Review on Domke F-6 Little Bit Smaller Bag (Olive) by Marcus West

Category -- SIZE: The bag is smaller than I thought it would be. I bought it to use with Canon 300D, 50/1.4, 100/2, 70-200/4L and 18-55/3.5 kit lenses. This set fits but is a little tighter than I would like. Since then I have upgraded to 40D, 28-135, 10-22, 50/1.4, 200/2.8, 1.4X TC and 430EX Flash. This is really the maximum for this bag. Ideally, it would be one or two medium-sized lenses less. In order to fit the hips, the F6 needs to have two open spots in the center baffle. It's really for people who have another bag to *store* their gear and need a quick on-the-go work backpack. It doesn't have to be complete. If you have a large superzoom (100-400, 70-200/2.8) or similar equipment as above, choose the Domke F-2. It's almost as understated, but much roomier. INTERIOR: The only interior of this bag is a four-panel divider that attaches with Velcro. When you delete a partition, it's just empty space. There are larger areas on either side of the bulkhead, in my case room for 430EX and 200/2.8. The aperture itself was designed for manual gear: long and thin lenses and film bodies with no deep grips that could be used where I have a prime and flash. Anyway, this is Domke's drawing. However, installing a DSLR in these locations is both difficult and inconvenient, and you have to remove the lens. The best solution I had to use because I have more gear than before is a medium weight lens. For example, 28-135 was permanently mounted on the camera. Then simply place the camera face down on the empty section. The soft nature of the baffle and the weight of the lens keep the camera in place, with the added benefit of freeing up space and readying the camera for shooting. feel a little heavy on top so you'll need to cut off at least one side of the lid to keep everything secure. CONSTRUCTION AND FEATURES: This bag has no side padding. Because of this, it hugs your waist better, but don't buy it if you're afraid of hitting your SLR. The front pocket, bottom pad and baffle protect the lenses securely in the middle. Without this light padding, the bag would not hold its shape. However, heavier loads will cause unused bags to shrink on their own. So when you take the lens out, it can take a bit of fiddling to put it back in. The two metal brackets stink. They are small, difficult to open and tend to rattle the lenses when not in use. There's no easy way to remove them, but if you're looking to lower the resale value of your bag, you can replace them with the excellent mini carabiners. The F-6 is not waterproof, but can be made waterproof. -Resistant with the same aerosol waterproofer you use for leather boots. Two years ago I applied two coats of Kiwi "Camp Dry" 13% Silicone to a bag. The puddle of water on the lid continues to drip for a full minute before beginning to wet the canvas. USE: People don't believe this Domke is a camera bag. Twice I managed to get to the sports facility and the inspector didn't bother to look for equipment. Although the front pocket is not padded, it can hold quite a bit. I was able to "hide" 70-200/4L inside, slightly changing the look of the bag. The elastic built into the strap is great if you're carrying the bag as a handbag, but I folded the strap over the other side of the bag. my neck and chest. When I do this, the elastic makes it difficult to move the bag in front of me without buttoning my shirt. never mind; There is no elastic on the opposite side of the belt so I just flip it over. several hours. I bought a chain strap to alleviate this problem but rarely use it. The padding of this optional accessory is less soft than it appears in the picture and the entire item feels bulky. A wider and less thick universal alternative would probably work better. ALTERNATIVES: There are comparable Chinese bags from Mekko and Safrotto. They are high quality and cost about 30% less than this Domke bag. I bought the Domke because the olive green wasn't available on the others and the Mekko bags in particular had too many flashy logos that I didn't want to remove. Otherwise they are worth a look. The F-6's biggest competitor is Domke's own F2. While the F-6 is beautiful and functional, it has nowhere to grow. The F2 offers significantly more space, although it doesn't look or feel much larger than the F-6, as it folds away on its own like any canvas bag. If I had known that we would expand our kit in this way, I would have chosen F2.