I often end up here, with a Domke camera bag as the best, maybe the only solution.
Big statement, but considering the realities of online bag purchasing, long term satisfaction and general useability, they are just the best option for me, but please find your own way as suits.
How did I get here?
The First Bags
The F-2, “The Original” Domke was my first serious camera bag.
It was bought sometime in the early 1980’s, the same time I bought my first Manfrotto tripod, the venerable 055 (also still going, but sold to a friend for $50). This was the time of manual focus, sometimes even fully mechanical cameras (Canon F1’s, T90’s), black and white film (Tri-X, FP4) and gear bought for a distant future.
It was the time of Domke, Billingham and early Lowe Pro and to be honest, not much else.
The F-2 has fallen away these days, as it does not provide the best shape for my current gear, but to honest, if I only had one bag this could be fine and it is still used for transporting lighting gear. My main issue with it is height. I like my gear to be at the ready these days, longer lenses included. The boxy F-2 was designed for cameras with medium range primes on and teles packed separately.
F-6 “little bit smaller” was my second bag, taken as payment for a job when working at a camera store/studio in the 1990’s. My wife dyed it for me from sand to a mottled brown (trying for black, the weatherproofing fought back). It ending up looking something like the brown rugged wear ones of today, so go us. It went to a photographer friend who wanted a cool day bag.
This period was not all Domke. I remember having the enormous LP Commercial, several smaller bags, some generics, but the only ones that made it out of this period were Domkes.
Going Bag Nuts
Following my slow beginnings, came a period of working in camera shops, loving and buying all thins photographic and with decent pricing and availlability a massive gear merry-go-round, something that has not yet really stopped, but I hope my purchases have become more head, not heart based.
The F-8 (rugged brown or maybe green?) was a little disappointing, literally a very little F3x. Bought from the image which made it look like a bigger bag, I just did not realise how small it was (the hint was the relativey huge label attached to it). If I needed a single camera with standard lens and accessories only, then it would be fine, as would an F5 of some sort. Sold on soon after and my only dissapointlemnt with Domke, but really my own fault.
F-3x. I have actually had three of these (green, nylon, rugged green). They are the epitomy of “old school” in design and function. The F-2 was the two camera, four lens bag, the F3x is the one camera, three lens model. I love it, but find it nearly useless for M43 gear without some major accessorising. Can’t see myself without my last one, a special edition green rugged wear from Bic Camera in Japan and wish I kept the nylon one, but I also struggle to find a use for them. If an EM1x, 40-150, 8-18 and 12-40 were my kit, it would actually be ideal, but it was designed for bullet proof, manual focus stuff like an old FM2, 180, 85, 35, 20 kit.
Another F-6 (green), likely from one of the sales at Photovideo Extras in the ACT, which is where I grabbed most of these. I remember trying several F3, F5 and small bags thanks to these clearances, but strangely the still surviving F3 came from Japan, my old F2 from a now defunct local shop and my first F6 from another defunct local shop.
F-5B. Had at least two of these (green, nylon, maybe a black) and for a small camera and 2-3 small lenses (85 f1.8 sized), they are neat, just a little small, almost handbag like. I like the zip top opening. Sold all that I had, but chased a special edition green with leather trim for a while. Need to stop that.
F-5xc. I have had more than one of these, a nylon, green canvas and black canvas. They are great if you want a slim, low profile bag that carries a surprising amount. Once, for a dare I came in to the store with a 5d2, 85 f1.8, 35L, 70-200 f4L, 50 macro in one. Clever bag, but limited and gear is usually broken down and I removed the front velcro which was a little too efficient. Watch the rugged wear one, because it lacks the useful front access flap to keep it weatherproof.
Again, these Domke bags were only a part of the story. LP Flipside 400, Pro Messenger 200, some Billinghams, Filsons, generics, the odd Crumpler, lots of inserts and others all shared this space, but again only the Filson and Domke bags survived.
The New Era
The F-802 satchel is the main one now and to be brutally honest was the first bag I purchased since my very first Domke, simply to fill an actual, practical role, not just because my imagination ran away with me. M43 cameras can generally tolerate slim bags, and the satchel shape takes height and weight well. I have basically evolved from boxy to slab shaped. My current one just keeps delivering as the all purpose day bag for my current job. It is however too small for the news kit I am intending to use, so the search for a bigger bag was started and guess what? After a few days of fruitless searching and a mis-purchase or two, another Domke came to the rescue.
At that perfect age where it feels worn in, with minimal sign of wearing out, like a favourite pair of jeans. Shame it is just a little skinny to accomodate a very square camera face down, with laptop etc as well.
F-804. The great hope. Footprint of a F1x, height of an F802, this one, now discontinued was a find and hopefully a problem solver. A marriage of boxy and slab shaped, it will be my pro kit with daily extras bag.
F-901/2 bags. These are added to the F802 as needed, giving it potentailly four large pockets and one or two are on the list for the F804 once I see the true size of it.
Again, others share this space. I literally have a dozen of the “same bags only different” floating around, none of which are perfect, nor useless. The Crumplers, Think Tank Turnstyle 10, Neewer Backpack, the Filsons, some generics and hard cases, all share the load as the mood takes me, but bag number one is always a Domke.
The Future
The F808, discontinued, but a few around, the F1x, maybe an F803 or F5B special edition? Not sure. One issue is I will never wear out the ones I have, so I am only buying out of curiosity or to hoard old models soon gone forever. I have also got my eye on the 217 rolling tote.
On Other Bags
The Filson Camera Field Bag (caramel) and medium Field Bag (otter green) are good, better made even than Domke (somewhere between Domke retro and Billingham stately), but less thought out photographically. Some Nat Geo photogs had a hand in their two camera bag designs and they are lovely, but designed for a specific kit, not my kit. I will hang on to both bags as selling them would be a retrograde move (irreplaceable collectables now especially at todays prices) and these are pleasant, just not core options.
Just a gorgeous bag really, but not the first choice for every day work.
Lowe Pro have been given a good go sometimes hitting the mark (Pro Messenger 200, Flipside 400) and sometimes missing (Pro Tactic 350), but they seldom stick for one reason or another.
Crumpler. These Australian bags are often like a new age Domke. They are new tech not old, pretty not rustic, but practical and honest, just like their American cousins. Even after a half dozen or so, I usually end up selling/gifting them, not sure why. The little one and new Muli are nice and useful, so they will stay….. probably.
A nice, practical bag, useful and reasonable value, but it added nothing to a bagoholics arsenal except a nice “presentable” option.
Think Tank/Mindshift. The Turnstyle aside, my initial love of the Retrospective series turned cold, so cold that even when the shop I was working at had the leather special edition ones for under $100 for staff, I was still not tempted. The Retrospective 20 or 30 did blip the radar again on my recent quest, but for the price, they just seemed like a less certain bet than another Domke and they always seem too soft/crammed internally in most images (these are one of the biggest offenders for what fits theoretically vs what fits practically).
Billingham. I have had them, used them and moved on from them. They take a long time to wear in and even longer to wear out, but look “nice”, even if more dated than the Domkes. For me they are less useful than you would imagine. I feel today, the company (and its’ many clones) is catering more for the huge and growing Asian hobbyist market where they seem very on-trend, but to me they are just dated, a bit twee even.
Wotan Craft. This small Korean company made a bag, no, they made “the” bag for a short while (The “Safari”). Long gone from their catalogue, but not my memory it will always go down as the one that got away. To be clear, they are expensive even by todays standards, but over ten years ago when I first discovered them, it was just astronomical ($500+ U.S when a Billingham was $250au). Still, I have regrets. They do one now called the “Trooper” which comes close, but again, enough money to buy a decent lens.
If Filson, Billingham and Indiana Jones had a love child…………
The others, like ONA, Manfrotto, Tenba, Tamrac etc are always hovering, but to honest, I have more than enough brands to do my head in. ONA, like Think Tank were all the go for a while, but they are over padded and too rigid for my liking and I have read plenty of mixed reports about their quality and service for the money (Filson fix damaged bags no questions asked, something others could learn from).
Generic bags, modified for use like Timbuk2, hand made leather or canvas satchels and even fishing bags (where Jim Domke and Billingham got their inspiration). I like this idea and have put several good bags into service (and still do). This space is a comfort when pondering small and expansive bags like Billinghams or when travelling for both security and general handiness. Cameras bags are rarely made with other purposes in mind, other bags can often dual role better. They always rely on a decent insert, the Tenba in particular, so I have a few of these up my sleeve.
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At the end of the day, out of the brands I have used, only Domke, Filson and Billingham bags age well, even desirably. Most others just look worn out, dirty and dated, about when these three are just starting to look good and as the months go on, the difference increases. Domke has the distinction of being timeless (never beautiful, always workman like), more gear practical and cheaper than the other two brands, so for me, they are the first port of call.