In my Bag - Rod Barbee

What’s in my camera bag kind of depends on the bag. And the bag depends on where I am and what I’m doing.

For an all around, close to the car, landscape/close up type of outing, or even for a short hike, I’ll use my LowePro ProTrekker. It holds just about everything I can think of (and probably a little too much).

Inside you’ll find:

• D200 and D300 bodies, both with vertical grip battery packs and both with Kirk L-Brackets
• Several CF cards (a mix of 2GB and 4GB cards)
• Nikon cable release (just your basic push the button release)
• Tokina 12-24 f/4 DX for wide angle landscapes and tight quarters. I simply love the focusing scale on this lens; it makes setting the hyperfocal point a snap.
• Nikkor 28-70 f/2.8 AF-S for general landscapes
• Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 AF-D with Wimberley quick release plate. For general and abstract landscapes and larger wildlife
• Nikkor 105 f/2.8 AF-D micro for close ups
• Lens hoods for all the lenses
• Nikkor 300 f/4 AF-S with Kirk NC-300 Replacement Lens Collar. My main wildlife lens (I usually carry this lens in a separate case, but I can cram it in the bag if I need to)
• TC-14E teleconverter
• Extension tubes for the 105, this allows me to get really close
• Kirk Long Rail Plate. Essential for close up photography
• Hoya thin mount 77mm polarizer
• Singh-Ray 77mm LB warming polarizer
• Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter
• Singh-Ray and Hi-Tech grad ND filters
• LowePro Filter Wallet to hold all the screw in filters
• Photoflex 32” diffuser
• Photoflex 22” soft gold/white reflector
• Nikon SB-800 flash (for the occasional fill flash on landscape foregrounds or popping a highlight into an animal’s eye)
• Off camera flash cord
• Small set of warming gels for flash
• Photo tool kit (Allen wrenches, screw drivers, spare parts, sensor cleaning stuff, etc.)/li>
• Filter accessory kit (step-up, step-down rings, Cokin adapters, etc)
• Thin gloves
• TP and backpackers trowel (do you really need to ask?)

If I’m flying or otherwise need to go lighter, but still want to carry a decent arsenal, I’ll take my LowePro Slingshot 300. I can actually fit two camera bodies and four lenses in this bag if I have to, but usually I take one body, the 12-24mm, the 80-200mm and I’ll take the Nikon 24-120mm AF-S VR in place of the larger and heavier 28-70mm.
I’ll take all my filters, the tool kits, CF cards, and sometimes the flash.

If I’m going really light or know that I’ll only need a limited range of lenses, I’ve got the LowePro Slingshot 200. One body, the 12-24mm lens, the 24-120mm, filters and tool kit, CF cards. Maybe the flash. That’s about all.

I really like having camera bags suited to different needs. The Slingshot bags give me a lot of flexibility and they’re not too expensive at all.

Besides the gear in the bag I also bring my Gitzo GT3530LSV and Arca-Swiss B1 Ball head. Between the two is the Manfrotto 438 Leveling Base that I use for setting up multi-shot panoramas.