Camcorder bags? at DVinfo.net

Stewart McDonald · June 7th, 2003, 07:10 AM

http://www.warehouseexpress.com/phot...orderbags.html

Thinking of getting the Vidcam 6, as you can get it in black, and it will probably have extra room to store stuff along with my XM2. Do you think this will be ok? or too big. Should I go for the Vidcam 5 instead?

Thanks

Mogens Dahl Pallesen · June 7th, 2003, 08:50 AM

Hi Stewart

I have been looking for a bag for my XM2 for a while. There has been a lot of "Bag discussing" in this forum, which I have read. I wanted to go for the Kata cc101 or maybe 102, but unfortunately it does'nt seems to be available in Denmark. As my need for a bag now is urgent I thought - OK let me orderer Lowepro Vidcam 6, so I can get it before my holiday starts.

I got it a couple of days ago and I must say that I am dissapointed. Its a huge bag. When I load it with the XM2, the charger, several cables, DM 50, Videolight Li10, 2xDB945 batteries, lens hood, remote controller, 5xDV tape - and the bag i still half empty. There is room left for at least the same amount of equipment once again. It is just too big for me - Ok this has nothing to do with the quality of the bag - just the size is too big.

But other things was also dissapointing:
There is only one removable room divider and only one place where you can fix a room divider to welcro (welcro is covering 1/3 of the lenght in the right side). In my opinion it should have been possible to place a divider along the long side of the bag, because the bag is deep. (It is almost possible to place 2 XM2 side by side. There is one big front pocket, but it has no build-in schock-absorbent foam.

Other things such as the shoulder strap, the two small mesh side pockets, the zippers and owerall finish seems OK. But I am a little worried that it will be too flappy in the long run, because of the big size and the fact that the build-in schock-absorbent foam is quite thin.

I think I will return it and maybe get the Vidcam 5 in stead or maybe a bag of another make.

regards
Mogens

Graham Bernard · June 7th, 2003, 10:17 AM

Yup - saw the Lowepro stuff - htought thought they were excellent bags - can't believe the price of the LP 5/6. The 6 is for the larger XL1 - They say the 5 is for the GL1 - yeah could be correct for the GL2 - don't know....

Anyway my KATA loves my XM2, cuddles up to it. It's got hard plastic in between the foam. Keeps it feeling mechanically sound and protective - not floppy at all. Nice big shoulder strap and the "access" flap gets me strasight into the guts of the bag itself. Pack loads in there. And it doesn't "look" like a camera bag. Looks like I'm coming back from the gym with my smelling trainers and even smellier shorts - get the picture?

Oh yes, I had an oppotunity to put the bag with the XM2 inside, through the London test: I got caught between the doors of a London Underground train! Yup, you got it the KATA bag wouldn't let the doors close. of course I felt like a real twit - BUT BUT BUT, Kata kept the doors away from XM2 - phew!

Regards

Grazie

Frank Granovski · June 7th, 2003, 12:21 PM

The Lowepro Nova series bags have more padding and more pockets, though they cost more money. For the GL2, I'd go for the Nova 5 or Nova 6, depending on how much other stuff you want to put in. I have a Lowepro Nova 5 and Vidcam 2. With the Vidcam 2, I lined the inside of the bag with 1" packaging foam, for extra padding---if you don't do this, the Vidcam bag will sag.

http://www.dvfreak.com/bags.htm

Here's the Lowepro website:

http://www.lowepro.com

Boyd Ostroff · June 7th, 2003, 02:19 PM

I have both a Vidcam 5 and Vidcam 6. I use the Vidcam 5 for my PDX-10, which is a small camcorder, smaller than your GL-2 I'd imagine, but it has additional accessories like the XLR box and external mike. Plus I have a bunch of filters, wide angle lens, LCD hood, cleaning kit, blank tapes, etc in there. But it's full to the brim. I think you'll be a little tight with the GL-2, especially if you have very many accessories. But if you found the Vidcam 6 too large, it might be worth a try.

I use the Vidcam 6 for a Sony VX-2000 along with a wide lens (which is pretty big), a Beachtek adaptor box, two large batteries, filters, etc. It still has room to spare, and I can easily toss my Nikon 990 in there if I also want to take stills.

Very happy with both of these bags and the price was reasonable... got them both at local camera stores. But they are very basic, without lots of compartments or packing foam, etc. Personally I like this approach. But certainly wouldn't want to ship a camera in such a bag.

This is a tough thing to mail order unless you're already familiar with a particular model. I've been through 3 different bags for the PDX-10. The first two appeared they would be large enough, but in reality were too tight to fit the camera and all its accessories. It's really difficult to estimate how large a bag you need (at least it is for me :-) and you also get into lots of personal likes and dislikes.

Matthew Flesher · June 8th, 2003, 11:04 AM

If you like a backpack style bag, I just picked up a Tamrac Expedition 5 (model 5275) bag for my GL2. It was a little pricer than I wanted ($180), but I like to be able to have all my extras on me when I am wandering around a crowded event and shooting.

Anyway, I think it is a great bag. The GL2 fits right up the middle and has a velcro strap that helps securit in there. Then there are adjustable compartments all along both sides of the cam. There are two clear pockets on the inside of the cover and a roomy pocket on the outside of the bag for cables and what not. Plus there are starps on the outside for a small tripod (although a tripod that small would probably not be sufficient for the GL2), plus Tamrac has a bunch of accessoriy bags that can easily attach to various locations on the Expedition 5 (lens pouches, filter pouches, water bottle, etc). It also has thick, comfy shoulder straps and a chest strap too, to relieve some of the pressure.

Here is there website if you want to check it out.

http://www.tamrac.com/welcome.htm

Stewart McDonald · June 10th, 2003, 08:43 AM

Just ordered the Lowepro Vidcam 5. Will get it tomorrow so I'll tell you what I think.

Can't argue for £30 ($45)

Vince Skinner · June 10th, 2003, 09:30 AM

I went to RitzCamera and they had a lot of camera bags. But only one of them was large enough to fit the GL2. It was 80$ and a little bulky. I saw some lowpro bags, but they were also too small to fit the GL2. I went to Fred Meyer and checked in the camping gear. I found a small bag that is padded to the same thickness as the lowpro bags. It was only 30$, so I bought it. It has extra storage for tapes and batteries. Just FYI for those of you out there that don't want to spend a lot on a bag. :)

Vince

Benjamin Taft · June 10th, 2003, 11:08 AM

<<<-- Originally posted by Vince Skinner : I found a small bag that is padded to the same thickness as the lowpro bags. It was only 30$, so I bought it. It has extra storage for tapes and batteries. -->>>

I'm looking for something similar, just to keep the camera clean and padded and then stick it in my regular backpack. What was the "intended" usage of the bag that you bought?

Vince Skinner · June 10th, 2003, 02:33 PM

The bag is meant for carrying delicate camping equipment(A Very Small Propane stove, a light fixture, and a flashlight. It's a little smaller than a briefcase and is carried like one. It has straps to hold everything in place. It also has dividers. Those two things sold me. Plus, it's padded just as well as other camera bags i've seen.

V

June 7th, 2003, 07:10 AM	#1
Stewart McDonald Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: UK Posts: 130	Camcorder bags? http://www.warehouseexpress.com/phot...orderbags.html Thinking of getting the Vidcam 6, as you can get it in black, and it will probably have extra room to store stuff along with my XM2. Do you think this will be ok? or too big. Should I go for the Vidcam 5 instead? Thanks

June 7th, 2003, 08:50 AM	#2
Mogens Dahl Pallesen New Boot Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: DK-8680, Ry, Denmark Posts: 12	Hi Stewart I have been looking for a bag for my XM2 for a while. There has been a lot of "Bag discussing" in this forum, which I have read. I wanted to go for the Kata cc101 or maybe 102, but unfortunately it does'nt seems to be available in Denmark. As my need for a bag now is urgent I thought - OK let me orderer Lowepro Vidcam 6, so I can get it before my holiday starts. I got it a couple of days ago and I must say that I am dissapointed. Its a huge bag. When I load it with the XM2, the charger, several cables, DM 50, Videolight Li10, 2xDB945 batteries, lens hood, remote controller, 5xDV tape - and the bag i still half empty. There is room left for at least the same amount of equipment once again. It is just too big for me - Ok this has nothing to do with the quality of the bag - just the size is too big. But other things was also dissapointing: There is only one removable room divider and only one place where you can fix a room divider to welcro (welcro is covering 1/3 of the lenght in the right side). In my opinion it should have been possible to place a divider along the long side of the bag, because the bag is deep. (It is almost possible to place 2 XM2 side by side. There is one big front pocket, but it has no build-in schock-absorbent foam. Other things such as the shoulder strap, the two small mesh side pockets, the zippers and owerall finish seems OK. But I am a little worried that it will be too flappy in the long run, because of the big size and the fact that the build-in schock-absorbent foam is quite thin. I think I will return it and maybe get the Vidcam 5 in stead or maybe a bag of another make. regards Mogens __________________ MDP

June 7th, 2003, 10:17 AM	#3
Graham Bernard Old Boot Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: London UK Posts: 3,633	KATA 102 Here! Yup - saw the Lowepro stuff - htought thought they were excellent bags - can't believe the price of the LP 5/6. The 6 is for the larger XL1 - They say the 5 is for the GL1 - yeah could be correct for the GL2 - don't know.... Anyway my KATA loves my XM2, cuddles up to it. It's got hard plastic in between the foam. Keeps it feeling mechanically sound and protective - not floppy at all. Nice big shoulder strap and the "access" flap gets me strasight into the guts of the bag itself. Pack loads in there. And it doesn't "look" like a camera bag. Looks like I'm coming back from the gym with my smelling trainers and even smellier shorts - get the picture? Oh yes, I had an oppotunity to put the bag with the XM2 inside, through the London test: I got caught between the doors of a London Underground train! Yup, you got it the KATA bag wouldn't let the doors close. of course I felt like a real twit - BUT BUT BUT, Kata kept the doors away from XM2 - phew! Regards Grazie

June 8th, 2003, 11:04 AM	#6
Matthew Flesher New Boot Join Date: May 2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 11	If you like a backpack style bag, I just picked up a Tamrac Expedition 5 (model 5275) bag for my GL2. It was a little pricer than I wanted ($180), but I like to be able to have all my extras on me when I am wandering around a crowded event and shooting. Anyway, I think it is a great bag. The GL2 fits right up the middle and has a velcro strap that helps securit in there. Then there are adjustable compartments all along both sides of the cam. There are two clear pockets on the inside of the cover and a roomy pocket on the outside of the bag for cables and what not. Plus there are starps on the outside for a small tripod (although a tripod that small would probably not be sufficient for the GL2), plus Tamrac has a bunch of accessoriy bags that can easily attach to various locations on the Expedition 5 (lens pouches, filter pouches, water bottle, etc). It also has thick, comfy shoulder straps and a chest strap too, to relieve some of the pressure. Here is there website if you want to check it out. http://www.tamrac.com/welcome.htm __________________ Chief

June 7th, 2003, 12:21 PM	#4
Frank Granovski Outer Circle Join Date: May 2002 Location: Hope, BC Posts: 7,524	The Lowepro Nova series bags have more padding and more pockets, though they cost more money. For the GL2, I'd go for the Nova 5 or Nova 6, depending on how much other stuff you want to put in. I have a Lowepro Nova 5 and Vidcam 2. With the Vidcam 2, I lined the inside of the bag with 1" packaging foam, for extra padding---if you don't do this, the Vidcam bag will sag. http://www.dvfreak.com/bags.htm Here's the Lowepro website: http://www.lowepro.com

June 7th, 2003, 02:19 PM	#5
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I have both a Vidcam 5 and Vidcam 6. I use the Vidcam 5 for my PDX-10, which is a small camcorder, smaller than your GL-2 I'd imagine, but it has additional accessories like the XLR box and external mike. Plus I have a bunch of filters, wide angle lens, LCD hood, cleaning kit, blank tapes, etc in there. But it's full to the brim. I think you'll be a little tight with the GL-2, especially if you have very many accessories. But if you found the Vidcam 6 too large, it might be worth a try. I use the Vidcam 6 for a Sony VX-2000 along with a wide lens (which is pretty big), a Beachtek adaptor box, two large batteries, filters, etc. It still has room to spare, and I can easily toss my Nikon 990 in there if I also want to take stills. Very happy with both of these bags and the price was reasonable... got them both at local camera stores. But they are very basic, without lots of compartments or packing foam, etc. Personally I like this approach. But certainly wouldn't want to ship a camera in such a bag. This is a tough thing to mail order unless you're already familiar with a particular model. I've been through 3 different bags for the PDX-10. The first two appeared they would be large enough, but in reality were too tight to fit the camera and all its accessories. It's really difficult to estimate how large a bag you need (at least it is for me :-) and you also get into lots of personal likes and dislikes.

June 10th, 2003, 08:43 AM	#7
Stewart McDonald Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: UK Posts: 130	Just ordered the Lowepro Vidcam 5. Will get it tomorrow so I'll tell you what I think. Can't argue for £30 ($45)

June 10th, 2003, 09:30 AM	#8
Vince Skinner Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Woods Cross Posts: 32	I went to RitzCamera and they had a lot of camera bags. But only one of them was large enough to fit the GL2. It was 80$ and a little bulky. I saw some lowpro bags, but they were also too small to fit the GL2. I went to Fred Meyer and checked in the camping gear. I found a small bag that is padded to the same thickness as the lowpro bags. It was only 30$, so I bought it. It has extra storage for tapes and batteries. Just FYI for those of you out there that don't want to spend a lot on a bag. :) Vince

June 10th, 2003, 11:08 AM	#9
Benjamin Taft Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Gothenburg, Sweden Posts: 52	<<<-- Originally posted by Vince Skinner : I found a small bag that is padded to the same thickness as the lowpro bags. It was only 30$, so I bought it. It has extra storage for tapes and batteries. -->>> I'm looking for something similar, just to keep the camera clean and padded and then stick it in my regular backpack. What was the "intended" usage of the bag that you bought?

June 10th, 2003, 02:33 PM	#10
Vince Skinner Regular Crew Join Date: May 2003 Location: Woods Cross Posts: 32	The bag is meant for carrying delicate camping equipment(A Very Small Propane stove, a light fixture, and a flashlight. It's a little smaller than a briefcase and is carried like one. It has straps to hold everything in place. It also has dividers. Those two things sold me. Plus, it's padded just as well as other camera bags i've seen. V