I have searched high and low, for a considerable time, for a Long Lens Bag that I like i.e. No zips. On the way had a Domke, Lens Trekker, Kinesis, Tamrac, Pro-Trekker (and possibly others that I have forgotten) and then finally found a bag that I liked, namely the CCS ‘Heritage’ Long Lens Pouch (which is actually a rucksack).
I obtained one (after a good hunt around) it is by far, IMHO, the best of the bunch. It was (notice the tense) simple in form and function – unfortunately when I tried to get a second one I was told it was no longer made and CCS (as a brand) had ceased to be – bugger.
The problem was that is isn’t totally perfect and I wanted a couple of alterations to it; alterations that would make a good bag into an excellent one (once again IMHO)
Not to be deterred I tracked down the manufactured and whilst they could not alter (with ease) the one that I had, they could make me a new one – a one off. So, to cut a long story short, taking the original design as the base, I designed another bag the way I wanted it and yes, this company will make one for me.
The Bag is designed as a Big Glass bag to hold a single 300mm to 500mm lens with the body attached. It will also hold a 600/800mm with the body attached - but I need the dimensions to ensure this.
It is designed to hold up to a Canon 500mm F4 with the body attached AND the hood ON FORWARD so it can be deployed in an instant. (Note 1 : For those that have seen the prototype bag the ‘production model’ will be about 3 inchs taller to accomplish this.) Note 2: It may not hold the extended lens foot on the Nikkors (can somebody send me the max diameter from a birds eye view) Note 3: Can somebody please send me the lens hood diameters for the Nikon, Canon 600mm's?
It has large external pockets of some lighter ancillary equipment/ smaller lenses, but the bag is design centered on carrying Big Glass.
This bag is not designed to hold everything you own and the external pockets (whilst professionally made and very strong) should not be filled with every conceiveable accessory you own as the padding system in each pocket is not compartmentalised as in a Pro-trekker. If you want a carry all - buy summat else.
Now to the purpose of this post… I have shown the prototype to 6 people (to get feedback and suggest alterations) and subsequently now have 5 additional orders (the other person does not own big glass) – so - I have decided to post it here to see if you nice people would also like one.
The feature list as I see it ( see the photographs ) is a follows
A) Large secure grab handle
B) Double closure pocket system, 1st closure is the pocket flap which is Velcroed, 2nd closure is a rain cape which can be closed around the pocket flap and secured down and toggle and strap (which also supported the bottom of the pocket).
C) Lens Collar to put around the lens mount to stop the camera moving around in the bag (it may also take some of the lateral strain of the lens mount whilst carrying it)
D) 3 additional very large pockets (all with removable padding inserts), one on wither side and one on the front. These will swallow a standard flask, a 180mm macro sized lense, a rain shell jacket etc. I use the front one for food and a flask (keeping any potential spillage isolated from the camera equipment) and the second and third I use for ancillary equipment and another lense (usually the 180mm)
E) Heavy duty anchor points for the shoulder straps which are additionally riveted.
F) Internal zipped lid pocket for small secure items, (lens cloth and additional cards)
G) Re-enforced base attachment for should straps with overlaid additional webbing
H) Fully webbing shoulder straps (with chest strap), waist belt and mesh back. Note - the shoulder strap pouch will not be produced on the final bag.
I) An extendable lid (with internal ‘Gym’ stuff bag) to allow additional clothing (heavy jacket etc) to be carried on the way to your destination (providing you reverse the lens hood). The ‘Gym’ stuff bag has the same stiff base section as the tube so it also protects the top of your camera body. It can be removed very quickly to get access to your camera and can be stowed flat at the bottom of the tube when you don’t need it
J) Pic of the whole bag
K) The ‘Gym’ stuff bag , the Bag and a EOS 1DSMK2 with the lens collar attached on a 500mm with the hood reversed (Note the production bag will be higher than this.
L) The camera with a 500mm lens (hood reversed), collar attached, in the prototype bag. TAKEN WITH A WIDE ANGLE.
The colour available is Black (not the green as shown in the prototype) and everybody gets the same design. The bag is 1.8Kg approx
In discussion with the factory, the factory knows this is a very limited market and hence is uncertain if they will ever make these bags for the market – they may – but (presently) I would view this as a one time only occurrence. I have been told that if they ever do go to market the RRP will be above the cost being asked here.
IMPORTANT: As I am not taking a ‘cut’ on this offer I will take no part in any subsequent issues that arise, your deal is with the factory hence all cheques (for £140 + P&P) are to be made payable to the factory.
If you want one of these bags please send an email to me be to get the name of the cheque payee, the P+P, and my address. Then send the cheque to me to arrive before the 25th Oct 06 with your name, delivery address, email address and ‘LANDLINE number’ to be written on the back of the cheque.
Apologies in advance, as I am not making any money from this (it is being offered as a service to UKNP and guests) I will not chase any promised cheque or subsequent error or omission with respect to the required information to be written on the back of the cheque – if it is wrong, or omitted, you will simply not get a bag so, please, check the cheque before you send it.
The offer is open to anybody in the UK, my email address is bag”at”naturephotography.co.uk
Looks just the job and something i could have really done with last week when hiking in the alpes,I guess the tripod has to be hand held-better start saving
The issue of the tripod was something I (we) discussed at length.
In discussion it was decided that, as the Tpod used for large lenses is normally a substantial affair (especially with a gimbel head), it was better to shoulder mount the tripod on one of those opti-mate shoulder straps (something I have done for years) as this means the bag remains stable and not lob-sided in weight. You can stop the tripod strap from slipping by tucking it under the chest strap.
Posted by John Swift on October 11, 2006 at 12:19 PM
Hi Tom,
Any chance of an internal dimension for the bag? I need a minimum of 25" for my lens and body.
The bag will have an internal depth of 22-23" which isn't enough for you unless you wnat to extend the lid, but that offers liitle weather protection to your camera body "25" is a long lens?
What lens/body/extender combination is that? 300-800mm Sigma? Is it with hood on or the hood reversed?
If it is the 300-800mm I think the bag will swallow the lense but without the body attached as I think the lense is 22" in length - the body would have to go in one of the pockets.
To extend the bag to 25" would make it to large for the other primes.
Hi I had a look at something similar to one of these before I purchased my lowe pro aw600 a thing that really bothered me was you have to lift the lens out whilst attached to your camera body or alternatively tip your lens and camera body out of the bag ? Call me old-fashioned but I didn't particularly want to spend all that money on a camera and lens and constantly stress the lens mount and body mount.
Phillip.
Posted by John Swift on October 11, 2006 at 2:20 PM
Tom,
Thanks for the clarification and you're correct, I do indeed use the 300-800 and have done for several years now but I have yet to find a better solution than the whole rig on the shoulder. I was hoping for baggage nirvana from you!
Philip, I can get my hands down the side of a 1DS2 to lift it out, the gap is shown in pic L. You can also run a tape from around the lens foot upward to the top of the bag to pull it out if you wanted. The important point is that its doesn't have zipps to fail, get stuck, let water in.
Having said that after 2 years of using the first one I can see no adverse effect upon the camera of lifting it out slowing by holding either side of the camera for the first 5 inches then grabbing the lense foot.
It may not be everybodies cup of tea and if you prefer the Lens trekker opening system then don't buy this
Posted by szekiat chan on October 12, 2006 at 2:25 AM
Just for clarification cos i'm using the 300-800 monster as well. It needs 56cm internal height to take it with the hood reversed. I've been shopping high and low for a bag to fit now, as i believe john as well. I'll prob be getting this one for my 600mm but the monster will need to remain in the super trekker.
Steve, I need the diameter of the SigMonsters lens hood, is this the diameter or the lens or the hood.
T
Posted by szekiat chan on October 12, 2006 at 2:32 PM
sorry i can't be of much help cos both my lenses are in singapore (not with me) at the moment. I just rem that 56cm from my long search for a bag that fits. That was a canon mount btw.
Discussion
13 repliesI obtained one (after a good hunt around) it is by far, IMHO, the best of the bunch. It was (notice the tense) simple in form and function – unfortunately when I tried to get a second one I was told it was no longer made and CCS (as a brand) had ceased to be – bugger.
The problem was that is isn’t totally perfect and I wanted a couple of alterations to it; alterations that would make a good bag into an excellent one (once again IMHO)
Not to be deterred I tracked down the manufactured and whilst they could not alter (with ease) the one that I had, they could make me a new one – a one off. So, to cut a long story short, taking the original design as the base, I designed another bag the way I wanted it and yes, this company will make one for me.
The Bag is designed as a Big Glass bag to hold a single 300mm to 500mm lens with the body attached. It will also hold a 600/800mm with the body attached - but I need the dimensions to ensure this.
It is designed to hold up to a Canon 500mm F4 with the body attached AND the hood ON FORWARD so it can be deployed in an instant. (Note 1 : For those that have seen the prototype bag the ‘production model’ will be about 3 inchs taller to accomplish this.)
Note 2: It may not hold the extended lens foot on the Nikkors (can somebody send me the max diameter from a birds eye view)
Note 3: Can somebody please send me the lens hood diameters for the Nikon, Canon 600mm's?
It has large external pockets of some lighter ancillary equipment/ smaller lenses, but the bag is design centered on carrying Big Glass.
This bag is not designed to hold everything you own and the external pockets (whilst professionally made and very strong) should not be filled with every conceiveable accessory you own as the padding system in each pocket is not compartmentalised as in a Pro-trekker. If you want a carry all - buy summat else.
Now to the purpose of this post… I have shown the prototype to 6 people (to get feedback and suggest alterations) and subsequently now have 5 additional orders (the other person does not own big glass) – so - I have decided to post it here to see if you nice people would also like one.
The feature list as I see it ( see the photographs ) is a follows
A) Large secure grab handle
B) Double closure pocket system, 1st closure is the pocket flap which is Velcroed, 2nd closure is a rain cape which can be closed around the pocket flap and secured down and toggle and strap (which also supported the bottom of the pocket).
C) Lens Collar to put around the lens mount to stop the camera moving around in the bag (it may also take some of the lateral strain of the lens mount whilst carrying it)
D) 3 additional very large pockets (all with removable padding inserts), one on wither side and one on the front. These will swallow a standard flask, a 180mm macro sized lense, a rain shell jacket etc. I use the front one for food and a flask (keeping any potential spillage isolated from the camera equipment) and the second and third I use for ancillary equipment and another lense (usually the 180mm)
E) Heavy duty anchor points for the shoulder straps which are additionally riveted.
F) Internal zipped lid pocket for small secure items, (lens cloth and additional cards)
G) Re-enforced base attachment for should straps with overlaid additional webbing
H) Fully webbing shoulder straps (with chest strap), waist belt and mesh back. Note - the shoulder strap pouch will not be produced on the final bag.
I) An extendable lid (with internal ‘Gym’ stuff bag) to allow additional clothing (heavy jacket etc) to be carried on the way to your destination (providing you reverse the lens hood). The ‘Gym’ stuff bag has the same stiff base section as the tube so it also protects the top of your camera body. It can be removed very quickly to get access to your camera and can be stowed flat at the bottom of the tube when you don’t need it
J) Pic of the whole bag
K) The ‘Gym’ stuff bag , the Bag and a EOS 1DSMK2 with the lens collar attached on a 500mm with the hood reversed (Note the production bag will be higher than this.
L) The camera with a 500mm lens (hood reversed), collar attached, in the prototype bag. TAKEN WITH A WIDE ANGLE.
The colour available is Black (not the green as shown in the prototype) and everybody gets the same design. The bag is 1.8Kg approx
In discussion with the factory, the factory knows this is a very limited market and hence is uncertain if they will ever make these bags for the market – they may – but (presently) I would view this as a one time only occurrence. I have been told that if they ever do go to market the RRP will be above the cost being asked here.
IMPORTANT: As I am not taking a ‘cut’ on this offer I will take no part in any subsequent issues that arise, your deal is with the factory hence all cheques (for £140 + P&P) are to be made payable to the factory.
If you want one of these bags please send an email to me be to get the name of the cheque payee, the P+P, and my address. Then send the cheque to me to arrive before the 25th Oct 06 with your name, delivery address, email address and ‘LANDLINE number’ to be written on the back of the cheque.
Apologies in advance, as I am not making any money from this (it is being offered as a service to UKNP and guests) I will not chase any promised cheque or subsequent error or omission with respect to the required information to be written on the back of the cheque – if it is wrong, or omitted, you will simply not get a bag so, please, check the cheque before you send it.
The offer is open to anybody in the UK, my email address is bag”at”naturephotography.co.uk
In discussion it was decided that, as the Tpod used for large lenses is normally a substantial affair (especially with a gimbel head), it was better to shoulder mount the tripod on one of those opti-mate shoulder straps (something I have done for years) as this means the bag remains stable and not lob-sided in weight. You can stop the tripod strap from slipping by tucking it under the chest strap.
Any chance of an internal dimension for the bag? I need a minimum of 25" for my lens and body.
Regards
John S
The bag will have an internal depth of 22-23" which isn't enough for you unless you wnat to extend the lid, but that offers liitle weather protection to your camera body "25" is a long lens?
What lens/body/extender combination is that? 300-800mm Sigma? Is it with hood on or the hood reversed?
If it is the 300-800mm I think the bag will swallow the lense but without the body attached as I think the lense is 22" in length - the body would have to go in one of the pockets.
To extend the bag to 25" would make it to large for the other primes.
Phillip.
Thanks for the clarification and you're correct, I do indeed use the 300-800 and have done for several years now but I have yet to find a better solution than the whole rig on the shoulder. I was hoping for baggage nirvana from you!
Regards
John S
Having said that after 2 years of using the first one I can see no adverse effect upon the camera of lifting it out slowing by holding either side of the camera for the first 5 inches then grabbing the lense foot.
It may not be everybodies cup of tea and if you prefer the Lens trekker opening system then don't buy this
Can you measure accross the max diameter of you lense hood for me and tell me if it is a Nikon or Canon? Please do the same with the SigMonster.
T
The Sigmonster is 17 cm in diameter an 56.5 cm with the hood reversed.
Regds
SteveHL
T
That's the Sig Monster lens hood diameter.
Cheers
SteveHL