Okay, just to make your life a little more complicated....
I've had the crumpler 6MDH, the 7MDH, and the 8MDH. I love Crumpler, but I got rid of all of them for a couple of reasons. First, the straps are attached in a manner that allows water to run into your bag should you encounter rain. Most of the time, it's not a problem, but on a trip to the Philippines, my stuff got soaked. Second, the crumpler is Tight. Moving the dividers around was a royal PITA and the side pockets are generally useless for anything thicker than a notepad. These issues might not be a deal breaker for you, but for me....
I now have the Think Tank Retrospective 20, a TT Urban Disguise 35 v.2, and TT Sreetwalker Hardrive. The UD35v2 has a top load feature along a flap that covers an addition pocket on the front, and it will carry a MacBook Pro 13" with ease. I am able to fit a gripped D700 with a 24-70 attached, a 70-200 on one side of the center, and a flash and small prime on the other and still have room for extra batteries, etc. The retrospective 20 can't really carry a laptop (iPad for sure) but you can carry another flash and another lens. Like the Crumpler, it has a velcroed flap and has silencers if you need them.
Okay, after weeks of painful deliberation (and price comparisons) I've ordered the Lowepro Classified 250 AW. At 99.95 shipped on Amazon I really don't see a downside...
I'll report back after I get a day to look it over and load it up.
After having the bag for the better part of a week, I'm pretty impressed. It's huge, for one thing! Makes my T2i look even smaller, even with the 70-200 f/4L attached... Guess I'll have to upgrade to fill the space.
It's very well made, with nice high quality materials, but not heavy on it's own. The zipper on top is strong and runs smoothly. Lots of space for cards/batteries/pens/notepads, etc. The included card holder is crap, but I was expecting that from many reviews. The strap hasn't annoyed me yet, but I've only used it a few times, and not for long. Also, with most of my gear loaded the bag is definitely lighter than I was expecting, which is nice. Definitely room to tuck a few more things away in there. Oh, and not one person has spotted it as a camera bag yet, and I work in a TV station.
At the risk of bumping my own thread without necessity... Did you bother to read before you posted, barryjphoto? It would have saved you time, since the bag you recommended is significantly smaller than any I was considering.
Sharona wrote:
I love some of the Crumplers, too, but.... am I the only one who thinks they tend to be bulky and overpadded?
No, not really. I feel the same way with ThinkTank but I still like them. I'm thinking of the Crumpler 5-Million as a minimalist carry for my A900 w/135 but I'm not sure it will fit. I think if the pads are moved all the way outward I may be able to lay it in there. The measurements are always iffy' with soft-sided bags. As it is, many of the bag offerings tend to be on the puffy side for sure.
