Review: Domke F2 Original Waxwear camera bag
Since I decided to take up photography as a hobby again, I needed some better lenses, which resulted in my camera bag being to small. After reading loads of reviews about bags I stumbled upon the brand name Domke every now and then. I especially loved the waxwear Domke-bags. I wasn’t the only one: all Dutch shops were sold out. Sooo… off to find some shops in the states.
I ended up at B&H Photo Video, a good looking website with great service. I ordered my bag at the 4th of june. It arrived here in The Netherlands at the 8th of june. That’s only 4 days. I can’t say I’ve had something delivered from the states any faster… The downside was: I had to pay 40 euro’s of taxes to the delivery man.
Fabric, build
Once I unpacked the Domke, the first thing that struck me was the wax fabric. It really felt like it would leave stains on my clothes. Luckily I haven’t found any yet, but that might be because I haven’t done any long photo-runs with the bag yet. My longest run was about 3 hours.
Shoulder strap
One of the things I really like about this bag is the shoulder strap. The strap has some sort of rubber woven through it which keeps it from slipping off your shoulder. Very nice catch of Domke! See pic below for an example of the strap.

Inside of the bag
The inside of the bag is pretty roomy! It comes with a 4-compartiment lens-holder which can be moved to your liking or even be removed. I moved it to one side of the bag to make more room for my Canon EOS 450D, which I like to keep in the bag with the lens mounted (it’s centered by default).
The main bag has room for 2 camera’s (without lens) or 1 camera (with lens) + 4 lenses or other attributes. I use the lens-compartiments for lenses and some cables. There are also side-bags and there’s some room on the front and back of the bag, where you can leave your memory cards or the wax which comes with the bag.
Usage
I’ve used the bag for a couple of times now and it’s really easy to grab another lens while keeping the bag on your shoulder. I also like the way the bag takes on the shape of my hips while moving around. The wax-coating is a little worrying for your clothes, but that might get better when it’s being used more often.
Before I forget: the main reason why I bought this bag was because of it’s looks and I can hereby confirm that it looks as awesome as in the pictures!




Dear Gauke. Thanks for charing your insights of the new Domke bag. I have also looked for something that fits ky kit and have tried all sorts of bags from LowePro to home made versions.
I am just a little bit worried if the could hold my 24-70/2.8 + 14-24/2.8 (both Nikon lenses and quite big).
I was also thinking of getting it from B&H in the states and – like you – a little bit pissed off by the tax.
Regards, Jan
Hey Jan,
I can send you some pictures of my canon eos 450D + some lenses later today, when I arrive home.
Thanks for the informative review! I’ve been carrying around my equipment in a JanSport backpack for a while now. You wouldn’t believe how much stuff I can fit in there – great for transportation. However, not so great for actual shooting, because any type of gear change requires stopping, taking of the backpack and often even unpacking lots of stuff to access something at the bottom.
I just ordered this exact same Domke bag after reading your review (and several others). Can’t wait ’till it arrives!
Regards,
~Yuri
Hi Gauke! thanks for the review!
I´m in Spain, and I want to order the bag at B&H. Please can you tell me if you make the order including “Duties and Taxes”, because they charge 82,48 U$D but you have the option to pay when it arrives so I don´t know wich option is better.
Thanks a lot.
Sebastian
@Yuri
Congrats on your purchase! I hope you’ll enjoy it, I still do. I carried it with me on my vacation at Corfu, Greece. I just loved it, especially the shoulder straps with kept it on my shoulders :D
@Sebastian
I’m not sure. My order total was: $208.09 including shipping cost. This was the order confirmation:
Sub Total: $159.99
Shipping: $48.10
Sales Tax: $0.00
Total: $208.09
The Domke bags are great, fit more gear than you would ever imagine and look great.
The wax bags suck big time though. the F2 wax bag i bought had holes and tears in it after about 3 months, while all other Domke bags lasted for at least 3 or more years.
the fabric of the waxed bags is much too thin for professional use!
My advise: Buy a Domke-bag but avoid the waxed variations.