Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive)

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

Finally found a bag for my Olympus PEN camera that fits perfectly. The camera with 2 lenses, flash, spare battery and SD cards are snug and safe. Big bonus is that it doesn't scream "camera bag" but rather a smart casual shoulder bag - specially good when touring. Bonus that it is so very well made and equipment is easily and quickly retrieved.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I was looking for a small bag to carry a fairly basic micro four thirds kit of camera, viewfinder, plus two or three lenses and small accessories (spare battery, SD card etc).
The F-5XB fits the bill perfectly. It carries all that comfortably, with room for a few other items such as mobile phone and small notebook.
I use the shoulder strap but the belt loop option might come in handy in future. Movable vecro'ed dividers inside the bag allow a pretty flexible packing range. Padding on the bottom of the bag is a little light on, but I just added some.
Overall, a very compact, lightweight setup - I still can't believe how much more convenient this arrangement is than my previous DSLR/lens etc camera kit. And, for my non-pro purposes, not too big a sacrifice in image quality.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

Love this bag!! Looks like an everyday purse. The small size fits two lenses easily, and prevents me from bringing too much junk along.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I use this bag with my Olympus E-P2 camera, 14-42, 17 pancake and 9-18 lenses, and FL-14 flash, extra camera battery, extra flash batteries, lens brush, extra camera strap and the Oly electronic viewfinder. All fits well and the camera can easily and quickly be put into the bag with the 9-18 and flash or viewfinder attached. This is the perfect bag for Oly M4/3 cameras in many ways. When strapped over sholder and head with the strap going across the chest, it really doesn't look like a camera bag. The velcro flap is even roomy enough to fold over a gorillapod and keep it secure. The strap has plenty lenght to allow enough adjustment to make it comfortable to pack for an all day excursion.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I use this bag with a canon 40D and a tamron 17-50mm f/2.8. The camera (with lens attached) fits very well in the bag. Not sure if anything else will fit in there besides batteries and small items; another small lens or a normal sized flash may fit but I'm not sure. The body/lens won't fit with the hood fitted normally (it has to be reversed), but a slightly larger lens would fit. This isn't a bag for someone that wants to carry a bunch of stuff with them, however if you only want to carry a body/lens and a few small items it cannot be beat. It's built incredibly well and is very comfortable/compact. It's easy to take the camera out with the bag at your side; the lid velcros open and closed, then under that there is a nice fat zipper (normally I hate zippers but this one is heavy duty). It doesn't stand out as a camera bag, which is ideal for traveling. The canvas material is in fact water resistant. Overall the bag is a joy to use, and looks manly enough in the olive color. Really the only downsize is that it's small. One could argue that it's expensive for how small it is, however I would say that the price is justifiable considering it feels like it will last forever, and it's very useful for times when you don't want / need to carry a lot of kit.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

Although I have several camera bags for different size, capacity for camera gears, I still need a small one for daily use. I could not find one until I browsed the B & H catalog and found the Domke F-5XB. This bag is perfect for my needs, and I love it because,
- Low Profile. For most camera bags in the market, you can tell by looking at their design. But F -5XB just looks like a regular bag.
- Good size and light. Small for easy carrying, but good enough for my D700 + 50mm f/1.4 with hood, and SB-600.
- Good quality. The protection on bottom, front and back, the zipper and the belt are made of good quality material. I feel good they will protect my camera well for daily use for years.
- Washable. Washing instruction is provided, although I don't want to do that unless it's necessary.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I use this bag to hold an Olympus E-PL1 camera with lens attached plus two additional lenses and other accessories.

The overall quality of the bag, its design, size and construction are perfect for the job. It is quite rugged, as are all Domke bags, and very well padded.

Although the camera and lenses are secured by a zipper closure, I would prefer a clasp rather than velcro to secure the outer flap.

I would very stongly recommend this item to anyone who needs a compact yet surprisingly roomy case for a small camera outfit.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I got this bag for a very specific application. I needed a compact bag that would fit in a rear trunk bag on my touring bike. Most bags are either too long or too wide, and often both. This one fits perfectly, and has just enough room for my Nikon D3000 with standard lens, plus a zoom lens, hoods, strap, and memory cards ... just what I need for photo shoots while out on a ride.

It also happens to be the same deep olive heavy canvas material that the trunk bag is made from, so they look like they were made for each other!

I cut two pieces from a yoga mat to add an extra surround of padding from road vibration. With the adequate padding in the Domke bag, my camera is well-protected and ready for use any time I need it.

When off the bike, this bag looks great on its own in a classic style that doesn't scream "camera bag". It's light and very sturdy, and it carries comfortably. I expect it will long outlast the camera!!

Just be aware that while it is perfect for my needs, this bag is small, and a tight fit ... no room for extra gear, flash units, etc. For me, that's not an issue, as I don't often need them, and when I do, I carry a larger gear bag ... but if you need to carry more than a camera and extra lens, this bag would be too small.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

Used primarily to carry my LX3 compact digital, an Olympus FL-36 flash, and a film rangefinder or film SLR with a prime wide angle to short-tele lens. And still enough space for spare batteries, lens brush and cloth, SD cards and a roll of film. I do not use the divider insert that came with the bag.

This is my go-to bag for walking around and taking to work everyday. Love the gripper non-slip gripper strap, the olive heavy-duty canvas and zippers, and the plain looks of a a messenger style bag or a 'man purse'.

I dislike the very strong velcro closure (noisy and requires some effort to open). To solve this, I have covered a good 80% of the surface on the flap side with a velco strip to reduce surface tension. I would have given this a 5-star rating if not for this. I also wasn't fond of the large DOMKE label so I took it off which is very doable by the way. The label though was at least a shade close to the color of the bag that you could keep it if you so desire. Could have been a smaller label.

Highly recommended if you want to carry and limit your load to a few essentials. May not be functional if you carry a long zoom.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

Very happy with the bag. I am able to fit my Nikon D60 with 18-55mm zoom attached, along with 75-210mm zoom, battery charger (or flash - but not both), usb cable, and other small accessories. I was looking for a small bag to carry the bare essentials when shooting and this gets the job done very well. Not as much padding as other bags. Doesn't draw attention. Might be a little small for some, might look a little like a purse, but i'm not really worried about that. i considered the next size up so I could fit a flash and a nice prime lens too, but opted for this. I didn't want to carry a big bag around all the time.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

This is a wonderful bag. It is small, but perfect for what I need it for. I use it with a Leica M. There is room for the body (with a lens), plus room for another lens, or few rolls of film. The only somewhat negative thing with it is that the padding is minimal, I added some foam at the bottom in order to protect the gear a bit more.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

To me, too many camera bags are like neon signs that say "expensive camera in here!" The greatest thing about this bag is that I can carry my camera inconspicuously. I carry a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with a 28-105mm zoom lens attached, a Canon 430EX Flash, spare camera battery and charger, spare batteries for the flash, a small flashlight, some lens cleaner, and a small notebook and pen. Sometimes I include a Braun battery operated shaver alongside the flash unit. Looking at it from the outside, it's hard to believe that it holds as much as it does.! The bottom, front and back are well padded, and two moveable dividers provide padding on each side of the camera. If I'm not going to need the flash, I can carry another lens instead. I cannot think of anything negative about this bag. It's design allows me to carry my basic camera gear discreetly and well protected.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

This bag couldn't be any better or more comfortable. I carry around an M-body and a Hexar, along with some film in the third compartment. For me this bag is perfect for carrying around all day without the fuss of the bag getting on the way.

As several others have noted, the velcro is a bit annoying, but it's nothing that should deter you from purchasing this bag. I do not regret getting this bag. I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a casual walking around bag that isn't very large.

Comments about Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive):

I purchased this bag about 2 years ago, I was looking for a nice shoulder bag that wouldn't look too much like a camera bag since I had to carry my D70 about every day to work and didn't want to attract attention in subway/street, etc. It fits the camera with a 50mm attached, plus another lens and small accessories (filters, remote, pens, etc). It does get cramped if I have any bigger lens attached to the camera (like 60mm) and want to fit another lens in the bag, but I've been able to fit 2 lenses in there (had to remove accessories).What I love about the bag is the movable padded velcro compartments inside, and the double zipper on top, covered by the flap. It keeps all equipment safe from falling out and from elements. And it's strongly built.

Expertise: Semi-pro

Problems Encountered: None, but I really wish Domke would make a bigger version of this great design.