Bean Bag Filler Suggestions!

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markymark

markymark

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Can anyone suggest the perfect fill for my bean bag?
I currently have it filled with those tiny polystyrene balls which keep it light for carrying but apart from wanting to use something a bit more natural find it’s now just too light & doesn’t stay put when the camera is on it.
A friend of mine said to be careful when choosing the fill as he had an issue with small moths & insects one year that had taken up residence in the bag fill!
If I go away the bag travels empty & I normally fill it with bird seed when I get to my destination which I then scatter out when I return home, but I want to fill it with something I can leave in it all year round whilst shooting locally.
Thanks.
 
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I tried different materials, at the end the best solution for me is the puffed rice. The size is perfect for keeping the shape, and the weight is enough to stabilise the lens without adding extra weight to carry on.
 
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For my first two trips for Africa, we bought rice from the locals, then gave it back to them at the end of the trip. Rice made the bean bags VERY heavy however.

On my last trip, I purchased a zippered pillow filled with natural buckwheet on Amazaon, as did the tour leader and several others. I put it in my checked luggage. Hubby and I had 2 small bean bags and I had one that was fairly large. A couple other tour mates had extra buckwheat so we all worked together to get all our bean bags filled just right. At the end of the trip, the pillow went back into my checked bag.

Buckwheat worked like a charm! They were soooooo much lighter - yet stable - and I could pick one up one handed (while holding the D5+600mm f4 in the other hand!!!) and throw the bean bag into a new position! AND - since they don't deteriorate, I can use them for a long, long time- making them fairly inexpensive.

BTW - I tried black sunflower seeds.....but didn't use the bag for quite a while. Bugs got into it and it was a gooey mess to clean up!!! 😱 Never again!
 
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Over the years I've used: rice, dried beans sold in bulk or sometimes sunflower seeds in their shells to fill bean bags. All of those seem to work just as well. Some folks buy buckwheat husks which is one of the lighter things you can use to fill them.

[edit]...looks like Karen and I posted at about the same time, but yeah what she said :)
 
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markymark said:
I live in England so occasionally get rain, how does the rice react if it were to get wet/damp?
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why don’t you try it out with raw rice? It’s not likely to get wet on your shelf. It’s only going to get wet if it is raining the day you are shooting. If it does get wet and is objectionable, just make some curry with the wet rice and refill the beanbag with fresh rice. Rice in a beanbag might just be the least expensive photo gear you’re ever going to use. Imagine if Nikon sold yellow and black branded rice...it would sell for £50/lb. Leica red dot branded rice would be £150/lb.
 
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RickW said:
why don’t you try it out with raw rice? It’s not likely to get wet on your shelf. It’s only going to get wet if it is raining the day you are shooting. If it does get wet and is objectionable, just make some curry with the wet rice and refill the beanbag with fresh rice. Rice in a beanbag might just be the least expensive photo gear you’re ever going to use. Imagine if Nikon sold yellow and black branded rice...it would sell for £50/lb. Leica red dot branded rice would be £150/lb.
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Your not wrong, but wouldn’t it be awesome!
I wonder if each grain would have the word ‘Nikon’ on it! 😆😆😆😆
 
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Kinesis, Apex and Lens Coat are popular brands. Regarding size, it depends on the size of your lenses. Smaller lenses like the 300/2.8, 70-200, 500 PF, etc will be fine on a smaller bag. Big lenses like the 500 or 600mm f4's need a larger bag.

I look for a bag that has attachment straps and a non-slip surface on the bottom of the bag.
 
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Letolen said:
Rice husk would be very light.
I use it in pens water goes through & it stays dry on-top.
Buckwheat or rice would be best.

Question to anyone: What material is your beanbag made of & size?
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I’ve got the Lenscoat large beanbag so would be looking at about 4kg I think!… does that sound right?
 
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I´am using different kinds of crop shells. Currently i have spelt shells as beanbag filler. Those shells are heavier than buckwheat i think, but i got them from a local farmer for free. Best thing if you lose some filler while you are out the shells will rot away quickly.
 
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I've used navy beans now for quite a few years with no issues. I do put a ziplock bag inside of the bean bag, and put the navy beans inside that so they stay dry. Have never had issues with bugs or problems.

When traveling, I would take empty bean bags, stop by a grocery store at the destination, buy more navy beans and re-fill.

Works for me.
 
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I use standard white rice. It's cheap, easy to find, and provides a very stable base. While heavier than other fillers, I like the extra weight for my long lenses. After all, you're mostly carrying the bean bag in your car, right? There are lots of options for bean bags but one I especially like is made by Vertex Photo - small shop with great products and service. http://www.vertexphoto.com/camerabeanbagv2
 
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I will have to try the buckwheat as filler, sounds like an ideal medium. Right now I have a bag filled with airsoft ammo pellets, I like the slightly heavier weight they give the bag, very stable. And no worries about moisture contaminating & causing problems ( mold?)
 
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