Camera Labs

Alright I'm going on a trip this summer and I need a backpack that will work for carry on in a plane. I don't have much gear, or money. So far I like the Lowepro fastpack 250 because it's small and has space for a laptop. Here's what I need to take along in this bag:

-Asus EEE 1000 (10" netbook)
-Nikon D40
-Lenses listed in my signature
-Chargers for laptop/camera
-Anything else I might have to carry on, like an mp3 player.


If anyone has the fastpack 250 let me know if all this will fit fine. And also, is this small enough for carry on? It's only $90 on Amazon right now and I'd like to stay around $100 or less. If any of you have any good ideas let me know, it will help me out a lot! Thanks!

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dont know if you can get these where you live but for the price , the quality and compartments of this backpack are amazing i have the smaller one my wife has this one

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FREE-P-P-TREKKING ... 240%3A1308

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Nikon D90 / 55 - 200 VR / 50 - f1.8 / tammy 90 / SB - 400

ThinkTank has a nice line of bags, many who are specifically made with airplane storage in mind.

They have some really nice items. I actually regret my purchase of a lowepro backpack after finding out about this company.

http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_produ ... =backpacks

They are more pricey than lowepro alternatives however. So if price is a factor, then be careful. However, if you are looking for a backpack you will want to last, then buying the right bag the first time could save you cash down the road.

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Hardware: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20mm, Nikon 18-55 mm VR, 55-200 mm VR, 105mm f/2.8D Micro, 35mm f/1.8G, SB-600, Manfrotto/Bogen 190CXPRO3 + 468MGRC2
Software: Aperture, Photomatix, GIMP

My Flickr Page

Thanks for that, Syncharmony. I'm the kind of guy that likes to buy an expensive high quality product the first time around and have it last. So this may be a better idea. I'll check these out for sure.

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The Minitrekker AW may be an option from a similarly price-point (again made by Lowepro).

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Nikonian

http://www.edtangphotography.com
http://journeysintophotography.blogspot.com/

That does look like a nice bag, I like the layout too.

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The Mini Trekker AW is the bag I have. It's a decent bag but it's the one I was referring to wishing that I had purchased something different.

The main gripe I have about the bag is that it's a bit too small for my body. I'm not a giant, I'm about 5'9" with a long-ish torso, but this bag feels "mini" on me. The waist strap is not padded and where it attaches around me is more my mid-stomach rather than my waist like it should. This makes it quite uncomfortable to wear for an extended period of time. I purchased the bag with the intention of it being something I could hike with and the more I use the less I feel as if this is the bag's intended purpose.

It does a fine job of holding my gear. I can carry my D80 with a lens attached, a few others lenses and my flash without a problem. I can also pack in my D40 without a lens at the bottom if I want to. There is a system for attaching your tripod to on the outside of the case which is nice, but once again the small-ish size of the bag means that a tripod will jut pretty far out from both the top and the bottom of the bag, making it difficult to set-down.

The front pocket is nice and has room to fit some extra stuff like filters, lunch, wallet, etc. However it's not big enough to fit something like a light jacket. Also, there is NO padding for this front pocket, so if you intend to use it to carry a laptop/netbook, then you would have to be vary careful not to damage it.

In all, it's a fine day-pack for wandering around in the woods for a short hike or to cart your gear from point A to point B, but it's not a true backpack for hiking and not something I'd recommend if you plan to bring a computer along as well.

This http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_product_StWlkrHD.php is probably the comparable pack from ThinkTank and has a few things that I wish the Lowepro had. It's still not a real hiking pack, but it does offer a dedicated cushioned compartment to hold up to a 15" laptop. It has some nice side access pockets which are handy if you had a tripod attached and don't want to have to remove it just to get at a bottle of water or your keys. Better padding on the shoulder straps and it's waist-strap is removable! So if you do not like it or want it for whatever reason, you can just remove it. With the Lowepro, you are stuck having to let it dangle which can become distracting and a nuisance.

One really neat thing about ThinkTank backpacks is that they have a shoulder strap support mechanism. http://www.thinktankphoto.com/ttp_produ ... rtStrp.php
Basically, this lets you set up your camera so that when you have it out with your back-pack on, you can attach it to your shoulder straps so that it carries the weight of your camera. This is opposed to what people normally do which is having to wear their neckstrap with the backpack or have to carry the camera in hand. If you have ever worn a camera supported by a neckstrap while having 10+ lbs of equipment in a backpack, then you know how annoying and abrasive it can be.

Anyway, that's my two cents. Well, more like 2 dollars at this point. Good luck finding the right bag!

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Hardware: Nikon D80, Sigma 10-20mm, Nikon 18-55 mm VR, 55-200 mm VR, 105mm f/2.8D Micro, 35mm f/1.8G, SB-600, Manfrotto/Bogen 190CXPRO3 + 468MGRC2
Software: Aperture, Photomatix, GIMP

My Flickr Page

Thanks for all the advice, I will be going on some short hikes and I'd like a decent backpack but those are a little out of my price range...I may have to make the plunge and buy one though.

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