The EX-3 "Which Bag?" dilemma may be answered...
 

Here's a unique camera bag from petrol specifically aimed at pesky shaped cameras like the Ex-3.... an inflatable camera bag for airline travel.
inflatable camera bag!!

This could be the answer for myself and many others, where the Ex-3 has to go in the overhead bins of passenger planes. My Kata 197 is a very tight squeeze. It appears this inflatable bag is meant to be carried alongside your existing bag and used just for this problem. I have'nt seen any pricing yet. This inflatable could also hold accessories once you land and start shooting. The Ex-3 could then be carried in a smaller bag or backpack.

Thought this one would have worked for you, Jon, but the reviewer says his ex3 "gets smooshed" a little in it.
CineBags | CB-25 Revolution Backpack | CB-25 | B&H Photo Video

This bag looks very interesting because the external measurements are under 45 inches. That is great for travel almost anywhere. Can anyone reply to how well the EX 3 fits inside this bag and also how much the bag weighs empty. I have to fly overseas in a month and am looking to come in under 17.5 lbs and 45 inches carrying on an EX3.
Thanks,

Ray Ellis
Director
Raleigh, NC

Hope it has some sort of pressure relief valve so that the 8000 foot cabin altitude doesn't burst it or squeeze the contents more than was expected!

Mine fits PERFECTLY in this Porta Brace Quickdraw bag... and it has a protector for the viewfinder. 0625091054a on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Pressure in the passenger area should be fairly constant and around 1 atm (ground level) so I don´t expect problems in that respect.

Nope. Pressurising to sea level is unnecessary and would require a much stronger pressure vessel (=fuselage), adding manufacturing cost and weight (which adds fuel cost). Cycling to a bigger pressure differential would also shorten the fuselage life. Cabin altitude is typically 8000 feet, which is why your ears still pop in a pressurised aircraft.

Hi Mike,

I like the look of the Cinebags CB-25. Thanks for the link. You mentioned a review that says the EX3 "gets smooshed", but I didn't see a review on the B&H website. Do you remember where you read that? If I can get some verification that the EX3 fits in the CB-25 (besides from the manufacturer), I think I'll purchase it. It meets all carry-on size regulations.

Thanks!

Ray Ellis
Director
Raleigh, NC

Camera Daddy
 

Looks like some of you folks have experience with Cinebags. Has anybody checked out the new Camera Daddy they're making? Looks like it could be a good carry on sized bag for the EX3 with mattebox and extras. Would love to hear somebody's experience of it.

The cinebags CB-01 works really well for the EX3 and carry-on - it's within limits if you don't use the end (sewn on) pouches. I bought one the other day and love it - very stylish :) Only down side is it isn't exactly inconspicuous which could be a problem if in a high risk crime area!

The new camera daddy is definately within carry-on sizes but wasn't quite available when I had to buy the other week.

Paul.

Here it is, Ray; about 6 reviews down on the B&H site:

Good product for the money
By Cool Hand NickVerified Buyer from Rome -Italy on 4/27/2009
Pros:
Adjustable Harness, Comfortable, Easily Accessible Equipment, Roomy
Best Uses:
Protecting Gear, Transporting Gear
Describe Yourself:
Pro Photographer
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Comments about CineBags CB-25 Revolution Backpack (Black and Gray with Lime Green Webbing):

I wanted something to carry my Sony ex3 and my macbook 17' and something that can be embarked with me on national and international flights.
The product can fit the EX3 with lenshood attached but with difficulty... a few inches more( especially in height) would have helped my camera being more comfortable and avoid the viewfinder getting smooshed.
The bag has a lot of compartments very usefull and you can really put a lot of things in it, HardDisk, batteries, charger, radio mics ecc and it is far less bulky than other similar backpacks!!
The overall quality of the backpack seems good but I havent tested it long
enough to say more.
I would have given 5 stars if it had a little more room for my ex3...!
for smaller cameras it is a perfect backpack according to my standards!!

my first post here :) hiyas
 

Hi Mike.

You've probably already seen this on B&H.

sony lc-ex3th transit case pmw-ex3 | B&H Photo Video

ok it's not a bag but a transit case and I've just finished packing my Ex3 into it :)

It's fits beautifully with the Century-precision .75x lense mounted, along with all the accessories, Battery, PU60 HDD unit, cables ect...

I know this is not what you're looking for, but it might be a useful to others reading this thread.

Looks good, Chris, but I'm petrified of sending the camera along with checked baggage.

Petrol PDRB-4
 

I went through all the EX3 bag posts on this forum and spent way too much time at a gear shop testing KATA and Petrol bags (porta-brace is too expensive over here in Australia, and CineBags were out of stock, but also I've heard of durability problems).

I settled on the Petrol PDRB-4. The camera fits great, the viewfinder and camera as a whole feel very well protected. There is enough room to fit a small pelican case with my wireless mics in front of the camera, and the cheekpad and large Sony battery at the back. There are enough compartments and pockets to fit everything else that I need.

I recently took the bag on a "dry" run on a return flight interstate in Australia. Our baggage restrictions are pretty tight, with this particular airline supposedly not allowing carry-on larger than 56cmx36cmx23cm. The petrol bag is a bit longer and taller than this, but unlike other bags I looked at, can be squished a bit. I think it does look pretty big though. Strangely enough, on both flights I did not get pulled up, whilst my partner, who was rolling a bag that just fit the allowable sizes was not allowed to carry it on.

The petrol bag just fits into the overhead compartment with a bit of squishing.

One other thing, I bought a kata trolley and with some slight mods, it fits the petrol bag and will be handy on long hauls.

Cheers,

Tyler

I have the Petrol PDRB-3. It's around 3 inches shorter in length than the PDRB-4, yet still seems huge to me; but I can put a lot of stuff in it so it works out fine. I bought it from B&H as a combo with the rain cover. At the time the combo was around $170 from B&H, but still a very good buy at $200 since the rain cover is around $100 all by itself.

Petrol | PDRB-3 Dr. Petrol Bag Kit 1 | B&H Photo Video

John