I already received my first question on for dav.d photography tips. Woo hoo! Now is my chance to screw it all up! Kidding of course.

“David, I frequently shoot events and carry my gear with me. I am looking for a setup that will allow me to change lenses with just one body. I am looking heavily into the Think Tank Photo gear. Any thoughts?” Alex

I absolutely love Think Tank Photo’s bags. I own a few of them already – my latest bag is the Think Tank Streetwalker Pro which is great to carry a pro sized DSLR with a lens attached and a number of lenses and flashes. And like all the Think Tank Photo gear it has a ton of little pockets to store memory cards and accessories.

However, using bags at events is always a bit of a challenge. And depending on the event I would recommend different bags. For events like weddings, parties, or events where there are a LOT of people I want to be able to sneak through the crowd without bumping into people – and backpack just gets in the way.

For these situations I use the Shootsac which can hold 3 lenses and memory cards, batteries and other items in 6 pockets. 3 of the pockets are designed for lenses and the other 3 are for the other items (including a lot of business cards). And the Shootsac lays flat against my body – they should design a better strap for the bag – it rests on one shoulder and it can get a bit sore after a few hours. I will admit that the Shootsac borders on looking like a purse – you can even buy different covers for the Shootsac that will personalize the bag for you.

The big advantage of the Shootsac is sneaking through crowds without knocking them over or bumping things off tables. Not good at weddings or parties.

For other events – like sports – or outdoors I will use my Think Tank Photo Streetwalker Pro – or my LowePro FastPack 350 – the LowePro is cool because it’ll hold a 17″ laptop, pro camera with 70-200mm lens and 4 other lenses or flashes. And it has a big pocket for miscellaneous items.

And finally, I have never used it, but I hear people rave about the Think Tank Photo belt system. You buy a belt and then you can attach a number of modular components. It is very customizable, however, it is one step more nerdy than wearing a photo vest. However, if you are shooting sports and you need a lot of gear with you – and a backpack isn’t going to cut it – the belt system would be ideal.