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Archive 2013 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?

  
 
Stephen Elms
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


It seems as though I'm in a constant search for the perfect bag when it comes to wedding photography. I started out with a few bags and then ended up with a Kata 3n1 which worked so-so but was not large enough for all my gear. So I recently bought an F-Stop Satori EXP bag (I do a lot of hiking etc so the bag works great for that). It holds all my gear just fine (with extra room for water, food, rain jacket, etc) but man the thing is heavy when fully loaded. It's not too bad now but as I age I can see it getting to be less and less ideal to carry while at a wedding (and it looks like a back-pack which is perhaps not the most professional looking bag). Now I've been looking at roller bags. They look like they can hold a good amount of gear for a wedding and not a pain on the back to lug around. What do you guys use for lugging around your gear?
Are there any negatives to a rolling bag?



Sep 21, 2013 at 03:43 PM
swoop
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


Are you looking for a bag to work out of or to haul equipment? Because working out of a rolling bag is a bit cumbersome during a wedding. But if you're just using it to transport what you need just to have on site and are working out of a shoulder bag then that's a bit easier.

When it comes to choosing a bag I suggest laying out everything you'll want to bring and measure it out. And really think about what you'll need. So many photographers, especially inexperienced ones bring so much unnecessary stuff with them it's ridiculous.



Sep 22, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Stephen Elms
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


That's a good point. When I'm on my way to the shoot everything goes in my F-Stop bag. I don't think I bring unnecessary stuff but maybe I do! Regardless, once I arrive the bag lightens as my camera etc gets pulled. However it's a bit of a pain to access my gear in the bag and it's just a bit awkward to lug around. I'm kind of leaning towards a rolling Pelican case that will hold all my gear and take the strain off my back while lugging. I don't mind the bulk/weight of somethign I can roll and lift with proper handles when needed. But what I like about the F-Stop bag is the ability to pack a snack, water, rain jacket if needed etc. I'm torn lol!


Sep 22, 2013 at 11:00 AM
RustyBug
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


+1 @ transport bag vs. shooting bag.


Sep 22, 2013 at 11:11 AM
Wobble
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


Airport Security™ V 2.0 Rolling Camera Bag provides a steel cable to secure the bag, locking compartments, and backpack straps for rough terrain.

Think Tank Photo



Sep 23, 2013 at 10:06 PM
JimboCin
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


RustyBug wrote:
+1 @ transport bag vs. shooting bag.


+2



Oct 20, 2013 at 09:25 PM
glort
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?



I'm such an "UNphotographer"

I haven't used a camera bag in about 15 years. Nor a lens cap for that matter.
My main bag is an aluminium toolbox and I just pack everything in there. No dividers, no foam, no problems. My 2nd bag that keeps what I don't need to take with me on a particular job or when I have to take plenty is an ordinary travel suitcase. I just upgraded to a much bigger one due to buying a new set of lenses etc. This one I have some small hand towels in I wrap around some stuff to stop it bashing together too much but there is room for chargers stationary, drinks, laptop and assorted other crap for when I do jobs away from home.

I like the fact that a suitcase dose not immediately scream " Valuables" to any lowlife or opportunist around. I figure scumbags are likely to be less interested in something more likely to contain clothes for a fat old bugger than thousands of dollars worth of easily fenceable gear. I am slightly security paranoid with gear having heard so many stories about people having theirs knocked off and a bigger bag is less easy to grab and more easy to spot as well.

I also have 2 other huge plastic road type cases. One for my portable lighting kit lighting kit and cords, power boards etc and another one that has some small desktop computers, screens and I can get a couple of printers in there as well. I keep these packed so If I get a last minute event or commercial job, I can just grab them with the tool box and go knowing I have everything.

Far as I'm concerned camera bags are a ripoff and over priced anyway. Fishing bags can be similar with pockets etc and aren't quite as much as a take and many look much more daggy and less appealing to low lifes than a bag that's worth hundreds itself let alone what it contains.

Suitcases and toolboxes work plenty well for me.
And I can sit or stand on them and they also make good "tables" for the laptop!



Oct 21, 2013 at 05:34 AM
crnama
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


I carry a shoot sac with me at weddings. This has any extra lenses that I might need. The wife has a small backpack she uses. I really like the shoot sac because it will hug your body and kind of wraps around it. We mostly shoot primes are are constantly switching lenses and it makes it very easy to access them.


Nov 04, 2013 at 09:27 PM
Paul Mo
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


Similar to the post above, I use a belt system and minimal pouches. It changes with my mood and the likely location or weather.


Nov 05, 2013 at 03:48 AM
elkhornsun
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


The mistake is trying to find a single bag to do everything. I use a roller case to transport gear to the various locatioins on the day of the wedding and transfer what I need for each segment into a camera bag. For the getting ready and wedding ceremony I use a LowePro Pro Mag II bag that holds the 70-200mm upgright though not mounted to the camera. For the getting ready I have in the bag two bodies, a 14-24mm, 24-70mm zooms, and for the bride portrait pictures a 105mm f2 DC lens.

For the ceremony I use a LowePro Sideline Shooter waist bag that is large enough to hold either the 70-200mm or three smaller lenses. I will have the 24-70mm on one body and the 70-200mm on the other camera. The 14-24mm is in the bag and used for the "location" shots which comprise less than 5% of the ceremony pictuers

I use the same bag at the reception and the nice thing about the Sideline Shooter bag is that it is very compact and sticks out about 5" so I can sqeeze between tables or people on the dance floor without a bag getting in the way.

If there is a secure location in the DJ area I wil stash the roller case there with extra lenses, third body as a backup, and extra flash and batteries. If not, the case stays in the trunk of my car where it is out of sight and somewhat protected by the car alarm.

With an outdoor venue where the roller case is awkward to use I will stil have it in the trunk of the car but take a larger LowePro AW400 bag that holds a little more gear than the Pro Mag II bag. I learned after a while that more gear can work against the photographer as there is more to haul around, more to have to watch, and one quickly reaches a point of diminishing returns. For example a 77mm closeup lens screwed onto the 24-70mm lens does an excellent job in place of a dedicated macro lens. The closeup lens takes up no more space than a filter and so it stays in the bag.

I do have a Pelican 1620 case that holds the lighting equipment I use for the post wedding formals. It too stays in the trunk except for the start of the wedding ceremony where my assistant has it at the back of the area and brings it into place after the ceremony. Setup time with the Quantum Qflash, special tripod, Custom Brackets flash bracket, and transceivers is less than 15 minutes so it does not hold up the schedule.

It helped a great deal when I could use my cameras at ISO 3200 as I could dispense with my primes and use only three f2.8 zoom lenses the entire day.






Dec 01, 2013 at 04:56 PM
williamkazak
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


I leave items in the trunk and I work out of belt pouches or a smaller Tamrac bag. I change the contents as the venue changes throughout the day. Large rolling bags, where you bring in all of your gear at once, seems so pretentious and are invitations to thieves.


Dec 06, 2013 at 02:43 PM
BriMcD
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


I use a Think Tank Airport Security rolling bag to hold everything (more like a base camp). I then have a Think Tank Urban Disguise 50 and work out of that during the day. I only pull the rolling back out of the back of the SUV when I need it.


Jan 05, 2014 at 03:24 PM
DblDrgn
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


I use a smaller backpack from ThinkTank - the streetwalker hard drive Streetwalker Harddrive

It has just enough room for me, which is good because I don't want to be weighed down with too much stuff.
For weddings, I fit a body with 70-200, flashes, batteries, and several primes to cover medium and wide angles.



Jan 10, 2014 at 10:14 PM
Wildcats_Fans
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


If you are interested in a good backpack, look a the Gura Gear Bataflae


Jan 27, 2014 at 05:00 PM
elkhornsun
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


There is no perfect bag and there is no reason to use only one bag for a wedding. I have a Tamrac rolling Strongbox that I keep in the trunk of my car. At the start of the day when I am with the bride and her party I have one body and three lenses and a flash and battery pack in a LowePro Pro Mag II bag.

During the ceremony I use a LowePro 400AW shoulder bag to which I have attached a waist strap and it holds two cameras and 4 lenses (14-24, 24-70, 70-200, and 16mm fisheye) and a flash and flash bracket, etc.

During the reception I use a LowePro Sideline Shooter bag that is large enough to hold either a 70-200mm f2.8 lens or up to three smaller lenses and has an outer pocket that will hold a 8-pack set of batteries. The Sideline bag sticks out very little so it does not keep me from moving about freely during the reception. Usually all that is in the bag is a 16mm fisheye and a 18-35mm lens while I have the 24-70mm on the camera with the flash bracket and flash and the second camera with the 70-200mm with a flash on the hot shoe if it is needed or left off if not.

By the end of the day I am a lot less fatigued when I have carried as little as possible for as short a period as possible.

My backup third camera, third flash, extra batteries, cables, etc. is in the Tamrac roller in the trunk. If the parking lot is a great distance from the reception location I will roll it into the reception and place it where the DJ can keep an eye on it.



Jan 29, 2014 at 03:05 AM
Christian S
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


Think Tank Airport Security/ Think Tank Speed Freak V20 + a small roller caring my extra Quantum Strobes if I need them.


Jan 30, 2014 at 08:32 PM
AtelierPhoto
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


My base camps are:
Pelican 1400 (Yellow)
Pelican 1620 (Black)









Jan 31, 2014 at 08:42 PM
chris78cpr
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


Stealth Reporter 350aw takes my two 5d's, 15mm, 24/50/85 and a 70-200 and flash gun. Perfect for 90% of weddings. Rest if the stuff stays in the car in a rucksack thing.


Feb 16, 2014 at 10:11 PM
roger1
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Bag of Choice For Weddings?


+! for glort.



Mar 11, 2014 at 08:28 PM





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