I have a Canon R5II with Canon RF 600mm F4 and RF100-300 lenses, plus other photography accessories such as spare batteries, memory cards, SSDs, chargers along with a macbook.
What are some good camera bags to fit these, assuming I am traveling outside the US? Domestics travel within the US is much simpler since weight is not a restriction.
Some other notes:
1. Preferably a lightweight construction (but robust) as I will be taking it to Africa, India and other places where every ounce counts. I have enough smaller bags for organization so some basic organization is sufficient.
2. Fit into a standard airplane overhead cabin. Bush planes are different, but that's a very niche problem to overcome. Majority will be on regional jets that are 777/787/320/350
3. Will use them, if at all, on Safari vehicles, except for walking tours very rarely [please don't factor this in for your suggestions]
4. Budget is around $400
I am considering the below:
1. Gura Gear 30L [seems well-loved, lightweight and the butterfly design seems to be popular. However, some members posted that the diameter of the lens stresses the center flap a lot.
2. Shimoda Action x30/40
3. F-Stop Tilopa or the lower volume ones
4. Mindshift Backlight 36L
5. Nya-Evo Fjord 36
The Gura Gear seems to be the lightest, whereas the Shimoda and F-Stop bags seem to need ICUs which might increase weight.
I'd suggest browsing the general gear board as this question comes up from time to time and has been extensively discussed in the past. Search also for 'safari' threads as this is also often discussed in those.
I don't have it but it has come up regularly as one of the recommended options. I'm not sure if it's international carry-on safe. The dimensions they list look OK for US domestic. One thing to note is that if you fly internationally on US carriers, US domestic carry-on will apply. The problem might be when connecting to other airlines for the final leg(s) to the destination.
I tried posting this in the general gear talk, but not enough responses. My only worry is that the lens won't fit due to the depth or width of the bag (depending on which one). The sony seems smaller in that aspect.
i usually fly domestic US, where I don't have any issue with bags. The problem is Africa and Asia, including India. No good solutions seem to be there other than purchasing extra seats
TLDR; my pick would be the Nya Evo 60L with the XL ICU. Should fit everything you need with ease, and the ICU ensures that your gear will always travel with you.
For Africa and Asia specifically, I know lots of guys using the Gura Gear bags even though they are oversized and don't have ICU's. YMMV.
Personally I think the Gura Gear bags are silly, because of the orientation of how the bag opens in relation to your backpack straps and your back. It requires setting the bag down in mud, dirt, dust, water etc. in the exact spot that will be touching your back. The Boris IV is a similar setup, but much better built imo, because it solves that issue.
Greetings, i lead safaris to India, Africa, Churchill and other places - i travel a lot. I carry the same gear as you and have a solution to do all of this. I am a big fan of the Gura Gear Stuff and full disclosure have recently become an ambassador with GuraGear. From the laptop bag to the current 30L. The RF 600 is a bit of a tight fit in the current version of the 30L, especially with the stock hood, with a shorter Zemlin hood it works. The GuraGear 30L + (has the laptop sleeve), it loses 1/2" of depth for that laptop space, which i found to be an issue. And i'd rather just carry my laptop separately in a smaller bag anyways. I am more than happy to answer any questions that you may have, just shoot me a PM.
For flights I use a Gitzo Adventury 45L. For flights I take the camera off, then is the backbag 55cm, with camera 59cm in height. It is possible to leave the camera and the teleconverter on the lens. Useful on Safari. https://www.aisen.ch/post/ein-ef-600-auf-flugreise-gitzo-adventury-45l
For the next flight I use the EF 300/2.8 and EF 600/4. For the flight I have both lenses in the Gitzo Adventury and the cameras with at least 28-70/2 and 70-200/2.8 in the ThinkTank Presspass around the waist.
TLDR; my pick would be the Nya Evo 60L with the XL ICU. Should fit everything you need with ease, and the ICU ensures that your gear will always travel with you.
For Africa and Asia specifically, I know lots of guys using the Gura Gear bags even though they are oversized and don't have ICU's. YMMV.
Personally I think the Gura Gear bags are silly, because of the orientation of how the bag opens in relation to your backpack straps and your back. It requires setting the bag down in mud, dirt, dust, water etc. in the exact spot that will be touching your back. The Boris IV is a similar setup, but much better built imo, because it solves that issue....Show more →
I see what you mean, especially if you walk/hike a lot. But in India and Africa, most wildlife photography is on vehicles, so should not be the that much of a problem. I also don't need it with the camera attached and the hood has been replaced with a soft one.
I guess finding a bag for 2 lenses and 2 cameras plus a laptop that fits in the international airlines carry-on is the challenge - everything else can be checked in.
Another issue is the Canon RF 600 is longer/bigger than other brands, even if I replace with a soft hood.
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big country wrote:
Greetings, i lead safaris to India, Africa, Churchill and other places - i travel a lot. I carry the same gear as you and have a solution to do all of this. I am a big fan of the Gura Gear Stuff and full disclosure have recently become an ambassador with GuraGear. From the laptop bag to the current 30L. The RF 600 is a bit of a tight fit in the current version of the 30L, especially with the stock hood, with a shorter Zemlin hood it works. The GuraGear 30L + (has the laptop sleeve), it loses 1/2" of depth for that laptop space, which i found to be an issue. And i'd rather just carry my laptop separately in a smaller bag anyways. I am more than happy to answer any questions that you may have, just shoot me a PM. ...Show more →
theobserver wrote:
I see what you mean, especially if you walk/hike a lot. But in India and Africa, most wildlife photography is on vehicles, so should not be the that much of a problem. I also don't need it with the camera attached and the hood has been replaced with a soft one.
I guess finding a bag for 2 lenses and 2 cameras plus a laptop that fits in the international airlines carry-on is the challenge - everything else can be checked in.
Another issue is the Canon RF 600 is longer/bigger than other brands, even if I replace with a soft hood.
Somewhere in the safari thread I showed how I get about 4x the amount of gear you are bringing between two people without using my camera bags. The issues are getting the gear there and back and not so much when you are on safari. I would not want a big bag in the vehicle with me it gets in the way, especially if you don't have your own vehicle. You'll want to get your gear to the destination, layout everything in your tent, and only take what's needed for the game drives with a much smaller bag if possible.
theobserver wrote:
I see what you mean, especially if you walk/hike a lot. But in India and Africa, most wildlife photography is on vehicles, so should not be the that much of a problem. I also don't need it with the camera attached and the hood has been replaced with a soft one.
I guess finding a bag for 2 lenses and 2 cameras plus a laptop that fits in the international airlines carry-on is the challenge - everything else can be checked in.
Another issue is the Canon RF 600 is longer/bigger than other brands, even if I replace with a soft hood....Show more →
FWIW - the Nya Evo 60L with XL ICU fits my Nikon Z9 + 600TC + lens hood in shooting position, so no worries about length on the RF 600 there.
I agree for Safari in Africa the Gura Gear may be fine, since there is minimal hiking/walking. But then it becomes quite useless when you get back home.
Better to invest in a Boris bag or Nya if you want a better all arounder.
If you want a GG bag try and find a used Bataflae 32L as it has the most room for the hood diameter.
I own three GG bags but I don't use them out in the field because of the strap/back dirty problem. I have them sitting in the back of my car and grab gear out of that. I have used them to travel in the past but now I'd be taking an F-stop or Nya-Evo type bag instead. Just having the safeguard of being able to pull out the ICU if someone gives you a hassle getting the backpack on the plane is worth it.
The Nya Evo XL ICU in the 60L will easily swallow the RF600's length. If you want a GuraGear style bag than the Boris IV makes more sense.
Having done dozens of safaris in eastern and southern Africa, shooting in Brazil and elsewhere - the GG30 in your list is the best option especially since you will be working out a vehicle. For any walking safari's or gorilla trek you're not going to be carrying a large backpack full of gear.
I able to use my GG 22L Kiboko with my 400TC or 600TC (Zemlin short hood attached) in one side and then my Z9, Z8, TC and 70-200mm 2.8 and gack on the other side.
For the GG 30, I would avoid the + version as you lose depth due to the build in laptop sleeve.
As others have said, the Boris IV is a better option if you want to work out of a bag when in the field (super durable bag) - however it does weigh a bit more than the GG bags.
Yeah the 32L is the way to go, I’ve had one for like five years now and it’s been the one bag that just does everything. I’ve had no issues with it when I had a EF 600 f/4 IS II and now I have no problems with it with my RF 400 f/2.8. You could definitely fit the RF 600, 100-300, two bodies and extenders in it and it’s fit in every overhead bin I’ve seen. It’s really nice that you can tuck the straps in, compresses the bag down even more for when you’re cramped on space.
arbitrage wrote:
If you want a GG bag try and find a used Bataflae 32L as it has the most room for the hood diameter.
I own three GG bags but I don't use them out in the field because of the strap/back dirty problem. I have them sitting in the back of my car and grab gear out of that. I have used them to travel in the past but now I'd be taking an F-stop or Nya-Evo type bag instead. Just having the safeguard of being able to pull out the ICU if someone gives you a hassle getting the backpack on the plane is worth it.
The Nya Evo XL ICU in the 60L will easily swallow the RF600's length. If you want a GuraGear style bag than the Boris IV makes more sense....Show more →
I love my Gumbagear Elite bags (26 and 32L) for travel, but they are no longer made. I also have a Battaflaie, which was the precursor to the GG Elite. The rehashed 30L Kiboko is smaller and can be an issue with the largest lenses by most accounts. None of the GG are good for long hikes, but the Elite have better straps than the earlier ones.
