Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black)

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

I'm a vest guy at heart. But standard vests just dont cut it when it comes to accommodating photo gear. So I went to belts, backpacks,bags, straps.. It's often too much though. This vest is a nice solution: holds lenses, speed lights, cell phones, caps, etc.. Lots of pockets .. I like this vest- should become a standard part of my gear..

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

I wear a photo vest on every shoot. Indespensible for holding all that gear you need at hand, quickly.

Tough, but lightweight. Lots of venting to keep you cool. Pockets and D-rings to hold your gear.

I do wish they had put 2 more D-rings on the vest - one on each shoulder (as they did with the same vest just a few years ago.

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

It's made from heavy-duty cotton and feels tough and durable. I wear a size large and found that it wasn't as low cut as I had originally thought and also found that it was a comfortable length to wear. Obviously the vest has ample pockets outside and inside and even at the back. A mesh shoulder and top torso area helps to keep you cool and the shoulders have a bit of extra padding to make for carrying heavy cameras and lenses less of a burden.

The pockets are not padded nor are they sizable enough for me to fit in my Alpha 350 and lens attached, room for the 70-300mm f2.8 lens. But for smaller lenses and most everything else the pockets are roomy enough. I like storing unused memory card in one of the open bellows pockets on the left side of the vest and then storing the used card in the zippered pocket directly above the open pocket. I also love the side hand pockets. Not that these pockets are much useful for anything else but still nice to have for a quick warm up when needed. The internal pockets on the lower section of the vests are even roomier and I can fit my whole filter kit (a CD storage booklet) inside one of these pockets. The back of the vest has a large storage pocket too but I don't normally use them but It could be a good place for maps or other papers for field trips.

The Domke vest is already a bit shabby looking new and with further washing and wearing and beating up from use, it will look even shabbier but then it does add in a bit of charm and provides that little bit of character. Character that denotes a world-weary journalist lugging his equipment around the world.

I didn't get a true measure of just how good the Domke is until I compared it to other vest that came closest to what I wanted from a photo vest and I can only say. "Domke is far superior to the other consumer vest"

Material used is in favour of the Domke as the rugged looking vest is made with tougher fabric then the lightweight consumer vest. Pockets abound the Domke vest as befitting a photographer's vest and although the consumer vest also has a decent amount of pockets, not as many or in the locations you would also want them. The Domke has the large cargo pocket at the back and sizable pockets on both sides of the inner vest whereas the consumer vest has only an inner wallet pocket. The consumer vest had a higher cut, which made it less industrial in look and feel but at the cost of practicality. The Domke can be stuffed full of gear and still be worn comfortably.

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

Use it on every trip I take,domestic and overseas. Can handle all the gear I need for full day excursions with room to spare. For some it may be on the long side but being lightweight makes up for it. All around roomy and comfotable.

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

I bought this vest because it has cotton mesh panels for ventilation. This feature did help when the vest was used covering an outdoor theater festival which lasted about seven hours. Overall length is a bit much and I had to unzipper the vest when nature calls. Pockets were adequate holding my 14-24mm, 24-70mm and 50mm lenses, but could use more padding. Also, the zipper has a tendency to creep up when the 2 bottom pockets are loaded with lenses. Would have preferred other ways to secure pockets other than velcro, buttons or zippers are quieter. Product description says "shoulders are quilted and padded", though I did not feel there was any padding at all. Overall, good value for the price.

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

My camera club did a photo shoot for our countys special olimpics, the vest was a life saver.

Comments about Domke Photogs Vest (Large, Black):

This is a great vest if used properly. It doesn't have padded lens pockets and isn't designed for lots of large lenses but it is super as a light travel vest. The pockets will hold smaller lenses (my 24-120 fits just fine) and all the other gear you would need for a short trip. Besides an extra lens, it will also hold filters, storage cards, water bottles, travel documents, etc. I've been using it instead of a backpack.

Overall construction is very good and I like the weight of the vest. The body is a little long but that works well for me. Otherwise sizing is very true. It has adjustable side tabs to taylor the fit to your shape.

The only thing I would change would be the addition of shoulder tabs to secure a camera strap.

It isn't a do everything vest but it is very useful in the right situation. I would highly recommend it.