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New CL owner--looking for a good bag


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After reading so many favorable comments about the CL on this forum, I decided to take the plunge. I was lucky to find a mint used body at a great price and am also getting the TL 23 f2 and 35 f1.4. I have a decent collection of M and R prime lenses, but I plan to use this camera primarily in AF mode.

So, I am asking for suggestions regarding a nice shoulder bag that would accommodate the kit mentioned above plus a few accessories (e.g. a SF 26 flash). I would like for the bag to be compact, lightweight and not too rigid.

Thanks, Rob

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I have both the 5L and 10L Peak Sling bags. I use both depending on what I'm taking.

For the 10L it's the CL + 23mm + 18-56 + 2 spare batteries + spare memory card + mini tripod + Nitecore charger + iPad + iPhone + spare glasses + snacks.

For the 5L it's CL + either of the lenses + spare battery + spare memory card + spare glasses.

I also have an old Billingham from the 80's that also gets use from time-to-time.

The Peak 10L Sling though is the dog's whats-its.

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So I have switched bags like dozens of times - and last year finally decided I wanted something that was light weight and not stiff, that can hold my camera gear and an iPad or small laptop, and doesn’t look like a camera bag.   That was very important to me  

I switched to a Timbuktu lightweight flight messenger bag,  and use a Billingham Hadley insert.  Billingham has a few insert sizes to suit various needs.  I use the small insert, and it holds the CL with 3 lenses, and I still have room on the sides for batteries, flash, strap, blower, etc  

I like it better than other ThinkTank and Ona and other leather or waxed canvas bags I’ve had.  I finally realized that having a heavy *empty* bag was a bad place to begin.   Most photo bags that look sharp are not lightweight.  A heavy bag literally becomes a real drag for me.

the Timbuktu is super light - and not rigid (and it’s very inexpensive). The Hadley insert keeps things organized for easy access, and it has enough padding/protection for my CL system.

The Timbuktu also fits my MacBook or iPad, and it doesn’t look at all like a camera bag.  Fully loaded, it’s still fairly lightweight.  

I can remove the Hadley insert and use the bag for other general purposes, and can still throw my CL in it, covered in the (inexpensive) Leica neoprene case. 

This may not be for everyone - but I am, at least for the moment, over the top happy with it.  Because it’s so light - I don’t mind bringing it with me more often than not.  

I hope this is helpful.  Cheers.

 

 

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48 minutes ago, DGP said:

I switched to a Timbuktu lightweight flight messenger bag,  and use a Billingham Hadley insert.

Would you mind posting a picture? Wonder how well the insert fits.

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Peak design Sling 5l holds my CL with 35 f1.4 plus an 11-23 vario and an elmarit-M 90 with M-L adapter....still plenty of room for batteries and cards etc .......Fab quality and I even sometimes hang the Telyt R 250 on a peak capture clip on the outside

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The Peak Design Sling 5L has been my standard bag for the CL kit for some time too. But I've also used a Black Label Bag "Oskar's One Day Bag Mark II" and lately the Wotancraft "Mini Rider" ... This latter is a little simpler than the PD Sling 5L; it absolutely does not move around when I'm carrying while riding a bicycle or motorcycle. Camera and two to three lenses fits in either of these two, where the BLB Oskar's will hold a good bit more.

 

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Most Leica M bags are also suitable for CL+lenses as the dimensions are similar, if lighter in weight.  Bags are available in a range of sizes depending on how many lenses and accessories you want to bring along.  I wanted a compact, elegant bag for taking the camera and one lens to social functions and bought the Oberwerth Bayreuth.  Quality is excellent.  It fits the CL somewhat better again than the M 240, with either the 23 or 35 attached.  Might be worth checking out if your needs are similar.

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do as my friend done, he took all his gear to a shop and filled up a few bags and ended up buying 2. A mothership for everything including batts laptop charger etc and he bought a vessel bag for hiking, both billingham.

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I have an ancient LowePro Terraclime 100 bag that is virtually identical to the Timbuk2 Flight Messenger bag in M size. It has no structure in it, so I can fold it up and add it to any larger bag when I'm traveling, and a set of A&A pockets for the ACAM 1000 fit it nicely and lay out flat for carrying in larger luggage. It's not quite big enough for a MacBook Air 13", but it fits my iPad Pro 11" very nicely. It's gone around the world and around the USA several times. 

The Timbuk2 Especial Stash Messenger bag is a larger bag with more features, also a good pick if you want a versatile carryall. 

Bags are a never ending subject, you know. :D

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5 hours ago, Marac said:

do as my friend done, he took all his gear to a shop and filled up a few bags and ended up buying 2. A mothership for everything including batts laptop charger etc and he bought a vessel bag for hiking, both billingham.

What shop? There are no serious camera stores where I live, and I have no planned trips to big cities in the near future. Ten years ago, we had two very good shops. Damn you, internet!

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My Domke F6 Little Bit Smaller fits my: 

  • CL,
  • 18mm,
  • 11-23mm,
  • 55-135mm,
  • battery,
  • a Manfrotto EVO 2
  • a Cokin Medium P Series 6 Filter Pouch

with room to add two(!) more lenses as well as other small bits in both the front and back pockets.

It's smaller than my other messengers (Manfrotto Windsor and ThinkTank Retrospective 7) yet somehow fits more inside it and is easier to get in and out of.

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Great topic, I'm on the hunt for a bag myself.  I want small enough that I want to take it to the zoo on a hot day and carry either only the camera, or only the camera plus one additional lens.  With a toddler in tow, we have enough other stuff to carry too...  but I would like a bag that had room for my 11 inch iPad Pro on the occasion I want to take it.

 Some weather proofing is required, and it must be easy to manage without flopping all over the place.  With little kids, hands are always busy holding kids, up down up down... so for me I think it has to be a sling or a backpack style... so many to choose from.  I also live in a HOT climate, it sucks in the summer having anything on your back...

Anybody worry about your bag being opened by a stranger in crowded situations?

Edited by justbananas
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Justbananas: Yes, a sling type bag or nicely designed messenger is best for this kind of need. I've had a bunch of them. The Peak Design and Wotancraft bags below are what I have and use regularly, depending on what I'm carrying. 

  • The Peak Design 10L can handle up to a 13" laptop, works fine with any iPad. The 5L is a very tight fit on the iPad Pro 11 (sans case), nothing larger will fit at all. 
  • The Wotancraft Easy Rider fits up to a 13" laptop and has compression straps to keep it small if your load is light. The iPad Pro 11 fits easily, as well as up to a Hasselblad 500CM and two lenses and back. :D
  • The Timbuk2 Especial Stash Messenger will handle up to a 15" laptop, any iPad at all, and plenty of other gear. I only discovered this bag recently, it's a nice size and shape for me, but I haven't bought one yet. 

There's never a perfect bag, just like there's never a perfect camera. All bags are useful to some people, for something. :D

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The Domke F-5XB looks to be very suitable for a CL kit. I have an ancient one that I used with a Contax G2 and loved it, although it is now in atrocious condition. The only negative is that the velcro fasteners are quite loud. I had to remove them from my old bag. What I did like is that my F-5XB was not heavily padded and stiff. This allows the bag to more or less conform to the curve of your body. Don't know if Domke has changed the construction. They tend to be very conservative and tradition-bound, which is sometimes a good thing.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/16009-REG/Domke_700_52B_F_5XB_Shoulder_Belt_Bag_Black.html

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