dual purpose backpack

[Mr.Amsterdam]

hello everybody =)

i am buying a 350d in a couple weeks. i was debating between the xt and the 20d for a long time, but in the end, the xt's price won.

as u have probably guessed i am a ammature..well kinda.
i am not a beginner photographer, but i am a newb when it comes to dslr's.

i am a highschool student, so most of the time i am either at school, or hanging out with freinds (or at work but we wont get into that lol)

now that u know a little about me, here what i am looking for:

i want a backpack that can hold my camera with lens atached(kit lens or simalar sized upgrade), a tellephoto zoom (canon 70-200 most likely), wide angle zoom (canon 10-20 probably), and an extrenal flash.
to start i will only have the camera and kit lens.

now this backpack also needs to be used for school. aka binder, text book or 2, etc.

i do not need to have all my school gear and camera at the same time. but i do want to be able to put stuff in my bag, and have my camera in there 2 (which is why i wanted a backpack in the first place)

ive looked at varius crumbler packs, and like the styling and reviews, but i am not sure which one, also one that i was looking at more seriussly (farmers double) doesnt seem to be sold in US? i already relize that i won't be able to actually handle the bag before i buy it. so good pictures/demensions are a must. i like how on the Schrinkle u can jsut take out the intire camera section, and it makes it a full clamshell for school. the only problem is it doesnt look like when i have the camera section in, it would give me much room for other stuff.
i am not set on crumbler packs btw.

price range= aprox.150 (can go higher, would perfer to go lower oviously)

all and any sugestions are more than apreciated
thanxs a lot!

[zrfraser]

Are you sure you want to risk taking an expensive camera to school nowadays. It wasn't that long ago that I was in high school and I can remember things getting stolen all the time (had a few cd players stolen while I was there). Not to mention I doubt you will be whpping out a DSLR with huge lens attached in class anyway, but you didn't ask for all that so I will stop, just giving you something to think about.

As far as backpacks go . You might try Tamracs Adventure series. I believe the Adventure 8 will suit your needs. The camera with lens goes in the bottom half of the pack and you have room at the top for other things such as a few small textbooks and maybe a small binder.

I still say leave the camera at home, because if it gets stolen the school will do very little if anything to help you.

Z

[SmartWombat]

I use the crumpler Brian's Hot Tub, it's been great.
The tub velcros in (and out) turning it into a normal (ish) backpack.
The laptop holder velcros in too, so that's optional if there's lots of gear int eh bag.
I suppose you could put a couple of school books in the laptop bag.

Fits an airplane overhead storage bin which is important to me flying around Europe.

[PatrickBranch]

I'm going to get a tamrac Adventure 9 soon. It seems to be a nice pack. It could probably some books in the top. But, then, when the camera is not in it and you use it for books, the lower camera compartment is wated space.

I think you should get a seperate backpack for school and your camera. You can get 2 for $150 or under.

[spacey]

I'm in HS too, and shooting for the school district (35k + students). I'll be honest, I have a Pentax SLR, and it's what I use for sports events and larger events, but I keep a smaller Nikon P&S (district issued, Coolpix 7900) in my bag all the time, for spur of the moments and non-scheduled events. I wouldnt take an SLR to school day to day - trust me on this on. Whilst it may seem cool, it tends to attract too much attention, and often times hands flying in front of your lens. Buy something small and low-priced, be a little inconspicuous. Unless you're cleared with the bulding or district/parish admin, a student with an SLR does attract trouble - and not being cleared will only get you a "no electronics policy" lecture.

Sit down with the vice principal, tell him/her you want to shoot events for the school, and show her some of your work, even simple shots. You're at an advantage if there isnt a photojournalism class at your school, or if they're shooting film still. For instance, because many of the journalism classes in my district still shoot film, I was brought on because I shoot only digital, and can offer my work in the same day, FTP transfer to the central office from any campus. Had the journalism classes been shooting digital, I'd have to work harder and prove talent, instead of "I'm here with a great camera" kind of spiel.

Volunteer to give images to organizations and the administration for free use. Starting off, theres no reason to be stingy. Later on as your work gets better, you can start talking compensation and watermarking your images. Most definitely start off working *with* the school, and not randomly. Begin shooting sprts games and pep rallies, show what you can do there, then start asking about special interest pieces in the school newspaper or working with the photojournalism / yearbook staff. You'll have more latitude on what you're allowed to shoot, instead of trying to sneak a shot of something.

Good luck, I started 2 years ago and have really made a name for myself. It all began with a cheap-o Fuji, and here I am in my freshman year handling things for over 30 schools, 35,000 studens, and over 3000 staff.

BTW, for compact with binders and such, lens and body seperated, caps on both bodies and lenses.

N/t - Spell check please.