Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive)

by Tiffen

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 4.5 x 6.5 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000AEEXUE
• Item model number: 700-52D
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,393 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

Color: Olive

Use this versatile carrying case as a camera bag or remove the included Gripper Shoulder strap and thread your belt (or ours, sold separately) through the tunnel for an instant waist pack

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Almost Perfect, June 17, 2005

By 

Ricardo (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Black) (Electronics)

But for 2.5 little quibbles, I'd have given this bag 5 stars.

Quibble # 1 is the velcro closure on the main flap. It's makes the bag far too noisy to open. I like to shoot with Leica Ms for their quiet shutters and overall "stealth". The velcro negates those advantages. A simple fix...I just removed about 90% of the velcro, leaving only enough to keep the flap closed.

Quibble #2 is with the front pockets. There are 4 of them and 3 of them are too small for anything but a pen. The largest will barely hold a Sekonic 308b exposure meter. I really wish that Domke had designed the bag with just two front pockets, but then they couldn't advertise it as having 7 compartments. I guess that the stitching between the pockets can be removed if you have the patience and a steady hand.

Quibble #2.5 is the Domke label on the front flap. I don't want to advertise to the world that I'm carrying $4,000 worth of gear in a bag that, otherwise, is almost invisible. The label is a PITA to remove. I had to use a razor knife to verrrrry carefully cut it away. This is quibble 2.5, only because, if you select the "Official White House Photographer" (or something like that) version, you may actually enjoy advertising the contents of your bag.

Now for the good stuff....

The bag is made of high quality, durable canvas. After a little use, it softens and kind of molds itself to your side. In fact, the more you use it, the better it gets. You could probably remove the padded dividers and toss the shell in with the laundry if you wanted to.

The strap is fantastic. It's a Domke "Gripper" strap. Just like the ones I use on all of my cameras. Although I tend to carry my bags/cameras "cross-chest" for security, the Gripper makes it possible to keep them on my shoulder without much danger of sliding off. The swivels keep the strap from getting twisted and save a lot of cuss words.

The interior has three compartments. I use the center one for a small body with lens attached. Usually a Leica M, but it will also hold a SMALLish SLR with short lens.

One of the other compartments is useful for a second lens or two while the third can be loaded with film.

A nice feature is that the front of the padded dividers is not attached to the front of the bag. This space is useful for extra batteries, a filter or two or other small items.

This is a SMALL bag. It probably won't be your only bag if you have anything more than a very small kit.

It's nearly perfect for the Leica M system and costs a lot less than anything comparable...think Billingham/Fogg, etc.

Just remember to remove the velcro!!

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent bag for a full Micro 4/3 kit, June 13, 2010

By 

Jeremy Thornhill - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Olive) (Electronics)

Length:: 5:06 Mins

Let me just say, this bag is wonderful.

The materials are top notch, all around. The bag and strap are made of very thick, rugged canvas. The sliders and latches are all made of metal; the strap adjustment loops and zipper strips are plastic, but they seem to be very large and very tough.

The front and rear panels, the bottom, and the dividers are well padded. The small side panels are not padded, so do be aware of that. The bottom is rigid, to keep its general structure and allow it to stand on its own. The shoulder strap has a grippy material that keeps it firmly in place.

The velcro is substantial and it makes things very secure. I feel safe enough leaving the bag partially unzipped and relying on the velcro alone for quicker access. Yes, it's loud, but I'm OK with that.

I can't honestly find a single complaint, other than that it's perhaps a bit pricey. It does exactly what it says, and it just oozes quality.

I was looking for a bag specifically for traveling light with a small amount of Micro 4/3 gear, and after extensive research I was torn between this and the slightly taller (but lower volume) F-5XA. I ultimately settled on this model, and here's what I can cram in here if I'm really trying (I don't have quite this much in there for the video):

- E-P2 body with one of the lenses below mounted
- Olympus 17mm f/2.8
- Olympus 14-42mm
- Panasonic 45-200mm
- Panasonic 20mm f/1.7
- Olympus 50mm f/2 Macro with Micro 4/3 adapter mounted
- Olympus FL-14 flash
- Olympus VF1 optical viewfinder
- Olympus VF2 electronic viewfinder
- Spare battery/memory cards/filters/etc in the front pocket

In one completely absurd configuration, I've successfully fit my E-P2 mounted to the Olympus Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8-3.5 Digital ED SWD Lens in this bag. It *just* fits, and you can use the velcro dividers to create a little pocket underneath the 50-200mm lens to store an m4/3 lens or two.

It does really make you appreciate how much smaller M4/3 is, and how different its needs are. What's for a SLR a small day bag (it'll hold my DSLR + mounted lens + 1 or 2 small extra lenses) can hold an entire M4/3 system.

*** Video errata ***

- I think I called the flash the "FL20" - it's actually the Olympus FL-14
- When talking about my DSLR in this bag, I mangled what's attached and what's not attached. A typical configuration for me is DSLR + small zoom + prime + flash (or another small zoom or prime), with one lens mounted.

*** Update 04/2011 ***

After heavily using (and abusing) this bag over the past year, the fading others have described is starting to become apparent. I'm pretty sure this is due to sun exposure, and it's most apparent on the top flap. It doesn't impact the bag's performance in any way and the faded look doesn't bother me personally (hey, it's got "character" now), but if you want to avoid this you might want to consider the tan model instead of green.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great walking around bag, May 7, 2007

By 

Mathew Mitchell (San Francisco) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Domke F-5XB Shoulder/Belt Bag (Black) (Electronics)

This really is a great walking around bag. Very sturdy. The gripper strap is fantastic. Because this bag is made of canvas it molds to the side of your body well: this means less movement from the bag. Big enough to hold a digital SLR such as the Canon 5D body plus any decent size lens (up through a 200mm prime). May be too small for big zooms, or big primes (i.e. above 20mm).

Not a good bag if you want to lug around lots, or even some, "stuff." But if all you want is an inconspicuous, comfortable, and reliable way to carry around one camera body plus lens this can't be beat.

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