I've owned a couple Domke bags over the years. When I was a young shooter 20 years ago, I purchased the F-3x shoulder bag. it was my first Domke. I was unfortunate to have my Tamrac 614 full of gear stolen but was able to purchase a small amount of replacement equipment. I could only afford a few replacement lenses and a single body, so I purchased the F-3x. It was the best-made bag I could find for a reasonable price back in the early 1990's. I used that bag for many years and really enjoyed it. I like the black bags, but the red Domke trim always looked a bit garish to me, so I blackened it with a sharpie and love the inconspicuous look.

My early concerns with the Domke bag system were the lack of padding and the lack of sealing zippers and overall waterproof-ness. I read all the marketing materials and just didn't see that it would keep my gear as safe as the newer padded bags, but I really liked how it moulded to my side as I carried it, and I was amazed at the amount of equipment it could carry comfortably in the very small bag. Each time I purchased a new piece of kit, i found a way to add it to this tiny bag. I owned and used this bag for over ten years, and can attest that I dropped the bag a few times and even slid down a riverbank and dunked it completely underwater for a second, and nothing inside was wet or damaged. I even stitched this bag together as it started to wear through, only giving it up when it became so worn that I could no longer keep it together.

Finally, I replaced it with the now-discontinued Lowepro Trekker 200. This was a fine, padded, weather resistant bag that wore well while hiking. My major problem with this setup is setting the bag down flat requires that the part that rests on your back is down on the ground, picking up dirt and thorns. I still enjoy my trekker bag for long hikes with limited gear.

My digital kit consists of two bodies and ten lenses, so I finally returned to the Domke line with the F-2 Original Shoulder Bag. This bag packs quite a bit of gear and is very comfortable to carry short to medium distances. I have had some major back injuries so I prefer to wheel my bag if it's over 40 lbs. I shopped for a wheeled bag, but decided to keep the Domke and set it in a luggage caddy I purchased at a department store for $25. This setup is works very well.

In all, the F-2 is a great camera bag and uses space quite efficiently. I think every shooter would benefit from considering a great Domke bag for those times they want a light-weight bag that has great classic styling. Some people have complained about the buckles not being as easy to open as the common plastic clips that are on most bags. This is true when the bag is new, but when the bag has a few years' use on it, it still closes securely when the competitors' bags are opening because their plastic clips are worn.

This is a bag that will give you years of use and doesn't scream "steal me" like so many other camera bags do. Another great benefit of this bag is that I fly with it a lot. Being the most gear space I can fit into a smaller bag is a huge benefit.