I have need for a new camera bag. I've got a 17" laptop, which complicates things a bit. I have a Canon R7, a couple of lenses, various laptop pieces, etc. I want a backpack, or a bag I would be able to carry on to an airplane, should I ever choose to fly again. I mostly travel by car, but I would like something that is compact enough I could carry it when needed. Thoughts? Thank you! Mike.
This is tough, I have done the 17in laptop camera bag years ago, these are anything but compact because they have to house a 17in laptop they push the dimensions of what can fit on an airplane. They are bulky and due to the surface area of a laptop are large enough to fite several lenses and even two bodies. When I went abroad i was able to take my medium format and my DSLR plus a couple lenses. I have also hiked in the badlands with that setup. These bags are not light when filled and you will have the space to take more than you need. If you get one, I personally do recommend a backpack style, with lots of padding like I got on my Lowepro CompuTrekker AW so you can distribute weight between the shoulders , back and waist. Personally if i travel abroad again with camera gear I plan to go with little more compact camera bag and a separate laptop bag as I would leave the laptop back at the hotel or in the trunk of the car anyway.
I have several Lowepro bags of varying sizes, all do their function quite nicely but there is a drawback to them all, when I am traveling or street photography, that is they all scream out, expensive camera gear inside. My main travel bag now comes from Think Tank. It is the Retrospective 7. It is plain Bluish Grey so it does not stand out and scream cameras inside, comes with a single padded strap so you can just sling it over your shoulder. The bag comes with a large flap so it is easy to get to your gear, just pull the bag around to your front and lift the flap to access your gear, this is so much easier than a back pack style bag. It is not too big to get heavy from too much gear in it, takes a camera with a lens, two spare lenses, a bag containing filters and some film. it has a plastic cover for when it rains in the front pocket. Check them out on You Tube. Worth a look.
Agreed, camera bags definitely can scream expensive gear, i would not even leave it locked unattended in car because of that. My favorite bag is a Flipside 400AW, it has plenty of space but weight is distributed well, and it zips open to your back, so you need to take it off your shoulders to get inside, to me its ideal for travel.
