Domke F-2 Professional Large Camera Bag, A Photojournalist Icon

I have had several camera bags. But none of them seem to work for me. Most of the previous bags had something that was nice about them. But all of them seemed cumbersome. I am an amateur photographer. A few weddings for friends; but mostly kid's sports; nature; family events and such. I always found my previous bags cumbersome. I would have to open zippers, lift Velcro tabs or dividers to check things and then rearrange the gear and reassemble the bag before walking out the door. I came across the Domke F2 original version a couple of years ago. I chose the wax work version (rugged brown look). The bag performs great. The bag is painlessly simple. Now when I am walking out the door, I just left the top cover and I can see all the contents with a glance. No more running late, because I am fumbling and checking contents of my camera bag. And the kids are not yelling for me to hurry up. Now I wait on them. And if you are a parent, you know running out the door at the last moment is common with kids. So the camera is not a slow down for me, or the reason for us being late. So now when I am with the kids, I keep the bag sling over my shoulder. The sling stays well on your shoulder with the slip-resistant material on the bottom side. No more annoying, constantly readjusting the strap like I did with my previous bags (even though all of them said theirs was slip resistant). This strap works well. I shot a whole football game on the sidelines with the bag slung over my shoulder without any problems. Now when I need to take a photo, I just reach in (with one hand) grab my camera and pull the camera out and take a shot. When done, I just drop it back into the bag. The bag carries well and is easy to get in and out of. That was the selling point for me. But also, since it is so simple designed, it is very easy and a quick process to check my equipment before walking out the door. Before with my previous bags, a few times I left my camera behind because I was running late and it was too cumbersome and time consuming to check things. This bag is for someone who likes to keep their camera with them all the time. I just sling it over my shoulder, throw it in the back of my van or the seat next to me, and my camera goes where I am. But another feature is, just being able to reach down; grab your camera; take a shot; and return out of sight. I am being deployed overseas for the Army. So the wax brown version doesn't go well with my gear. Fortunately, Domke makes an OD Green version made of the same military type canvas. I bought it, and now I can keep my camera with me without the bag standing out. It just looks like another Army bag of some sort. The bag looks like it was made by the Army for the Army. One wish! Every color for the F2. For Team Sports photographers. There are a few color choices now for your taste. But I believe the F2 should come in even more colors. My previous wax version was very water repellant or resistant. My OD Green one is not, but I plan on spraying with a water repellant sealant that we use for our boots to keep our feet dry. Despite the fact I am going to the desert, they say it does rain there at times. I've been hiking before with the Domke F2, and it carries well and even climbed a couple of ladders with it. It was no problem. I just put over my neck and one shoulder and slung around to my back. And I was able to climb with ease. The contents have never fallen out. Nor is it a concern for me. I did purchase the Domke 720-211 FA 211 Large Compartment Insert. It sets next to the large four slot that came with the bag . I put my camera in the new large insert--it fits nicely and protects the camera. I highly recommend the large insert (to go along with the 4 compartment insert that came with the bag). The lenses and the flash go into the 4 slot compartment that came with it and again the camera with a attached lens goes in the new large compartment. I believe the Large Single Compartment insert should have come standard with the bag along with the Large 4 compartment insert, especially since the price of the bag is so high. My Gear in my bag: Nikon D90 with Nikon 18-105 f4-5.6 kit lens attached. Nikon 70-300 f4-5.6 lens Nikon 85mm f1.2 lens Nikon 50mm f1.8 lens Nikon SB-900 Flash The accessories go into the side pockets; extra camera battery; AA batteries; lens covers/filters; battery charger for camera battery; etc... There is plenty of room to spare. I can take more, but it just adds more weight. The front two pockets are used the least. But I do keep a moleskine notebook in one of them with a pen, for when parents see me shooting a game and they want a copy of the photos of their kids playing. I get there name, email address, and their childs #. I found other parents are more comfortable with you taking photos of the team with their kids on the team if you share the photos with them.... I found they switch from asking, "Why are you taking so many photos and what are you doing with them?" to "Hey, can you bring your camera?" if you share with the photos with them. I share the photos online via DropBox account. [...] There are many different good online accounts, but I use this, for ease of use, for both myself and the ones I am sharing with. There is a back slot that I keep my book reader; a magazine; or a book (that I am reading at the time) in there. This is useful, when waiting on the kids while practicing, or half time, etc... When at major sporting events, it is easy for security to check the contents. All I have to do is open the top flap and they can see the contents with ease and without taking anything out. Which is the purpose of the simple design. I don't have to take the camera off my shoulder to check its contents or get things in and out of. There are several versions of Domke bags. But if you thinking about getting a Domke. Start with the F2. It is the original, and tried and true version that has not changed over the years. There are smaller versions and larger versions of it. But if you are not sure which to go with, I would suggest trying this one first, you can grow into it, or out of it to larger versions. The bag is a bit pricey, but I don't have regrets on buying it. Just felt the underlying price should have been about 20% cheaper. So who is this camera for? It is for the person who keeps their camera with them all the time and wants easy, quick access to their gear.

So, I'll admit it. I'm a Domke virgin. No, I've had several wonderful camera bags throughout the years, most of them leather. Several were custom made. But everything has a limited life or limited use. In my case, or lack of cases, mine were inherited prior to being really inherited. Then, I needed a new bag as I acquired a new digital camera and new lenses. What to buy... I had no desire to sift through a camera store's inventory nor did I want to look through various camera internet sites. I did what I've become accustom to doing, Amazon. So in the span of a few minutes I queried Amazon's search engine and came up with several contenders Why the Domke? Well, the reviews lever survived my search filter. Being American made rose it to the top of my list. Then, reading the reviews I wondered if the Domke was similar to or equal to the Filson I was considering. This is one impressive bag. This is a thick canvas bag that lacks side supports other than the single 4 place insert. On the bottom is a very thick pad that is only slightly compressible. But, there is a lot of room in this bag. I have a 4/3 mirrorless with several pro lenses. Overall there will be a lot of expensive equipment in this bag. I've seen a couple of other brands including the Filson. I am sure this bag is equal to all of them. The seams are sewn tightly. The handles are anchored securely. The snaps are solid, and metal. There are velcro closures. There is a main compartment that accepts my camera with an attached zoom, two other zoom lenses and two prime lenses. All Pro level. All in their respective places. All protected. My flash fits securely in a side pocket. There are other places to place cleaning supplies, spare batteries, the battery charger, and an external camera holder. Not much not to like with this bag. Overall the quality is there, the fit and finish is top notch and the ruggedness is abounding. I'll be passing this on to my kid, in the more traditional way.

Years of buying modern bags had me totally unprepared for this one. Its like something made from the last century in the best possible way. The quality of the material is high. Its like a real robust pair of jeans. Much thicker than it seems in the pictures. My roommate touched it once and immediately assumed it must be very expensive! I have no doubt it will last a long time. Its also smaller than it appears in the pictures... but still fits more than you might expect. I can fit more camera gear in it than I can actually comfortably carry, so space is no issue. Its like a bag from a cartoon that holds more within it than it should from its outside dimensions. I could do 2 bodies, 2 speedlights, 6 lenses, batteries, accessories, etc no problem. Its impressive to behold. I like how plain it looks as well. It is not a fashion bag, and looks like something you might find at a military surplus store. Especially given the green color I went for. I think it will be nice for keeping attention off of me, and off of the very expensive kit this bag will contain. Ill update later if anything changes... But I can already tell this is the highest quality camera bag Ive ever owned. I just regret not getting it sooner. If youre on the fence between a few bags, do yourself a favor and try this one sooner than later. Its on a different level than most bags out there, even at the same price point.

I used to carry a Nikon shoulder bag but it was so rigid and hard and it hurt to carry. I proceeded to order this prior to reading such positive reviews and those reviews didn't lie... THIS BAG IS GREAT! It's a solid canvas bag that is very strong but also rather flexible! the shoulder strap wraps all the way around underneath the bag so you know it wont break on you. Also the strap is lined with some rubberized threading to prevent any slippage. The inside of the bag is huge and it comes with a 4 section insert that you can customize to suit your needs! The bag is large enough to fit my Nikon D810, D7000, 70-200 f2.8 VRII, 24-135 f4, 50 f1.4, SB-600, and a battery grip. There are also 2 side compartments good for batteries and/or chargers. What I would have liked to see is a slot dedicated to memory cards as there are just loose pockets in the front. I don't feel safe just dropping them in there. Also the velcro on the flap is a bit annoying making it difficult to switch gear when at a wedding or some other quiet event. I recommend getting a shoulder strap cushion if you intend to use it for a long period of time because it will start to hurt. In conclusion, this is a very sturdy bag that you can rearrange and customize the inside to fit what ever gear necessary! Highly recommend!

Great bag with plenty of storage. Several pockets and an included removable main compartment with dividers. Seems to be well made. The only negative thing, so far, is the price. In my opinion it is over-priced, but what isn't over priced in todays world.

I am extremely pleased with the product within the scope of its design. I believe it is designed for transport of equipment to a work site rather than transporting body with attached lens for immediate access. As such, it is a good, solid, versatile way to carry a lot of equipment. It holds two full-size professional bodies plus 4 internal lens/flash and options. The bag's main compartment is tall enough for a 70-200 with lens reversed. The end/external compartments are surprisingly large and will hold 1-2 battery chargers each. My opinion is that the true strength of this bag is solid construction with a strap that circles beneath the bag to carry weight from below. That construction is a source of great comfort to anyone who's ever broken a strap (camera or bag). Negatives are that there is little external padding and the catches are unwieldy. Positives are that the internal dividers are solid and large, those unwieldy catches I criticized are not easily opened by others, and the bag balances perfectly from the shoulder for each top access. It is too large to be an around-town bag (unless you are carrying more than camera equipment) and lacks the weather resistance, size and padding I desire in a field sports bag (no room for lenses larger than 70-200). With all of that said, it is the bag I throw in my car for trips because it does hold a lot of equipment and I am surprised how often I use it.

Bought this to replace an F6 i bought in March, insert of which replaced over summer after all seams came undone. Bag shell is ok, really nothing special about it and barely justifies half the price.... Insert though is consistently very poorly made, again, this one coming undone after two days of use... Funeral home quality (use once)

My 3rd Domke, additions not replacements. These are terrific bags. Very solidly built, thoughtfully laid out, and they just work even with my large DSLRs, analog SLRs and now smaller mirrorless camera and lenses. OK so as not to be a complete fanboy, I do not like the metal closure clasps and would like some type of closure like one finds on backpack waist/chest belts.

Pratique correspond à mon utilisation

Es una bolsa espectacular. Es rígida por lo grueso de la lona, no se siente como una tela cualquiera. Lo que me gustó: -El material es realmente bueno. Ya había ido con un costurero que me hiciera una bolsa similar, pero no tenía el grosor de la lona, el ancho y grueso de la correa, ni los ganchos de metal, por eso desistí encontrar algo similar en calidad, pero a menor precio. -La cubierta superior son dos capas de lona que forman un bolsillo delgado y en medio de ellas tiene un material que parece que es contra el agua, eso me encantó. -Al ponértela se adapta a tu cuerpo. No me gusta cargar una bolsa tipo mensajero que se sienta como ir cargando una caja con correas. La bolsa en sí no tiene ningún tipo de acolchado y esto permite que se adapte bien a la forma de tu cuerpo y de lo que llevas adentro. Lo que no me gustó: La base interior de la bolsa es muy rígida, es una especie de base como de 1.5 cm de grueso muy acolchada, pero sumamente rígida. Esto hace que la base de la bolsa siempre sea como un cuadrado y que no se adapte tan bien a tu cuerpo como cuando no la tiene puesta. Hubiera preferido un acolchado más sencillo, pero más flexible. Lo bueno es que se puede quitar y poner sin problemas. Está bien si pones muy seguido la bolsa en el piso o llevas equipo pesado. -Los ganchos son de metal sólido y los ganchos frontales hacen que le pegues a la cámara constantemente con ellos. No me preocupan las rayaduras en el cuerpo de la cámara ni en la pantalla porque la tengo con un protector, pero sí hay que tener cuidado con el frontal del objetivo. En general: Cuando la compré pensé que sería demasiado grande para mi equipo porque nunca la había visto en persona, pero ya teniéndola no me parece exagerada. El diseño es cómodo y se compacta para que parezca más pequeña cuando no la llevas llena. Ojo, tampoco es pequeña, mido 1.84 y no soy muy delgado, creo que para alguien más pequeño sí quedaría un poco desproporcionada. La compré pensando en poder llevar el equipo y además tener espacio para llevar otras cosas y me parece que cumple perfectamente. En el bolsito interior, que es en sí el que está acolchado, cabe justo y sin quedar muy apretado una XT-30 y una XT-3 con el 23mm y el 18-55, ambos con el parasol puesto, las dos cámaras y lentes ocupan la mitad de espacio interior y dejan la mitad de la bolsa con sus bolsillos externos libres para llevar otras cosas. Estoy seguro que la bolsa me durará mucho tiempo y que además con el uso se irá viendo y sientiendo mejor. Mí impresión final es que estoy muy contento con ella, no es para nada barata, pero tampoco encontré ninguna opción igual en calidad por menor precio.

estoy enamorado de este bolso...es muy bueno, espacioso (puedo llevar mucho equipo) y no llama la atención. Creo que es ideal para el fotógrafo discreto que quiere llevar dos cámaras y objetivos. vale la pena!

Excellent bag for my Sony a7c and the 100-400GM lens with extra space for a 2x TC and a 28-60mm lens. The side pockets I can put a flat A5 drinking bottle, a Sunwayfoto ballhead and a pair of Bushnell 8x42 binoculars. I managed to include the Robus monopod at the side flap.

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