Copyright © 2006 Josh Audette

Here's the pile of stuff within:


What is all this crap? Outer row -- clockwise, starting with the first lens in the upper-left corner:

Sigma 55-200mm f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens
Lives in one of the two inner lens pockets.
Olympus 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 normal zoom lens
For now, lives in the other inner lens pocket.
Olympus EX-25 tube for macro shots
Lives in the add-on lens pouch.
Sigma 18-50mm f/3.5-5.6 normal/macro zoom lens
Also lives in the add-on lens pouch.
Crappy Canon mini-tripod
It's nice to have a small tripod handy. I have a big proper one at home, but sometimes you just wanna do a group shot, your big tripod's at home and you need a place to stand and aim your camera. I found this tripod in a bin of used $5 camera stuff. It was built so that it had "stops" of elevation, so I hacked it by putting a plastic washer between the little teeth. Now it can be locked at ANY angle. Lives in the inner pocket with the Sigma telephoto zoom lens.
Olympus FL-36 Flash, plus case
Not as fancy or expensive as the FL-50, not as crappy or as cheap as the FL-20. Pretty popular, too. I had to wait 3 months for it to ship; by the time it finally did I'd left SiteBrand to work at Roaring Penguin and the thing was delivered to the wrong place! I keep it in its case so it doesn't get scratched from the other stuff it lives with in the topmost pocket.
Extra 512MB CF
This is the card I'd started out with. When I went to my sister's wedding I discovered how quickly it gets full, I bought a 1GB card. Lives in a set of pockets on the inner flap of the main chamber.
Empty case for 1GB CF
I dunno why I keep this in the case. Just 'cause, I guess. Lives beside the above.
Video out cable
You know, just in case I wanna do a slideshow from the camera on somebody's TV. Lives in a set of pockets on the outer flap of the main chamber.
USB cable
This comes in handy a lot and not just for the camera, lemme tell you. Lives with the above.
Lens pen
In addition to the brush, there's a cap covering a little thing that rubs gunk on your lens. Also lives in the outer flap pocket.
55-58mm adapter ring
So I can put the circular polarizer (or haze filter) on the Sigma 55-200mm lens. Lives in the pocket with the Sigma telephoto zoom, underneath the tripod.
Extra lens cap
You know, for when you misplace your normal one. Lives with above.
Body cap / rear lens cap
The Oly 11-22mm f/2.8-3.5 lens is on the camera now, hence these two. Lives with above.


OK, now for the inner bunch of stuff. We'll do these in rows, left to right, starting again at upper-left:

Oly battery charger plus cable
It's surprising how often I *don't* charge my battery at home. Both live with the flash in the topmost pocket.
Two silica gel packs
I stick these in various places within the camera bag 'cause moisture sucks (and they suck moisture, ha ha)
58mm haze filter plus case
'cause the circular polarizer's on the Oly 14-45mm right now. Lives in outer flap pocket.
Lens paper and business cards
Lens paper comes in handy all the time. The (out-of-date) business cards are for handing to people whose photographs I've taken. "Thanks for letting me take your photo. Send me an email and I'll send you a copy of your picture!" Shows people you're friendly and not a crazy stalker creep at the same time (what crazy stalker would hand you his contact info?) Biz cards live in outer flap pocket, lens paper is jammed in with the all-weather cover which has its own special pocket on the back.
Oly remote control
Stick your camera on a tripod, gather your friends together, smile, and click. Also good for controlling the camera in slideshow mode. Lives in inner flap pocket with the memory cards.
Extra battery
Another "it would be nice to have..." I discovered at my sister's wedding. Yet another b/s/t purchase from the forum. Lives in outer flap pocket.
Viewfinder cover
If your eye isn't blocking the viewfinder, light can get in there and mess with your picture a little, so if your camera's on a tripod and you and your friends are lined up with the sun shining on you, you'd better have this little gizmo blocking the viewfinder or the sun's gonna creep in and mess up your shot a little. Outer flap pocket.