Fog and Camera Bags

The above is a quote from the LensWork Podcast #104, which I listened to a few days ago. It came back to my mind today as I sat in my office in downtown San Francisco and watched the fog seep in between the buildings, reaching out from the bay. It was a wonderful scene to watch. And it made me wish I had brought my camera with me to work today.

And why didn’t I? Because I haven’t fully integrated the camera into my business life. The primary reason for this is the fact that of the 4 camera bags I own, only one of them can carry my camera with my laptop. But, that bag was really designed for back country hiking. Not for bringing your camera into work with you everyday (for the record, I do Business Development for a software company during the day; more often than not, I’m wearing a sports coat when meeting with clients/partners. A big bulky camera backpack doesn’t fit.)

And so, for Christmas this year I’m looking for that perfect camera bag. A backpack. One which can carry a 15 inch MacBook Pro, my SLR with a lens attached and maybe a small extra lens, a few photography accessories (cards, batteries, chargers), and ideally a small book. One that is large enough to carry all that, but small enough not to look like I’m hiking the pacific rim trail. One that goes with jeans and hiking boots as well as sports coats and dress shoes.

Do you know this bag?

If so, please share. I have looked at Tamrac, LowePro, Kata and many other brands. The one that seems to come the closest is the Kata but I can’t find anyone in the SF Bay area that carries them in stock. I learned a long time ago to try before you buy with camera bags and swore never to buy one without some hands on time first.

What’s your ideal camera bag? Do you currently own it or are you still looking too?

2 Replies to “Fog and Camera Bags”

  1. I can’t recommend a specific brand or model – but perhaps just a ‘student’s backpack’ is all you need.

    I mostly use my big mulky Lowepro backpack – but definitely not something I would want to carry around daily. I have a stuffable backpack that use when traveling for work, and it is enough for a computer, DSLR and a lens or two.

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  2. I can’t be of any help here, because I am, single-handedly, maintaining Lowe Pro profitable by buying all the models they have made.
    Paraphrasing a great photographer,
    if the best camera is the one you are taking pictures with I’d say the best bag is the one that carries that camera 🙂

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