Camera Bags, Cases & More
I have a confession to make….
I like bags. A lot. Some might call it an obsession but, there’s nothing like having a great bag to hold all of the gear you need for a job that is comfortable, reliable and serves multiple purposes.
And through my 20 + years as a photographer I’ve had everything from shoulder bags to hard cases on wheels to now using backpacks.
Let’s dive in!
The Shoulder Bag:
A shoulder bag is a great option when you want to quickly and easily grab a piece of gear out of your bag without having to put it down and open it up - like with a backpack. And I have to say this was my preferred method for many, many years. In fact, with my favorite Think Tank bag, the Tutto by Lilly and Deanne (now discontinued), is still on hand as a secondary bag. I even have a backup version of this bag still in the box when I’m ready to pass this one on!
Lilly & Deanne by Think Tank
This bag is made with materials that show quality and virility with nylon and leather, using earth magnets on the pockets and flaps. Two large pockets on the ends that allow for different size water bottles. I freaking love this bag!
And understand, this is a big bag. And let me explain the WHY of why I like big bags. Not that I’m filling these bags to the brim with equipment (if I can help it), but that I like to have extra room in my bag for personal items as well as space for a sweatshirt or jacket. This way I’m not having to carry around multiple things but can consolidate everything into one bag.
However, this can lead to one heavy bag. And all that weight is being carried to one side of your body. Now if you know anything about weight proportion - this is not a healthy way to carry a heavy bag. And add equipment to that and that’s a lot of weight! For years I had coworkers saying I carried one shoulder higher than the other and this is definitely why. Though I admit, this never stopped me from purchasing more shoulder bags most especially the beautiful leather messenger bags from ONA. That’s right, I have them. PSSHHH of course, who wouldn’t?!
The Brixton, the Prince Street and the Bowery
Cognac Leather, mmmm, my favorite!
There’s the largest of these called the Brixton - I wanted this for YEARS and I finally was able to find this in great shape (and in fact all of these) on Ebay.
The middle size bag is called the Prince Street and the smallest is called the Bowery.
Beware, these are not cheap bags! Then again, NOTHING in photography is cheap - or rarely! And through the years of “window shopping” I’ve watched these climb in popularity and price. And now, I have them…. and they’re collecting dust. I’ll explain.
THEY’RE SO PRETTTAAAAYYYYY
Yes, that’s right, I’m afraid of busting these up! I’m not the easiest on my bags. My bags, just like everything else I use are working gear that gets tossed around, rubbed and scraped on things. It’s part of what happens during a long shooting day. Unless they’re not leaving my body - like never setting them down on a dirty or rough floor - I’m afraid of ruining these bags. Most people who have these bags are maybe not afraid of the wear and tear on and more on the textures (aka scratches) the bags will pick up as well as looking expensive and fashionable with an esthetics the wearer wants to portray. So if you ever see me wearing these out in the wild, know I thought long and hard about this decision and also - I’m not carrying much gear. That’s because these bags don’t hold much! A couple lenses maybe and camera body - and that’s the Brixton. The Prince Street and Bowery maybe are better as a lens changer bag.
So with the weight of a bag on one side and having to put them down on the ground in some corner might lead you to not wanting to carry a bag around at all and needing to still have a protective case. Which is why a bag on wheels may be preferred.
Welcome to the Pelican Cases!
Now, just about every photographer and videographer has one of these or knows someone who does. And they’re great in some respects. They’re very durable, waterproof, protect well, you can stand on them. The downside is they are very heavy and not the easiest case on wheels to get around - especially when you’re on location or downtown in a city with different surfaces that aren’t smooth. I have two.
The 1510 and the 1610.
The 1510 is a midsize case that I find I can actually carry more in my other bags than this one. However, it’s the size I’d want to use if I was carting it around. The 1610 is a beast and deeper than the 1510. I now use both for storage at home and I prefer it that way, haha. Though if someone does decide to go this route with one of these cases I suggest getting the lid organizer to utilize that space in the lid for all your little things such as filters, memory card case, wires, batteries, etc.
And now for the bag I use now. Can you guess? I think I mentioned it in the beginning. Well, I caved and gave into using a backpack. Not the fastest swap for equipment but there’s a workaround for that I’ll go into at the end.
My current bag, drum roll, is the Peter McKinnon 35L bag by Nomatic. Okay, I also have the 25L I’m using when I try to get away with using less gear. But this bag, the 35L, has nearly everything I want in a bag. NEARLY. There’s more than enough space for multiple cameras, lenses and all my stuff. Plus, there’s a separated section I can throw a sweater or small jacket in. Though usually I’m throwing my camera harnesses in there. Why I prefer such a big bag… well, I have a lot of stuff. Multiple lenses, cameras and flashes. I’ll have to do a “What’s in my bag” blog one day. though, with the varied jobs I do my equipment and the way I organize everything changes quite a lot.
I also have and tried the Lowepro 450 ProTactic bag that is now, yes, another storage bag. This bag, unfortunately, just didn’t pan out for me as a usable bag. There’s no front pocket for personal items as well as no space for a jacket or sweater. If maybe I could create a hybrid between the 35L and the 450 ProTactic might create the best bag… either way, I’ve fallen into the category of other photographers and creatives and one of my work arounds is to also have a smaller bag when I can set the big bag down somewhere relatively safe and consolidate down to a sling to carry an extra lens and some batteries when on a wedding or event I’m covering.
So this brings me to my two options I use:
The 8L Mckinnon Sling and the 3L Everyday Sling by Peak Design. With the Peak Design I can also wear it as a hip pack - though it’s not perfect. What I like about the 8L McKinnon is there’s some more organization to it, there’s more functional assets to it like the one-handed closure and the shelf to be able to rest a lens on the inside when switching out a lens. Plus it’s the completed bag in my lineup of backpacks I’m using.
The 8L McKinnon Sling:
