LocalHero1953 Posted November 6, 2013 Share #1 Posted November 6, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) A couple of weeks ago I was walking down Titterstone Clee (for strangers to England's landscape, that's a hill) in Shropshire with my M9, 75mm 'cron and 28mm Elmarit in a Domke F5XB over my shoulder, hanging at my back. It was a wet day, and at one point my heels disappeared from under me. I missed all the rocks, but landed hard on the bag, which sank into the soft tissue (of which I have plenty) around my kidney. Once I'd got my breath back, I found the camera and lenses entirely undamaged. My back, however, took 10 days to recover from the deep bruising. Clearly the Domke bag is totally inadequate for protection of humans from their cameras. You are warned. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sc_rufctr Posted November 6, 2013 Share #2 Posted November 6, 2013 Sounds awful but for what it's worth, you'll heal but the camera wont so all in all a pretty good result But seriously be careful dude. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wattsy Posted November 6, 2013 Share #3 Posted November 6, 2013 That was very unlucky to happen when out walking but it is a good warning to those who like cycling with a camera bag slung over the shoulder or in a rucksack. I still do it occasionally but I do so knowing that I'm running a risk of ending up in Stoke Mandeville if I come a cropper. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted November 6, 2013 Author Share #4 Posted November 6, 2013 Well, maybe I dramatised it a bit , but it was painful for while, and my wife thought it was funny! More seriously, I looked at the Domke case to see if there were any design lessons. It is padded front, back and base, but the waxed cotton material allows a lot of flexibility and doesn't mask the lumps of metal inside. The ends are not padded, which is a concern for protection of the contents, and further reduce the rigidity of the bag. A nylon or leather bag, or one with stiffer padding, might make a stiffer bag which would pose less of a risk to the owner and contents alike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyalf Posted November 6, 2013 Share #5 Posted November 6, 2013 "It was a wet day". In England? Really? Sorry for trying to be smug, I'm currently covered in snow to my legs with 5 hours of daylight here in Norway. Glad to hear that you and camera gear survived. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tobey bilek Posted November 7, 2013 Share #6 Posted November 7, 2013 Guns holstered in small of your back do similar damage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted November 7, 2013 Share #7 Posted November 7, 2013 Advertisement (gone after registration) Thanks for the warning, but it came too late for me . Your Domke is very nice to see and wear. However I said goodbye to my Domkes half a year ago in favor of Billingham because the Domkes were too noisy for me and the metal parts of it were sooner or later a risk for my gear. In Billinghams everything is soft and they will never give scratches anywhere on my equipment. They are completely silent, no metal, no velcro. I doubt however whether it would have protected my back more than Domke in such an accident as you had. Perhaps a little bit because of the foam shield at the back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted November 8, 2013 Share #8 Posted November 8, 2013 I'm with Otto. Domkes are good basic bags - but Billinghams are far better. Any bag made by Billingham is a bag that should be thought of as an investment that will last a lifetime, provided you do not drag it behind your vehicle on regular basis. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted November 8, 2013 Author Share #9 Posted November 8, 2013 I'll be saying goodbye to mine as well. Not for this incident, but because I don't think the protection is sufficient. I had previously removed the Velcro and replaced it with magnetic catches, but noisy Velcro is definitely an issue as well. Currently exploring a custom leather bag with Crumpler Haven insert. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_n Posted November 15, 2013 Share #10 Posted November 15, 2013 Glad to hear both you and the gear survived without any lasting damage. I use two Domke and two Domke clone bags and won't be selling any of them. My Safrotto bags (Domke clones) have much better inserts and actually saved my camera/lens in a bad fall on concrete years ago. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Albertson Posted November 19, 2013 Share #11 Posted November 19, 2013 Is this the start of another "proper shoes to go out photographing" thread? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
otto.f Posted November 19, 2013 Share #12 Posted November 19, 2013 Is this the start of another "proper shoes to go out photographing" thread? Much more interesting indeed than what new lens I should buy, or should I buy the latest Leica camera. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted November 19, 2013 Author Share #13 Posted November 19, 2013 Yep, I've also bought new boots (Keen)! - the tread on the old ones (Raichle) had gone. But I can't be bothered to post photos of them, new or old. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted November 20, 2013 Share #14 Posted November 20, 2013 Boots are a good start... Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/216099-bag-failure-damage-caused-cautionary-tale/?do=findComment&comment=2469471'>More sharing options...
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