CAMERA BAG CHOICE REQUIRES CAREFUL CONSIDERATION

Post by Judy @ Gallery 21

When it comes to choosing the best camera bag for your gear, it is always important to remember that cameras and lenses are high precision pieces of equipment which require special storage for protection.  There are several matters which will determine what type of bag is required. 

If you have a point and shoot camera, these are usually compact in size without the need for separate lenses or flash units and will only require a small bag which may be supplied with the camera or can be purchased as an extra.

Professional photographers mainly use SLR cameras (usually digital but sometimes also film) which are generally more bulky, requiring lenses of varying sizes, separate flash units plus a myriad of accessories such as filters, digital cards or film, tripod etc.   Most professional photographers would have more than one camera body which would also need to be accommodated in the bag.  The type of work the professional photographer is doing and the distance from home base will also determine the type of bag required.

Tamrac Expedition 5 camera backpack

At Gallery 21 for example, we specialise in photographing the natural and built environment, so the majority of our work is outdoor requiring a sturdy, hard wearing bag.  As we are often in remote places, we also need to have all of the equipment with us (two camera bodies, three lenses, a separate flash unit plus filters, digital cards, charging units, spare batteries, tripod etc), to ensure that we are able to capture a wide range of images.  

The bag we have chosen is the Tamrac Expedition 5 model 5575 camera backpack which is not only rugged and hardwearing, but also practical because it has a handle for carrying it as a bag and a harness which allows it to be carried on the back leaving your hands free.  The bag, although not waterproof, has been built to withstand some inclement weather, with a big rain flap that you can tighten down over the zipper of the main compartment. Rubberized zippers on the front pouches help to keep those as dry as possible. 

Inside compartments of the Tamrac backpack

There are several padded compartments inside the bag with movable velcro inserts which can be configured into various shapes and sizes to suit your equipment.  Inside the lid there are several more zipped compartments which have either clear plastic or netting which allows visibility of the contents.  On the outside of the bag there is further zipped storage plus two smaller zipped pouches which we use for accessories.  A vented pocket on the bottom of the front of the bag is made to hold the feet of a tripod, while three straps can keep the tripod tied down.   

The type and amount of camera gear, the purpose for which it is going to be used and location should determine camera bag purchasing decisions.  Although not the largest camera bag on the market, the mid size Tamrac certainly suits our needs.