Camera Labs

Hi,

I'm headed to Spain for a year of studying, writing, photography, et al.

What I need is a good camera/laptop backpack that will fit all of the following:

-Canon 5D (no grip)
-135mm L, 24-70mm L, 17-40mm L
-580EX flash
-15.4" Macbook Pro
-One normal sized college textbook (8x11, 1 inch thick)
-One thin legal pad


I've done quite a bit of research over the past few weeks and have only come up with three alternatives, though I'm not sure if any of them will accommodate my textbook needs. Here they are:

Crumpler Customary/Sinking Barge (is there a difference between the two?) The main downside to this one is its cumbersome size -- I'd rather it not look like I'm carrying around the torso of a pregnant woman on my back.
http://www.amazon.com/Crumpler-Sinking- ... 525&sr=8-1

Tamrac Adventure 9
http://www.amazon.com/Tamrac-Adventure- ... 589&sr=1-1

Wolverine BP202 (probably the smallest of the bags, but it's just so sexy)
http://www.amazon.com/Wolverine-BP202-C ... 690&sr=1-2

Anyone had any experience with the Bogen National Geographic bags?

I might have to settle for carrying a separate book bag to school. It'll be a pain, but there might be no other way. I like the slingshot style bags (the convenient camera access is great), but I really need to carry my laptop and camera in the same pack for weekend trips.

I'm also concerned about the laptop compartments scratching up my new Macbook Pro, so any personal experience you might share in that regard would be welcome.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Y

My experience with the Macbook Pro is that it's quite resistant to scratches from even the rougher fabrics. Don't put it anywhere with zips though, as those will scratch it. If you are worried, you could always get one of those neoprene sleeves.

Nice kit!

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Graham
Flickr

I can't really comment on your shortlist of bags as I haven't used any of them but I do use a Tamrac Zoom Holster and the build quality is top-notch. Also, I have a Gimp to carry my lappy for me, lol.

http://www.laptopstuff.co.uk/p/Crumpler ... _Black.htm

Zorro

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http://zorrofox4.deviantart.com/



Various lenses, SB800 & Manfrotto 190 with 460MG head