Colorado Ron said:
I need to purchase some cases for my equipment. Id like to be able to carry most of it in one bag.
I have a
Canon G9
Sony Handycam
Helmet Cam
Canon XL2
Question #1: how do you plan to use the bag? Throw it into the vehicle & leave it there? Take it on plane/train/ship trips?
If it is exclusively for trips in your rig, I suggest building the box into the vehicle. Less visibility, less opportunity for it to grow legs & best protection.
If you plan to take commercial transport with the gear, I suggest an obviously expensive protective case is a big sign that says "I'm expensive delicate gear, steal me" I'd suggest hitting the second hand stores to look for an older beat up looking hard sided suit case, filling it with foam blocks & cut out for your gear. And get a strap that you can keep around the outside to keep it from popping open. A suit case that says "Low budget traveler, likely with old socks & underwear that may or may not be clean."
I've always been a believer in misdirection & camouflage when traveling with expensive gear. And anything in a portable case can grow legs the second your attention wonders off the bag.
QUESTION #2: Do you tend to use all your gear at one time? Do you tend to take just one camera system when you walk away from your vehicle?
If you want to bring all your gear but only take subgroups away from the vehicle, usually one subgroup at a time, I suggest having multiple smaller hip bags that you can strap to your waist, carry the load on your hips and have both hands free. You can store the smaller break out bags inside a larger container if you wish.
Way back when, I had a big expensive camera gear back pack that held a complete 4X5" field camera system and a complete 6X7mm medium format camera system. Loaded, it was very heavy, bulky, and hard enough to carry any distance that it soon just stayed in the vehicle.
These days I don't try to carry both systems at one time. With the 6X7 system I pick one body, 3 lenses I'm most apt to use, put them into a hip bag, and walk off with a tripod over my shoulder. Sometimes I have the big 300mm lens in its hard case hanging over a shoulder as well.
The 4X5 is a bit more awkward. I carry a bunch of film holders in a strap on hip bag and the 4X5 with its lenses in an old Mac Portable semi hard case slung from my shoulder. And the tripod slung over my shoulder.
Gear I'm not using stays locked away in their hidden inside vehicle locations.
When I'm out walking with gear I try to keep the gear down to what I'll be using and make the gear as compact and easy to carry as I can. My days of carrying everything, just in case lasted only a few trips.
