I've got a Canon bag for home storage, and I'd rather not take it out of the house onto the street. Might as well wear a neon sign stating "MUG ME PLS".

My requirements:
Shoulder strap/messenger type bag (think manhattan portage), non-backpack
Must be stealthy and look good.
Carry XTI + grip
3 lenses (17-85 + 70-300 + 50)
Flash (420ex)
and would prefer if I could fit a laptop in it too, so I can use it for work.
IPod, Blackberry, PSP, and perhaps a small book would be nice too.

I'm really liking the Crumpler Brazillion, but not liking the $265 price tag. I checked out the 7 Million as well, but while it'll hold my cam gear, theres no way I can get a laptop in there. The Brazillion is about 3" too thick too. It feels weird around my hip, though perfect when slung around my back.

What other bags are out there? What bags do you guys use? I'm currently using a zing cover and stuffing it in my old manhattan portage whenever I go out. I'm too nervous to bring an additional lens with me due to inadequate protection.

 

I'm waiting on B&H to have the 7 Million Dollar Home again, and I'll be ordering that, but I don't need to carry a laptop around. That Brazillion bag is huge!

Take a look at http://www.cambags.com

 

Domke & Crumpler will probably be the only ones that will give you the stealth look like a Manhattan Portage.

I don't think there's a Domke bag that will hold a laptop. I have the Domke F-4AF. It's perfect for walking around the city. I am able to fit in a body, 3 lenses (50/85/17-40), external flash, & accessories. All with room for one more lens. I don't have a 70-200, but this back is not deep enough to accommodate it's length.

Did you look into a National Geographic medium shoulder bag? That will fit into all the accessories you mentioned above. NG Medium Bag

Here's a review.

- Clyde

 

Not exactly 'stealth' but at least the brand tags are fairly small and innocuous.

Lowepro Computrekker Plus AW (holds all my camera gear plus large laptop.) I use it when travelling. I don't generally carry it around with me during outings though.

For out and about I use I use a Lowepro TLZ AW (holds a D-SLR with 80-200mm zoom attached and an extra standard size lens).

Carrying a laptop on one shoulder becomes physically painful very quickly. A backpack style is the best solution for this.

 

i was looking into the lowepro slingshot 300.. which can hold a camera with a 70-200 lens mounted but it won't fit a laptop.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller...oughType=search

 

I just picked up the 200 earlier tonight, and was a tad bored, so I took some P&S pictures. The Slingshot 200 will be my race track and travel setup - I'll use the 7 Million Dollar Home for a walkaround, and I have a Tamrac Expedition 5 for birding, but will probably replace it with a Lowepro Nature Trekker II when I return the Lowepro Dryzone Rover.



Here's all the junk I've been able to get in there, and still some room to spare!




Yes, I will probably end up with a ton of bags - I've found that there is no such thing as the right bag for everything

 

Recently had the same dilemma as you. Unfortunately, I don't know of any shoulder bags that'll carry a laptop that don't get severely big. You may have to stick with a backpack if you want laptop capability. I started out with a compudaypack, picked up a computrekkerAW as the gear started increasing, and recently picked up a Crumpler 7 million dollar home for when I wanna go a little lighter/lower profile/not in a backpack mood.

Lowepro Compudaypack, its great if you've got laptop and rebel/battery grip with lens mounted and maybe one other lens. I tried using it twice since I picked up the 30D, the camera and 24-70 take up the entire section, very unsatisfactorily. There's room around the camera at every dimension, but only enough to fit a small pack of gum or something that size. The camera section of the bag seems almost to be a secondary thought, but you can always throw another lens and flash in the front pounch (not the back laptop pouch). Personally I used that area for random stuff/laptop charger/mouse/etc. There's a small zip pouch for an ipod, which is pretty cool, but not really a selling point.

Lowepro Computrekker AW is awesome. The camera equipment section is enormous. I can fit 30D w/ battery grip and 24-70L mounted, 70-200 F4L, 10-22, 300D w/battery grip and no lens mounted, 18-55 kit lens, 28-135 IS, and 50 F1.8 along with my 580 EX with some room left to spare, and lots of other little pockets for ancillary stuff. Typically don't carry all of that in it, as I'm pretty big guy in decent shape and I don't like feeling tired after 10 steps. But that's me. The pocket for the laptop is a side zip, almost hard to see, but can fit my laptop no problem (15 inch widescreen, believe it can handle up to 17). This is my major travel bag (I'll head home to Arizona in a few month, when I fly this'll be on my back, just easier to have everything on me) and photo day bag. When I know I have a day off and I'm so inclined I drive around the island taking pictures of wherever I end up, I rarely have a plan when I leave the house, I like to be prepared. The best things about this bag (besides the fact that it fits in airplanes overhead compartments...barely) are the little things. The waterproof cover is hidden away in a velcro pocket, rain starts coming down and you're good to go. It holds my tripod with no problems whatsoever, really saved my ass when I was down at the volcano in the south of the island. You're crawling over lava holding a flashlight (we went at night, its much better viewing) and sacrificing my other hand for a tripod would've been a P.I.T.A. But don't be mistaken, this thing is big. There's a removable belt strap that I took off as soon as I got the bag home. Halfway to the volcano I regretted that decision, it may not look stylish, but my sore back didn't care what I looked like.

The Crumpler 7MDH has become my day every day bag. If I leave the house, so does it, even if its to run downstairs for a quick cigarette. Picked it up from BH about a week ago along with the 70-200 and 10-22, it fits those two, the 30D w/ 24-70 and 580 with no problems. There's still some room left over, not a ton, but enough to fit cable release/circ. pol./ipod that size stuff. It can get heavy when fully loaded, but not too badly. I wanted the tan/OD version but I went with the red one, as it was the only color BH had and for some reason Adorama/amazon would NOT ship one of these bags to Hawaii. I still have no idea why.


I'll post up some pictures shortly with size comparisons, but personally I'd figure out how often you take your laptop with you. If it's always on you, then forget about the 7MDH, but if its only occaisionally, I'd pick one up.

Sorry for the novella.

 

So I stopped by the Crumpler Custom store here in midtown Manhattan today to check out the Brazillion. I brought my Manhattan Portage along with my laptop to test fit it. Size-wise, my MP is 3" wider, same height, but the Brazillion is like 4" thicker even without anything inside and is considerably heavier. Very well made bag, great protection, built in waterproof cover, padded strap, etc. I decided that I wanted it, but then when the saleslady asked for $285, I gasped. That's $20 more than retail on crumpler.com!

Anyways, I think I've found my bag (for now). I'll head on over to B&H and take a look at some other available offerings.


Pointdexter - if you're looking to get the 7Mil, http://www.photocous.com has them on sale for $100.23 shipped by using the coupon @SALE at checkout. I called them today and they currently have the red and blue/purple in stock, and will be receiving another shipment this Tuesday of the blacks.

 

I'll wait till Tuesday then order it - I only want black. I didn't know the price was that low!

Thanks!

 

I've got a Marlans canvas style shoulder bag. It's very inconspicuous but with some nice padding. Plenety of pockets and it carries my Macbook Pro too

You can't carry a SLR with a lense attached however. Got it off ebay from Hong Kong for about