F-6 Little Bit Smaller (Available in Canvas or Ballistic). Exceptionally discreet bag with a low profile exterior. Similar to F-2 Original Bag, but scaled down to hold less equipment. Facts and Figures: Nine compartments and pockets include two full-length zippered pockets, and Padded four compartment "short" Insert. Adjustable non-slip Gripper Strap.
Ideal For: 1 or 2 cameras with or without motor drives, 3-4 lenses, flash unit, film and accessories
A comfortable, well built bag that fits a smaller dslr with spare lenses and accessories.
Material is top notch.The build quality and it doesn't shout that it's a camera bag.
My only concern is the metal clips used to secure the bag. I wonder what the life expectancy of the metal is.
was looking for a compact bag and liked both the OD color and the old school canvas feel of the Domke. It holds all my gear perfectly with no wasted space for things to rattle around. I did put a neoprene body cover on the D300 for some extra padding and dust control, it fits perfectly with the battery grip & 50mm lens installed. I also purchased the Domke tripod bag, it is excellent as well.
Color, size, old school look, comfort when carrying and it doesn't scream expensive gear inside
Wish the space for the camera body was padded and the shoulder strap was removable
But I prefer to leave one lens attached all the time, so I have modified the 4-compartment-inlet so that one lens/flash and the cam with lens attached fits perfectly. This bag holds: (as shown on the pictures) Main compartment, big inlet: Nikon D70 body with Nikon 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6G VR attached, Hood reversed. SB-800 flash with diffuser, vertical Main compartment, smaller inlet: Nikon 70-300mm f/4-5.6G, vertical, hood reversed Sigma 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX, vertical, hood attached Front bag: either Quantum Turbo Battery or lots of accessories, batteries, cards, cables Rear lid: Some paperwork, Nikon manual Top lid: some cables, memory cards Outer Rim: Quantum Turbo Battery with cable attached; then the bag is easy to identify as photo bag, but having the Quantum at the bag rather than at the hip works fine for me. The flap stays in closed place under all circumstances and can be fixed with two hooks for transport. The inlets can be removed. They are attached with velcro at the side lines and are padded with closed cell foam. The bottom has its own plate which can be removed to add softness, at a little cost of ruggedness. I have put the inlets into a plastic bag so that they are completely sealed against moisture from the bottom side. My personal record in loading the F6 is the following: D70 with Sigma 15-30 attached, put in vertical in the small compartment. In the big compartment (all vertical): Nikon 50mm f/1.4 with Nikon 35/2 on top, Sigma 28/1.8 with Teleconverter Kenko 1.4 pro on top, Tokina AT-X Pro 80-200/2.8, Flash SB 800 with Diffuser Dome. In the front bag the Quantum Turbo, in the lid some memory cards and the batteries for the D70 and the flash. This is a lot of stuff and the bag is crowded but still workable. The key to usability is to "re-sort" the contents after taking the camera out! Conclusion: This bag is a dream for the normal to semi-pro-user with perfect quality, stealthy look and best usability - but the F6 is hard to get in the shops, at least over here in Germany! If you need more equipment, look for the F2, if even more, then only the F1X is your deal!
My search for a carry-around bag has ended. I have looked long and hard and have gone through multiple Lowepro, Kata, and Tamrac bags before settling (and I mean settled) on one of the Tamrac System 6 bags. I didn't like the stiff feeling of the bags but I made due as I found no other option. However, with my current lens selection, it just didn't fit right and I had to again search for a replacement. I originally was turned off of the Domke bags by their lack of included padding but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that if I\'m taking care of my equipment, this should be a moot point. I began with the F-2 and an additional SLR insert (the one that allows for the camera to sit vertically with the lens pointing toward the side) but found it too large to carry in most situations. think without the side pockets it would be literally the perfect system bag but the additional few inches make it too much for me. I returned it and purchased the F-6, the next size down. This is essentially a shorter (height and length) F-2 minus the end pockets and for me it is the perfect size. I have four staple lenses that I love (five once I get my 24L II but that\'s another few months) and this bag takes them all in stride. The canvas and lack of case padding makes this bag extremely pliable and it simply hugs the body. It really moves with you as opposed to around you as with other cases. The inserts provide more than sufficient padding and as they are not a part of the case, it really facilitates the conforming nature of the case. The pockets are also great. There is one under the lid (zippered) and an additional one that runs the width of the bag in front that expands nicely to hold just about anything you need. One gripe, the shoulder strap is very grippy and it\'s appreciated, but it\'s not padded. With all four lenses and the body, the case gets very uncomfortable after a period of an hour or so. This is very easily remedied by a $15 pad (Domke`s postal carrier pad) and I highly suggest the investment.
Conforming and amazingly comfortable to carry
Shoulder strap is horrible unless you get the domke pad (HIGHLY recommended)
I expected the Domke F-6 to be bigger, but I had no problems fitting my core kit into it. Though it seems designed to transport a camera without a lens attached, the padded insert will hold a 40d with grip and lens, pointed nose down, pretty well. The core philosophy behind the Domke line may seem counterintuitive to some at first - the minimal padding, non-divided accessory pockets and canvas material run counter to the LowePro and Tamrac products that dominate store shelves. But for those who shoot in a photojournalistic style (or who simply are photojournalists) the bag's ease of access to equipment and unassuming style are important for the quick response and unobtrusive requirements of the work. The one thing the bag won't do, which I was able to do with the LowePro Nova 4, is to hold the 40d with a 70-200mm f/2.8 IS attached, along with all the lenses of the core kit. The only items that got bumped were the flash and flash accessories. I picture myself using the F-6 in conjunction with a belt and telephoto bag if I need to use 70-200mm, but even with the Nova 4 that wouldn't have been a bad idea.
Unassuming style: Especially being olive green, it looks more like something from army surplus than the camera shop. - Comfortable: You'll be surprised how much weight that padded bag added to your load. - Carry handle connects to rings on the main strap instead of the lid. I never understood why bag makers put the handle on the lid, which required you to strap/zipper everything closed to use it.
Main closure clips a little hard to manipulate, though that might get better over time. I still prefer the now more common plastic clips. - Non-swivelling/permanent shoulder strap. - Would have liked some subdivision of the main pocket instead of just being one big "junk drawer".
