What's new
Medium Format Forum

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Back with a rather odd question

Crumpler bags

Over the last few years I've acquired a few Crumpler backpacks and, as Simon mentioned, they are very well constructed and durable, (and pretty funky designs). However, as a result, they are quite heavy. Now admittedly I have been guilty of cramming as much in as possible, but even the empty bag is heavy. Maybe blokes might find them easier to lug around but I didn't and found that they really made my back ache.

I've since been searching for the perfect bag and, like many others in this discussion, have come to the conclusion that different bags are required for different situations. I just bought the Lowepro Rover AW II and ergonomically, it feels very comfortable and will force me to make a decision about what gear to take. In Hassy terms that's very simple. So far I only have one camera, one back and one lens. No danger of overload! But the DSLR poses a problem....

Kim
 
Acces to lenses and other gear is one of the strong points for Billingham bags.
All gear is well protected against sudden rain or snow simply by flapping the top cover over the bag.
Acces to the side pockets is equally good. No worries there either.

Just loaded the 445 for a trip to Holland:
An SWC, a 503CW with 100 mm CFi and magazine and three additional lenses find a comfortable place with Gossen Mastersix films filters etc.
Can't think of a bag that suits me better!


Paul
 
I think what Paul describes is the good all-round general purpose bag that the 445 is, a too is the lowePro Stealth reporter with similar features - just uses high tech materials rather than the beautiful canvas, leather, brass and nickel that Billingham uses.

Kim makes a good point about overloading bags - well we buy the kit so want to use it don't we! Also filling bags so that they are tightly packed is always a mistake - just too hard to get stuff out in a hurry.

HORSES FOR COURSES - just like cameras and camera systems - it's a matter of different horses for different courses. Even with one system we may have 2 bags for different purposes. So it seems by the posts here we all have many bags.

Yes, Odille, Crumpler's advertising format and overly funky nomenclature etc annoy me too. But their gear is worth looking at just in case. Their satchel style gear is worth looking at depending upon the type of system you have.
 
My Billingham 445 has arrived - it's just great! I have loaded up the H2 with 80mm, the Canon 1D MkiiN with 24-105 and lots of other bits and pieces too (spare batteries etc). Still lots of room and that lovely computer pocket at the front.

Off for a 3 day photo weekend with folks from a local forum so it is going to get a good test out.

Thanks again for the recommendations & advice everyone
 
polypal said:
Acces to lenses and other gear is one of the strong points for Billingham bags.
All gear is well protected against sudden rain or snow simply by flapping the top cover over the bag.
Acces to the side pockets is equally good. No worries there either.

Just loaded the 445 for a trip to Holland:
An SWC, a 503CW with 100 mm CFi and magazine and three additional lenses find a comfortable place with Gossen Mastersix films filters etc.
Can't think of a bag that suits me better!


Paul
Click to expand...

They last as well!

I'm still using the Billingham (model unknown) that I saved so hard for 25 years ago!

Looks a bit tarnished now but that's an advantage.
 
My 445 shows some signs of heavy use as well after 20 years.
I have been thinking of sending it back to England to have the camera bag restored to ist former beauty.
Apparently Billingham is proud to offer this service for their products.
I will sure miss the 445 during that time.
That is the only thing that kept me from returning the camera bag to Billingham.
A good excuse to get another one!


Paul
 
Hey Paul, I have a good idea if you're not sure if to get the black canvas with black leather trim; the black canvas with the brown leather trim, or the sand canvas with the tan leather trim.... just get one of each!!! :)

That way, just like the ladies do with shoes and handbags, if you're mood one day is in favour of one colour, you're always ready to go!!

That was my biggest problem when buying the Billingham model I had decided upon - "I want most of the variants!!" :)
 
Hello Simon,

I like the sand canvas ones because they do not stand out as much as the black versions do.
That goes at least for the black versions with light leather trim.

There seems to be a sort of commerative Billingham.
A brand new one was offered to me. No idea if this concerns the sand version.
Lets see what bag that is. It could be a good back up for the one I use now.

I have no idea of prices at your end but here a decent Billingham is about 500 euro.
That kind of money could pay for another underwater housing.
I am still trying to get the large one with bull bars designed for EL cameras.
It looks like that one also propells the diver!


Paul

Paul
 
Well Paul, I have learnt from Jurgen just how expensive all camera gear is in Europe. I thought Aus was expensive!!
That bag at 500E is equivalent to about $900 here (the rate has improved by 15% here in the last week). But I think that bag is about $700 here.
Myself , I buy out of the US - bigger market and lower cost even with import tax.
 
simonpg said:
Well Paul, I have learnt from Jurgen just how expensive all camera gear is in Europe. I thought Aus was expensive!!
That bag at 500E is equivalent to about $900 here (the rate has improved by 15% here in the last week). But I think that bag is about $700 here.
Myself , I buy out of the US - bigger market and lower cost even with import tax.
Click to expand...

Well, with a 2 EURO coin approaching a 3 US$ bill this is hardly surprising...

Wilko
 
My Billingham 445 here in Oz would have cost me +$200 more than the price I purchased it for in the UK, even with postage. And it only took a week to get here.

I don't know if it is duty or what but Aussies get ripped off on prices.
 
Paul she is spot on. It is nothing to do with taxes though.

When I first bought a Billingham bag for my Leica M7 kit, I discovered that the Aussie distributor was actually a Sydney based retailer that I occasionally visited when in town on business.

They always had few items on display and even less stock on hand. When I placed an order because the price then was competitive with buying ex-UK, they persisted in misleading me on stock delivery dates.

While they officially are the Australian distributor they only supply 1 retailer - themselves! Other good camera stores beg for stock to resell and were denied it.

As it turned out the owners of the business would only place stock orders when they had run out and then only based on enquiries. Alas I waited 16 weeks before I decided to by ex-UK.

My bag arrived in 1 week for the UK. 4 weeks later the distributor/retailer called to say my order had arrived - I took delight in saying: "in business the idea of being a retailer is to have stock to sell or else you cannot make money; you deceived me about stork deliveries for 4 months; you do not act as a distributor because you do not supply any other retailers in Australia with stock to sell and they all want some; you deceive Billingham that you are distributing throughout Australia and that we must be a small market hence your pathetically low volumes - go take a jump!!"

Then I bought a second bag ex-UK and sent a letter to Billingham outlining the pathetic lack of supply by the distributor to other retailers and the pathetic stock situation.

I also outlined how Billingham could better its Aussie sales through a new distribution and reseller plan (this is a key area of my professional work as a management consultant, which I also explained to them). Interestingly I never got a reply.

So my summation is that either one or both factors explain this situation here - Billingham is a sadly typical English company failing to keep up with best business practices around the world; Billingham hand-make wonderful products that need long order lead times and can't meet world-wide demand ; and the North American market (like in so many industries) dominates their focus.

Fortunately, that distributor has begun supplying at least other Leica resellers in other states.

However if I ever buy a Billingham bag again it will still be ex-Uk or US (depending upon current exchange rates) - due to price and availability.
 
This was my experience. Billingham in the UK would not sell to me, they said I HAD to go through their Aussie distributor. Being a stubborn cuss, I don't like being told what I can and cannot do, especially when ## are involved. The first and cheapest retailer I tried in the UK told me the same thing, would not ship to Oz. That one was £215, I ended up paying £219 (=SAUD 339)plus postage. A great deal, I reckon.

Oz price is currently SAUD529 plus pp, it was $538 when I looked.
 
We are talking about a camera that has been to the moon!
I treat my gear carefully but angle of inclination in the bag is probably not important!
In my opnion sandy beaches are the most dangerous thing for cameras!

Richard Marks
 
Yes, I agree that sand and salt air should be avoided at all costs.

I have in each bag some of the clear weather proof plastic bags to pull over any body and lens to minimise the invisible salt sticking to the camera. Then I also wipe down all equipment at the end of the day with a damp thick micro-fibre chamois and dry micro-fibre cloth to be sure!

The thought that small grains of sand are secretly hiding inside my kit bag annoys me greatly.
 
simonpg said:
Yes, I agree that sand and salt air should be avoided at all costs.

I have in each bag some of the clear weather proof plastic bags to pull over any body and lens to minimise the invisible salt sticking to the camera. Then I also wipe down all equipment at the end of the day with a damp thick micro-fibre chamois and dry micro-fibre cloth to be sure!

The thought that small grains of sand are secretly hiding inside my kit bag annoys me greatly.
Click to expand...

I do all this too, and always take a blanket to sit the bag on. A good shake of the empty bag and a vacuum will get rid of the sand, I find.
 
I have to laugh when I look back at these threads.....

A psychologist might be forgiven for thinking that sometimes some of us suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder!! :) :) :)

However, I prefer to think I just look after and respect valuable equipment that I hope will remain trouble free long enough so that I can take it to my grave one day! :)

Who said you can't take it with you!!!??? :z04_hinterherjagen:
(please excuse my weird sense of humour!:))
 
Richard,
while I fully agree that sand (or moon dust) is very dangerous for the Hasselblad mechanics, the angle of inclination inside the camera bag is of lesser consequence on the moon due to the reduced gravity.:z04_schlaumeier:

I have seen many Hasselblad plastic lens shades with cracks close to the bayonett mount. Maybe lens-down storage is a reason for that.

I won't take my Hasselblads into te grave. This might require a custom built coffin ;-).

Ulrik


rexel said:
We are talking about a camera that has been to the moon!
I treat my gear carefully but angle of inclination in the bag is probably not important!
In my opnion sandy beaches are the most dangerous thing for cameras!

Richard Marks
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top