I have written before about trying an Ape Case inside my favorite everyday bag, my Eagle Creek shoulder bag. In that article (http://www.infotor.com/blog/my-walk-around-bag-when-traveling/) I indicated that it was workable, but a bit too big for the Eagle Creek bag. I have since repurposed that Ape Case for something else in my suitcase when I travel.
Yet I still find I want to use the Eagle Creek bag for carrying around a camera and an additional lens or two, plus other useful accessories. This is what I do when we are at our shared condo in South Carolina and we go down to the beach, the pool, or for a drive into Charleston. However, as I indicated in my previous article from a year ago, the Eagle Creek is just plain cloth, substantial cloth, but it doesn't provide any padding to protect my gear. And what I am carrying now is more expensive than what I was carrying then. A plus, though, is that when I wrote that last article, I was carrying a Canon 60D with a sizable lens and now I am carrying an Olympus OM-D E-M1 maybe with the 12-40mm lens. This takes up a lot less space.
My new solution is the smaller Ape Case (ACQB35) Cubeze Interior Case for Cameras (http://bit.ly/smallapecase) available for only $15. Just as with the larger version I purchased last year, this case is bright, bright yellow and has a drawstring cover so it can, actually be used on its own. The case comes with several padded dividers that have hook and loop for securing to the sides of the interior to create sections. The smaller dimensions of this case make it fit quite nicely in the Eagle Creek bag. It is a bit taller than my previous case which works out very well as I can rollup several lenses in my various Domke Wraps (http://www.infotor.com/blog/domke-wraps-great-protection-for-lenses/) and stack them in one compartment while my E-M1 fits perfectly in the other. Should I want to take my E-M10, it would be even less cramped.
This Eagle Creek shoulder bag continues to my best bet as a day bag, as empty it flattens out and fits perfectly in my checked bag when I travel. And even with the Ape Case containing three micro4/3 lenses and a micro4/3 camera with a lens attached in the main compartment of the bag, I still have room in a front compartment for my Kindle (or an iPad mini could fit). I can also slide my full sized iPad behind the Ape Case in that main compartment. Plus, I can fit batteries and other necessities in other small pockets up front. A great bag which, unfortunately, Eagle Creek no longer sells, though they have similar bags in newer designs.
However, even though this is my favorite everyday bag, I was still quite pleased to see that this size Ape Case fits quite nicely in my Moore & Giles leather side bag as well! This is a beautiful, leather bag that has two zippered side compartments and a space in between them that is not covered. I have written about it before as well: http://www.infotor.com/blog/is-this-the-final-bag-for-my-olympus/. The Ape Case slides right into this middle space, allowing for a camera and a lens to be safely added and secure with the Ape Case drawstring cover. And even with that, I still can use the two side compartments. Compared to the Eagle Creek this solution is quite a bit heavier just because of the bag itself, but it sure is classy!
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I have two more hands-on photography classes scheduled for this winter. They start mid-November and are focused on using one external flash with your camera. Check them out and give yourself the gift of learning: http://www.infotor.com/photoclasses! I am also available to do one-on-one tutoring or small group lessons designed to meet YOUR needs and what you want to learn in the area of photography, using flashes, or the use of Apple products and software. And check out my tutoring bundle: http://www.infotor.com/photoclasses/tutoringbundle.php as well.