Review on Domke F-6 Little Bit Smaller Bag (Sand) by Tina Blake

I have two Domke bags and will probably get another one soon (F-2). Both of my bags are sand colored. That's the look I really like. I have one (F-6) as a daily work bag - both at home and on vacation. It's usually equipped with Nikon D7000, Nikon 70-300, Tamron 17-50, Tokina 11-16 and either some fast primes or 35-70. The F-6 is large enough to stow the camera on its side with one of the lenses attached. This is important because I don't want to switch lenses just to put the camera away for a few minutes. When using one of the available Domke inserts, the 70-300 is the largest lens you can carry around - on or off the camera. It's not big enough to support 70-200 people standing at one end. If you want to carry around a 70-200 lens, you'll have to take out the insert and sacrifice everything else in the bag. For the times when you don't need this behemoth, however, it packs a surprising amount of gear. With four lenses in stock and one on the D7000, I have plenty of room for a filter pack, a flash in its case, an extra battery, a memory card case, a remote release cable and a lens cleaning kit. With all of that in the bag, it's pretty full, but I can still easily work with it and access everything I need without having to put the bag on the floor or take it off my shoulder. Even such a full bag comes in handy for a full day of shooting, although by the end of the day you'll be ready to have a drink and relax. As with all Domke bags, the lack of hard padding allows the bag to hug the hip and aid in maneuvering through crowds. I can also easily push it in front of me when I'm disturbed by "happy hands" in a crowd. I took this bag on a 3 week holiday to London and the Mediterranean and used it as a work bag every day. It kept my stuff dry when it was raining and clean when it was dusty. It's not hermetically sealed like some bags, so I would avoid tornadoes and hurricanes whenever possible - for both health and photography reasons. I think Domke bags appeal to minimalists. They are the essence of a work bag - no frills, no features, no hidden compartments, no "instruction manual"! (I still can't believe some camera cases come with an "instruction manual"!) It's a monument to simplicity and sophistication. The design is pure simplicity, material and workmanship are perfect. You won't find better material or workmanship for the same money. If you want to spend 4x, Billingham is the standard bearer. I have three small complaints about all Domke bags - metal clips. First, they can be difficult to work with one hand, especially when it's cold or wet. Sometimes I had to swing the bag forward from my waist and use both hands to open both clips and get to my gear. This can be cumbersome and time consuming, but I think if it's difficult for me to get into my bag, it's just as difficult for thieves and pickpockets, so there's a trade-off. Second, metal clips can be sharp and scratch or even cut your fingers. This has happened to me a few times - not often, but enough to make me complain. Third, the clamps are heavy and metal and can damage equipment if you're not careful. This has never happened to me, but I've heard from a few that it has happened to. Really nothing to complain about. If you're looking for a Kevlar-reinforced Abrams tank that has more bells and whistles than your camera to enclose your gear, you're going to hate this and every other Domke bag. But if you're looking for a perfectly designed and built work bag that looks great and lasts longer than you, then you won't find anything better than the Domke.