Personally I’d rather have the domke bag but then I have used them for the better part of 45 years. I still use a F 2 bag.

I understand where he's coming from. I also know that he's coming across as a newbie photographer who cherishes his first real camera. Domke bags are designed for professional press photographer back in the day. He's clearly not a professional press photographer. The Patagonia and Tenba inserts is a better fit for him.

Excellent. Very helpful. There are so many bags to consider and this one is now off my list as you make a lot of sense. Thanks.

doing a similar setup!

Gosh-lots of angst. I always say camera bags are like pants, you got to try them on to see if they fit you. Doesn't mean it won't be perfect for someone else. Working pro who has used these bags for like 30 years. I like it as a super small bag to hold a lens and spare battery/card for low-key shooting or vacation. The idea is that it is a SMALL bag for a few things. I pull out the dividers and a 70-200 F2.8 lays down very nicely in the bag. Perfect for lens changes with a 17-35 zoom. Put a few small accessories in the inside pouch and you're good to go. If needed, I can even lay a flash on top lengthwise inside. If I need to haul more gear, then I use a bigger bag. But, it's great for times when you don't want to haul the kitchen sink. (oh, and skip the models with the wax coating)

F 5XB HAS A GRAP STRAP THE SHORT ONE U SHOULD HAVE IT

Hey Anson- the mayor on scooter cannonball forum is trying to get a hold of you for the documentary.

Beauty but stupid design!

I have one con. It's only 160 ASA! Talking about lenses. You can get an F type mount with autofocus to fit and Nikon F lens!!

I’ve been using this bag for 10 years now with my leica system. Perfect fit for me… It’s a small, stylish and rugged bag. I’d buy it again

Hi from Panamá 🇵🇦, that reason that I am watching this video is about nikon 1 j1 was my first camera to learn about photography years ago, I love my j1, I am thinking to buy this j5 to my 15 years old Son, I really appreciate you video, and I also have the ft1 adapter and others nikon lens with VR

You clearly don't understand the Domke philosophy, Anson... Domke = not a bulky bag!! I bought a waxed F2 today. No problem at all with the wax. It's the best bag I haven and I have 4 Domke's in total. Only the F7 double AF has padded pockets for 2 bodies, which I purchased myself. They were not included. Domke owners don't want a bulky bag. If you want bulky, buy a Crumpler. Than You will have more padding than room for gear.

😂 I think you didn't put the waterproofing grease on properly. It is a common mistake in beginners

Thank you! You help me a lot!

I do not know why there are half "thumbs down" to this review. It is an honest and detailed review. The only reason I see people give this review "thumbs down" is because it is "made in USA" and it should be automatically get compliments?

Typical with anything dealing with fishing has an overly inflated price tag,add "fly" to it and it inflates 10x+. A huge majority of stuff today is made in china,and they pay pennies on the dollar to produce them...then they charge you 10,000% or more for it. My travel kit is of a $20-25 mechanics tool bag with some tackle boxes and plastic food containers to store items,$30-40 total.

Thank you Anson. I nearly went west to cross the Hudson River for a good deal on one of these bags - - I guess you saved me from two horrors. Thank you again.

I’m late to the party but the second set of webbing loops that are next to the ends of the zipper are to hold onto while zipping/unzipping

Anson, vos commentaires sur ce superbe petit sac Domke F 5XB sont de si mauvaise foi que j'ai pensé que c'était du deuxième degré. ;) .

Have an old tesoro silver sabre 2 that i bought new in 1993. Its pretty much the same machine as the compadre except the sabre has a sensitivity setting. This old tesoro has been beat and thrashed for nearly 30 years now and it still works as good as the day i brought it home. Its a real shame that tesoro is no longer in business, they built quality detectors that could be abused and still last forever

This bag is clearly not for you. It has been almost six years since you made is video. Maybe you've figured out some of the design "quirks"?

The original Domke bags from the mid 70s had no padding at all,. Pros didn't worry about it. Even the dividers were not padded. Jim Domke pointed out he had never damaged a camera while it was in the bag, only when carrying it loose. Over time they adapted (somewhat) to giving amateur's what they think they need with some padding. In 45 years of shooting I have yet to drop my bag.

wondering if i get super fast sd card? also, is there an adapter so that you can use nikon pro lenses?? I have canon eos m and with adapter , i can use my 70-2-00mm usm 2.8 af and its FAB!!!!

Thank you! As others have said, pointing out features and flaws helps people make up their minds and you’ve also given us another alternative. We’ll done! Like you, the waxes cotton would be a deal-breaker for me.

I got the f2 ruggedwear and it's incredibly waxy, I'm trying all kinds of tricks to reduce the residue because I love the bag otherwise

Fantastic review. Love when people go beyond the on-paper specs and look at its practical usage. Thank you for saving me money!

The secondary tabs for are for the zipper. The wax treatment wears in lovely eventually and stops coating your hands and clothing pretty quick with actual use. It als does the job if you very judiciously refresh it every few years. They sell secondary inserts to add padding making this the only line of bags that really put you in control of the padding placement - I often replace domke inserts with stiffeners and or a layer or two of craft foam in the right places that gives me that perfect amount of padding where I want it instead of the big overstuffed BYOB style pillows - Yer bag, yer way though - Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

If your not to happy why did you buy it

That's a great looking setup. I'm about to buy an inflatable boat to do this with. One question though, how do you get back to your car if you fish by yourself?

the hock is used for removing hot pot from the fire pit by lifting by the bail wire

Hi Anson, A couple of years ago you made a video where you talked about a watch, I believe it was a G-shock, that you owned. If you read this please let me know the model. And also it would be great to see you uploading again! Loved your content. Have a nice one!

Obviously, not the right bag for you. Wrong material, wrong design. I've owned and used a F5XB, standard material not waved canvas, for thirty years and carried oodles of different kinds of equipment in it. It's one of my best grab and go bags for a host of different kinds of equipment. Earlier models had a slightly different front pocket arrangement, with a taller slip pocket and pen holders ... I de-stitched the pen holders so that I have two slip pockets side by side. I often take the strap off and stuff the bag into my motorcycle luggage without it .. just right. If the rubber on the strap catches on your clothes for a cross-budy carry, turn the strap inside out. Et cetera. :)

I love the bag but one thing I don’t like are the zippers. Had some metal zeiss lenses those zippers would scratch up. Carry my Leica q2 in it now but always nervous as my camera brushes up against those big zippers..

No paddings on the sides? Thank you for your review, Anson, you just saved me a hundred bucks

I am now definite, not getting one.

i had it and it was great

Funny to see all the thumbs down. I thought it was a solid review. I might disagree with your take on the bag (I don’t), but it seemed a fair set of observations.

you don't need padding on a bag like this. This is not a bag for long term storage or gear, it's not for checking camera gear on a plane. It is a carry bag and this style of bag has been a staple of PJ's for decades. I have had my F2 (with no padding) for 15 years and carried Hasselblad/Leica/Nikon/Sony/Rolleiflex and Sigma DP's and never had an issue. You are using it to walk around and carry stuff - what do you need padding for? Really, just ask yourself if you need padding or just think you need padding.

Honestly, I can understand your dismay, although it hasn't been my experience with my Domkes. I've got an F2 and a little F8, and both serve their purpose beautifully, but they're not perfect. Domke have a habit of making some odd decisions with their bags, and whilst those decisions have been minor for me, I can see why they would irritate other people. Whilst I've not experienced the wax issue you have with any of my Domkes, your review has definitely put me off buying an F5XB for my little Fuji. Thank you!

Hilarious... and you are so right. I had the same bag and gave it away

Greasy fingers: my lenses love'm ...not. I sold the bag quickly.

Macgyver if that's you i recommend the fieldmaster for you it's a much better tool sat in my opinion 🤔

Hey anson, what film did you use?

I wonder why it is so hard to find these foam bodies or foam cutters for this. I even checked on FlyMasters and they dont have it. I know it has been 4 years.

I've used the bigger Domke F-2 bag for years and I love it, but you have some good points. One thing I wonder about is the problem with the greasy residue on your bag. I never experienced that and I've never heard of anyone else complain about it. I wonder if was a factory defect and they just put too much waterproofing on your bag? I do agree the choice to make those pockets so short was a poor design decision. The lack of padding in the side is not good, either. I was looking at this bag as a smaller alternative to my F-2 when I did t want to drag my whole DSLR system along, but now I'm having second thoughts.

it needs some nail file

excellent!

my toothpick has one very important use....to push weed and tobacco down in a freshly rolled joint.

Thanks for taking the time to explain the procedures clearly and not adding distracting music. I know it’s a pretty simple fly but learning the fundamentals that can be applied to other creations is helpful. So many fly tying experts move over steps quickly with little or no explanation. I tied salt water flies years ago for a short while and I’m now getting back into tying for panfish. Thanks Well Done!!

You now have another follower. Your spirit is beautiful. Blessings to you from another ~Anson.