Question for Photographers

[Nikki Lisette]

Very helpful responses. I decided not to bring my camera and lenses because I'm not at all happy with my camera bag situation. I need something that holds a water bottle and 3-4 lenses and isn't a backpack. So frustrating.

[Nikki Lisette]

Any recommendations on a DIY camera bag? I hate to leave my camera at home. Thanks everyone!

[pierces]

Very helpful responses. I decided not to bring my camera and lenses because I'm not at all happy with my camera bag situation. I need something that holds a water bottle and 3-4 lenses and isn't a backpack. So frustrating.

 

Think of all the money you could have saved if you had just gone to Home Depot and bought a brick instead of a nice camera! Because that's the exact worth of a camera left at home when you travel.

 

Sorry for the sarcasm but I can't count the times I've chatted with people while walking around on ships that say, "nice camera" and tell me about their nice camera they left at home for one reason or another. The quote in my signature sort of covers my thoughts on this practice.

 

"The best camera is the one you will use and the picture you take will always be better than the one you didn't."

 

Any recommendations on a DIY camera bag? I hate to leave my camera at home. Thanks everyone!

 

I have seen one of the new "fashionable" diaper bags used as a camera bag with one of the inserts shown below. Sort of stealthy.

 

 

 

Unless you really mean DIY...then maybe woven duct tape?

 

 

:)

 

Dave

[zackiedawg]

Some folks can get pretty addicted to camera bags - if you become so afflicted, watch out - it can be as bad as 'GAS' or Gear-Acquisition-Syndrome'. I long ago discovered that there is no perfect camera bag - because there's no exact number of cameras or lenses or specific type of lens that covers every situation I encounter, and I rarely would want to carry ALL my gear with me other than to transport while traveling. So I have a myriad of bags to cover just about any combination of gear - from one camera with one mounted lens, all the way up to 2 camera bodies and up to 10 lenses...and I still have my large camera backpack and large shoulder bags that I use solely as gear luggage to haul all my stuff with me when I travel, so that it can be set up in the cabin or hotel or villa as my portable home base.

 

I have a small Tamrac Zuma Compact bag that can handle my mirrorless body and up to 3 total lenses - one mounted and two alongside.

 

I have another small Tamrac compact bag that can fit my DSLR and one mounted lens, or mirrorless with mounted lens and one extra lens.

 

I have a larger Tenba shoulder bag that can handle my DSLR with up to 3 lenses, or mirrorless with up to 7 lenses, or even BOTH DSLR and mirrorless bodies with one lens each and one or two extra lenses.

 

I have a holster-style bag that can accomodate my mirrorless with one attached long telephoto, or moderate telephoto plus one extra small lens.

 

I have a Think Tank Retrospective twin holster bag that can handle my DSLR with long birding lens attached plus a second long birding lens - or my mirrorless with birding lens plus DSLR with birding lens attached.

 

With the Kata backpack, another Lowepro large bag, and two old video camera bags that can be adopted in a pinch, I have 9 camera bags in varying sizes and purposes - each depending on what I'll want to carry for a particular situation. When I cruise, I'll usually pack the two smallest bags inside the larger shoulder bag, and bring the smaller holster, and toss them in my packed luggage all pressed down...and pack all the gear I'm bringing in the large Kata backpack. Then each day I can choose from among the 4 various bag sizes depending on which lenses or cameras I intend to use that day.

[Nikki Lisette]

Omg Zackiedawg, I think you have gas. Lol. Geez. I'm looking to streamline when I travel. And yes, you were right about the diaper bag. That's what I've chosen to take along with my son's unused, compartmentalized, insulated lunchbox. I refuse to carry my boxy camera bag another minute. Cheers to happy picture taking!

[joelshirl]

Sent from my SM-T813 using Forums mobile app

[donaldsc]

Any recommendations on a DIY camera bag? I hate to leave my camera at home. Thanks everyone!

 

So don't leave it at home.

 

Lets do a bit of math to figure out how much a decent camera bag really costs you. A -how much is your average trip costing you. B - How many trips do you take a year. C -How many years have you traveled.

 

D - How much would a decent real camera bag cost?

 

Now do the formula E=A x B x C. Divide D by E.

 

You will find that the percentage of the total amount spent on the camera bag as compared to the total cost of the trips you will infinitesimal.

 

Ignorant false economy. It always intrigues me how some people stress out about the small stuff and totally ignore the big stuff.

 

DON

Edited October 16, 2016 by donaldsc

[Victress2007]

I bought a RFID backpack on sale at the container store. It has quite a bit of padding, yet isn't stiff like a camera backpack. I used it in Yellowstone last month and really liked how it felt. I used velcro to put in some separators from an old camera case. One of those dividers would probably work great in there.

 

Vic

 

[gottagoacruzn]

Hi guys, I take my camera when I go to dinner, it fits in my purse, so it goes with me. When I first started cruising, had a pocket camera, then it grew into a 35 mm camera, then it was a camcorder, then for Xmas 10 yrs ago, got a digital. The next time a cruise came up, couldn't decide whether to take the camcorder or the digital, well before takin the Mexican cruise, saw somebody's pictures of their cruise, and the digital won hands down. The first time went to Alaska, had the 35 mm, and most of the folks on the ship had a camcorder, and I thought I want one, so... Well I forgot over the yrs, how much fun it was to take pictures, now I don't know why I ever bought a camcorder.:rolleyes:

[Nikki Lisette]

I returned from my cruise this past Monday. It's been a week already? Darn.

 

Anyway, I lugged my $$$$ camera around in the diaper bag/lunchbox combo for the flight to CA and during embarkation. I was naive to drag around 2 additional lenses during muster drill with the diaper bag sans the lunchbox.

 

Ensenada day I used the lunchpail only with an additional zoom lens and found myself constantly juggling the camera with all of my purchases. Not only that but the Baja California countryside from a dusty charter bus was not exactly ideal.

 

Sea day I took a break from Mr Camera and cheated on him with my iphone. I tell you, my iphone took some sexy pics in Ensenada too.

 

Bottom line: I'm still in search of a camera bag and I did not find anything worthwhile to shoot on this 3 day to Ensenada. Our ship was full of ppl that had "won" their way onboard through timeshare presentations. Not an unsavory group of passengers by any means but I found the camera to be a hindrance after a few hours (party cruise 100%). [emoji869][emoji13]

 

Just booked an Alaska trip for 2017, I know nature will find me.

[woody73]

 

Do you guys take your cameras with you to dinner or leave them in your cabins?

 

I never worried about theft . . .

From a security standpoint, I've had no issues with leaving cameras in the cabin. But I try not to leave them out in the open. I'm not worried about the cabin stewards, but sometimes they leave the cabin door open while they go to the supply room, and I'm more concerned about other guests.

 

From a photography standpoint, I'll take a DSLR to dinner if I anticipate any photo opportunities during dinner. This is particularly true for cruises with wildlife sightings or significant sights (one time we cruised right past the Rock of Gibraltar during dinner, which happened to be Golden Hour).

 

Woody