Looking for a good bag for the A1

[Maksim Yankovskiy]

After months of pain and suffering I am settling on MC61 as well. By the outside dimensions, it should be ok for carry-on (the limit is 43inches for the sum of all three dimensions, so the MC61 should be just a bit over).

Originally Posted by Robert Morane

I have the Kata Mc61, it has lots of room and is very well made. Its kind of half hard case half soft.
I carry my A1, a WA, Vidled Light, shotgun, wireless Lav and Rode Nt3. Still room for chargeurs, cables, tapes and filters.
I am told it is OK for onboard flight, but haven't try yet and a bit worry about it.
B&H sells it for $180 and includes a trolley.

[Robert Morane]

You will love it. Let me know about the carry on thing.

[Nathan Quattrini]

Had a hoorible experience going to Ritz Camera yesterday to check out backpacks. The A1 didn`t fit in ANY back pack without being a tight squeeze (too tight for my taste). I asked for help and the guy just kept asking "DId you try this one?" After I told him I tried what they had, and asked if he knew anything about other packs that weren`t there. So he took one down and opened it, re-arranged it and told me to try it. To humor him i put the cam mostly in but the eyepiece wouldn`t fit without breaking it off, and I told him again it was too big for the packs there...so he re-arranged and asked to see the camera, the first thing he did was try to take it by the mic piece...I refused to let it go and he looked at me like i was a mutant. He put his other hand under it after i didn`t let it go, and kept looking at me trying to take it, I told him to take it by the handle, "I`ve got it from underneath guy, I wouldn`t let it drop". "Don`t hold it by the mic, hold the handle " Again he glares at me" "Wow your pretty uhh..." "Listen I`m putting alot of money into this camera and I don`t want it broken." So he tries to put it in the bag again, again its STILL too big, he suggests pulling the eyepiece up to put it sideways, I say again the bag is too small, take my camera and walk out. Not a good place by any means for customer service.

Paul, are there any video shops around here that caryy video stuff more than SLR camera stuff? Also, they had the Dryzone 200, it seemed very heavy without anything in it. Do you know of a lighter version that size maybe?

[Paul Cronin]

Nathan I have had similar experience at Ritz camera in Warwick and Newport. They are not worth the time.

As for other shops in the area sorry to say I do not know of any. I purchased got the DryZone 200 direct from Lowepro and the ThinkTank direct also.

The DryZone is a little heavy when empty but it is due to all the padding and heavy construction which is excellent. But for lighter packs I do not know where you can go to try out. How about a train ride to NYC for B&H? I think about doing this at times just to check out new gear but have not invested the time yet.

[Bill Pryor]

I use the Petrol PCUB-1N. It has a large pouch on each side, and I get everything in them, including wireless mic, charger, etc.

A friend of mine got an XH A1 last week from Tapeworks Texas and got the free Camrade bag deal. I like that Camrade bag too. The camera itself actually fits in the main compartment better than my bag, and there's a nice tiedown strip in the bottom of the bag--you can loop it over the camera, and it velcros together. Nice to keep the camera from bouncing around. It's a little longer than the Petrol but not as wide because it has one full length pouch on one side. There's also a partition inside so you can put batteries, etc., behind the camera. I think it's easier to carry than the Petrol. It's also lighter weight but appears to be sturdy and well made. The Petrol has more structure, with hard end pieces and feet on the bottom, while the Camrade is more like a still camera bag. If you're going to be carrying the bag a lot, the Camrade might be better.

[Maksim Yankovskiy]

As far as I am concerned, the only thing I would ever buy from them are filters if I am pressed on time and can't order online.

A long time ago, there were Wolf Camera and Ritz Camera. I once bought a pretty expensive Canon SLR, with two L lenses, flash, the whole bang from Wolf Camera. The salesperson was a pro photographer himself and spent a lot of time explaining the details of the camera for me. He only had used 28-70 2.8L lens, which I wanted new, so he said, "Buy the used one, in the mean time I will order a new one for you, but you will at least have the used one for this week to shoot." He kept his promised and called me five days later saying that I could stop by to drop off the used lens and to pick up the new one.

Alas, these days are long gone. Every time I am at Ritz Camera, which is not often these days, I can't listen to how the sales guys sell the camera to less knowledgeable customers... It's just horrible. My experience with trying to find a backpack there ended up in disaster - for the sales guy. I just asked him to leave me alone, because he could not provide any more valuable information to me. Plus, the prices they charge are WAY more expensive that you would pay, if you ordered the same item from the web.

Originally Posted by Nathan Quattrini

Had a hoorible experience going to Ritz Camera yesterday to check out backpacks.

[Bill Pryor]

All those corporate stores are not worth going into for anything professional. It's like a mechanic trying to buy a quality wrench at Wal-Mart. If you luck out and get a clerk who actually knows something...well, he won't last long. I think in most corporate stores of any kind today there is a company policy against hiring competent, knowledgeable people. If you demonstrate accurate product knowledge in front of a manager, they might fire you.

[Maksim Yankovskiy]

Originally Posted by Bill Pryor

If you demonstrate accurate product knowledge in front of a manager, they might fire you.

Probably because that will make him worried you are aiming for his job.

[Kris Bird]

Slightly off topic, but I've been v impressed with Petrol ... In my case I needed to hold two, but the build quality of the bag is outstanding-

http://www.thehold.co.uk/misc/2x_XH-...DB-1_-_Top.jpg

If I was needing to house one cam, I wouldn't hesitate in picking up another Petrol- attention to detail top notch. I can't recommend a model/size unfortunately.

[Nathan Quattrini]

which model is that one?

I`m going to make a separate thread for the backpack hunt if thats ok with the mods. This thread is getting too hard to try and get separate answers.

[Oren Arieli]

With a bit o' luck, and a willingness to think outside the 'overpriced pro-gear' box, I think I found a solution for my XH-A1's tender-lovin' needs. No offense to the Porta-Brace's and Kata's (I own a Porta-Brace and love it!); I just couldn't justify another $200-300 bag just for the name-drop value. By the way, the camera thieves out there (may Karma catch up with them) know you've got expensive goodies in the bag by the name on the side. Who buys a $300 bag for a $500 single-chip camera?
So, the moral to my story is this: Went to Ross, bought a Targus rolling briefcase for $40, modified it by adding some foam to the bottom, and cutting the interior laptop-holding pad. Now I have a LOCKABLE, hard-side rolling carrier (with telescoping handle) that fits the A1 with my AT897 shotgun AND my wireless mic bracket attached. Its got room to spare (especially in height), and a front fold-down compartment suitable for batteries, charger...biz cards etc.
Ain't life grand?
Here's a link to the exact model I'm talking about: http://www.targus.com/us/product_det...p?sku=TBR001US

[Benno Reiss-Zimmermann]

i was looking for a backpack that would accept the a1. my research was pretty disappointing, since the camcorder is just too big for the average backpack.
finally i found the kata panda for sale at b&h. from the pics and the specs i guessed, that it would be big. haha. it's huge! i'm 6'6", but when wearing it, i look like a firstgrader. it's also not the pretties bag, but it has enough room for the a1, a glidecam2000, tripod, mic, laptop and lots of small accessories. plus, since it's a backpack, i can travel by bike, which was of upmost importance to me

[Nathan Quattrini]

how useful would roller wheels be do you think? I found this bag a bit cheaper still with rain cover and seemingly enough room for what I have, but no roller wheels/pull out handle.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...r_Bag_Kit.html

Just wish they weren`t all so bright and saying 'look at me! expensive equipment right here!' Is there any cloth safe spray paint out there that i could paint it black with :D

[Janiel Corona]

I'm actually thinking about purchasing a decent traveling backpack for my Canon XH-A1. Something that's small, not too bulky, and handles the camera and bare accessories, tapes, etc. without a problem.

I'm leaning toward the Kata R-103 right now.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc..._Rucksack.html

The price is right, but I'm still not 100% sure about it. I'd feel much better if I had a professional opinion.

Any help, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated, guys. Thanks!

[Jeff Price]

I'm also looking at the Kata R-103. I have a Lowepro Computrekker AW but don't like its fit, the shoulder straps are really placed too far apart making it uncomfortable to carry. It is also heavy (6 pounds) on its own.

There are many things one needs to think about for carry-on. First, rules vary between countries. The UK had much more stringent size restrictions for awhile but they have been relaxed somewhat (but still limited to ONE carry-on period). Many airlines are now imposing a 10 pound weight limit for carry-on bags. Thus, you may not want a bag that weighs 6 pounds when you can get one that weighs 3 (this is especially true in Europe and with low cost airlines, also in Brazil). You may get lucky and they won't weight your bag - or not, then you have to check your gear in a soft bag at the last minute.

Finally, note that some smaller commuter plains don't allow full-size carry-ons and gate check them - surprise!

So, the moral is to not push the size of the bag and be careful of the empty weight if you plan on travelling internationally with your kit. Or, take a chance on locking a pelican case and hoping the vibration doesn't hurt the camera (but then TSA loves to cut the locks of pelican cases, even TSA approved ones).

Jeff