What happened to me when I opened my camera bags was I got to realize that the big beautiful M Zuiko Digital ED 40-155mm F2.8 PRO lens for my E M-5 mirrorless Olympus was waaaaayyyy too heavy for me to handle any more with arthritis. So, it's a reality moment... and I need to pass it on to someone who can use it and love it. It's pristine and I've still got the box, too, not just the camera bags... so... Who needs it?
I so agree. It’s amazing how little gear you can get away with in the field. Occasionally I will leave a bag with an extra lens or two in the car…just in case. But mostly I head out with a camera and one lens around my neck or on a tripod over my shoulder. Everything else fits in a pocket or very small bag.
I feel ya... I go more than a bit overboard with overkill, "just in case". In my particular case it's more like half a truck full of lighting gear "just in case I have to do a life-style fashion shoot with no brief while taking a walk-overkill..." but I leave it in the car.
In all seriousness, I had 2 x ProfotoD2's, stands and a few modifiers in my trunk ALL THE TIME, just in case.... and a LiION battery to power them.... and a couple of "Good lenses"... and...
I am growing, I no longer put them in a bag... I just have them kinda sorta, near by.
You,ll laugh at this...
The last time I did a beauty/fashion lighting workshop at a buddies studio I shot him an email to tell him to keep an eye out for two rolls of seamless I was going to have shipped to him. He told me not to bother, he had it covered. I got there, ummm yeah, laid on a floor, flat, after being loosely rolled back up.... I will never admit to any of those pictures. The participants didn't notice the waves in the background. Me = I could not un-see them, ever. Still haunts me...
I do really need take a step back an breeeeeth...
But yes, my favorite pictures are still "plain old pictures".
Laptop backpack with a camera slide drawer. Perfect for everything in the city. I do have a monster of a bag that I use for studio or fashion shooting, but that's a whole different thing. Less is more, most of the time!
I went through this struggle for years, and got rid of my old camera bags, with two exceptions: my old LowePro slingshot, and the compact ThinkTank Airport International roller bag. Those are for dedicated photo travel. To go out photographing for a day, I have a few Tenba and Domke wraps and my Osprey hiking day pack. I also have a cushioned insert I can use for my Z7 and attached lens, which fits in almost any bag. I use it in my carry-on tote for short trips or when photography isn’t my primary activity for my travels. It’s nice to use something that doesn’t scream, “I’m carrying thousands of dollars of camera gear!”
Dang, you nailed that! I am at the first pocket camera and its little bag stage LOL. Also I just started storing some of my big lenses on a shelf as opposed in one of the numerous camera bags or modular cubes I have (always storage, never transport). And when I take the big camera out, it is with a long zoom lens plus the 1.8 35mm macro but that was getting too unruly and heavy for me hence the new pocket camera I just got.
My rationalization for YEARS of bringing WAY TOO MUCH stuff (and always using only a tiny bit of it) was, ummm at least it's not my 8x10 camera and tripod, and holders, and tripod, and portable darkroom stuff, and...
After 50+ years as a photographer I certainly have more gear than I need, but I have long followed your idea of packing a bag when I go out to photograph rather than storing complete collections in ever larger camera bags. I do take more than one lens since I frequently find myself discovering that I need wider or longer lenses to get what I want, but I never take all of the lenses for my Contax or Nikon RF systems, especially since the 1930's Zeiss lenses in their brass lens barrels weigh a lot.
So true! I have finally solved my camera bag acquisition addiction. Currently I shoot with my iPhone 17 Pro with the Leica Grip and Leica Lux app. It is always with me, and fits comfortably in my purse. Over the past twenty plus years, I have given away hundreds of dollars worth of bags. Right now, my Canon gear is neatly stowed in my Lowe Pro roller and on the shelves in my office. Yes I suffer from G.A.S., I love gadgets!
I kinda wish I could do that but I've tried... just not for me. For 35 or 40 years and TO THIS VERY DAY... I do go out with just a Leica M4 (and no an M10) with just one tiny lens. Heck most of my favorite family/kids pictures are that M4 and 50mm which I continued to shoot way past digital.
Funny how that works. I’ve been in seach of the perfect bag for, well, let’s just leave it at “a really long time.” At the moment, I’ve got a series of perfect bags. All differently perect, perfect for different needs, different situations. Also at the moment, I have no desire to look for another bag for any reason. But check in with me in a year or so—I may find a new “need.”
What happened to me when I opened my camera bags was I got to realize that the big beautiful M Zuiko Digital ED 40-155mm F2.8 PRO lens for my E M-5 mirrorless Olympus was waaaaayyyy too heavy for me to handle any more with arthritis. So, it's a reality moment... and I need to pass it on to someone who can use it and love it. It's pristine and I've still got the box, too, not just the camera bags... so... Who needs it?
I so agree. It’s amazing how little gear you can get away with in the field. Occasionally I will leave a bag with an extra lens or two in the car…just in case. But mostly I head out with a camera and one lens around my neck or on a tripod over my shoulder. Everything else fits in a pocket or very small bag.
I feel ya... I go more than a bit overboard with overkill, "just in case". In my particular case it's more like half a truck full of lighting gear "just in case I have to do a life-style fashion shoot with no brief while taking a walk-overkill..." but I leave it in the car.
In all seriousness, I had 2 x ProfotoD2's, stands and a few modifiers in my trunk ALL THE TIME, just in case.... and a LiION battery to power them.... and a couple of "Good lenses"... and...
I am growing, I no longer put them in a bag... I just have them kinda sorta, near by.
You,ll laugh at this...
The last time I did a beauty/fashion lighting workshop at a buddies studio I shot him an email to tell him to keep an eye out for two rolls of seamless I was going to have shipped to him. He told me not to bother, he had it covered. I got there, ummm yeah, laid on a floor, flat, after being loosely rolled back up.... I will never admit to any of those pictures. The participants didn't notice the waves in the background. Me = I could not un-see them, ever. Still haunts me...
I do really need take a step back an breeeeeth...
But yes, my favorite pictures are still "plain old pictures".
Laptop backpack with a camera slide drawer. Perfect for everything in the city. I do have a monster of a bag that I use for studio or fashion shooting, but that's a whole different thing. Less is more, most of the time!
The killer for me has always been lights and grip... and BIG HARD modifiers like some of my fav Mola's that can be like moving a refrigerator.
I’m so thankful studio rental here is so affordable, otherwise the bag would be even worse.
I went through this struggle for years, and got rid of my old camera bags, with two exceptions: my old LowePro slingshot, and the compact ThinkTank Airport International roller bag. Those are for dedicated photo travel. To go out photographing for a day, I have a few Tenba and Domke wraps and my Osprey hiking day pack. I also have a cushioned insert I can use for my Z7 and attached lens, which fits in almost any bag. I use it in my carry-on tote for short trips or when photography isn’t my primary activity for my travels. It’s nice to use something that doesn’t scream, “I’m carrying thousands of dollars of camera gear!”
Dang, you nailed that! I am at the first pocket camera and its little bag stage LOL. Also I just started storing some of my big lenses on a shelf as opposed in one of the numerous camera bags or modular cubes I have (always storage, never transport). And when I take the big camera out, it is with a long zoom lens plus the 1.8 35mm macro but that was getting too unruly and heavy for me hence the new pocket camera I just got.
My rationalization for YEARS of bringing WAY TOO MUCH stuff (and always using only a tiny bit of it) was, ummm at least it's not my 8x10 camera and tripod, and holders, and tripod, and portable darkroom stuff, and...
After 50+ years as a photographer I certainly have more gear than I need, but I have long followed your idea of packing a bag when I go out to photograph rather than storing complete collections in ever larger camera bags. I do take more than one lens since I frequently find myself discovering that I need wider or longer lenses to get what I want, but I never take all of the lenses for my Contax or Nikon RF systems, especially since the 1930's Zeiss lenses in their brass lens barrels weigh a lot.
So true! I have finally solved my camera bag acquisition addiction. Currently I shoot with my iPhone 17 Pro with the Leica Grip and Leica Lux app. It is always with me, and fits comfortably in my purse. Over the past twenty plus years, I have given away hundreds of dollars worth of bags. Right now, my Canon gear is neatly stowed in my Lowe Pro roller and on the shelves in my office. Yes I suffer from G.A.S., I love gadgets!
I kinda wish I could do that but I've tried... just not for me. For 35 or 40 years and TO THIS VERY DAY... I do go out with just a Leica M4 (and no an M10) with just one tiny lens. Heck most of my favorite family/kids pictures are that M4 and 50mm which I continued to shoot way past digital.
Funny how that works. I’ve been in seach of the perfect bag for, well, let’s just leave it at “a really long time.” At the moment, I’ve got a series of perfect bags. All differently perect, perfect for different needs, different situations. Also at the moment, I have no desire to look for another bag for any reason. But check in with me in a year or so—I may find a new “need.”