; and Crumpler product, while well designed, has far too much
hook-n-loop, IMHO... one latch is all I need. As for protection, lenses are wrapped
in foam sleeves anyway, and the bodies too. As for the "Look! A Camera Bag"
concerns... once you pull photo equipment from *any* bag, you're a potential
target, whether a red or black bag. But you knew this...

Keep your bag as light as the conditions allow, and pad the components individually
for greater flexibility. For example, the "Sidkick"(a now discontinued "Women's"
product, akin to a traveller's passport and "extras" shoulder bag) has no padding
so I can put either body with a 25 Skopar to 50 Summilux lens and film in it...
the CV 75 is a bit too long ;)... and that's only when my kit isn't hanging around
my neck, or already in hand ;) Others have described a similar small bag...

...but you seem to be seeking a "kit bag" for all your gear. Again, padding is
never optimal, so seek accessibility over foam: you don't want to hunt for your
gear through layers of foam partitions! Also, as for weather-proofing, would you
drag *all* of your gear into the storm? Far too much is made of the "all-weather"
bag of X dimensions... you'll head out to make pictures with likely some of your
gear, not all of it. The stuff left behind will be protected by a car, or hotel, or room
in your home, no? And just how much weather would you tolerate?

So, I'd suggest two "containers." One for the task, and one for easy and secure
storage. Consider makes of nice hard shell cases for storage... as for the task
case, that depends on your method: my sidekick is good for "daily" short focal
length kit, and one lens.

rgds,
Dave

[peter_n]

I favor Domke/Domke clone stuff. I like the canvas and the fact that the Domkes don't particularly look like camera bags. I have an F2 and a Safrotto CF700 (Domke F-803 knock-off) that serve their purpose well. The CF700 is my everyday bag and carries a Canonet QL17 and a Leica M6/90mm, two spare rolls of film and a light meter and my work stuff - papers and mobile phone, etc.

I just took the F2 on vacation and that held the Canonet and M6, 21, 35, 50, 90 and 135mm lenses, tabletop tripod and ballhead, light meter and 16 rolls of film. The thing that I really like about the Domke designs is that you can work very easily out of them. :)

[Thomaspin]

The Bessa-T/21mm plus 50 and 90mm lenses go in the bag, the M2/35 over the shoulder. I don't use the 21mm hood - a complete catastrophe design wise. 6 rolls of Gold 100 under the Velcro flap on the front of the bag.

If I only need the 35 and 90 the latter (a very compact Elmar-C) goes in a pocket with filter and rear cap. The hood is rubber and collapses further reducing size.

Oh! yes, the bag says 'Samsonite' on it and ran all of $14 at Target. Has a nice shoulder strap and carrying handle.

http://www.pindelski.org/rff/TravelGear.jpg

By the way, I highly recomment the (upstrap.com) strap on the M2 - I kept the fittings off the Leica strap and, in contrast, the Upstrap does not slip off your shoulder though it does come with those horrible key rings for attaching to your lugs and speeding their wear.

[canonetc]

I use two depending on the situation: A Domke J-803 and also an old 1940's Army Medic Bag. The first I bought at my local camera store, the other at an Army surplus.

The Domke Reporter's Satchel is nice because I can carry my Mamiya 6 (lens collapses), my Leica M6, as well as a 50mm lens for the Leica and a small flash. Two pockets in the front carry color and BW film, plus two more flip-panel pockets for batteries. A rear pocket is a good place for a notepad or other papers.

The Medic Bag is sweeeet. I should attach photos, but it is completely waterproof (designed for war, after all), can expand or get smaller using button-snaps, has a line of little pockets on the inside that are perfect for film canisters and also (the real plus) has a waist strap so that you can put it on and be able to RUN without your gear flying out. During protest marches, it has proved invaluable. What was I running from...? Cops with batons....? Anyway, it only cost me $12.00.

It also has the red cross medical logo on it. While in India, many people thought I worked for an NGO (Non governmental agency) or relief organization. I wish I was at the time, but it didn't look like your standard "tourist style" camera bag (another reason I bought it). I think it's really my favorite bag, but it has no inner seperators. I often use an old t-shirt to provide padding for the Leica.

Cheers,

Chris
canonetc

[Justin Low]

I have not used a bag that's better than my Billingham Hadley. Their 'Quick Release System' is fantastic, and the amount that the bag will hold is surprising. I've even used the Hadley to shield myself from rain a number of times; the material is waterproof, as advertised.

In Singapore, many young people carry canvas/faux leather trim bags, so the Billingham isn't very conspicuous. Then again many young people also carry Crumpler bags.

I have a Crumpler, but it's on permanent loan to a friend who doesn't use it (she's since bought herself a Hadley too). I didn't like it because the shoulder strap kept cutting into my shoulder, and the bag's material was too rough and was chafing my sides.

[kai]

I recently bought a crumpler "15-love", and have no regrets so far. I trekked in some pretty rugged terrain in the tropics with it recently (Sarawak/Borneo), and came out of it feeling much better than I would have with the Lowe Pro I used to lug around on my back. I think part of it is simply that given more room in a bag, I tend to fill it up [unnecessarily]; my Crumpler is quite a bit smaller than my old Lowe Pro, so I am forced to be very reasonable about what I carry - which in turn prevents strain on the back!

If I could justify the cost, I'd have gladly gone for a Billingham - they are great bags.

[BJ Bignell]

I recently bought a crumpler "15-love" ... I am forced to be very reasonable about what I carry - which in turn prevents strain on the back!
kai, What all can you carry in there?

[kai]

Hi BJ,
This will stray off-topic momentarily, but here's what I stuffed into my 15-love Crumpler on jungle walks during my last trip:

1) Canon D60 with 70-300mm IS DO mounted
2) f2.8/16-35mm
3) f1.8/50mm
4) 220EX flash
5) Manfrotto 714HSB tripod (hanging from side loop)
6) 1.5x Teleconverter
7) 12mm & 20mm extension tubes
8) 5 Cokin P-series filters stored within 3 Cokin filter boxes
9) Holder for above
10) 3 spare Canon 511-type batteries
...and a few other little bits & pieces like remote shutter release, cleaning cloth, spare CF cards & the like. Though I have a crumpler side-mount telephoto lens bag for a 70-200mm lens, I did not actually use it when out & about on this trip. I did use everything I listed above at one time or another. Though that sounds like a lot of gear, consider that I have very little self-control, and had my bag been larger, I'd as likely as not included the Pentacon Six TL + lenses I had in my suitcase into the day-bag, too. I would have had a use for it exactly twice.

Getting more on topic, if I were out on a rangefinder-only excursion (which my last trip was not a good example of)... this bag comfortably accommodates:

1) Both Zorki-1 & FED-2 bodies
2) (Kobalux) 28mm,
3) (Jupiter) 35mm,
4) 2 x (Industar) 50mm's
5) (Jupiter) 85mm,
6) Turret finder,
7) Light meter (Sverdlovsk-4)
8) Several rolls of film,
9) Super Ikonta BX (folding MF camera)
10) Odds & sods like filters, etc.

In practise, though, I wouldn't carry quite so much with me if I'm just going out around town with one of the rangefinders; I'd just stick a body, a couple of lenses & the turret into a smaller bag & go out with that. So in that sense, this bag is a tad big for rangefinder gear... the Budgee Smuggler might be a better model for that.

Cheers,
Kai

[RObert Budding]

I rent a Yak when I'm transporting my medium format gear.

Robert

[Honu-Hugger]

Domke, Billingham, and Pelican cases are my preference. I'm not a big fan of carrying bags or cases -- I use them for transportation mostly and try to carry what I'm using at the time in jacket pockets, a vest, etc. My Domke's are so beat-up that I doubt they attract much criminal attention...likewise with the Pelican cases -- kinda geekishly adorned with a few stickers that sort of detract rather than attract attention. And then of course there's the geek that's carrying the stuff -- another deterrent to thieves!!!

[surlysimon]

My Billingham bag is for events where there will be lots of other photographers (it doesn't look out of place) an achient Temba for most other occasions. when traveling i pack cameras into padded camping boxes (like Lar's camping stove ones) and then it all goes into my cavenous crumpler bees-knees messenger bag. for day trips when traveling i use a hardy bros fishing and game bag, so old it looks cheap. it has 2 internal and 2 external pockets so i can keep my bessa R in the main bag 50mm in one inner pocket film in the other. the outer pockets hold the XA and XA4..
i would love one of the newer crumplers

[SRMC]

I just returned from two days at Disneyland with an RF and SLR. I used a Timbuk2 Metro, which is a small messenger style bag. I liked it because I wanted something that wasn't obviously a camera bag, came in a color other than black, and was small and slim.

It was large enough for me to fit my Zorki4 w/ CV 35 and Accura zoom finder, CV 25 w/ finder, EOS w/ 28-105 zoom, 6 rolls of film, and light meter. With a top opening flap, secured with velcro and a nylon clasp, I never worried about anything falling out. The strap was extremely easy to adjust, so I could take it from my shoulder and shorten the strap to hang it from our stroller. It has no internal dividers, so I had to be careful about taking things in and out. My cameras are not pristine, so I didn't really care, but if imperfect paint troubles you, you might want to try to see whether Domke inserts will fit.

Here's a link to the bag (I bought at REI). I most certainly didn't buy the pink - - silver was more my style.
http://www.timbuk2.com/tb2/catalog/categories.t2?categoryId=11

SRMC

[Imagestreet]

Got the black Domke F-803 for my R3A and 3 lens kit, filters, palm pilot and the rear pocket will even take a small lastolite reflector (although makes the bag a little wide). This is a great bag - comfortable and discreet (I can carry it anywhere and nobody thinks it is a camera bag). It is also smaller and thinner then an equivalent laptop sized F-802 so is perfect for rangefinder gear and doesn't become a burden to carry around. I've easily doubled the amount of time I actually carry a camera now because of this bag! The outer canvas also has the considerably benefit of scruffing up extremely well, giving a real windswept and interesting "professional photojournalist" look to the user (err, well maybe). Only one downside - my girlfriend now borrows it as a "cool handbag" for work, so I often find my rangefinder gear left in a neat pile on the sofa.