Domke700-02D F-2 Original Bag - Olive

I just purchased the Sand version after using the Rugged Wear for many years. Fancied a change. Look out for deals on Amazon Warehouse, as I bought one for £80, which is currently a £50 saving off the £130 new price, and the bag looks to be brand new - Maybe a return.This is obviously the "classic" photographers' bag. This has some pros and cons. The layout and ease of access to your gear is superb, and when slung around your front, lens changes and pulling the flap open to get to gear is quick and easy - Much faster than a backpack. You can also use the top of the bag to rest your camera on and take some weight off your neck, which I often did before. The side pockets are quite big and great for small water bottles, snacks, a lightweight jacket, an air blower, etc etc. The front two pockets under the flap fit things like battery chargers, filters, cleaning kits, pens etc perfectly. The inside flap pocket is great for smaller items like memory cards, and the rear pocket good for an iPad, smaller notebook, or documents. The shoulder strap is nice and wide and grippy (the US Postal pad is a good accessory which offers more stability), and the smaller grab strap is also useful. A monopod will fit on top of your other gear and be held in place securely by the top flap. I haven't tried securing a small tripod, but you probably could use the top flap's two front fastening straps to do this somehow, or lash one on top of the bag if quick access isn't needed.The 4 section divider these come with is not great, layout or capacity-wise, and I would advise replacing it for one which fills the entire main compartment. Something like a Ciesta in Large size, which are a bit tricky to find now, but can be imported from Korea for about £40. These offer much better padding and protection (the canvas this bag is made from is tough, but no padding) and also can fit more gear. I was using a Nikon D600 with battery grip, a 70-200 f2.8, 50mm f1.4, and 24mm f1.4, and all fit fine with a bit of room to spare. Anyone saying these bags cannot fit "professional" cameras is lying, and maybe need to not carry so many lenses or accessories. If you do need to carry lots of heavy gear, you might as well just get a rolling case, Peli 1510, or backpack (if you're fine with the weight).This bag will shed light rain, but is not waterproof. The waxed Rugged Wear version might be slightly more water resistant. Most camera bags will only be water resistant, and I don't like rain covers, so if you are going somewhere very wet, maybe look into an Ortlieb backpack, and adapt it using inserts.The thing I don't like the most are the two metal front clips that secure the top flap. They are a bit sharp and can pinch your fingers. Probably a bit better for security than normal push-in plastic clips, but far worse to use in practice. Also much slower to unclip! Kind of a pain. But I normally have the bag around my front, with the clips undone, so security and speed and not really an issue in these cases. I might actually ask someone to change them to plastic push in clips.Overall, it's a great bag, even 35 years after it was first introduced. Just look into replacement inserts for extra padding / organisation, and don't expect it to be waterproof.

I have to say firstly that I never write reviews, very rarely do I feel compelled to weigh in where others have done so many times. But the F-2 is such a fantastic piece of kit that it would be remiss of me not to say something.I bought this bag because I was planning a big trip to Iceland and would be carrying a lot of camera gear with me; I had scraped by for far too many years with a small but faithful Canon kit bag but it was beginning to just be too cramped and impractical. I had been meaning to upgrade for some time and this bag came highly recommended so I went for it. Best £110 I could have spent.This bag had a real battering, from glaciers to beaches, wind and rain, mud and coffee. It also got a bit of a workout in the forests here before I went away, and it not only performs flawlessly out in the elements but has a simply amazing amount of storage space. It just absorbs cameras, lenses, film mags, roll film, light meters, every accessory you can think of, and was fantastic as hand luggage whilst flying too, able to accomodate water bottles, iPad and even hat and gloves when needed.It has a quality feel to the fabric, the wax keeping water nicely at bay; the Velcro never once came loose unintentionally even in severe wind yet never felt too tough to pull loose manually, the interior sections can be repositioned to appropriately allow for the gear carried. It has a good stiffness to the floor and walls that keep it nicely upright as well as let you be a little less gentle in putting it down in a hurry. It even looks good and surprisingly inconspicuous despite its size.I love this bag; I was a bit reticent at first because I thought the sand colour would be too light and I wasn't prepared to fork out unnecessary money for a darker colour, but it suits nicely and looks tasteful. I would strongly recommend this if you're looking for a solid, premium shoulder bag.

The minimalist canvas original bag. The Domke F2 is a classic. There is a whole history to this bag which you can find if you search. Since ca. 1977, many camera professionals and enthusiasts have favoured this bag. The lower level of padding perhaps gives somewhat less protection, but the compensation is a much slimmer, less bulky and lighter bag (and there is a padded base and padded compartments). Great functionality - two end pockets, two front pockets a lid pocket and a rear pockets. Quality of manufacture is superb. Highly recommended.

The F2 is a classic style bag and this version in olive green has that understated, inconspicuous look that doesn't shout out "camera bag" to thieves. It's comfortable, got plenty of room inside, and can carry many of my lenses if I choose to go "fully laden". There are more than enough flaps, pockets, inserts, and sealed inner sleeves to cope with both equipment and snacks/water. These bags always attract a premium but at this price, it's reasonable and I'm not expecting to change it out for many years (examples out there say 20 and still usable). I have also purchased a "cheaper" Chinese variant for storage at home which doesn't have the quality or robustness of the Domke, but makes for a good second and cost-efficient storage bag.