Anyone use a Domke F6?

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Trying to carry an M4-2, 35/1.7 CV, 21CV, 135/2.8with eyes, and a 75CV. Also perhaps a small small flash like a vivitar 252 and the leitz 21-28 finder. Will the F6 do that ok?

I've got a Domke 803, and its good for a lot the uses...maybe just one extra lens, but I'm wanting a bit more room.

I'd even thought about getting TWO more 803's and having the local canvas man stitch them up back to back (making an extra pocket in the middle in the process.

All thoughts considered... I'm not married to Domke line, but I like the canvas because it breathes and is machine washable.

-- Charles (cbarcellona@telocity.com), March 17, 2002

Answers

Assuming you want to carry film and maybe a few other things, it might be on the tight side, but it will work, especially if you have one of the lenses on the camera. I have this bag and the F-2, and I much prefer it because of the size, but I miss the side pockets on the F-2, especially if I need to carry twenty or thirty rolls of film.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), March 17, 2002.

Yes. I can carry a M6TTL, 24/2.8, 50/2 and 90/2 (35/1.4 on the camera), polarizer with case, SF-20 flash, Leica ballhead and tabletop tripod (broken down), film and 24 viewfinder, Swiss army knife, lenspen and cloth items. The insert pockets are deep enough to stack lenses, and you can avoid scratching by using the Billingham "simplies" drawstring bags to cover the lenses. That still leaves room for my cellphone and sunglasses without putting anything into the flap zipper compartment or the back side pocket. I have at times added a second body to the top, also with a lens mounted, and facing downward into one of the insert channels. The bag looks small but holds a lot.

-- Chris Henry (henryjc@concentric.net), March 17, 2002.

I like the F6 a lot - the only reason I don't use one at the moment is that I don't have enough stuff to fill one.

It is shallower than the 803, so you son't have to dig as deep to find things, although as Chris noted, it's deep enough to stack 2 smaller lenses.

Last time I used the F6 :: with Nikon SLRs :: I could fit the following in the 4 pouches of the main compartment: 200mm, 85/35 stacked, 28/16 stacked, Vivitar flash. One body (F or FM2) between the center pouches and one end of the bag; 2xTC and meter in the space at the other end. Film in the front pocket and notebook/pens in the back flap. (I carried 2nd body with 20mm out ready for shooting).

About the only thing the F6 won't handle easily are zooms/teles longer than a Nikon 180mm. And I found that, filled efficiently, it could hold 50% more weight than I really wanted to carry - hence the shift to Leica and smaller bags - 8^).

I wish Domke MADE an 803 scaled to the depth of the F6 - I'd get an olive one tomorrow! Maybe 2!

-- Andy Piper (apidens@denver.infi.net), March 18, 2002.


The olive drab is probably the best color. Very inconspicuous, it looks like a military surplus item.

-- Chris Henry (henryjc@concentric.net), March 18, 2002.

I agree with Andy. A F6/803 combination would be ideal.

Well I actually use the F803 and F-5XB which are great bags. I passed on the F6 because you need to pack it full for it to be usefull, otherwise it will be unbalanced. It is a very soft bag, like a larger F-5XB bag. I don't have enough gear to fill it so I bought the F-803. But is I end up getteing another lens i may consider it.

-- Kristian (leicashot@hotmail.com), March 18, 2002.



Domke makes an 3 compartment insert that fits the F803 perfectly. I've got one with an m4 with 50/2 summi in one section, an m4 with 35/2 asph summi in another section and a 90/2.8 elmerit m in the third section. This 3 compartment insert is the same height as the original insert. check it out. :-)

-- Ron Snyder (STUDIO1401@AOL.COM), March 18, 2002.

I've got an F6, I don't use it as a camera bag. I don't like the Domke bags except the F5XB because without a zipper for the main compartment they are open to dust and sand and pickpocket fingers.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), March 18, 2002.

For the times I want to carry more gear than I can fit into my M Classics bag, I opted for a Domke F2. It is just a bit taller than the F6, and has the handy extra outer pockets on each end. In it, I can fit two motorized M bodies with lenses attached, one extra M body w/o lens, four or five additional lenses (some stored back-to- back), flash, film, tool kit, guidebook, etc. A ton of gear to be sure, and more than I generally want to carry. BUT, I generally don't fill it up that full unless I'm working a specific location out of the car.

:-),

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), March 18, 2002.


Charles,

I've got a F-6 (also a F-4AF and F2). The F6 should work fine for what you want, but I think you could get it all into a smaller bag with judicious (sp?) packing.

I agree with Andy...the Domke bags can carry A LOT! I've packed my F-4 and F-2 with so much Nikon stuff plus odds and ends that it was literally too heavy to carry. Many people on the forums want to pack 20-40 rolls of film as well as their cameras. That's fine for traveling on the airplane (and THOSE days of taking film on the flight are probably numbered unless you want Xrays) but think about it...after arriving at your destination (I'm talking travel photog. here...not commercial assignments) do you always take ALL your film when you venture out to shoot. I don't think so. I know I take only 5-10 rolls and that usually holds me for a day. So in my case a large overloaded bag just weighs me down.

I'm still looking for the "perfect" bag and am considering a Billingham....but have not held the Alice or L-2 (it's new equivelent I think). It would be for a RF with 35 attached, 21, 90 and 5-10 rolls. If I find it I would have a F6 (dark green with leather trim) for sale!

-- Todd Phillips (toddvphillips@webtv.net), March 18, 2002.


You won't have any problem fitting your stuff ito an F6, especially if you use a lens coupler to connect two of the shorter lenses. I have two of these bags - one in green "emerald" canvas with leather trim, and a new one in black ballistic nylon that I think is going to be my favourite. I'm setting it up with two single-pocket inserts for a camera with lens each, and a two-pocket insert to carry two or three more lenses.

If I use just the supplied 4-pocket insert I can carry a camera with lens, a second body without lens in one insert pocket and up to five more lenses in the other three pockets. These bags can pack way more gear than is comfortable, especially when you load up the front pocket with film and a TT tripod...

Other people prefer the 803, but the F6 is my all-time favourite bag for the M.

-- Paul Chefurka (paul@chefurka.com), March 18, 2002.



This is the only bag I use (well, except for the smaller F5).

It holds more than I can comfortably carry for an entire day. So if I pack whatever I want into one and take that on trips.

I use it for a Nikon SLR system, a Mamiya 6 and 2 lenses, and I can pack my Hexar RF + 2 lenses into the bag along with either the Nikon or Mamiya stuff.

I generally don't carry everything I pack in at once. I take some stuff out and replace it with film when I'm actually shooting.

-- Pete Su (psu_13@yahoo.com), March 18, 2002.


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