Need a good photo and laptop backpack.

June 15, 2009 8:20 PM

Photographer filter: Can you recommend a good gear backpack for storing a camera, a few lenses, and a laptop?

I'm looking for a backpack for travel and transport purposes that's durable and will fit my Nikon D300, a few lenses, and will have a compartment to safely house a laptop.

posted by mtphoto to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

I've used this "CompuRover AW" on an international trip where it was checked as luggage through 4 flights without any extra padding or protection and everything (macbook, dslr + 4 lenses) came through just fine. I judged it to be too bulky for ordinary sightseeing and used a smaller Crumpler for that, but for transport and luggage purposes I give it a hearty recommendation.
posted by cowbellemoo at 8:33 PM on June 15

I have a Kata backpack that has served me great.

17" Macbook, two 5d mkii's, 70-200, 24-70, 16-35, 14mm prime, Speedlight 580ex, crap-ton of peripherals, etc.

I've been walking the streets of Chicago with this bad boy the last couple of days with all of that stuff in it, and haven't been hurting :D

This is my bag
posted by tomierna at 8:39 PM on June 15

Check Crumpler. They make bags specifically for cameras and laptops, with nifty little features most people never think of (like being unable to open it while it's on, so no one can steal anything while you're wearing it). I've had mine for about 3 years now and been all over the world with it and it's still as good as new.
posted by ValkoSipuliSuola at 9:00 PM on June 15

This is not the advice you are asking for but I would say, if it's available to you, take all your stuff to a shop that has a lot of bags and try them out. Most serious photographers have the 3 bags they use and the 6 bags that didn't work for them. I've been through 5 or 8 so far, sold a few on ebay. It's not the quality, almost all the major brand ones are going to work fine. It's what you need and how fast you need it and what inconveniences you are willing to go through to get it.

I think you'd do as well looking through catalogs of bags and figuring out what would fit than asking for recomendations.

I ended up with a cheap bag from Calumet that stores my 5D and 4 lenses and 2 flashes. Perfect, no. So far the best for me, yes. I'd jump ship in a second but it's working. I also have a crappy bag I picked up used for $5 that I use for the body and a flash.

Bags with a laptop sleeve will limit your search quite a bit so it shouldn't be too hard.
posted by sully75 at 9:02 PM on June 15

Check this previous Ask question, which seems to be close to what you're asking.

But yeah. There are a handful really well respected bag makers for this stuff (Crumpler and Pelican immediately come to mind), and within these peoples' product lineups, you pretty much won't go wrong, so flip through their catalogues until you find something that looks to be the right combination of form+size+function for you.
They are a little pricy, but it ends up being a worthwhile investment, because the good ones will last forever.
posted by The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew at 9:02 PM on June 15

I have a Lowepro CompuDayPack, which fits my 17" dell laptop and D80 with room to spare. The only thing that doesn't work too well for me is the side mesh pockets, which aren't all that secure. It seems well made, and is pretty darn durable.
posted by pjern at 9:33 PM on June 15

The Lowe Pro Fastpack 250 has served me well for a half dozen trips back and forth across the US over the last six months. I like being able to just unsling one shoulder strap to get the camera out. Only one flight required me to check it at plane side, all other planes had overheads big enough that it fit comfortably. It's a bag that carries the camera with accessories - including a small combo clamp/tripod plus the laptop, power supply, GPS and odds and ends with room for a light windbreaker for me.
posted by X4ster at 10:17 PM on June 15

Seconding LowePro, their backpacks are the choice of several pro photographers I've met, for carrying a 15" macbook pro, full body size DSLR and some lenses.
posted by thewalrus at 11:34 PM on June 15

The Timbuk 2 seems to do the trick. The newer version of the bag has a separate compartment for the laptop - so it's different than what you're seeing in that photo, but worth looking at.

I use the Commute just as a laptop bag and it's great.
posted by backwards guitar at 4:04 AM on June 16

In addition to the above, (apart from Pelican. WTF?) I'd consider the pro-photo bag manafacturers Tamrac and Think Tank. There are also many smaller manafacturers. I've heard strong recommendations for Gura Gear

I've used a Think Tank large case, which was excellent, though I've never tried a backpack. Personally, I use a Crumpler shoulder bag, a slightly older version of this one, but I do find their backpacks rather tempting.
posted by Magnakai at 4:32 AM on June 16

Cannot speak highly enough of the Kata DR-467. On a recent trip I took my laptop, along with a DSLR, 3 lenses and the personal items needed for my flight, and it all fit under the seat. As a small person who doesn't like carrying much weight, this was the most ergonomic solution I could find for hauling all that stuff without too much stress on my back or shoulders. It has the advantage of not looking like a camera bag as well.
posted by bchaplin at 4:36 AM on June 16

I had a timbuk2 messenger and love it, but all the weight on one shoulder was horrible for me. Since then, I've been using a backpack and my back feels much better. Check out the Crumpler Sinking Barge/Customary Barge depending on the size of your laptop.
posted by Brian Puccio at 7:16 AM on June 16

Ditto bchaplin. I too have the Kata Dr-467, and I love it.
posted by kandinski at 8:13 AM on June 16

I have a Crumpler bag with a laptop sleeve pocket, back padding, and padded zip-out compartments in the front for a camera body and some lenses. I don't see it on their website, but it does a good job holding those things.
posted by booknerd at 9:29 AM on June 16