The search for an ultimate camera/laptop travel/carrying solution continues. I want to carry my 17" MacBook Pro (my main development system) and a Canon EOS 40D DSLR with me in one bag that doesn't look terrible. The goal is to have a portable digital media agency that fits in a single professional-appearing bag that doesn't call too much attention to itself.

• EOS 40D dimensions: 146 x 108 x 74 mm (5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 in)
• MacBook Pro 17" dimensions: 39.2 x 26.5 x 2.59 cm (15.4 x 10.4 x 1.0 in)

While there are a lot of larger camera bags available, most of them are designed to carry only camera gear. I'm looking for a bag that is designed for the person who wants to carry a DSLR with additional work gear. For me, that's several paper notebooks, some electronic gadgetry, power supplies, and compact external keyboard/mouse.

While the ThinkTank UD60 can carry it all in one package, I am now leaning toward a two-bag system for better weight distribution and modularity. For laptops, I tend to prefer vertical briefcases that have detachable backpack straps as a carry option.

Bags in bold are the ones I've been personally using. This list favors bags that I believe are obsessive or unique in their approach to style, ruggedness, and use in the field.

Reviews follow after the list. If you are a bag manufacturer that would like your bag reviewed, contact me! We'll put it through the wringer and figure out what we would use it for.

Bags that can carry a DSLR + 17" Laptop

NOTE: If you follow any of the ThinkTank product links and decide to purchase, you'll get an additional gift from them because of the referral program that they are offering through this site (apparently, this page sends them quite a few referrals). The gifts are: Cable Management 20, Pixel Pocket Rocket, Modular Pouch, or Security Tag, and appear when you are checking out of their online store.

• The Think Tank Urban Disguise 60 is a nondescript bag, but holds a ton of camera gear and laptop accessories. Particularly this review by a student, which shows the camera stuck in the side with tons of other stuff. You can even buy a backpack harness for it. AND it has a compartment for a 17" laptop! My professional portrait photographer buddy Sid, after "much coveting" of my bag, has posted his review on Flickr.
• The Crumpler Customary Barge Laptop / SLR Bag
• The Naneu Pro Military Ops Echo is a military-style bag that holds a DSLR. There is one bag in this line that can take a 15" laptop. The Urban Gear U220 is a monster backpack, but does hold both a DSLR and a 17" laptop.
• I recently found that the Think Tank Airport Security, which is a rolling bag filled with dividers, has a "low divider" option that allows a 17" laptop in their Artificial Intelligence laptop carrier to be placed on top of it. This may be an option for carrying a lot more gear than I am now, more comfortably. You can also order some "emergency backpack straps" if you need to carry on your back. VERY INTRIGUING.
• Kata DR-467 is an intriguing backpack that will take a 15" laptop. Unlike other photo backpacks it's not mostly for carrying camera gear. The compartment for the camera sort of pops out at the bottom. I saw this bag in person, and although the design leaves me a little cold, the features seem pretty intelligent. The Kata site lists this backpack as fitting a 17", but the dimensions don't seem to match up.
• My sister pointed me to the "for men" Jack Series from Jill.e (makers of cute women's camera bags). I'm looking at the Jack rolling bag, which will take a 17" laptop. It is one of those divider-style bags, though, so it may not be quite as useful for my needs.
• Ben points me to the Lowepro Fastpack 350, which has an interesting configuration. He doesn't like the lightness of the build.

Vertical Bags for 17" Laptops Only

• The LEvertigo 17 is a vertical design laptop bag for a MBP 17. This might be the one, or the one in graphite. I like the vertical brief design. Unfortunately, it doesn't have room for the DSLR. Bother.
• The Timbuk2 Outtawhack Laptop Bag
• The InCase Nylon Sling Pack also looks nice in the single-sling, sleek vertical format. The backpack version is a little larger.
• Waterfield makes some stylish messenger-inspired bags, including the minimalist Vertigo vertical 17" laptop bag.
• For 17" laptop vertical brief carry only, the Tom Bihn Vertical Brain Cell looks pretty interesting. Perhaps it can be combined with a dedicated photo bag.

For carrying Digital SLRs Only

• Domke makes several camera bags that are more non-descript. Cool Tools even mentioned it. Of greater interest to me: the Domke inserts, which are self-contained and could possibly be used in another bag. Unfortunately, they don't make a snug one that would be perfect for the 40D dimensions (I need one that's no more than 4.2 in wide to carry the EOS 40D)
• Courierware makes custom bags. Founded by bike couriers. They have a soft camera bag that will hold DSLRs, and they also make laptop bags, but they don't have a combined solution.
• I read on BSAG about the Maxpedition tactical carry products. While designed to carry concealed handguns, they also can be used to carry a lot of gear w/ 15" laptops. The MPB briefcase would make a fine photo/laptop bag. The Versipacks look awesome too for just carrying photo gear in a neat sling system.

Components for Rolling Your Own Solution

• Rubberized skins for DSLR Made Products, for minimal weatherproof carry.
• Neoprene rubberized Straps by OpTech. Comfortable and bouncy.
• The ProStrap, another nice camera strap.
• Pacsafe makes some interesting secure bags and straps, reinforced with wire to prevent snatch and grabs. They sell camera inserts that could be put into a larger bag, and also dedicated laptop and camera bags.
• Ortlieb makes an interesting camera bag insert for their bicycle bags. Some other interesting camera bags too...very square-edged and cool looking.

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REVIEW: Think Tank Urban Disguise UD60

It's 16L x 11.25H x 4.25D in internal dimensions, and it fits my 40D carried lens-down. This leaves a 10 x 11.25 x 4.25 in volume next to it for carrying papers and books. The laptop compartment is 16 x 11.25 x 1.5 in, which is plenty of room. Overall dimensions: 16.5 x 12 x 6 in.

This is currently my favorite larger bag. You can see some photos of the bag to see how I configured the internal compartment for the Canon EOS40D. I've taken this bag to South by SouthWest (SXSW), carrying around about 25 pounds worth of gear, and have shlepped it between the east and west coasts as carry-on luggage.

• 17" Mac Book Pro w/ Power Transformer (about 8-9 pounds)
• Canon EOS 40-D with EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM + Lens Hood (not reversed, either) (around 4 pounds)
• Small Fuji FinePix F30d digital camera
• Chargers and Media Reader tucked in the sides
• Books, Magazines, Pens

With the optional backpack strap accessory, walking to and from the convention center (about an 8 minute walk) was not bad at all. Even better: when it rained, I could drape my light windbreaker over the bag to shield it from rain. I could have optionally used the included Rain Shield, which is a waterproof covering you can put around the bag. I'm not sure how it would work with the shoulder strap though. The back pack attachment is definitely worth it for hands-free carrying of heavy gear.

Six Month Review

I've brought the bag with me to San Jose. It fits nicely under the airplane seat, has plenty of pockets. The build of the bag is a little lighter than what I'm used to, but I'm pretty happy with it. No tears, no problems, no signs of wear or impending collapse. I've mostly been hauling it around by the shoulder strap (no sign of fraying) in the back of my Volkswagen GTI.

Nine Month Review

A few observations with the bag:

• The padding in the bottom corners of the bag is a little thin, so if you hit a corner just right it can impact the corner of my laptop. This has only happened once at an airport. The Think Tank bag philosophy seems to lean towards more capacity with less padding, and typically I have found this fine in my day-to-day use. Compared to my Briggs & Riley 17" soft brief, the UD60 is lightly-armored but carries a LOT more, more flexibly. If tend to be careful with your bags, as I am, you probably won't have many problems. The outer pockets actually seem to work pretty well as armor with the cables and what not I have in them.
• The backpack straps are really useful when running through the airport, but they are a little cumbersome to use when the bag is filled with 25 pounds of gear. They tend to flip inside out while shrugging them on (especially if you are wearing a heavy wool coat), and it can be trying to figure out which way they've flipped to correct the problem. Otherwise, the backpack straps are comfortable once on. I loosen the straps all the way and tighten them once they're on my back. If the buckles were a little more oversized it would be more convenient. Also, the backpack straps interfere with the opening of the bag, so you have to detach them from the carrying handle. This is fairly quick, but it's one thing that gets in the way.
• When fully loaded with laptop + accessories in the pockets, the bag does tend to slowly fall over if I put it on the ground. I may be overstuffing it.

Otherwise, I'm pretty happy with it. The one functional drawback, though, is that with my camera loaded in the bag I don't have much room for magazines or regular notebooks. There is one inner pocket that can take a notebook and a few magazines, and the outer pouch can take another one, which I'm finding merely adequate. I sometimes use the UD60 primarily as a gear bag, and use a Briggs and Riley Vertical Brief for paper + a netbook. Or, I use the LEvertigo 17 for the notebook + accessories, and use the laptop compartment of the UD60 for additional folder storage.

One other note: the shoulder strap that this bag comes with is just AWESOME. I have thought of ordering extra ones for my Briggs and Riley 17" Computer Brief, which I used to think had a decent shoulder strap but it's horrible by comparison.

LINK: ThinkTank Urban Disguise Site

REVIEW: Be.ez LEvertigo 17

I picked up one of these bags when I was at the Mac-Pro store in San Jose, California, which happens to be the only North American distributor for Be.ez. My Think Tank UD60 was getting awfully full of stuff, and the way I have my bag packed with the Canon EOS 40D makes it difficult to carry larger paper notebooks.

The construction of the bag is sleek and stylish, and it does hold a MacBook Pro 17 very nicely. The fit is snug, to the point where my Speck-encased laptop makes it a little difficult to lock down. There are no external pockets at all, so you need to lift the front flap to access the inner pockets. While the bag doesn't hold an incredible amount, you can certainly carry pens, a couple of notebooks, and a fair number of accessories (iPod, charger, small digital camera, cables, etc). The bag is actually wedge shaped, the bottom wider than the top, which allows one to pack in more stuff in the bottom pockets without unsightly bulges.

Functionally speaking, one drawback of this bag is that it has a tendency to lean forward (toward the front flap) when you set it on the ground. It falls over fairly readily. To compensate for this, you just turn it around, but it makes accessing the pockets while at Starbucks slightly awkward. There is no top handle on the bag either, which helps keep the lines clean but makes repositioning slightly awkward because you need to grab the long seatbelt-style shoulder strap. However, on my shoulder the bag is very comfortable and close-fitting because of the vertical briefcase style.

The form factor of this bag is more well suited for traveling light to a meeting. When I need to carry a ton of gear, I use the Think Tank UD60 with backpack straps. I may use the LEvertigo as my permanent day-to-day laptop transportation solution, and keep the UD60 for the digital camera and supplies, but that sort of defeats the purpose of having a single bag that can carry both.

A few months of use later

This bag is aging fairly well, though the soft pocket material seems to have developed some very slight wear. I'm not sure how well the zippers will hold up over time, but they are not under a lot of stress. When I'm just carrying my laptop, it holds everything I need plus a couple of notebooks for writing in. I think this bag has been replaced by something newer last time I was visiting the sole North American distributor in San Jose, but I haven't yet really had a good look at it.

CON: I walked around Campbell, Northern Cal in February 2009, loaded with the 17" MacBookPro encased in a Speck clear case (it still fits!). The bag's fasteners were squeaking very loudly and annoyingly. I am going to try to put some graphite on it to reduce the noise. It appears to be coming from where the loops meet each other; they are a kind of textured metal that are rubbing against each other.

AESTHETIC WEAR: The striping around the edge of the bag is getting worn and ratty-looking. I think it used to be white, but now it's gray. In patches.

LINK: Be.ez LEVertigo 17