Essential kit No. 8…

A good camera bag

 
















The more we immerse ourselves in a hobby, the more money it inevitably costs us! It’s natural that, as you become more enthusiastic and get to form your own opinions and preferences, an endless glittering array of “must-have” toys will start to draw the eye. When it comes to camera bags, there is a bewildering range of designs available to fit any budget!

I started out carrying my equipment in a shoulder bag that I use daily to and from work – seemed more than adequate for the job to me at the time and it wasn’t terrible – but the shortfalls quickly became apparent. It did the job, but didn’t really do it well. For starters, it has 20 years worth of dust, crumbs and fluff in all the internal crevices and this is – as we know – a very bad thing for cameras. It also had no padding, didn’t hold a lot and was uncomfortable when it was filled up. I used it on holiday for 5 days in Barcelona and rubbed all the skin from both my shoulders. On my return, I started looking for a better solution to the problem!

Camera bags come in a huge variety of shapes and designs, with some really useful innovations, but they can basically be divided into 2 approaches:

• Shoulder / messenger type bags

• Rucksacks

Both systems are equally valid and choosing which route to go down is really a personal preference and depends on what’s comfortable for you and the type of shoots you do. For me, the bag had to work in the outdoors, first and foremost, so the rucksack route was preferable. I looked at the whole range available – from cheap to outrageously expensive and no-name manufacturers to the big, well established brands, and made my choice based on a compromise between cost and features, spending around the £50 mark (which is the cheap end for a rucksack). Choice is a very personal thing – I’d suggest that if you’re thinking about buying a bag, maybe try a few out in a good camera shop, but there are some features to look out for.

Comfortable, well designed straps: 

Many of the cheaper rucksacks (and some of the not so cheap) have badly designed straps. These days a basic hiking rucksack will have all sorts of design features to improve the comfort and fit of the bag, but this technology doesn’t seem to have made it over to camera bags in many cases. Look for a bag that’s comfortable and well padded at the back, with well padded and adjustable straps. A chest strap and waist belt are good features to look for here along with webbing you can clip things to.

A nice feature on my bag is the ability to un-clip a strap, tuck it away and carry it using a single diagonal strap like a messenger bag. 

Well thought out access:

There are many “unique access systems” with these bags, with many of them seemingly added just to be different. What seems to work well here is a bag with plenty of protective padding , with 2 basic internal areas so you can keep your camera gear away from your lunch. Look for adjustable interior dividers so you can tailor the spaces to suit your kit. One of the big draws for me when choosing a bag, was the side entry flaps – this is a really useful innovation and I tend to have the camera in the left one and all my filters in the right. It makes finding everything much easier and you can still get into them when there’s a tripod attached. A large access flap to the front and top are also really handy to get to your lenses and other kit.

A good waterproof cover:

This is a really important addition as, with all the fancy access points and zips, your bag will be much less waterproof than a normal rucksack. Look for an integral rain cover to keep your gear safe. I'd always advise bagging everything on the inside as well, if there's any fear of rain, but the spray cover will get the bulk of it.

 

Tripod carrying options:

Many bags either come with the option to attach a tripod, or with accessory additions that you can buy to allow it. This was a big draw for me. As I tend to need to walk in to where I’m planning to shoot and carrying a tripod gets old quickly. Also, if you need to cover any rugged country or climb up or down rocks, having both hands free is essential.

Additional features to look out for:

• Webbing points will allow you to attach items to the outside of your bag.
• Easy to use, chunky zips are great when your fingers are freezing.
• Look for some smaller pockets inside where you can store smaller items like memory cards or lens wipes. Things like this make it easier to organize the contents.
• A carry strap at the top of your bag will allow you to hang it below your tripod if it has a hook – keeping it off the floor and adding ballast and stability while you shoot. 
• Look for a bag that conforms to the standard airline hand luggage dimensions - then you'll be able to keep your kit safe with you in the cabin without having to check it. Handy if you're into travel photography or planning any trips or a holiday.

I’ve been using my bag now for almost 6 months and I’m pretty happy with it. It has a lot of great features for the price – more than some way more expensive offerings and it’s made outdoor shoots much easier – at the end of the day, that’s the whole idea. There are a couple of small niggles – the internal dividers are maybe not as well thought out as some higher end bags and I broke one of the zip pulls almost immediately, but in general, it’s pretty good and superb value – I bought mine on Amazon and it’s currently retailing for about £65.

The added security of a snap-lock buckle over both the side pockets means there's no fear of walking off and your camera falling out, which is a nice extra touch. The top section is great for carrying memory, a lens blower and my cable remote - there are some net pockets and some smaller elasticated pouches so there's a place for everything.

Essentially, we could all carry our gear in a black bin bag (you should already have one to hand!), but a well designed and easy to use bag can really improve your experience while keeping your expensive toys safe! It’s a no-brainer!! 

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