I have two camera bags. Both are backpacks. I bought one to replace the other. I had the fullest intention of selling the other, but I never got around to it. Why? I'm not sure (too lazy is the consensus), but it's come in handy.
The new bag was purchased because it was bigger and can hold all of my gear. It's got a rain cover and a dedicated MP3 player pocket. It's amazing and I got a killer deal on it. Right now my bag is currently packed full with everything I'd take to a location shoot: It has my camera body (the Digital Rebel with the 10D firmware hack), my 50mm f/1.8, the 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 kit lens and a 70-300mm f/4-5.6 I bought that came with a paper weight, my eBay wireless flash trigger kit (3 receivers and 1 transmitter), 2 hot shoe flashes, extra AA and AAA batteries, an extra battery for the camera, memory cards, neck strap, lens cloths, matches, gaff tape, a light meter I rarely use (unless I'm trying to impress someone) a notebook, some pens and both of my skate tools. It's jam packed full of everything I need when I'm out avoiding getting hit by someone's board or shooting someone's automotive pride and joy. Hell, if I wanted to I could attach two tripods and have both of my hands free to jam into my pockets. It's the greatest $70 (plus S&H) I have ever spent on a piece of luggage. But there's just one small problem with its vastness.
It's big. Not so big that I wouldn't carry it TO a spot, but it's too big to carry AROUND a spot. A spot like say, a race track or car meet. Despite however nice it is to have everything you could need in a bag it's completely useless if you only need a few of those things. “Mike,” you might be saying right now, “just take out the stuff you don't need and leave it at your house you jackass.” Well kind reader, have you ever had a big bag that's only partially full and packed in a particular way? No? It feels weird. Really weird. I don't like feeling weird, and I don't like feeling weird for hours on end which is the case for shooting track side or at a meet. So what's the solution?
Small bag. It's small, which cuts down on storage space and means I have to really think about what I'm gonna need. So far all my thinking has led me to one load out for the track and one for meets. The track pack includes the body, 75-300mm, 18-55mm, one flash, one wireless receiver, my only transmitter, extra batteries for the flash and receiver, extra camera battery, memory cards, pocket knife, notebook, pens and water/Gatorade/Powerade. It gets hot out in Tooele in the summer, and this guy needs to stay hydrated. It works perfectly, and I keep it mostly the same for meets. I only trade out the 75-300mm for my 50mm because sometimes I like running around with the 50 and trying to get artsy shots at meets. It's fun, and you get weird looks sometime.
So there you have it, my two bags and why I have them. Think of me like a family with two cars. I have the big, practical SUV to lug around the kids, lumber and whatever nonsense family men have to carry around, and then I have the little sports car: not practical but fun and will carry only what I need for a weekend jaunt.
Big bag shots:
Small bag shots:
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