Kata CCC-3333
 

I use the Kata CCC 3333 bag. It has plenty of room for extra batteries, lenes, small lights, chargers and tapes. It also functions well as a carry-on for your camera on flights.

I have the CS-DV3 for my GL2. Love it (although I'd make one minor change). I will definitely look to Porta Brace first when I need more cases.

Do any of my fellow Canadians on this thread have any idea where in Canada one can buy (at retail) Porta- Brace bags? I'm intersted in the DV3/CR3 but so far all I have found are distributors that are not really willing to sell to me easily...

Cheers;
Eric

See http://www.portabrace.com/asp/CanadianDealers.asp.

Hi Will;

Thanks for the link. I did however check them out first and after a few phone calls, I discovered that most of these companies are only interested in selling to Gov't, institution, corporation, etc.

None of these guys (to the best of my knowledge) are retail oriented operations. I'm really looking for a place in Canada similar to a B&H photo for example.

Cheers;
Eric

I don't work for them---honestly, but here's a link to a Vancouver store that sells Porte Brace (and Lowepro):

http://www.leoscamera.com
peter@leoscamera.com


:)

Thank you Frank, I have just sent off a note to Peter at Leos Camera to inquire about the DV3 bag.

Much Appreciated!
Eric

I bought a case from pelican, with the 1cm foam squares, and it's a dream. It is totally waterproof shatterproof....and it's sturdy as can be....And they're CHEAP TOO!!!!! There is plenty of room for your filters, lenses, extra tapes, etc....They even go as far as putting on a presure valve so if you put the thing in a plane, and the pressure changes, this will let it off, so it keeps the seal. Very nice....hiking would prolly not be a good one, but for the everyday hauling around, very nice....lockable too!

http://www.pelican.com/cases/cases.html

Ken and others,

Do you know how the Portabrace backpack compares with the Lowepro Nature Trekker AW?

Sorry, no, I've never used either backpack version.

As previously posted:

LowePro Nova 5, with the inserts for a Compact AW DV inserts substituted for the Nova 5 inserts, and with the LowePro Deluxe shoulder strap substituted for the Nova 5 strap. The DV insert set has to be purchased directly from LowePro. This combination is far lighter and less bulky than the Compact AW DV, yet has essentially the same room, which I need for the following:

Canon GL 2 with Century 0.65X zoom-through lens attached
Century FA 100 (I think that is the number) lens shade (it is big!)
Sennheiser MKE 300 shotgun mike (detached)
Extra Canon battery packs & charger
Cables
Blank tapes, all pre-blacked with time code, and numbered
Folded white cotton T-shirt for white balance & misc.
Small spiral notebook & pen
LED flashlight
Cleaning items, including small air can
GL 2 manual, with French section trimmed off.
Remote control
Extra batteries for MKE 300
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones, folded (wonderful!)

There is also room for a Beachtek XLR adapter

A footnote - The new Nova line has AW covers for light rain protection.

Also as previously posted:

LowePro Nature Trekker AW, Nature Trekker AW backpack, with a Lowepro Day Pack attachment, is good for for ski-trips, hiking, etc. It nicely holds roughly the same gear as the Nova 5, plus clothes, lunch, first aid kit, etc. in the Day Pack attachment. The Day Pack attachment does not interfere with opening the main pack. The interior space is similar to the intererior space of the Dry Zone, but with less exterior bulk, and less expensive. The AW cover should suffice in the event of brief rain showers.

Video & digital still gear in the main pack:

- Canon GL 2 with Century 0.65x zoom through wide angle adapter.
- Century FA-100 lens hood
- Sennheiser MKE 300 microsphone
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones
- Extra Canon batteries
- Spare battery for microphone
- Pen and small spiral notebook
- GL 2 manual with French section trimmed off
- Sony head cleaning tape
- Blank Sony Mini DV tapes, numbered and blacked with time code
- Cables and battery charger
- Canon G2 digital camera with adaptor for wide angle lens
- Canon wide angle lens for G2
- Canon EX 420 speedlite and off-camera cord for G2
- white cotton t-shirt
- LED flashlight
- compass
- Multi-function tool

There should be room whenever I swith to a Beachtek adaptor and Sennheiser 66 / K9 mike

This pack is also very good for airline carry on, though anything suspected of being a weapon would have to be packed elsewhere.

Another excellent, but slightly smaller backpack, is the MiniTrekker.

Lowepro Trekker series backpacks have quite a loyal following among outdoor (still) photographers.

No, I have no affilation whatsoever to LowePro.

Richard D. George
Lakewood / Denver
Beautiful Colorado

Looking for small inexpensive bag..
 

Hi everyone,

I am looking for a small bag for my XM2 (for the holiday)
Because the camera is so big, it is difficult to find a bag that is large enough to only fit the camera and some tapes, batteries, not more.

I need a bag that I can wear all day (light) and is easy to open so I can "point and shoot" instead of "put my bag on a steady place, open the zipper, carefully grab my XM2, close the bag, put it on around my shoulder, start filming"

So I started looking at a bag in The Netherlands (europe), but it seems that some brands are like liqued gold.
The portabrace for example is only sold at the official dealer, CS-DV3, and costs $350.
Katabags are also expensive, and costs $200.Importing it is no solution because of paying large amount of VAT and extra's.
Lowepro is the only brand that is affordible.
So I found the NOVA 5, but I do not know if this bag is light enough to wear the whole day around my shoulder.
Or should I look at the VIDCAM 6?

Who can give me some advice at a very small bag, wich I can wear around my shoulder the whole day, and is easy enough to open and "point and shoot" my camcorder.

Gabriel

Hey Frank,
When you said you have 3 cams stuffed in your Nova 5 bag, were you referring to 3 still-cameras? Or is that bag large enough for 3 small camcorders? I ask because I need a way to transport 2/3 GL2 sized video cams in the same bag.

Al

Gabriel:

The Nova 5 itself is light. The stuff you put in it may cause you not to want to carry it all day long. Be sure and swap out the shoulder strap for a LowePro deluxe shoulder strap. You could also add a waistband to it. However.......

For all day use, I would rather carry a GL2 with accessories in my MiniTrekker backpack, with water, lunch, etc, in the outside pocket. Of course, you have to take it off to get to the camcorder. Life is full of compromises. I would have the GL2 out and around my neck (in front of me) for those times when I might likely shoot, with the MiniTrekker on my back. For all day use, this backpack will be vastly more comfortable than any shoulder bag. Cell phone goes in a tiny case on one of the shoulder straps.