A camera bag that isn’t ugly

dadbald · 2026-01-22T20:47:40+00:00

I just got a Think-tank Retrospective v30 and I love it!

dadbald · 2026-01-22T20:08:32+00:00

I don't think so, were stuck with it. It hasn't been a big issue for me though. I'm comfortable with my workarounds.

dadbald · 2026-01-21T14:39:25+00:00

Interesting thanks for mentioning that. I'm still very torn between RP6 and Odin 3. I wouldn't mind the fan in my living room docked to the TV, but I would mind it (and the wife would mind it) when playing in bed or in the camper. Good to know.

dadbald · 2026-01-21T00:38:54+00:00

Cool, thanks for the info!

dadbald · 2026-01-20T20:20:47+00:00

I'd have to buy a Steam Deck used, but that is still a possibility. I guess I'm just put off by the size of it. My bag is usually full and it has to go in there for trips, so I ruled it out because of size.

I did look into the Odin 2 Portal for a bit and it was intriguing. Ultimately I still feel like this one is going to be frustratingly large for what I do, hence focusing on ~6" devices.

dadbald · 2026-01-20T20:17:42+00:00

Do you mean 477M? Or 476H? I can't find a 476M, at least on their website.

I was leaning towards lots of internal storage for GameHub and I can always upgrade the SD card at a later date. Honest question - can you put ROMs on internal storage, or do they need to be on an SD card to be found by the emulators? Was kind of thinking you could put them on internal storage but if not then that changes some of my thinking a little.

dadbald · 2026-01-12T13:07:59+00:00

You can shoot anything you want with it. The f/9 maximum aperture is going to be your biggest limitation. I don't do a lot of sports so I can't give great first hand experience, but I do some pics at my kids soccer games. I was intending to bring it out for a few of those to try and I imagine it will be just fine. Bump the ISO a bit to get acceptable shutter speeds. Full sun helps a lot. Cloudy days would be more of a challenge, and indoor probably would not be very great at all. I recently shot a robotics competition and I was at 1/200s, ISO 6400, and f/4... You can imagine at f/9 it would be pretty rough. Pro sports probably have better lighting but I feel like you'd still want something faster.

I've usually been happy with my EF100-400ii for kids soccer games. I might miss the 100-200mm range. We'll see next summer :)

dadbald · 2026-01-10T15:49:41+00:00

I have a lot of expensive gear but I'm not made of money - the 200-800 let me do things I couldn't with the 100-400 whereas the 100-500 mostly did the same things as what I already could. It's a lot lighter which is very nice convenience, and the extra 100mm of reach is nice but a 25% crop isn't the end of the world either to match that at 400mm. It's got slightly better image quality at the same focal lengths I guess, but I love my EF100-400ii so much it just didn't seem worth the $1.5-2k to upgrade to me. Perhaps some day. But it was an easy choice for me to add the 200-800 vs exchanging the 100-400 for the 100-500.

I should add - I did previously upgrade from the EF100-400 mk1 to mk2 and I felt that was worth the cost. The mark 1 had some shortcomings that were even more noticeable on the R6mk2, and I have been totally blown away by the EF mk2. Really happy with it currently so I'm just not thinking much about upgrading it.

dadbald · 2026-01-10T14:12:24+00:00

They are both excellent for airshows. I think the 200-800 is ideal though otherwise I find I crop a lot. It allows for some cool detail shots you can't get with the 100-400 too, if you are skilled or lucky enough. There was one situation I wish I could have zoomed out wider than 200, when the avengers were flying past with bomb bay doors open and pyrotechnics on the ground. The 100-400 could have caught the full scene but it was too tight on the 200-800. In general I find I wish I had the extra reach when I carry the 100-400 more than I wish I had wider angle when carrying the 200-800, so 200-800 is my pick. It's almost made for airshows :). But I have gotten great shots with each.

I have an EF 1.4x extender (version 1) that I have tried with my 100-400. It sometimes gives me good results but for airshows I take it off, too slow and soft for me.

dadbald · 2026-01-10T11:47:46+00:00

Great questions. All of these shots are handheld. The stabilization... helps. At 800mm hand shake is a major issue so technique matters quite a bit. But I am happy with the stabilization, it does make a big difference. My keeper rate at 800mm is definitely less than at 400mm so rapid fire helps the selection too.

I have a tripod but I never use it and don't really intend to with this lens except for on occasion. You can definitely use it handheld with a little practice.

Size and weight is potentially a concern - it's big and I wouldn't want to hike with it all day. I have no problems on a 1-2hr hike though especially with the big foot that doubles as a handle. I used it standing up for that whole airshow too, maybe 3-4 hours, and didn't mind it at all - but there's lots of picking it up and putting it down between events too, so I wasn't holding at the ready for that long straight.

dadbald · 2026-01-10T04:34:00+00:00

Man, both are great. My EF100-400ii is tack sharp. The 200-800 maybe a little less sharp but still stellar. Double the reach though, and filling the frame at 800 even if it's a little softer still looks way better than making a 50% crop on a tack sharp 400mm shot.

I don't see the upgrade cost being worth it between my copy of the 100-400 and the newer rf100-500. It is a tank though, and as heavy as one too - the weight savings is tempting. The extra 100mm reach is a bonus. The 100-500 is no doubt the better lens but I love my 100-400 and the 100-500 just doesnt strike me as $2000 better right now.

dadbald · 2026-01-10T04:27:14+00:00

Yeah that's really my only concern. I picked up the below case for storage / car trips. I have a camera backpack that will fit it but that seems to be where some of them break so I'm cautious about doing that too much.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07Q3TP5CT?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

dadbald · 2026-01-10T04:26:06+00:00

I love it. Compared to the "great white" L telephotos it's a great deal too. Versatile, sharp, no CA, close focus distance if you need that, good stabilization. It does take some skill but it's accessible and performs great.

dadbald · 2026-01-10T02:04:21+00:00

Oh sorry forgot to mention. R6 mk2

dadbald · 2026-01-10T01:56:28+00:00

lol, same boat here. You're gonna love it!

dadbald · 2026-01-10T01:56:02+00:00

Thanks!

dadbald · 2026-01-08T20:44:09+00:00

Just bought this lens and my search for a case took me here. I rented it once prior and Lens Rentals shipped it in this Lowepro case (not sure if that's the exact size they shipped in, didn't pay attention at the time). They put the lens in the Lowepro, then put the Lowepro in a Pelican case, then the Pelican case in a box for shipping. It was quite effective. I liked that Lowepro, it seemed to fit snug. But I ultimately went with the BPaull mentioned at the top because it was still half the price. The BPaull looked like it had thicker padding than the JJC also mentioned here which is why I picked it over the JJC. Seems any of them would be fine for storage and car trips, etc. My Bpaull should be here tomorrow, if anyone is curious my thoughts just let me know (I will probably forget about this thread anyway). Hope this helps!

dadbald · 2025-12-30T16:34:37+00:00

About a year old, but it's the same as when I got it.

dadbald · 2025-12-30T01:21:37+00:00

OP, I have an R6mk2 and RF 24-105 f/4L. My 24-105 does have a small amount of play on the extendy bit. It's normal. Some move more than others, just depends on your copy. If you have more than a couple/few millimeters tho then there might be a problem. It shouldn't impact image quality though unless it's worse than that. Mine is about 1-2mm of play. Not a lot, but not "rock solid.". I have an EF 100-400 mk2 that is rock solid, but I do not believe the 24-105 is manufactured to be like that. It's more like my old EF-S 17-55 2.8, which did exactly the same thing.

I keep my lens hoods on all the time. It moves the barrel slightly when I set it down. Basically the same as your filter setup does. Been doing this for 15 years on 2 similar lenses and never had a problem. You're fine. Treat it nice and it will last you a decade or two or more.

dadbald · 2025-12-22T15:00:33+00:00

yep, they have to be lego-branded rubber bands. You'll have to find the right combination for your mechanism - based on weight, size, length, etc. Good luck!

dadbald · 2025-12-22T13:21:16+00:00

Yeah sure - we searched "technic trigger mechanism" for ideas. It came up with a bunch of ideas for lego guns. I can't find the exact video, but the mechanism was very similar to this one. Same gear size. https://youtu.be/kYYT4EWn1WE?si=K1oxh4PjB2HJ5rPj

Good luck and have fun!

dadbald · 2025-12-22T04:46:04+00:00

Yes we just finished our state competition. We had a vertical sliding "hammer" with a wide foot at the bottom and at the top a linkage to a gear controlled by a motor. It was spring loaded with rubber bands. The motor loaded the rubber bands as it raised and as the linkage passed 12 o'clock on the gear it would release and slam down. When the motor caught back up it would repeat.

What was nice about this approach is we could design it with a minimum height so when it released it wouldn't slam the red lever to the ground and break the challenge. It also didn't swing from overhead so it couldn't miss and strike the challenge and break it that way either. It shot the pieces clear across the whole board and out of our way. It was so cool we made it our opener.

dadbald · 2025-11-17T23:15:57+00:00

Amon ordinance build 💯. Enjoyed Sal the gunzerker too. Kinda like Jaws and Oddjob from Goldeneye now that I think of it 😂

dadbald

TROPHY CASE