EVERY insert available

[MelanieC]

OK, I swore I would NEVER start a bag thread and this makes two in the last few days.

It has been established that I hate every camera bag on the market for reasons of awkward design, outlandish price, or butt ugliness. Therefore, I am now searching for inserts that will make my messenger bags into worthy camera bags, that will protect my cameras and make them easily accessible. I am tired of digging to the bottom of my bag and opening up a zip pouch or undoing three layers of velcro to get to a camera. I want to be able to open my bag and just pull the damn camera out.

So who makes these things?

Domke -- I have one of these, a mini single compartment in my everyday bag. I don't like it. It's cheaply made, collapses too easily, and isn't padded on the bottom. (Anyone want it? I'll let it go cheap. I even sewed a pad into the bottom of it.)

Billingham -- I am intrigued by the insert for the small Hadley bag, which looks like it would fit into my small Timbuk2 perfectly but wow, nearly $70 for an insert that small is a bit beyond my budget at the moment.

Tenba -- It looks like the PP12 insert is the only one they still make. It looks promising and like it would fit neatly into my smaller bag. Is it padded on the bottom?

Crumpler -- The medium Bucket looks like it would fit a regular-sized messenger bag (a bag the size your average laptop fits in) and the price isn't bad for something that size. Unfortunately the smaller inserts are odd sizes suited only for the Crumpler brand messenger bags, which I do like but I need another messenger bag like I need a hole in my head.

Does anyone else make inserts that are worth looking at?

And no, I am not going to make my own, by the time I get the materials together and sew it I may as well have paid for one.

[thomasw_]

roots in canada makes a fine camera bag for 2 bodies, 2 lenses. i picked mine up at london drugs. black, stylist, rugged, and fits in my bicycle basket.

[nikon_sam]

Melanie,

I'll respond to this thread too...
Years ago I met this young lady who owned a craft store...she made custom pillows, handbags, jackets and things like that...I bought a few items from her then came up with the idea of a Tripod Case...she made one for me and it worked out great...
You might try doing the same thing...find a local arts & craft show and look for someone who sews bags and such...throw out some ideas and work with them...

[back alley]

i use domke inserts, the double and the 4 section, they seem fine for me, no toppling over at all.
i use cut closed cell foam on the bottoms and they help keep the shape.

[jbf]

Im in the same boat as well. I've got a medium sized timbuk2 bag that I carry everywhere with me. I usually just throw my camera in my bag but i'd much much rather have dividers to keep everything in. Especially when carrying multliple cameras such as my rangefinder and slr or tlr.

[goo0h]

I've thought it could be interesting if Naneu Pro offered their inserts separately. I got the Tango when I needed something for my laptop. I was too impatient to hunt separately for inserts and try to piece together the prefect bag. The tango had all of that packaged together, so that's what I ended up with for the laptop:

http://www.naneupro.com/products/mo-t/

The inserts are nice in that the partitions are totally movable and flexible, so can be arranged any way I wish. They also come out easily. In fact a Domke 5XB will entirely fit into the bag main compartment.

[andyturk]

What do you want for the Domke insert?

[goo0h]

It's interesting how the large is less expensive than the small. I guess the small is for Leica users, and we all know they're loaded.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/240295-REG/Billingham_520847_Large_Hadley_Insert.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/240289-REG/Billingham_520447_Small_Hadley_Insert.html

[akptc]

These (http://www.kata-bags.com/category.asp?id=36&perentId=4&ProdLine=4)seem to work pretty well, nearly any configuration appears possible.

[MelanieC]

I've thought it could be interesting if Naneu Pro offered their inserts separately. I got the Tango when I needed something for my laptop.

Whoa, wait a minute.

I had never seen the Naneu Pro "Military Ops" line. The Tango is a bit large for my needs, but the Lima looks like it might be perfect -- it looks cool (enough), the inserts come out and can go into my other bags, and it comes in black. The logo will probably have to be removed, but I like it and the price is right -- it's cheaper than the Hadley inserts and only about $10 more than the Tenba insert I was looking at.

I knew you guys would have good ideas! Keep 'em coming!

For the Domke insert, not sure -- maybe $10 including shipping? I can't let it go until I have a replacement though.

[drewbarb]

Get some lens wraps and fold them into cups like little lens sized- and shaped- buckets to hold your camera and a lens; make smaller ones for lenses, flash, whatever you carry. Attach the hook-and-loop tabs to hold the shapes, and do it in such a manner as to never need to tear them open. (Those tabs will stay there if you should ever need to wrap something tightly). Put these little flexible padded sacks into any pockets or pouches you do carry.

I use a varitey of bags for different things, but I always carry a body, lens and film with me in these, dropped into whatever I'm carrying. If the padding is stuffed with film (maybe an extra lens, maybe a small flash) and the camera is in my hands, my bag is light and small. If the camera needs to get shoved in the sack, fine.

[goo0h]

I had never seen the Naneu Pro "Military Ops" line. The Tango is a bit large for my needs, but the Lima looks like it might be perfect....
Yeah, the Tango is pretty large and boxy. They are very well made and the inserts are rather handy. They're nice for rangefinders because they are totally customizable. The interior surface is all fuzzy, so the velcro partitions can be moved around to make one side bigger than the other, whatever. I also have some of those Domke wraps and use those for the lenses, so can stack them up without worry about them banging around into each other.

[MelanieC]

Well, I just ordered the Naneu Pro Lima in black from Amazon.com (the only place that seems to have black in stock and is not some operation I have never heard of). At the price ($39.95) it's a win-win situation -- even if I end up just using the inserts it's still cheaper than most of the insert options I liked and the bag seems promising.

I will post a full review when I get the bag and carry it a bit.

[goo0h]

I will post a full review when I get the bag and carry it a bit.
Yes, please do. I deliberated for quite a while between getting the Lima and the Domke 803 for my "camera-centric" bag. I really like the Tango for my "laptop-centric" bag, but ended up going with the 803 because I thought that the flap might be easier when "working-out-of-the-bag." Though, the somewhat odd-ball 5XB has BOTH a flap and a zipper, and I tend to use that a lot when I want a really small package. Anyway, hope it works out, and look forward to the review. What's another bag, right? :rolleyes:

(Sometimes this site is a bad influence. I don't think I would have developed such a collection of these damn bags already if it weren't for this site. :D )

[meeker]

Weird, I just posted a very similar question in another (wrong!) forum - now deleted. I also use a Timbuk2 bag and usually stick my rangefinder in the front inside pocket. I put a beanie in the pocket, that gets held by the velcro in there. Then I just slide the camera into the beanie. Works well for 1 camera, but I'd like to carry two sometimes. I look forward to hearing how this bag / insert works out.

cheers,

meeker

[MelanieC]

My largest Timbuk2 bag is a medium, so the front pocket is not large enough for my rangefinder.

It does seem that the Crumpler medium "bucket" insert would fit my Timbuk2 bag perfectly and I'm not ruling out that option entirely, but on the other hand for carrying two bodies I don't need to tote a bag that large either.

My Lima bag should be here early next week. I'll take photos of it with various cameras in various configurations for everyone's perusal.

I spy a Border Collie in your avatar! Your username doesn't have anything to do with the Meeker Classic, does it?

http://www.meekersheepdog.com/

[JohnL]

Domke also make pouches which I have found useful in lieu of (or as well as) separators.

[meeker]

I spy a Border Collie in your avatar! Your username doesn't have anything to do with the Meeker Classic, does it?

Good eye! Here's a bigger photo taken on a hot summer afternoon:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/165/376963510_67c6609204.jpg
Meeker refers to Mt. Meeker, which I used to be able to see from my office. However, I often go to watch herding trials when they're close - borders are truly amazing dogs, and seeing them go to work is something special.

[MelanieC]

It's the lazy sleepy tongue!

My dogs both work, but we are only weekend warriors. One trials and the other is perpetually "in training."

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/127/318350521_26e10311be.jpg
Solo working sheep

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1436/830238957_f1db90b19c.jpg
Fly and me competing at a trial that used Boer goats

[meeker]

I bet your dogs love it - even the one "in training". Border's certainly need a job. Charlotte (my dog) has been around sheep a little (a couple of instinct tests) - not sure she's got the drive, that's TBD. Now, if sheep were yellow, round, and had Penn written on their side, she'd be all over them.

[jbf]

Be sure to let us know how that bag turns out when you get it. :)

[jbf]

I was looking for the Lima in green as i realized it had removable inserts... so i might as well just buy the whole bag as the domke's are 20 bucks a piece just for an insert...

but sadly it looks as if there i sno place to buy it.

[foto_fool]

goo0h - thanks for the H/U on the naneru pro line - nice bags and a better price. jbf - it looks like you can order directly from them, and they have a promotion going: 15% discount and free shipping. I could not add the Lima to the shopping cart but I bought a Sierra (2 inserts) and a Napoli 2 for less than $120 delivered. I would bet the Lima is out of stock but it's Saturday and I can't call them to find out. If I don't like the Sierra I can drop the inserts into my Timbuk2, and now I have the Napoli to carry my frikin huge VAIO. Sweet.

- John

[meeker]

What would be ideal is the insert in A&A's Oskar's one day bag:
http://www.artisanandartist.com/bags/images/acam7100-open.jpg

[erikhaugsby]

What would be ideal is the insert in A&A's Oskar's one day bag:
What would be ideal is Oskar's One-Day Bag. :)
(yeah, yeah, I know Melanie just wants an insert; but I'll take the entire bag with it.)

[Rod Fung]

I have an A&A Evans Walker and I actually now use the insert in my Saddleback leather bag instead. http://www.saddlebackleather.com/briefcases.htm . The Saddleback bags are heavy/low tech, and kinda of expensive but built to last a lifetime. Besides the A&A Walker I also use a Hadley Pro; both are great bags but neither hang comfortably on me. The Saddleback can be used as a backpack as well as a satchel bag and it works equally well for moving quickly though airports as well as shooting on the streets. My Saddleback carries my laptop, an M, 3 lenses, ipod, phones, passport, and other misc travel items. It's getting beat up enough (developing a nice patina) so it looks like an old leather bag. The bag (along with an M) goes all over the world with me.

[foto_fool]

God I have to stop following this thread!

Rod - the Saddlebacks are pretty special. However, I can't see spending over $400 for the small, which would serve only as a camera bag, no matter how nice.

BUT - just over $500 for the large or x-tra large, which would serve as maybe my last ever camera/laptop/brief/overnight bag, is very do-able. Now, which lens to sell....

- John

[meeker]

John, you forgot to factor in the A&A bag you'll have to buy to get the insert. :)

[Rod Fung]

I saved a little on my Saddleback by buying it from them off ebay. Dave (the owner of Saddleback) is a good guy and lists under the name 'againsttheflow'. As expensive as they are...they really are worth the money and will last a lifetime.

[foto_fool]

John, you forgot to factor in the A&A bag you'll have to buy to get the insert. :)

Hah! Up-thread I mentioned I picked up a Sierra from Naneru Pro for about $75. Two useful-looking inserts. I'll let you know after I get it.

The Saddleback has hypnotized me with its siren call, but I'm going to have to wait at least until next month before I dash myself on those rocks.

- John

[MelanieC]

Those Saddleback bags are gorgeous, especially for someone who has spent a lot of time around horses and loves the smell of good leather, like me. But I bet they're really heavy and I have a real aversion to carrying more weight around than I need to, not to mention if I'm going to spend that much money I'd rather spend it on, I don't know, a puppy or something.

Anyway, my Lima bag is due to arrive on Tuesday, very excited, yay. Why would any of you order the green anyway? It's ugly. Black is always better.

For some reason the A&A bags have never done anything for me. They're overpriced and terribly plain and not all that stylish.

[jbf]

Quite the contrary... The black seems too bland and boring. It looks no different than half of the other black bags out there. :P

The green at least has something to it.

http://www.flavorphoto.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/fp_ebay_npro_lima.jpg


Nevermind that ugly SLR that the guy is holding... i think the green bag looks better. :)

[amateriat]

"Bland" and "boring" (and, usually, black) sort of fit for me as the perfect M.O. for a camera bag, particularly when traveling. My 803 started out as unassuming brand-new, and has since mellowed into near-invisibility on my person. At least it feels that way to me...call it slightly shabby stealth. :)

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=47910&stc=1&d=1185510552


- Barrett

[jbf]

You can still have a bag that looks nothing like a camera bag that isnt boring. ;)

[meeker]

I've been hunting around some more for inserts and I think the Crumplers look to bulky (plus I'd want to cut the lid off), and the Domkes look flimsy. So, I am leaning towards a Hadley insert of some kind. I need detailed dimensions to decide which one though - the sizes on B&H just don't seem right. For example the "Insert - for Billingham Large Hadley Shoulder Bag (Replacement)" at B&H lists:

Exterior Dimensions as 10.5 x 14 x 2.5" (26.67 x 35.56 x 6.35 cm) (WxHxD)

That can't be right, can it? The pic makes it look like it's wider than it is high, and 2.5" exterior depth doesn't seem right either.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/images/items/240295.jpg
B&H link (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/240295-REG/Billingham_520847_Large_Hadley_Insert.html)

[ChadHahn]

With the Saddleback bags it would be nice if the guy had actual pictures where you could see things about the bag rather than what a good time he has travelling the globe.

I like Filson bags, they might not last as long but they are warrantied forever and they show you nice clear pictures of what you are buying.

[MelanieC]

How about the Tenba insert? Much cheaper. Maybe too small?

http://www.adorama.com/TBPP12.html

It's shown in a large case but could go into a bag.

[meeker]

How about the Tenba insert? Much cheaper. Maybe too small?
Hmmm... the tenba is L12 x H9 x D41/2" [L304 x H230 x D102mm] - seems ideal actually. I'll probably add one to my next B&H/Adorama order - thanks!

[trittium]

I have two crumpler inserts. They are built like the bags, and are heavily padded. They also keep there shape. One thing to concider about any insert is that the rf gear is small. You are probably going to have to add more dividers. I know this is easy with crumplers, but I don't know about other brands.

[MelanieC]

The Lima bag is here. So far, I like it but I haven't toted it around yet. I'll put up some pictures tomorrow. Right now I have it loaded up with a Rollei + accessories, an M3 with 50mm Summicron mounted, an Elmarit 90, and various accoutrements (lens cloth, light meter, filters). That's about as much as I'd want to carry in it as it's packed pretty snug. Anyway, you'll see.

[jbf]

I got my Lima bag today as well. A great little bag. Without inserts it would make a great small/medium sized bag for everyday items such as some notebooks, paper, whatever you want, but it also functions great as a camera bag i think.

If anyone looking at buying one I'd say definately go for it. :)

I love it's form factor.