Customer Reviews

Tamrac 3536 Express 6 Camera Bag (Black)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(30)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I had a critical criterion when shopping for a bag for my new SLR: it must not look like I am carrying a camera as much as possible. This way, I can carry the bag more often without being conspicuous. And this bag definitely delivers.

First off, the style and colour is really quite a departure from most camera bags. Without knowing this bag, it could easily pass off as an ordinary messenger bag. If orange isn't your thing, this also comes in all black.

Also important is that this bag isn't as thick sideways as bags of comparable size, so it doesn't stick out as much. Perhaps this is at the expense of some protection or additional storage, but I think it was an extremely good decision because it makes it look a LOT less bulky, and makes carrying it much more comfortable.

The strap is an over the head shoulder strap. Many camera bags of this size only come with shorter shoulder straps. This one makes it a lot easier to carry, and not only that, more natural as well.

Compared to other Tamrac bag with the same size, this one is missing the main bag zipper. I personally find it a plus, since it makes the bag smaller, and also the camera more accessible.

In term of storage space, this one fit my K100D with kit lens well (in fact, a little too well. If your camera is thicker, it may protrude off the top a bit.) Two slight problems present themselves. First, the camera strap takes creativity to get fit inside the bag. It's easier not to. The other problem area is that the presence of the lens cap made the bag a tighter fit. (Without the bayonet lens cap, it's a lot easier.) I don't have extra lenses, but I don't think it'll fit one on each side. In fact, the guide indicates just that; you can only fit lenses on one side; the other side can only fit something smaller, like flash.

!!! UPDATE !!!

I have since purchased a couple of primes; three in total. I have in fact been able to add all three of them to the bag; two on one side, another one on the camera grip side: all facing up. The bag bulges a little, but the fact is that it is able to fit lenses on both sides.

~~~ END UPDATE ~~~

The flap itself is a zipped storage, but has no real thickness. It has a back pocket area, but again no real thickness. Under the flap us is a decent misc. pocket area.

The one thing about Tamrac is I don't like the flap lock. It's unconventional, and in my opinion difficult to use.

At any rate, for a bag that is competitively priced with others that are the same size, and much better looking, this one deserves 5 stars for a job well done. The only comparable bag that I have seen at the store is from National Geographic that costs almost 5 times as much.

I would give this bag 5 starts if it weren't for the fact that the description says it's perfect for a DSLR, and it's really a bit small for even a small DSLR. Since Amazon doesn't list the dimensions for this bag, here they are, direct from [...]:

Internal Dimensions: 7¾ W x 3¾ D x 8 H or 20 x 10 x 20 cm
External Dimensions: 10 W x 6 D x 9 H or 25 x 15 x 23 cm

I have an Olympus E-510, and the fit in this bag is a little tighter than I would like. At 3 and 3/4" inches deep (front to back) the bag really isn't large enough to hold a DSLR without the flash shoe snagging on the front of the bag and making it bulge out a bit.

Also, the way the camera rests in the bag, there is no room for a shoulder strap without using up one of the side (internal) lens pockets, or wadding the strap up and putting it in before the camera (under the lens attached to the camera body), which doesn't work with a large lens on the cam. The strap can be folded and put on top of the camera after inserting it in the bag, but this risks scratching the LCD, and makes the bag difficult to close.

I think the bag is worth every penny, but it is better suited for a smaller camera.

**Update: After purchasing the highly reviewed 50mm f/2.0 macro lens for this camera, I am afraid I'll have to sell my bag and find something larger. With any of the 3 lenses (50mm or kit lens) attached, the fit in the bag with the other two lenses stored in the internal pockets is too tight.
This bag is simply not suited for a DSLR camera...not even a smaller 4/3rds format one. If you must, you can get by with this bag with one lens attached and only one stored inside the case, but you'll be sacrificing function for fashion. If Tamrac could just come up with a bag 1" wider and 3/4" deeper (front to back) it would be perfect.

I bought this bag when I purchased a new Nikon D40, extra Nikon 55-200mmVR lens, and a Nikon SB-400 light. The information for the bag said that it would hold this amount of equipment. You can fit all this gear in the bag, but just barely after removing all the padded dividers. You can also fit the charger and cables in the front pouch, but the bag is packed very tight. If you use lens hoods, it gets even more crowded. I like the bag and will continue to use it, but I just wanted folks to know it will be a tight fit if you carry all the gear the bag is advertised to hold.

I was looking for essentially a single camera case that didn't look like a camera case. This case was well made and didn't look like your typical camera case. It was small like I had hoped, but it ended up too small for my Nikon D200. There is also no way that this would have held a camera and a couple of other smaller lenses as described. Probably good if you are looking for a small and light carrying case with minimal accessories and a camera that is smaller than the D200 (maybe good for the D40 & D40X's).

I wanted a bag that would protect my investment, be easy to carry when I want it around, and most importantly, NOT look like a camera bag.
This bag is perfect.
Everything fits snugly but comfortably, even an extra battery and some filters (this particular size has been perfect for MY needs, others may want to research all the different models). The bag is well designed to distribute the weight evenly across a shoulder and the bag hung unobtrusively behind my back as I took pictures with my camera. Lens and filter changes were accomplished easily from a standing position without the need for anything other than the open bag to assist.
The most important feature to me, as I mentioned earlier, a camera bag laying on the seat of a vehicle may add just enough incentive for a would be thief to break-in. This bag looks more like a youngsters book bag than a camera bag.

First I would like to tell you what I have in this express bag

1. Nikon D40 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera Kit with 18-55mm Zoom-Nikkor Lens
2. Nikon Zoom zoom lens - 55 mm - 200 mm - f/4.0-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S DX VR
3. Nikon SB-600 Speedlight Flash
4. Extra Nikon D40 Battery and extra AAA batteries
5. Extra 2GB SD Card
6. UV Filter
7. Cleaning kit
8. A mini tripod (I insert it on the large side pocket)

I am not a pro photographer but I like to carry all my gear always. and did I forgot to mention that this bag does not look like a typical camera bag!?. if I dont hang my mini tripod on the side, this bag looks like an elegant messenger bag that can look cool on what ever you wearing.

I still got few extra pockets for other purposes as well like a room for my mobile phone.

The only change I have done is I have removed one of the velcro dividers as well (as others mentioned) to give room for my gear.

a perfect bag... a perfect buy

This is my second camera bag since I have started to use DSLRs, had to upgrade due to semi-expansion of the gears. I was satisfied with the design and the quality of the bag the moment I recieved it, and was happy with it the day I used it first.

I have my Canon 350D(XT), Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6, and Canon 50mm f/1.8 MK-I in this bag which is about a full load with slight wiggle room but no more room for any other lens. In the main partition I made, I could store the camera+28-135 and then put a borrowed Canon Speedlite 580EX flash in the case on top of it without any problem. Also there're plenty of the room for filters/memory cards/wipes/etc. in the front compartment and room for papers and such in the back pocket.

My favorite part about this bag is how fast I can see and react to take a picture as long as I have a lens mounted. Just a clip to open the bag and take out and shoot!

I would definitely recommand this bag to anyone who would like to carry around a simple and light DSLR or high-end super zoom camera with plenty of room to spare.

Already posted a review on the Tamrac 3536 Express 6 Camera Bag in black, but since they only differ in color, thought it might be wise to share it here.

Experience teaches one over the years that the first bag one picks for new photo gear is not necessarily the right choice.

Had purchased a new Fujifilm Finepix S6000fd Digital Camera, didn't want to invest in a camera-only case, but wanted a compact and rugged bag that would hold and protect the new camera along with a few accessories to allow for a day's shooting without swearing about the accessory or item one left at home or in the car.

Really like Lowepro's products (and own some, along with Tenba, Tamrac, Domke, etc.), so I visited each manufacturer's site and a couple retailers as well. In the end, purchased the Tamrac 3536 Express 6 Camera Bag, and all I can say is that this a true 5-star item. It holds my camera, filters, xD memory cards, a Sony Quick Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, additional spare batteries, a Nikon Micro Fiber cleaning cloth, a Nikon lens cleaning pen, a Tamrac Memory & Battery Management Wallet, pens, notebook, the camera manual, spare glasses, small flashlight, an mp3 player and more. Used the cell phone pocket on the side to store my Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier in its original sheath.

At about 1.1 pounds (500 grams) the bag is deceptively light, and has excellent construction and stitching. The padding is first-rate, and the padded inserts are easy to adjust, but do take a few minutes at home to do this in advance. Its shoulder strap is padded and nicely contoured, and the bag has a useful carrying handle that allows for the bag to be picked up without spilling the contents all over the ground. In other words, the designers thought carefully about the photographer before putting it together. To top it off, there's a discrete khaki ultra suede accent panel adding a slight stylish touch to the bag.

Though I had bought this specifically for my own S6000fd, a friend with a larger Canon digital SLR and a medium-range zoom lens tried slipping his camera in the bag, and it went in and back out without any problems. He's now purchasing the same one, for the same reasons that I've listed here.

Hint: If you have a S6000fd, store the camera's standard 'cookie-cutter' lens hood in the reversed position on the lens barrel (see your manual). It slips in and out of the case quite easily.

Additional thought: If your unsure as to whether your camera will fit or not, perhaps it would be wise to remember the old term of RTFM and get your dimensions first.

This is a great bag for carrying a pretty diverse set of equipment, but is perfect for any FujiFilm S6000fd owner who needs just a little more than the standard camera case. It's a true 5-star camera bag.

I recently bought this for the D40 I got for Christmas. It is exactly what I wanted. It will hold the D40, with an attached lens, in the center section of the main compartment. It also has room for a long lens in a side section of the main compartment. If the long lens is on the camera, it fits as well. This leaves room on the other side for other gadgetry. At this time, I mostly stuff the strap in this section. There would be plenty of room there for the battery charger, too, though I don't usually carry it. There isn't room, however, for another lens in that section.

The front zippered compartment gives me plenty of room for my few filters, the USB cable, the remote control, extra memory cards and extra batteries. I haven't had a use for the flap compartment or the back zippered compartment. They wouldn't hold much, though. You could probably put the camera manual in the back one, but I haven't tried.

I especially like the color. I like the fact that it isn't black and doesn't look distinctly like a camera bag. Not only does this have a minor security benefit (not obvious to thieves that it's a camera), it doesn't look like every other camera bag in the world. It also matches my hat, which wouldn't necessarily help anyone else. :-)

The only downside I see for my usage is that, if I end up filling the side section with gadgetry, the camera strap (which I have upgraded from the one included with the camera) may run out of a place to go. If my capabilities (and budget) grow to wanting a wide-angle lens (along with the 18-55 and the long lens) I'll be out of space. But, for my projected use for this camera (two lens and a handfull of filters), it is perfect.

Experience teaches one over the years that the first bag one picks for new photo gear is not necessarily the right choice.

Had purchased a new Fujifilm Finepix S6000fd Digital Camera, didn't want to invest in a camera-only case, but wanted a compact and rugged bag that would hold and protect the new camera along with a few accessories to allow for a day's shooting without swearing about the accessory or item one left at home or in the car.

Really like Lowepro's products (and own some, along with Tenba, Tamrac, Domke, etc.), so I visited each manufacturer's site and a couple retailers as well. In the end, purchased the Tamrac 3536 Express 6 Camera Bag right here on [...], and all I can say is that this a true 5-star item. It holds my camera, filters, xD memory cards, a Sony Quick Charger with 4 AA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, spare batteries, a Nikon Micro Fiber cleaning cloth, a Nikon lens cleaning pen, a Tamrac Memory & Battery Management Wallet, pens, notebook, the camera manual, spare glasses, small flashlight, an mp3 player and more. Used the cell phone pocket on the side to store my Gerber Suspension Multi-Plier in its original sheath.

At about 1.1 pounds (500 grams) the bag is deceptively light, and has excellent construction and stitching. The padding is first-rate, and the padded inserts are easy to adjust, but do take a few minutes at home to do this in advance. Its shoulder strap is padded and nicely contoured, and the bag has a useful carrying handle that allows for the bag to be picked up without spilling the contents all over the ground. In other words, the designers thought carefully about the photographer before putting it together. To top it off, there's a discrete black-on-black ultra suede accent panel adding a slight stylish touch to the bag.

Though I had bought this specifically for my own S6000fd, a friend with a larger Canon digital SLR and a medium-range zoom lens tried slipping his camera in the bag, and it went in and back out without any problems. He's now purchasing the same one, but in khaki, for the same reasons that I've listed here.

Hint: If you have a S6000fd, store the camera's standard 'cookie-cutter' lens hood in the reversed position on the lens barrel (see your manual). It slips in and out of the case quite easily.

This is a great bag for carrying a pretty diverse set of equipment, but is perfect for any FujiFilm S6000fd owner who needs just a little more than the standard camera case. It's a true 5-star camera bag.