Use the Best Camera Bag for Your Photography

I have many (too many) camera bags, and indeed there is no perfect one.
But my preference is for backpacks, also because I myself am actively out in the field, and then a backpack is simply much more comfortable. I also have several sizes in them. And it depends on what I am going to photograph, with which equipment that I take along.
But of course I also have a number of shoulder bags, because at certain moments those are indeed more convenient.

To be completely honest, I still haven't found the right bag. I have both a shoulder bag (which is used for storage) and two or three backpacks. One of them is too big, two are manageable but inconvenient on the bike. I don't own a car, so everything disappears into the panniers. I still haven't found a compact one.

I use one that you can rotate around your body (Lowepro, Flipside 400AW), so you don't have to take off the backpack to access its contents... I find it very handy.
But nowadays that backpack is, just like with martinphili, mainly a "storage place" to easily take my gear to a certain location. But there I choose one lens per activity, which saves a lot of weight per activity, and forces me to make do with that one lens and thus adapt... If, for example, I choose a 100-400 or 800mm, I do take an extra 50mm (small, fast and cheap) with me, just to gain some flexibility after all... but normally I choose one lens and that goes with me on the walk or trip, the rest stays in the hotel room or in the car.

I have a number of bags and backpacks. For me, it is always about what job I am going to do and what I am going out for. If I am away from home for an extended period and am doing a big job, I first look at what equipment I need to take with me and whether there is a possibility of temporary storage. I then choose the bag or backpack I need. The only drawback is that I have problems with storing all those bags and backpacks.

The Mindshift Backlight 18L is my favorite!! Lots of storage space, access from the back and I hang my camera from straps on the shoulder straps. This is to avoid weight on my neck. It has very good shoulder and hip belts, I can easily go for a good hike with it.

The Think Tank Streetwalker is also among my favorites!!

Reinoud wrote on Tuesday 30 November 2021 at 17:20  | reply

I hear little about cases. I use a Pelicase case with wheels 90% of the time. I bought that thing second-hand 12 years ago, and it has been covered in mud, drifted in the back of an inflatable boat (tied to a little rope), served as a step, and sat on my back with straps. And it still looks just like it did when I bought it. Indestructible and fool-proof.
I still have a backpack somewhere, but I only use it once or twice a year

If I take a few more things with me, I use a Lowepro Slingshot 300, which you can swing around to your stomach to take something out. Otherwise I use a shoulder bag, also from Lowepro.

Various types of bags in use depending on the needs of the moment. It's a shame that in photos of the layouts of various bags, the lenses are usually shown without lens hoods. In practice, you do want to take those along, and then it turns out that it doesn't all fit as well as in the photo.

Donald Willemsen wrote on Wednesday 1 December 2021 at 23:55  | reply

I actually haven't seen anything suitable for photographers/wheelchair users. That's a shame. I can still walk, but no longer without aids and when it comes to longer distances, I depend on a wheelchair. Camera bags and backpacks are not ideal then. If you have to walk with crutches or walking sticks, a shoulder bag or backpack isn't ideal either.
But I found a solution. I use a harness from Cotton. I can attach 2 cameras to it. It works fine in most cases, both in the wheelchair and when walking with crutches/walking sticks/walker. Maybe it's a good tip for people with limited mobility.