Camera storage and protection

[fdiaz64]

Does anyone carry around a mirror less interchangeable lens type of camera? What do you use to keep it safe and secure in your bag? I just got a NEX series camera and have an excuse to buy more TB stuff.

[jmoz]

Does anyone carry around a mirror less interchangeable lens type of camera? What do you use to keep it safe and secure in your bag? I just got a NEX series camera and have an excuse to buy more TB stuff.

I recently purchased a Crumpler Haven (S) for my m43 camera to use in TB bags.

[BJ Nemeth]

I used to travel with a Canon 7D and two large lenses for my work, and I carried all of my gear (along with a 13" MacBook in a Brain Cell) in a Smart Alec. But as small, mirrorless cameras got better, I was finally able to downsize my camera gear. (My images are primarily used online, and the amount of travel I do makes weight-and-size savings pretty valuable.)

Last July I bought a Co-Pilot, and for my purposes, it is a perfect camera bag for a mirrorless camera. (I have an Olympus OM-D EM-5 with several different lenses.) I've got the Co-Pilot in the non-Dyneema version, which is stiffer and I feel offers a little extra padding protection; I might be less comfortable with my setup if I had the Dyneema Co-Pilot.

With the viewfinder on top, the Olympus OM-D EM-5 is tough to fit in a lot of places. (It's more awkwardly shaped than most mirrorless cameras, which are standard cubic rectangles.) But it fits very well in one of the front pockets of the Co-Pilot, with enough room to give it just a little movement, but tight enough that it isn't bouncing around. I keep a neck strap on the Olympus, and usually put it into the pocket first to create a little cushion, and then slide the Olympus in on top of it (sideways, with a pancake lens pointing forward).

If you're not carrying a water bottle, then the center pocket is perfect for lenses. (I keep my lenses in separate padded pouches.) I can easily fit 2-3 lenses in there without any problems. If I need the water bottle pocket for something else, the lenses also fit in the other front pocket or the main back pocket -- though I like to keep the main back pocket dedicated to my iPad and various other things, with the camera gear all packed in the front.

Back when I was using my Smart Alec, I didn't use anything special to secure my camera gear, but did keep the lenses in their carrying cases and had a wrap-around case for my Canon 7D. That provided more than enough protection for me, and I traveled quite a bit, putting the Smart Alec in overhead compartments, under the airline seat by my feet, and countless other places.

Because of the nature of my work, I never need my camera to be ready-to-shoot at a moment's notice, though with the Co-Pilot setup, I could grab the camera and start shooting very quickly if I needed to.

I'll say it again. For my purposes, the Co-Pilot is the perfect mirrorless camera bag.

[Ken]

Domke wraps and inserts work well with TB bags. And I have even fit a Domke F10 into an Imago when one needs to carry an extra bag with them. Most of your choices will depend on how much you want to carry and how much extra room you want for other gear. Lately, I have been using a SCB and a Domke insert to carry a body and two lenses with me. Nice simple set-up.

Good luck,

--Ken