So fellow lens swapping addicts, what do you use to carry your lens loadout?

[Fubarius]

So for just general photography days I use my big old Canon branded black and silver messenger bag. Holds the camera, 4 big'ish lenses, (up to my EF-S 55-250mm) and a couple small ones, plus pockets for all the doodads and thingamabobs.

But sometimes I don't need all of that stuff.

So for walking around at conventions, ren fairs, and the sort, where I don't need something the size of a lunch cooler slung across my chest, I modified an old shotgun shell bag. A few improvised dividers and I could carry the three most used lenses in my collection on a bag that hangs from my belt.. That would be a 10-15mm for wide stuff (a full head to toe costume photo from 3 feet away for example), my 55-250mm for the long range stuff, and when I first made this setup my good old trusty Nifty Fifty for portrait work. Small issue, I upgraded to a 35mm F1.4 L (I was lucky, found a hell of a deal on Craigslist). That's a rather chunky lens, takes up half that bag on it's own. Plus the lenses weren't particularly secure just slipped into a bag so I need something more secure that can hold bigger lenses..

Now I've been drooling over the TriLens system...
https://www.friidesigns.com/product/...-complete-set/
...but I'm quite open to other ideas.

[Cdn_Cuda]

I picked up a Photo Sport BP 300 AW ll backpack that has room for camera, and several lenses and space for snacks etc. like it a lot. Make it easy to camera places.

[Jonnydread]

totally thought this was a mask thread I need to remember to check the sub forum

[NONOBLITUS]

Did the same thing.

[Carp]

...damn it!

[StaticShocked]

Same.

[Matt Drown]

Super glue some extra back-caps together, and you can take your primes and stack them. I've done this with m43 primes.

Small Bag - Domke F5XB
Larger Bag - Domke F2

[Fubarius]

That F5XB looks interesting. I like how it can be worn on a belt. Depending on what I'm doing an extra shoulder strap can cause issues, so the belt feature would be nice.

[Matt Drown]

I haven't used it as a waist belt design, but the domkes are nice unpadded bags. The F2 is "large" depending on what you are carrying. I used it to carry Canon 5d with 24-105 f4l with the lens pointing out from my body, camera grip up. The 4 slots held other crap, it would fit a 70-200 f2.8 if I had one. The outside pockets are nice for non-photo things, snacks, etc. The bag can get heavy for all day carry. This is a battle-tested bag that I travelled the world with, and works quite well. As a bonus, a bottle of wine fits in the outside pocket (sticking out the top of course) for end of day hauling back to the hotel while traveling

The F5XB I've used more with m43 bodies, and it can do a body+lens. I'm trying it now with a Sony A7CR with primes. It is a smaller bag with almost no extra room once you put a small body in the bag with a second lens (or a couple extra primes). This is much lighter for all day, and easier to navigate in crowded areas depending on what you are shooting and were.

The material used will change the weight of the units. The Camo color is ripstop nylon and lightweight, the Canvas slightly heavier, the rugged wear slightly heavier still. Probably not much of a difference on the f5, but on the f2 the Nylon vs Canvas (I have both) is noticeable when empty.

At last check these are all made in the USA.

[SignOfZeta]

I do whatever I can to use as few lenses as possible. I usually make it work with a 35mm 1.8 and a 300mm zoom so one of those is on the camera and the other one fits great in whatever bag I’m using for everything else. If I’m going on a trip I’ll take more but only two or three lenses actually on me at once.

I just don’t find that I need to shoot falcons from 200ft away on the same day I also need my 8mm for some monuments and a macro for insects. It’s possible I’ll miss out on something but wherever. The best photos usually come from a photographer at ease.

[Fubarius]

If I wanted simple I'd just save up for one of those super zoom lenses, like a Sigma 18-300mm, but honestly I find a one size fits all theory to be just less fun. The nice tactile feeling of the lens clipping into place, the sudden change in image through the view finder, the need to shift my thinking around the new lens paradigm. That's fun for me.

Now I am just learning still, but even mistakes can be interesting and educational. Heck, with that new 35mm I need to keep reminding my self just because I canopen that sucker to F1.4, doesn't mean I always should.

And this last weekend I did in fact go from taking zoomed in pictures of a falcon, to a wide angle shot, to a few open aperture shots, all in a rather short time period.




This shot was at 250mm, I was stuck in the back row of the bird show.



This one is at 18mm. I didn't particularly care to back up any further away than I had to, if you know what I mean.



This one was shot with the big portrait prime 35mm, with the fast shutter speed and kind of bad lighting I needed all the aperture I could get.



A good friend of mine, trying to do his best Aragorn in the back of the tavern pose. Shot wide open of course.