[cofe]

is the tripod a must? i wouldn't strap to base of a bag if biking etc. AW cover is handy if you get stranded on bike.

[SA Chris]

Had a look in town - had one in Jessops and slingshot 100 in John lewis - looks a bit small, 200 might be just the job.

Am keen to get into forests next spring to get pics in the Granite City Rally, as well as a few other projects, hence need for tripod on bike - won't be any riding too techy though.

I think slingshot looks to be way to go, and I can then put it in either my snowboarding daypack or the pack I use for ski touring if i am doing any days where i can't carry tripod. Both have shedloads of straps, any of which will be fine for my tripod, which is reasonably lightweight.

[Tris]

I think slingshot looks to be way to go

You know it makes sense

You won't be disappointed... I also had the same dilemma, thought the 100 was too small, and the 300 too big.

The only possible bad thing is that it has too many little pockets - if you can't remember which one you put your memory card in, it can take a while to go through them all - about 20 in total

[David S]

Check out Think Tank for awesome bags that are built like - well - tanks

http://www.thinktankphoto.com

[slackline]

Check out Think Tank for awesome bags that are built like - well - tanks

http://www.thinktankphoto.com

Do these tanks think? 

[dave]

they should do at those prices.

[SA Chris]

What I thought. Really nice but a bit on the steep side.

[JamesD]

I've owned/own Kata, Thinktank, and Lowepro stuff, here's my two pence as a working professional:
Kata or Thinktank are the two best out there, as far as I am concerned, haven't owned thinktank stuff long enough to comment on the durability (just over a year for most of it right now), but after 3 years of professional daily use and abuse, my Kata stuff still looks in perfect condition, and I have lots of thinktank stuff that is used for weddings and event work, where it is forever getting hurled around, bumped/scuffed, having gear stuffed into and taken out of it quickly, and so far after a year of heavy use my thinktank modular belt system still looks as mint as the day I bought it (albeit a little dirty).
The one thing that I don't like about the Lowe-pro stuff, is not so much the durability of the bags, but more the durability of the padding/protection used in them, it seems to have compressed/become less effective over several years, whereas the Kata still seems as solid as the day I bought it, not forgetting that Kata offers far more innovative materials and construction with their bags regardless.
They are so far ahead of the game compared to everyone else in that respect...but then again what do you expect from guys that supply the U.S. Infantry and the M.O.D. to name but a few 

[Durbs]

Not on your budget, but lovely Kata backpack going cheap(er) on Warehouse Express:
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-kata-dr-467-dps-digital-rucksack-black/p1024035

Also have a "Naneu" (never heard of) for £20, but won't take a tripod
http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-naneu-quantaray-u30-backpack-red/p1518511

Yay for January sales

[JamesD]

I wouldn't bother with the cheapy ones if it is going to get regular use/abuse, they are durable but don't offer the padding and user-comfort of the better models.
This is about as cheap as it gets for something decent that will offer really good protection for your gear and is comfortable to carry big loads with:

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-kata-r-103-gdc-rucksack/p1008673

They are so well protected, I have an older much larger version of this kind of design (BP-206 or something like that) and I have literally thrown it from about 10-15ft up onto hard concrete without worrying about my stuff, it is that good, and it is that tough, plus the semi-hard shell section works really well too.
The inside is really well laid out and space efficient....
When I used to shoot a lot of interiors I used to be able to carry 4 hotshoe flashes, 5 pocket-wizards, 3 lighting brackets, 2 light stands, a colour gel book, camera, wide-angle lens, HV lumedyne power packs x 2 with the relevant cables, and miscellaneous spare cables, along with my laptop, all in the one bag....the only thing I carried by hand was my tripod!

[dave]

I have literally thrown it from about 10-15ft up onto hard concrete

Begs the question, why?

[JamesD]

I was chucking stuff down from a Mezzanine to the guy assisting me on the day, I didn't realise he had gone off to the car to load some bits up, and I kind of dropped the bag in the same spot without looking, all the equipment inside was absolutely fine, I don't think I would have been quite so carefree if it was one of my lowe-pro bags though, they are not quite so confidence inspiring. My think tank bits aren't bags, I just have their whole modular speed-belt system (more like a selection of holsters attached to a belt), great kit but not designed to be chucked about, so doesn't need the kind of padding that Kata bags have, the build quality and materials used however, are superb.

[Paul B]

anyone got a crumpler 5 or 6 million dollar home?

[hairich]

paul there were crumplers in tk max today 10 pound got myself a nice satchel

[Paul B]

in the town center? Do they have inserts or anything?

[Paul B]

paul there were crumplers in tk max today 10 pound got myself a nice satchel

Bubbs rang up and they're now out I'm afraid.

Nobody got one of these? I hear good things but the last thing I read was they're not very water proof which is a bit of an issue in the good 'ol UK?

[Bubba]

I checked the Pistol Creeks TK-Max too and they had none either

The fabric is pretty water resistant but in a windy rainstorm I suspect mine would leak due to the design. They're not all-season pro bags but then how many of us take photos in the pissing rain anyway?

[Houdini]

Crumpler produce is fine.  Paid €160 for my laptop bag, which seems steep, yet has a 30 year warrantee (!) and I would say it could easily handle being dropped from a bike etc..

[Paul B]

good piece of mind. Ta.

[dave]

Crumpler produce is fine.  Paid €160 for my laptop bag, which seems steep, yet has a 30 year warrantee (!)

I wipe my arse with 30 year warranties. Lowepro give you a lifetime warranty.

[JamesD]

Kata
ThinkTank
Lowepro

In that order, all infinitely better than crumpler, all will give you years of good service without falling apart, and all of them will give you superior protection over crumpler or any of that other budget stuff out there.

Kata know how to make good protection....since they have a pretty interesting background

http://www.kata-bags.com/about.asp?page=12

Thinktank are a fairly new brand, but took a lot of cues from Kata and put there products through a very extensive prototyping process.

Lowepro still produce good quality stuff, but its just good quality, its not innovative ground-breaking, or amazing in anyway, they're a little bit stuck in the past with technology, Lowepro produce stuff that satisfies me, but Kata and Thinktank produce stuff that impresses me.

For instance at the last London Fashion Week I attended, half of the press snappers that previously would be using lowe-pro shoulder bags have now switched to a think-tank modular holster system, quicker, comfier, no more constant back aches all day!
and their airport range is probably the best out there, arguably better than Kata's since it doesn't quite scream "Rob me i'm a photogapher!" as much as Kata stuff might

[Bubba]

To be fair, Crumpler don't fall apart either, and they actually look nice unlike most "proper" photo bags.

It depends really on your expectations - an amateur may well want something that looks sexy, and is a nice bit of luggage to boot, whereas a "pro" will of course have different priorities.

[Johnny Brown]

You can't get a bag really suited to climbing in the UK. Either its a camera bag, and you can't fit your climbing gear in, or you just stuff a camera bag in your climbing sac.

Shame you can't get f-stop gear in the uk yet.

[cofe]

I'm still waiting for fstop too. Only gear I'd consider swapping to from lowepro

[Bubba]

Those look yummy - won't they ship to the UK direct?