[Leica] Camera Bag Recommendations

["Hugh Thompson" <painfree@istar.ca>]

Find it very amusing how much everyone packs into their camera bag.  When I
go out shooting, I try to carry as little as possible, usually the bag (a
Domke "Journalist" I believe) stays at home.  It is full of assorted stuff,
mainly for my weekend family portrait sessions.  I leave the sync cords,
light meter, duct tape, squeaky toys etc in the bag, so I know where to find
the stuff at the shoot location.  Where is the camera, either on my shoulder
or over the head restraint in my car, leaning against the seat back.
Admittedly anyone from outside can see it but I think it is safer that way
than in a bag on the floor of the car, and I never leave it unattended.  Let
me share with you what a technician at Fuji told me - not to leave a camera
on the floor of a vehicle because the vibrations will loosen the screws, he
has seen it happen (he was talking about the internal screws).

These days, when I go 35 shooting, I go "minimalist", just the camera with
either the 35 or 50 lens, and a pouch or pocket dedicated to film.  I find
dragging a load of equipment around is very constricting for style of
shooting that I am trying to develop.  That said, if I am taking more than
one lens in the bag, I use  Domke wrap, it protects from scratching.  I used
to wrap my FM2 in it also, one day I just threw it in the bag and, a few
hours later, brassing - thanks Hugh Thompson