List Price: $238.99
Sale Price: $147.95
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This bag is the equivalent of a German car or Swiss watch: no prize winner in the price/value category (it's expensive!) but oh so beautifully engineered and built. There's not a single frill or useless feature. The gear is very well protected but very easy to get at on the fly without having to struggle with straps or buckles. And the thing looks cool--like something a grizzled photojournalist would carry. The tough construction makes it look like it will last through multiple wars (or at least lots of family vacations). My only concern is how long the velcro closures will last, but the flaps themselves should stay down even with less than perfect velcro, and can always be snapped.
After buying based on a web page describption, I was a bit surprised at the smallness of the internal space. It's absolutely perfect for my Nikon D70, a couple of lenses, and the odds and ends that go with it, but if I throw in my backup film Nikon body things get very, very crowded. No way of adding my video camera without taking out the padded insert.
Overall, I love it and believe I made the best possible choice from the plethora of bags available.
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I'm not sure if my review made it thru on this bag. As I've said, I've been doing photojournalism for about the last 25 years. I've alway used Domke and wanted a smaller bag. I shoot with the Canon 50D, a battery pack, and normally take my 14-70 L f/4 and my 70-200 L Is f/4. I can fit all of that in the main compartmet. If I want to take my 580 flash, I just put it in on of the side pockets. As usual, Domke satisfies my photo needs.Best Deals for Domke 700-40A F-4AF Pro System Bag -RuggedWear
If you can get over the price (I think all Domke bags are over priced) it is a great bag. Construction quality is very good (canvas) and there is a ton of room. I basically keep 2 configurations. 1) Gripped 50D, 11-16 2.8 Tokina, Sigma 30mm Prime, 17-50 Tamron, hoods for all lenses, 2x Canon pro flashes, polarizer and ND filter, small accessories and a pop up gray card. There is still room in this configuration for another small lens. Configuration 2) gripped 50D, 30mm prime, 17-50, either a 100-400 /70-200 2.8/ 300mm f4 prime, 1.4x / 2x teleconverter, flash, hood, and some accessories. This configuration is much more cramped but a LOT more convenient than my big Tenba backpack if I'm making a short trip and need long telephotos.The bag is very roomy and it can hold a lot more stuff than it appears (I was disappointed when I saw its size, but as I was filling it the bag would take more and more stuff). If you are anal about padding you might be disappointed. The only padding is on the inside insert. But I don't have a problem with this. I think most bags over do it on padding and are too bulky because of it. Because of its canvas construction there is a lot of "give" in the bag and it will fit nicely to your hip.
The only problems I have with this bag are 1) I wish it came with the postal shoulder pad (costs about $15 from Amazon)and 2)I don't like how gripped bodies fit in the main compartment. They are very cramped. My 30mm prime + gripped body will fit fine but bigger lens will require the lens and body to be positioned vertically with body facing up. Of course if you remove the lens from body then it is fine but that seems impractical to me if I'm walking and shooting.
Basically this is a great working bag. If you need small and comfortable with storage for 2 or 3 lens and accessories this is a great bag. If you need more storage look elsewhere. I have used it for family outings, trips to the zoo, walking around town and small real estate shoots and it works great.
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