Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand)

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

Bag allows not only for camera & lenses.
Book, notebook etc.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I carry a Canon 5D MkII with a battery grip and 24-70mm f2.8L lens attached in my F-3X bag. I also have a 70-200mm f4L lens and my 85mm f1.2 lens in my bag. The bag is easy to carry with me.

I like the side pockets they can store a lot of stuff. I usually have my polarizing filters stored in one of the pockets. The back pocket is good for taking a book with me. There is still room for memory cards, cords and other small items.

The shoulder strap is easy to adjust and comfortable. I keep it around my neck, instead of on my shoulder, because it distributes the weight better.

The workmanship is very good and it is made in the United States, both are important to me.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

So I read the reviews and wanted a bag to carry what I have now (a Canon 5D Mark II, with the 24-105mm lens attached plus battery charger, mini tripod, manual, etc.) plus space for a couple additional lenses and remote flash as I add them. It's perfect!! It carries everything I have and could see very comfortably fitting 1-3 more lenses plus a flash.

As everyone else on here has said, it fits awesomely to your body because it's not a rigid case. Also because it's not a rigid case, it obviously doesn't provide total protection if you're going to be heaving it around. Trade-off.

I find the Velcro holds fine for just walking around (but this might not be the case if it was jammed full), otherwise I clip the metal clip (which does seem like it could pinch you if you're not careful with it).

All in all this is a great bag for travel and on-the-go, with your camera plus a little supplementary gear. Obviously not a bag for every piece you could possibly need for a shoot, but it's not made to be that.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

Well made with just the right amount of padding. Excellent as a travel/camera bag. Fits my 5D MkII with 17-40 f/4 L lens with shade right way around and ready to go. Also have 24-105 L f/4 and stacks of room in the end pockets.

F-2 bag was also good but just a bit too long.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I quite like this bag, but had to return it anyway as it didn't suit the purpose for which I intended it.

I was hoping to use the Domke F-3X as a combination daybag/photo bag for backpacking - in other words, a D7000 with 16-85 VR attached, 35 f1.8 for low light, maybe a longer telephoto, plus a guidebook, rain jacket, bottle of water, etc. And it ALMOST fit the bill.

THE DEALBREAKER FOR ME: It's swiss cheese as far as security goes. Even when latched in the front, it's not hard to get the camera in and out of the main compartment via the left and right sides of the bag. They just flop right open. Sure, this is great for my own convenience or for you if you're shooting on friendly turf, but it can also be an reach-in for pickpockets. I lost my previous camera out of my daybag to Barcelona mass-transit dwelling thieves. Never again, I say!

Another negative for me is that it's not really very weather resistant, and my next trip is to a rainy place. This is, of course, not the end of the world, but not a plus either.

It's not all bad though. On the positive side:

1. CONSTRUCTION/FEEL: The F3-X is quite well-built, but not overly padded. Thus, it's convertible and not too heavy. Thus, it conforms to your side (I know, I know, everyone says this about Domkes), and can be crammed into other bags fairly easily if necessary. Can't do this with a super-padded box of a bag.

2. LOOK: It looks pretty good. Doesn't it? C'mon, admit it.

3. INSIDE: The main compartment really can hold quite a bit (definitely held everything I needed). Plus, you'll never have to mess with putting in/take out a padded photo insert if you don't want. Great! The compartments on the sides are also quite nice, and definitely big enough to hold a speedlight, or even to saddle a 1L bottle of water if you need (thinking travel here).

4. STRAP: Nice and wide, with rubber running down it. Grippy!

All and all it's a nice bag - I would just avoid using it for crowded, theft-prone areas.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

A great sized bag for travel and overseas assignments with a single body and double lens kit. Good overall storage with spacious end pockets. Hard wearing material and good configuration of top grab handle and non-slip shoulder strap.

Only cons I've noticed so far is that neither the front nor rear pocket is large enough to get a standard sized magazine into. Also when the interior pockets are loaded with lenses the bulges protrude out and can make getting bulky items difficult to get out of the end pockets.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I do most of my work in the mountains or in the woods. I have tried a backpack, a photo vest and this bag and the F-3X has become the bag of choice. It's lightweight, rugged, and just as important, convenient. It easily holds my Canon 7d, 10-22mm, and 100-400mm lens, a handful of filters, battery packs, memory cards, with room for notepad manual shutter release and LCDVF. I'll never be without one of these bags.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I have been struggling with a way to carry my large DSLR (Nikon D2HS) and a few lenses and accessories without have a huge bag. I do not have any gigantic lenses, but am able to fit the camera, a Nikon 70-300 VR, three primes (35, 50, 100), flash, and charger in the bag. It appears to be very well made and should last many years. The straps are strong and pretty comfortable, even when the bag is heavy.

I usually have the camera in the bag with one of the smaller primes attached. There is a (re)movable divider in the middle and it may be possible that the camera will fit with my zoom attached. I am not sure that there would be room for a pro-sized zoom. On each side of the interior there is an upright pocket that you can vertically store lenses, The bag is just tall enough for me to put the 70-300 lens in standing up. These pockets are stitched into the bag. There are also external pockets at each end to hold additional lenses or accessories.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

There are plenty of positive reviews of this product on this website and I will let that good information stand on its own.

Ordering a bag when you aren't able to try out your equipment in it is a trick, what fits, what doesn't, what size to get?

This bag holds a Pentax K-7 with a battery grip and a 16-50mm f2.8 Pentax D* lens in the central area with the bottom of the camera on the bottom of the bag. It holds a 50-135mm Pentax D* lens in one of the interior compartments, it is a tighter fit than I would like and I separate the lens hood from the lens to make it fit more easily. This is the biggest disappointment I have with the whole arrangement, the larger lens hood has to hang out loose in the central area of the bag with the camera to make this work. The other interior side pocket holds a 80-320mm Pentax FA lens comfortably.

The outer side pockets hold, on one side a Pentax AF-360fgz Flash and on the other some filters and sometimes the other lens hood. I wish the lens hoods (reversed, on the lens) would fit in the interior lens areas of the bag more easily, or with 16-50mm lens, at all. That said, I would purchase the same bag again to keep the overall size down.

Actually I can have any of the 3 lenses on the body but the longer telephotos aren't as "comfortable" a fit in the bag when they are on the camera. The way this bag changes shape to fit different arrangements is, as stated by others, great.

The front pocket holds a Magic Lantern guide, which I find essential.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

Love the look and ease of the bag, carries well, and holds everything just fine. I carry a Canon 50D with 2 average size lenses. All fits fine with room to spare.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I like products of domke very very much.It is comfortable and well padded.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

This is an excellent bag. It has high build quality and made in the USA. Domke makes several sizes of bags, all available at B&H.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I use it usually.I feel comfortable and nicy.It is well done.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I have several camera bags, and this is my perennial favorite. I have a couple bigger bags, some smaller "zoom packs", and a backpack. I like this bag for three reasons: First, it's just the right size. Second, "the bag is not fussy". Third, the bag is ugly--i.e. it's not a thief magnet. The bag does not have much padding, which means it's not ideal for transporting equipment. It's designed for carrying gear while you walk. Here are some additional details:

I don't like to carry around more than a camera body with a zoom lens attached, perhaps one other lens, and a flash. This bag holds that with enough room left over for some extra stuff. I can lay my camera on it's back in the bag with my main lens attached, add a second lens in the main compartment, and throw a flash in one of the jumbo side pockets. The camera and everything else can come out in an instant.

This gets to my second point; "the bag is not fussy". I saw this phrase in a review somewhere before I bought this bag. The phrase basically sums up the key strength of all Domke bags. I'm lazy, I don't want to fiddle with zippers, and sift through three dozen specialized mini-pockets. This bag has a large main compartment with minimal padding/protection, two large side pockets, a wide front pocket and a tight pocket in the back that's suitable for books and maps. (The flap has a zippered lining as well.)

A couple years ago, I went to Paris with this bag. It held my camera, photo paraphernalia, a couple water bottles, a wind breaker, a guide book and a map. Anything smaller would not have been large enough, anything larger would have been just too much to haul around all day long, and anything "nice looking" would have made me a target. (I purposely got the sand colored bag (vs the black one) because it looks like it's full of junk rather than expensive camera gear.)

In summary, this is an outstanding bag for hauling around a modest amount of gear. If you need something you can walk around with all day long, this is the answer.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

This is my second copy of the same product. My partner "borrowed" my original, and I haven't seen it since. I usually carry a Canon EOS 1D MkII N with a 24-70 f/2.8 L attached in the main compartment, along with a 16-35 f/2.8 L next to it. In one of the outside pockets is a 70-200 f/2.8 L IS. In the other is a Sekonic meter and a 580EX Speedlight. The other outside pockets carry cell phone, cards, battery, etc. The canvas is quite durable, and very weatherproof. I've been caught in many a rainstorm with these bags and nothing ever suffers. The strap is long enough that it can be worn like a sling-bag or shoulder bag. The non-slip coating on the strap is excellent. It's as good as a Billingham in every way, and costs one third as much. The retro styling is a plus.

Comments about Domke F-3X Shoulder Bag (Sand):

I carry my 5D + 24-70 along with Sigma 150 macro, 530 DG Super Flash, 1.4 Teleconverter, extra battery & CF Cards wnd charger and still have room for my Sigma 100-300