perfectly compromised padding. Not too much but not too little. Not too bulky but not too floppy.
One body with a normal lens on it and then space for up to four more lenses. That makes it a great "day bag."
Doesn't add much weight to the shoulder that gets to carry it. Can't believe how big and heavy some bags get. Part of the problem is bringing too much gear but another part of the problem is bags that weigh too much empty; to begin with.
Affordable. I'm not particularly poor but I just can't justify spending over $200 USD on a camera bag that's meant mostly to be a convenient way to carry just a few pieces of gear. But in a total disconnection I do have two of these bags. One in brown (older) and one in green (newer) so I suppose if I were rational, and possessed of a certain fashion sense, I could have one Billingham bag instead. To my chagrin I'd never be able to pull off the accent that surely must go along with those bags... Could feel like mud wrestling in your nicest cardigan sweater...cashmere?
I kid. I'm sure Billingham bags are nice. Like the Jaguar automobile of camera luggage.
I've had Domke bags of various sizes for more than 30 years. They all functioned wonderfully. An acquaintance, Henry White, also swears by them. And a rosier endorsement I just don't think you'll find. Sure beats the days when photographers carried around all their gear in metal suitcases from Halliburton.
I carried this bag with me to my ad agency assignment last week. It was filled with a Leica SL fitted with a 75mm f1.9 VM lens, a Leica CL, a Sigma 56mm f1.4 lens for the CL, extra batteries for both cameras and a small Godox flash unit. Also, a phone, a small notebook and a Kershaw pocket knife. And it was still comfortable to carry around.
For me? It's the gold standard. We have some bigger Domkes for more involved projects. They are great as well. Oh, and some smaller Domke canvas bags for those times when you just want to carry an M camera and one or two extra lenses. Hmmmm. I hardly realized I liked the product line so much.
Don't buy one because I like them. I won't make any money from your purchase and you may hate it. Remember that Duane Michals used to carry his cameras and film in a shopping bag. Even when working for big, national clients. The bag is not the thing.
I've read of New York City photographers carrying their equipment in empty dog food bags as a measure to discourage thefts.
ReplyDeletePhotographer Bill Pierce wrote about camera bags for the now defunct "The Digital Journalist".
https://digitaljournalist.org/issue0204/nutsandbolts.htm
One bag option he suggested: a gas mask bag.
Domke was a photographer ... a camera bag designed by a photographer for photographers. Makes sense. I still use his neck straps some of which I've had for years.
ReplyDeleteWhich bag do you use for a M body and a couple lenses? I've been looking for a suitable option. The F6 little bit smaller seems a bit too roomy. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi Kodachromeguy, This is the one I'm using. Bought it from the Leica store in Montreal last year. So far it's great as a compact camera (M series?) day bag. I like it and it doesn't stick out from my body the way a deeper bag does.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/592387-REG/Domke_701_83A_F_803_Waxwear_Camera_Satchel.html
You done it again, Kirk. You fed my GAS and I ordered one. At least this time it wasn't over 5K!
ReplyDeleteI have one for the CL and a couple of spare lenses. It is a great bag but I'm still deciding on the clip.
ReplyDeleteI have a number of Domke bags of various sizes. But it seems the F-5’s are my favorite. Not only do they do the job, they look right and feel right.
ReplyDeleteI try to be modest, despite all my obvious gifts, but I can say without modesty that I'm one of the top bag guys in U.S. I think I've owned all of them at one time or another. I had a Billingham for a few weeks, but honestly, it felt like a purse. Thought it was an okay bag , but heavy, and the glittery brass hardware made me feel like an asshole. Or maybe a male model. I've had several Domkes, my last one, olive drab, like something the army would give you; I bought them because they were light and all my news photographer friends used them. I think the thing with Domkes is that they don't have enough separation or padding, which I solved by buying some of those foam lens sacks, so I could just throw them in the bag without separation and let them bump foam. One of the sturdiest bags I owned was made in Israel (a Kata? Is that right?), and you could throw it off a rooftop and probably not break anything inside. It also weighed more than the camera and lenses. Bright yellow internal pads at least a quarter-inch thick. I currently have three Think Tank bags of various sizes, all of which I can see from where I'm sitting. They're actually somewhat Domke-like, and one could absolutely be mistaken for a Domke -- it looks like a direct copy, to me. They have excellent wide, well-padded shoulder straps. I think they might be the class of American bags right now. My worst experience was with two large LowePro rolling bags. I had to roll them for twenty feet or so over gravel, five days a week for six weeks, and then a couple hundred feet up a dirt path on a hillside. I admit it was tough going, but after a couple of weeks, the wheel broke, and then I had to carry it. I got back home, threw the bag away, and bought another one. The next year, the same thing happened. The wheel broke. Literally, in both cases, a wheel actually broke in half.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if anybody wants to talk jackets, I'm one of the top U.S. jacket guys. I have at least twenty of them. None is *precisely* what I need, though some are close. Don't talk to me about Patagonia jackets. I'm thinking of burning mine.
I have a couple of Domkes in the closet, an original and one slightly smaller. Still the best working bags I've owned, though too large for what I carry these days. They were great in my working days when I carried a couple of bodies and 3 or 4 lenses, but those days are over for me.
ReplyDeleteWish I could find something that worked equally well for my tiny Panasonic kit.
The real question is the optimal bag to camera ratio. Currently, I somehow find myself at 4/1.
ReplyDeleteAs someone once said about other hobby of mine, old Thinkpad laptops:
"Old Thinkpads don't wear out, they accumulate."
Same with Camera bags, it seems.
RE: "Which bag do you use for a M body and a couple lenses?"
ReplyDeleteYou might consider the Domke F-5XB. It sells for around $110 and is about as minimalist as a bag can get: 1 main compartment with 2 moveable padded dividers, padding on the bottom, and an outer pocket. It's large enough for my Fuji X-T3 and 2 or 3 small-to-medium sized lenses (one on the body), so it will accommodate a Leica RF and 2 lenses with no problem. Measure to be sure.
The main compartment has a heavy-duty zipper for security and a canvas flap that drops over that for added weather protection. The flap is held in place by Velcro. My only complaint is that because of the Velcro the flap makes an obnoxiously loud ripping noise whenever you lift it. I solved this problem by simply removing the Velcro. Those who are paranoid about pickpockets or don't care about stealth can leave it in place.
Your observations sent me to the Elliot Erwitt "Masters of Contemporary Photography" book, where the "Technical Section" describes him "reducing" his camera equipment for commercial assignments to a Halliburton case with two Canon bodies and 10 or so lenses from 17 to 300 mm. Weight: 32 pounds. Of course, this is before the days of decent zoom lenses and these were probably multi-day assignments.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I do remember the favorable impression created with new clients when opening a camera case with a couple of bodies and a half-dozen lenses, each in its own compartment.
Jane Bown, on the other hand, went with the shopping bag approach, but then... she was Jane Bown. I was not.
ReplyDeleteI did have an original "Billingham Hadley" back in the '90s, cuz it was supposed to be the only worthy "gadget bag" with which to carry Leicas.
A beautiful bag, but it didn't work for me. Too deep, such that everything just accumulated down in the bottom of the bag, with wasted empty air above it. I sold it.
Three years ago when the X100V was not only plentiful, but discountable via greentoe, as a promotion Fujifilm offered US buyers a free Domke F-803 in brushed light brown canvas, also a beautiful bag. A perfect size for the camera, accessories, supplementary add-on lenses. Would have been perfect for a Leica M as well.
I use a couple of old, black backpacks to carry up to a couple of bodies and a couple of lenses. Padding on the back, you can use it with one or both shoulder straps, it can also carry a water bottle or a light shirt/jacket, and no one thinks it is a camera bag. The backpacks also make for great day or weekend bags for travel. Even a good, quality backpack costs considerably less than a camera bag, and lasts a long time. I am particularly fond of bags that carry the brand "Jansport" but have used others.
ReplyDelete(I permanently stopped using Domke bags about 10 years ago when a pricey zoom lens rolled out of one and onto the concrete ground when I had asked someone dear to me to hold the bag for a minute - the bag strap apparently got twisted and Domke bags don't seal when closed).
Ken
Another vote for the F803 satchel. In 2018 I was in New York on holiday and made a pilgrimage to B&H. Bought myself the Domke F803 in brown and found that it’s perfect for my needs. It’s just getting nicely broken in now and I really like the grippy shoulder strap, makes things so much easier. When I travel I pack my (minimal) kit in a Lowe Pro backpack as carry on luggage and pack the Domke in checked baggage and use it as a day bag once I’ve arrived.
ReplyDeleteBillinghams are the best for wet climates... Wasted on Texas.
ReplyDeleteDesigned to be used in pouring rain all day by a rugby pitch. Originally they were fishing bags. They also last. 30 years hard use isn't unusual. Bit like a soft Peli Case.
My back wouldn't cope with the big ones after the age of 50, but great until then.
Now it's a small Billingham L2 bag with two Canon bodies and 35mm and 85mm lenses.
Plus a passport and an iPad mini for travel.
Before digital I carried two film cameras with the same lenses.