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I'm always torn between carrying a big heavy bag for of equipment and a small one with just a body with one lens attached and one extra lens, and I'm also always torn between carrying a ratty bag that doesn't cry out "expensive camera inside" and one that looks halfway presentable. This bag is a comfortable compromise on both counts.
First of all, the dimensions. When I first took it out of the package I was slightly disappointed at how small it looked after reading all of the reviews about how ginormous it is. It is not "too big" for everyday use, at least for me. I have a Nikon D700 that I usually keep the battery grip attached to, and it is a bit snug with the lens pointed down. I've come to take out the included camera divider, and between that and the fact that the flap secures with velcro allowing for easy positioning, the camera fits fine. An extra inch would be better. As far as depth, a 24-70 f/2.8 lens on the camera with the lens hood on fits perfectly, and a 70-200 f/2.8 with the hood reversed also fits. A second lens fits into the second compartment just fine, even the big Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8. By taking out both dividers, I fit the body sideways with a Sigma 150-500 attached and still had room to carry a Sigma 28-300 and a Sigma 1.4 TC alongside the lens. The front pouch fits a 10" netbook comfortably, but instead I opt to carry an incredible collection of accessories and personal items in there. The overall thing to remember is that this bag is not rigid except for the bottom and will conform easily to a lot of different equipment inside. For the one time I ran out of room I attached an accessory pouch from my other Domke bag to the strap.
It looks great without being too flashy. I'm on the subway a lot so I've been using an Army camouflage messenger bag, but recently I noticed I was getting some strange looks when entering museums and other public places, like they were ready to search inside for a terrorist bomb or something. On the other hand I have some nice bags I just won't take with me everyday on the bus or train as they may not scream camera bag, but they do scream that 'something' nice and expensive is inside. This bag looks nice without looking expensive. The only fault I have to correct somehow is the big bright 'Domke' logo sewn onto the flap, I'm thing an Xacto knife to the stitching holding it on.
It is made incredibly well of heavy duty canvas with flawless stitching. I have no doubt it will outlive me. The thing I really noticed when I started using it is how everything just seems to work well for the way I operate, it really shows that this was made by a camera bag maker and not a laptop bag maker or a backpack maker with a few dividers thrown in to call it a camera bag. Somehow it seems that my equipment weighs less when using this bag or my other Domke bag, an F-7 that Is for when I need to carry a lot more, I don't know if it is the sturdiness or the balance or what but I really don't mind carrying around a lot of equipment in either of these bags. However, I really recommend the Post Office Shoulder Pad if you're going to be carrying around 15-20 pounds on your shoulder all day.
This is definitely a best buy, and even though relatively expensive, it's cheaper than buying yet another camera bag to add to the collection in my closet, this one I'll use every day.
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I received this bag a few days ago, and my first impression was fantastic, the build quality being what stood out most. The only two complaints I have are in relation to it's size. The first is that the laptop "sleeve" will not hold my 15 inch macbook pro, it is kinda my fault for not checking beforehand, but it is hard to find information like this with Domke bags (one of the reasons I am writing this review). Perhaps they could have made the laptop compartment the width of the bag, beacause it fits perfectly in the main compartment. The second complaint is that it is really deep, I may just need to move down a size. Despite my problems with it being too deep, and the laptop compartment being poorly designed, I love it.
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I went through quite a few bags in my search for a camera bag I could use to lug my gear from place to place that wasn't obviously a camera bag, and I bought the Domke F-832 on faith, since there were no reviews at the time. Boy, am I glad I did. This is the perfect travel bag for a shooter who wants to take 3-4 lenses with him. There is a pocket that's obviously tailor made to fit a 70-200 f/2.8, and it also fits my 14-24 and 24-70 f/2.8, along with a pro or regular DSLR body attached or unattached. There's plenty of room up top for another small prime, such as a 50mm f/1.4 or 1.8, strap, and a few miscellaneous accessories. The front pocket isn't big enough to hold a 15" laptop, as the previous reviewer mentioned, but it is big enough to hold my iPad and Kindle DX, both in cases, along with their chargers and a few other miscellaneous accessories. The bag is also small enough to carry on a plane, although it probably won't fit under the seat in front of you.
There are very few drawbacks I've noticed with this bag, but my only real one is that it will not fit a camera body attached to the 70-200mm f/2.8. I suspect the bigger sized Domke F-833 will, but there are really very few reasons I would need a bag to do that, especially one that's meant to lug gear to the location, not shoot from (that's what belt packs are for). The strap could use a little extra padding (Think Tank has much better straps), but again, that isn't a big deal to me if I'm not going to be carrying the bag all day.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with the purchase for my needs and set of lenses.
Honest reviews on Domke F-832 Medium Photo Courier Bag (Brown RuggedWear)
I've been looking for a bag that would hold both a laptop (Vaio Z 13") and camera (5d Mk II) at the same time, as a daily carry (short trips in the car, shuttling kids to their activities, family outings). The bag is built for quality and durability, easily holding both camera and laptop plus 16-35mm and 50mm. Like many messenger/shoulder bags, it's deep so there's more room if you want to stack your gear. To be expected, when loaded as such is weighs quite a bit, almost too heavy. I was considering ordering the shoulder pad to see if that would offset the weight. However, in my trial use the bag just felt too large for regular use. I really liked the "look" of the bag, but in the end decided to return it.
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I have been an amateur photographer for 13 years. I have owned over a dozen carrying solutions over that time. But, I have found that I always need two bags (one for the camera and maybe a lens and/or a flash, and the other for the computer and miscellaneous items). I even bought a Tamron bag that would hold everything, but it was pretty bulky, so I stopped using it. I have lately been using a small Lowepro backpack, but it really wasn't working for me. I prefer a cross shoulder carry, as taking the backpack on and off to access the camera, or even just riding the buss was tiresome.
This bag just works, it is comfortable to carry. The pouch fits my slate with enough room for a notepad or other folder. There is loads of room in the main compartment for the camera and all of the regular items I carry around daily. The absolute best thing about this bag is how easy it is to get the camera out quickly. No buckles, no zippers, just swing it a bit to the front, lift the flap and pull out the camera.
For me personally, the outside dimensions are great, it's about twice as thick as my regular leather briefcase. It fit's in my aftermarket motorcycle trunk perfectly. And, when the strap is at the right length, the weight distribution is comfortable.
The only thing that I would change is there could be a few more small pockets, and sleeves for a pen or two and maybe your business cards (fairly standard briefcase stuff).
I would recommend this bag for anyone who carries daily, and wants to be able to pull the camera out at a moments notice.
Pros:
Comfortable carry
Quick access
Lots of carry space
Fits a small to medium slate or laptop
Cons:
Needs a couple of small pockets and some organizer sleeves (pens, business cards, memory cards, batteries, etc.)
I hope you find this review helpful!
