Cool cases to protect all your cool gear

Maybe it's about time to start thinking about getting a new carrying case for your camera, laptop or iPod. I certainly could use new ones for all three. What I'm using now look pretty tired and ready to retire in the closet.

So, if we both start looking, what's important?

Definitely comfort. We generally have to carry these devices around, so the bags should be comfortable. And, because it's technology we're toting, it's equally important to find carrying cases designed to protect the contents and that are easy to use, meaning easy to get the gear in and out.

What about appearance? Assuming the bag or case has the comfort, convenience and padding necessary to protect the contents, I want my carrying cases to look good. When they look good, I can more easily pretend that I look good, too.

Discovering what's available may further motivate you to consider improving the look of your own tech equipment cases as you lug them around town.

Camera bags: I've been looking, and my favorite camera bag is a deep, rich red. It's big enough to hold my Nikon DSLR camera with an 18-70mm zoom lens mounted, and beside it a 80-200mm zoom lens that's more than 8 inches long and kind of fat.

This bag is the Crumpler 6 Million Dollar camera bag ($105), which is designed for DSLR cameras with changeable lenses. The outside is water-resistant, and there's a handy pocket beneath the flap, plus another pocket on the flip side. On top, there's an easy-to-grab handle and adjustable shoulder strap.

I don't worry about carrying my camera equipment in this bag because it's well-padded, and the detachable pads that separate the equipment inside can be easily adjusted for different-size lenses.

Crumpler bags for the smaller cameras that most people use are less expensive, so to see the wide range of choices, go to www.crumplerbags.com. Be patient with the "cool" Web design that may make it a little harder for uncool folks (like me) to instantly find what we're looking for. Keep trying, though, because the camera bags are worth the hunt.

Besides the Crumpler bags, I've had good luck with M-Rock camera bags that also look good and provide excellent protection for the camera. You can see these at: www.m-rock.com.

For other camera cases, search the Internet using keywords such as "camera bags."

Laptop carrying cases: Besides carrying my camera around town and when traveling, I often bring my laptop along. Naturally, I want that piece of equipment to be well-protected and also look good.

After shopping around a bit, I choose the Targus 15-inch Radius Leather Slip Case ($60), which is designed for notebooks up to 15 inches.

This laptop case is small and slim (14.5" x 2.5" x 12.4") and light (slightly less than a pound). It's made of leather and has convenient handles on top as well as a detachable shoulder strap. Plus, there are interior pockets for storing files and small accessories.

I pick the black carrying case with pink piping outside and a pink lining inside. It looks good over my right shoulder, while the camera bag rests on my left shoulder.

See other cases made by Targus at www.targus.com. And to look at laptop cases made by other companies, search "laptop carrying cases."

iPod cases: Now let's look for a case that will protect an iPod or other portable music player. My 30GB iPod video travels in my purse, but when I take it out to view photos or listen to music, I want its case to look good, as well as protect the player.

I've seen a number of iPod cases, but my current favorite is Power Support's Kimono Case for the iPod video (30 or 60GB, $40). I like it because it's covered with fabric printed with a design with rich subtle colors and leather trim.

When considering a case for my iPod, I worry about covering it too much, preventing me from easily using the scroll wheel and seeing the whole screen. This case covers the iPod well, but not so much that I can't use the controls.

To see this and other iPod cases offered by Power Support, go to www.powersupportusa.com/products/ipod.

If you prefer a leather case that's a solid color (such as pink, red, violet, lime, brown or black) consider the Griffin Trio ($25) for the iPod nano. It has a detachable cover that folds over the screen to more fully protect it in a purse or pocket, and a clip for hooking on to a belt or armband.

Other Griffin cases for all iPod models are at www.griffintechnology.com.

Many companies now offer protective carrying cases for iPods and other portable music players, so for the choices that fit your player and your personal taste, search for "iPod carrying case." If your music player is not an iPod, replace iPod with the name of your player.

Finding carrying cases that look good as well as protect your high-tech devices isn't hard, and many are reasonably priced. So, you might want to consider getting one, or giving one, this coming holiday season.

Write Linda Knapp at lknapp@seattletimes.com; to read other Getting Started columns, go to: www.seattletimes.com/gettingstarted