Camera Bags and Camera Backpacks, Part II

Written by John Camp

The near-perfect shoulder-carry bag would be:

Light. Water-resistant. Not too heavily padded. Made of some species of nylon. Have two-closure systems: a zipper, plus a few Velcro tags, or snaps, so that you have the choice to close it securely, or to have it lightly closed, for instant access when you need it. It would have an adjustable shoulder strap, with a soft, conforming pad, and an accessory belt so that it could, if necessary, be worn as a fanny pack. It would have special plastic pockets in the cover for extra memory cards, small pockets on either end for batteries and to hold lens caps when you're not using them, and a pocket on the back for maps.

The near perfect travel pack would be:

Sturdy, protective, water resistent, and as light as is consistent with optimal protection. (In my opinion, most packs are over-padded.) The interior dividers would be easily customized.

It would have zip pockets that would contain the proliferation of wires, chargers and batteries that we carry. It would have a sturdy carry-handle both on top and down the side, and also a good fully detachable back-pack system, so you could carry the straps in another piece of luggage if you wished.

It would fit in the overhead of mainline jets.

It would have, as an accessory, a compact collapsible set of wheels that could be carried in your regular luggage when not in use.

It would have a removable pocket that would hold a 15-inch laptop, if you needed it to do that.

Billingham 225 shoulder bag

The near perfect heavy bag, for use when you're travelling by car, or when you're willing to check the bag on a plane:

Should emphasize protection. It should have light but rigid plastic reinforcements under the waterproofed nylon on all sides. It should have TSA locks. The internal dividers should be very customizable, and you should get perhaps a dozen extras when you buy the bag. It should have velcroed-in pouches, with snap tops, to organize wires, chargers, extra body and lens caps, and camera-cleaning equipment. It should have a very good set of wheels, and a solid handle that can be used as a supplemental luggage carrier when you need it (in other words, you can drop a backpack on top of it, and have it stay in place, when you’re rolling the bag.) I believe it should be black, so that it can’t readily be seen through the tinted windows in the back of a car or truck.

Kata KT PL-RPT-30 Reporter BagIT-30

Preferences and prejudices
A few of my prejudices. You may disagree:

Too many bags are over-padded. Travel bags need some padding, but padding adds bulk and weight. Shoulder-carry bags mostly need padding in the bottom, for when you put them on the floor or on a table, and very little in the sides.

Shoulder bags should hang close to your side; better to stack the lenses vertically, than horizontally away from your body. And they should have good, padded slip-proof shoulder straps. The pad on the shoulder strap is where several companies cut costs—the edges of the strap cut into your shoulder. Check it before you buy.

Most bags need, and lack, accessory pouches that are designed for the bag, that will take digital-era electronic components like wires for chargers and computers, small parts like thumb drives, memory cards, etc.

Full waterproofing adds weight, and is hard to accomplish. Most of the more expensive backpacks come with a light, packable, fully waterproof cover that you can slip over the bag. That works. But: in my opinion (as a former canoe jock and fisherman) all bags should have a fully waterproofed bottom, and a waterproofed ring around the bottom, two or three inches high, so you can put the bag down on wet rocks, sand or grass without worrying about it. You know what I’d like? If the bag had little carbon-fiber rods like you find in self-supporting tents, that you could use to stand the bag upright. That would add no weight and be extremely useful.

Too many bags are too large. If you took at the larger LowePro, Tenba and Tamrac backpacks that you see in the average camera store, they will take a lot of equipment—and will be very, very heavy, and will be squarish, and stick too far out from your body. None of them that I've found have backpack systems good enough to carry very far. If you need to carry a lot of equipment, you need transport cases, with lots of protection, and wheels. If you're going off-road, on foot, and any distance, you need to think seriously about your pack—and perhaps go for a backpacking pack, into which you build your own inserts. Or (a really good idea!), take less equipment.

Backpacks are convenient, but mostly for transport. There aren't many that are good shooting bags. Do you really want to walk about Rome in the middle of July with thirty pounds of gear on your back? People argue about whether access should be top, bifurcated top and bottom, or butterfly with a central zipper, and so on. The fact is, you have to take most packs off and set them down to open the bag, so they're not really amenable to fast action. If you have a backpack, you also need a shooting bag. (Unless, in your special circumstances, the backpack works because of your special circumstances—I worked for several years as an archaeological photographer in the Middle East, had a heavy bag, but only had to carry it as far as a bus or car.)

One of the Kata bags I currently own (not the one pictured above) has backpack straps that can be switched diagonally across the bag, so they serve as slings. It also has zippered side-openings. Using it as a sling, you can pull the bag around in front of your chest, while the strap is still on your shoulder. You hold it in place with your first hand, and then, with the second hand, unzip the side opening and remove what you need, assuming that what you need is under that flap. Then, using your second and third hands (while your first hand still holds the pack) you can safely change your lens and put the other one in the pack. Theoretically, you could be standing in a creek two feet deep, and change gear without needing to put the bag down.

That's in theory. If I were to do that, I'd drop the lens/camera in the creek.

End of Part II

Part I can be found here
Coming in Part III (tomorrow): Capsule reviews of many specific bags and backpacks

John Camp is a former reporter who is now a novelist. He writes thrillers under his pen name, John Sandford. And he is a bagaholic.

Ed. Note: The illustrations in Part II are arbitrary and don't constitute authorial recommendations. The first one is just the bag Yr. Hmbl. Ed. has owned since the '80s.

©2013 by John Camp, all rights reserved

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(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Bojidar: "For what it's worth, Steve McCurry uses a beat-up black Billingham 335. I guess that's a thumbs up for that bag from the ultimate travel photographer."

Bill: "When Domke first started, he had his bags made by Smith & Co., a Chicago canvas company and tentmaker. When he took his business elsewhere they started making their own bags, which were lighter and sturdier than Domkes. They did this by sewing everything in place—no adjustments! I got my three different models at Ken Hanson's store in NYC. Two of them are still with me (and used constantly), the other lost in a home burglary. They are/were the best shoulder bags I've seen. I don't know when they quit making them, but I always look for them when I'm at a camera show."

dogman: "I own almost as many bags as I do cameras and, like the collection of cameras, most of the bags are old and don't get used anymore. My preferences in bags have changed considerably over the years. I carry less stuff around with digital equipment and that's a real blessing for an old fat man with moderate to severe arthritis. A Billingham Hadley or Domke Little Bit Smaller bag is all I ever use now when I'm out shooting. Except for residual redundancy ingrained by my previous incarnation as a news photographer, I usually don't even need the bag. Premium quality zooms are so good these days, I seldom use more than one lens and I really don't need that second body except it makes me feel more secure to have one. Old habits are hard to break and, at this point, why bother trying.

"Fact is, I've been known to make use of a photo vest on occasions and just leave the bag behind. I know some people see them as an affectation but they are very convenient and much more comfortable than a shoulder bag for all day carry of equipment. I've been using them for decades and I still have my old raggedy Banana Republic vest although it's a little snugger fitting in the middle now.

"Since I haven't flown in years and I don't really intend to do much of it again, I don't use my padded bags anymore. My traveling is done by auto, so a couple of Domke F2 bags can transport a lot of equipment. If I take any long lenses, I just carry them separately in their own padded cases. Most of the time, those long lenses just stay packed away—those old habits again."

Carsten Bockermann: "Many newer bags use Velcro to help keep them closed. I hate the noise that this material makes when you open it. Immediately draws attention to the photographer. That's why I'm staying with my Billingham Hadley bags."

Jeff responds to Carsten: "Or Velcro draws the photographer's attention to the thief, if that's who's doing the opening. Perhaps why John Camp prefers having the dual option."

Chris Malcolm: "I'm a convinced user of robustly padded bags. I was carrying my camera and handful of lenses in a large Lowepro Slingshot in a carrier on the back of my bicycle when I was hit sideways by a sports car. Bicycle trashed under wheels of car. Bag and I bounced off the hood of the car. No damage to gear in bag. Last week I accidentally dropped my gear bag (camera plus four lenses) down the stairs of a double decker bus as the brakes were slammed on. It banged down all the way from top to bottom of the stairs. No damage to the gear inside. Plus several more minor drops. These experiences have made me a convinced adherent of the robustly padded gear bag."

Comments

[Paul Parkinson]

Nothing to disagree with here - but my go-to bag is the Domke F1-X "The Little Bit Bigger" bag plus their USPO Postmans strap pad.

The latter is so good I have two - one for my regular laptop bag.

[Softie]

For work with a handheld camera, the best camera bag is a wrist strap and a pocket for your other lens.

For anything else, whatever fits your whole system works pretty well in my experience.

[Bryce Lee in Burlington Ontario Canada]

My main complaint as I age is the actual physical weight of the unladen bag. Also unless am travelling (don't do foreign overseas travel due to passport restrictions), my working gear lives loose in the bag. The extra lenses live in their own home made padded pouch, the camera sits on the end with my most commonly used lens (18-105mm). Film/extra cards go in one pouch, spare charged power sources in another. no tripod or computer. Having had major bouts with cancer and treatments each time after become weaker, so for me simple is best. And as i am tall my own design of strap, actually a strap that once held a golf club bag. Current bag started as a recycled diaper bag
from a garage sale.

[Earl Dunbar]

I primarily get by with a Domke F6 as a shooting bag, and a Patagonia Refugio 28 for my 4x5 kit. The Patagonia is a backpack, but very light. Since 4x5 is not quick shooting from the hip, taking it off and setting it down is necessary anyway.

I do have a few other bags, but I can stop buying them any time I want ...

[Allan]

My problem is that the camera bags I find perfect are to small for my camera equipment. My solution is to buy smaller camera...

[Andy Kowalczyk]

One thing I've learned to look for is that the shoulder strap attachment points are located in such a way that the bag will not tip over when loaded. When you are actively shooting you might completely fold back any cover flap - you certainly won't keep re-zipping it or reattaching the clips.

Fortunately I have only a dented lens hood to show for this lesson - damage could have been much worse :)

[Manuel]

I partially agree with John Camp about the inconvenience of backpacks. I have one from Lowepro, which I only carry if I need to use the tripod and am not sure about the lenses I'll use in a particular photographic session. Otherwise I only use it to store my gear. (Beats a drawer hands down!)
My backpack can have one or two advantages, though: I can hang it on the tripod's hook to add stability - useful under the windy conditions I get in the northern coast of Portugal -, and the tripod sits in the middle of the backpack, rather than on the side as found with other brands, making it extremely balanced and more comfortable to carry - even on longer hikes.
For less demanding sessions I use a small Lowepro Nova 140 and, when I want to take both my cameras with me, a brand new Event Messenger 150, which has to be one of the most discreet camera bags ever.

[Rene Theberge]

For those of us who must use a backpack (i.e. physical problems that require carrying gear on both shoulders), what would you recommend that's small, light and can carry a m43 system of a camera and 3-4 lenses?

[Jerry Lewis-Evans]

My old film cameras live in a 70's Billingham, similar to the one pictured.
When I first got a digital camera I got a Crumpler bag - what a mistake. Any chance of being discreet was totally blown by the sound of acres of tearing Velcro - really made me appreciate the brass studs on the Billingham.

[Mark]

These are a great series on bags. Most of us, if not all, continue to search for the holy grail, do it all bag. I myself own probably 10 bags, from backpacks (love Gura) to belt systems, sling bags, a Billingham 335, and on and on. Unfortunately, the bag I dislike most is the most expensive, the Billi. Shoulder bags and I just don't get along.

[Stephen Scharf]

The best shoulder bags I've ever used, hands down, are the Think Tank Retrospective series. Job done.

[Stephen Scharf]

The best "heavy bag" for traveling by car, rail or air: The Think Tank Airport International. A roller bag that looks on the outside exactly like the ubiquitous roller luggage bag, but on the inside protects all your expensive gear.

Here's mine:
http://photos.imageevent.com/puma_cat/fujif31andf20photos/large/Airport%20Intl-1.jpg

In this bag:a Canon 1D, Canon 300/2.8, Canon 1D MkIIN with 70-200/2.8 attached, camera strap, resting on a Quantum Turbo II flash power pack, and nestling the lens shade for my Canon 17-40/4. Also, Canon 17-40/4 lens, 550EX flash, battery charger and cord, Quantum AC adaptor and flash cord, Visible Dust brushes, two Canon teleconvertors, spare battery, CF card reader and FW cable, La Cie Rugged external FW drive and cable, padlock & keys for media center lockers, Canon remote shutter release cable, CF card wallet, WhiBal cards, hex key for RRS L-clamp, and sundry batteries, felt markers, microfiber cloths, security cable, etc. The outside pocket holds my monopod, and the extendable handle carrries by Briggs and Riley laptop case. This bag is so ubiquitous in pro motorsports photojournlist circles, that I don't see anyone using anything else.

It's become a de facto standard.

[Sarge]

I agree that camera and lens pouches allow you to stuff your gear in any old bag when travelling. In my case its a smallish, water-resistant laptop backpack (Victorinox) which fits under a plane seat. (Where I come from, the overhead bins of domestic airlines are stuffed to the brim with carry-on bags.)

My shooting bag is a Crumpler (Mild Enthusiast, Small) which can be carried as a shoulder or waist bag. It easily accommodates my GXR-M with a wide angle lens mounted and my other lens, a short telephoto. Its lightly padded camera compartment has a movable divider, three pockets for filters and spare batteries (slip-in), and a mini-pocket for cards (zipped). It also has a back pocket for a manual, notepad, or passport.

On walkabouts, family or social gatherings where jostling is the only hazard, I make do with a neoprene pouch (OP/TECH, Lowepro which are also waterproof when dunked momentarily in the drink) and a neck strap. On treks where water hazard and impact damage (due to slips or falls) is ever present, I don't put all my gear in one basket. Fortunately, I do most of my trekking in my hometown, where I have no lack of companions volunteering to carry my gear (just the Crumpler, a tripod, and an umbrella).

When going to an island in a small outtrigger boat, I bring only my point-and-shoot. I won't go island hopping laden with two cameras unless I have a Pelican or equivalent. Getting my gear dry when the boat I'm in capsizes is the least of my concerns. But I figure that a Pelican may be a lifesaver when no life vests are provided.

[Yger]

Current bag designs are too bulky. You end up bumping into people if you shoot street. For years, I've been using Yellowstone canvas bags from Korea. (I learned this trick from a Japanese photographer while I lived in Japan.) These bags are spacious enough for a Leica and a few rolls of film, and they are snug to your body. They also double as grocery bags on the way home. And you do not look like a "photographer".

[Simon]

Lowepro used to make a "photorunner" that was pretty close to your "shoulder-carry bag" brief... they no longer produce it but you can get a blackwolf of the same design but cheaper materials, there are chinese knock-offs on ebay and some used to look like they were canvas but i haven't seen that listing for a few years now.

Not a perfect bag, but good enough for me to buy a knock off just to replace a lost/broken belt clip

[David Dyer-Bennet]

Current bags are generally too small; they don't hold D700 plus battery grip comfortably, especially if the 24-70/2.8 is also also mounted. If I want to have 70-200/2.8 and Sigma 120-400 and Sigma 12-24 with me, it gets even harder to fit.

Then I end up with a separate bag for flashes and light modifiers, which is a pain. I need to keep at least one flash in the main bag for emergencies.

[Steve Jacob]

One interesting compromise I still use at times when I am carrying heavier gear is to use a shoulder harness with a good messenger bag, like the ThinkTank Urban Disguise 60, which holds a large amount of gear but is surprisingly comfortable on the shoulder with the harness.

When the camera is out and in use, the bag is lighter and can be used as a shoulder bag. When packing up for the walk home, it's a backpack again.

The ThinkTank harness is well enough designed to carry the weight high and spread the load well. It's not as good as a full ergonomic backpack, but it's as good as most photo backpacks (which are as ergonomic as a wooden crate).

But in general, I totally agree that nearly all backpacks are severely compromised. The only solution is to choose the gear better and limit yourself to what you REALLY plan to use most.

[John Krumm]

This will likely lead people to think I'm a real klutz (see my comment in a previous thread about printing on the wrong side of the paper) but one big drawback I find to my Lowepro camera backpack is that I sometimes forget to zip it up after changing lenses, sending gear tumbling out when I pick it up.

[rnewman]

My big complaint with shoulder bags is their tendency to swing away from the body when moving in uneven territory. Its not so bad on the street, but... None I know of come with a waist strap which would solve this. I use a 30+year old Albinar bag, about 6x8x16 including two end pockets, and it has a long enough strap to carry over he opposite shoulder, which minimizes the above problem. It carries a DSLR, 3 lenses (2 zoom and a macro), and a number of accessories from SD disks and cleanng gear to extension rings and polarizers and even a light meter on occasion. Right now it needs a new shoulder pad, but that's normal maintenance. Yes, I have a larger bag, holds DSLR and Pentax67 on the rare occasion I take both, but 95%+ of use is the old reliable Albinar.

[Gordon Lewis]

To Chris Malcolm:

Considering the mishaps you've suffered, I hope your body is at least as well protected as your camera bag. A broken or dented camera is much less serious in the larger scheme of things than a broken or dented skull.

[Ed]

I use a ordinary rucksack with a little 25 dollar Vanguard bag in it to protect the camera. Great bags for the price. And unobtrusive as well.

But I advise anyone to use Billingham or Domke of course.

Greets, Ed.

[Yger]

The velcro noise and rain protection issue are all resolved by using a different design. Instead of fasteners / flaps, my canvas bag is simply long enough for one end to fold, like a sock. (The strap is attached in the middle section.) You can whip up your Leica in an instant and there is no noise at all. When you fold it, it has 4 layers of canvas on top to protect your gear from rain. And you can always pack a picnic, a bottle of wine or anything, just reattach the strap from the middle to top - for a full 'bucket' (easier to show than to explain.) This is what I learned in Japan.

[Peter Croft]

Lessons I've learnt in 40 years of travel photography:

1. A big bag that lets you carry a ton of gear will not be used. The bigger the bag, the heavier it gets.

2. I need to be able to find things in the bag by feel, without looking. I'm concentrating on the scene - I don't want to have to look at the bag.

3. Velcro closures are a pain. They're too noisy, too hard to open and they close when you don't want them to. Plastic spring hook closures are silent and easy to manipulate without looking.

4. Back packs are too vulnerable to someone stealing your stuff from behind you (I've never liked them, anyway).

5. Agreed, you don't need a lot of padding. Softness and flexibility are more important.

6. When I'm stalking insects, the last thing I want is tearing Velcro and jingling metal sounds.

7. Being right handed, my bag stayed on my right shoulder, but a good shoulder grip was imperative. Billingham made a beauty.

8. In 1988, I made a tour of the W coast of the US with two Nikon bodies (FE2, FA), an Olympus OM2 SP, three Nikon lenses (35mm, 55mm Micro, 70-150mm E) and three OM lenses (18mm, 21mm and 135mm) in one of the smallest, softest no-brand bags you'll see, plus a 300mm f4 Nikkor ED in its separate case. Still got that bag. Love it.

[Gordon Lewis]

As a street shooter, my philosophy is to carry a bag that's only large enough to carry a medium-sized DSLR, two medium-sized lenses (one of which is mounted to the camera), a cellphone, and a pen. That's it.

I often carry less; for example, a camera with only one lens or a Nikon V1 with wide-to-tele zoom. When I'm actually shooting, the camera and lens are on my wrist, leaving the bag practically empty, with minimal weight hanging from my shoulder and minimal bulk to get in the way.

The bag I shoot with most is the Domke F-5XB, which is basically a downsized version of a canvas messenger bag, with padding on the bottom, two padded moveable separators, a few small pocket on the outside, and a zipper on top, under the flap, for security. Someone has to pay me to shoot with anything larger.

[Luis Castro e Solla]

Have several Billingham bags. Positives: they are durable, they are elegant, most can be accessorized. Negatives: they are overly expensive, some models have no zippers (things can theoretically fall out), if khaki coloured (like mine), they easily get stains which are nearly impossible to remove.