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Importance of camera bags This is easy. You spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on your photographic equipment. Are you going to be a cheapskate and get a lousy camera bag which may give way ? Think about it. Camera bags protect your investment in photographic equipment. By spending more on a good quality camera bag, you have a peace of mind knowing that your equipment are well-protected against knocks and falls. There are so many types and brands of camera bags. So which is the one for you ? Types and Brands Like cameras, there are numerous brands
around in the market. But like cameras, only a handful make it as the most
popular brands. Let's briefly go through the various brands.
Tenba Tenba are sort of like LowePro. They offer a great deal of designs, and are made of polyester fibres too. Some professionals like to use Tenba because they claim Tenba is tougher than LowePro. Tenba bags are more expensive than LowePro, and the variety is not as wide, so they are not as popular as the LowePro series in most parts of the world. Domke The photojournalist's/wedding photographer's bag. Domke bags are made of canvas or ballistic canvas (specially treated canvas). Domke bags are expensive compared to LowePro and Tenba. They differ from the two brands because the bags are very soft and collapsible, in no small part due to the material used. Domke bags do not offer as much protection as the other two brands, but because they hug the body contours, they are suitable for tight situations. This makes them very popular with photojournalists and wedding photographers. They are not as well-padded as the other two, but they can take in a lot of equipment. Domkes are very well-built and worth every cent in my opinion. Zero Halliburton Zero Halliburtons, or Zeros as affectionately called by the professionals, are strictly the domain of the professional photographers. Zeros are the stainless steel attaché case with foam inserts inside. They offer the best protection for equipment on the move. Zeros are very expensive, and are probably ranked as designer stuff. Let's move on… you'll probably never own one in your life… Tale of the Goldilocks bag One day, a girl named Goldilocks went into a camera store to buy a camera bag. She picked up the first bag and said, "This bag is too big!". She then went on to pick up the second bag. "This bag is too small !" she exclaimed. She picked the third bag and cried "This bag is just nice !!!"
Camera bags come in 3 sizes, small medium and large. Small bags can only take 1 camera and one or two lenses, plus some accessories. Medium bags can probably take 2 cameras and 4 lenses. Large camera bags can take 3 cameras and 6 or 7 lenses. Depending on your equipment, you'll probably buy different-sized bags. Like Goldilocks, I'd recommend a medium one. The small one is probably too small; you'll outgrow it very soon (trust me !!). The large one is, well… too large. If you only have one bag, you won't want to have a bulky large one which weighs you down. The medium bag will probably take all the equipment you can carry, without being too small or too bulky. However, if you already have a medium bag and wants to have a second/third bag, then consider the small and large sizes. Small bags are very useful if you just want to bring a camera plus lens, with a flash unit, for a outing with friends, without getting in the way. Big bags are not for photographers; they are more for assistants. If you have to lug along a big camera bag with 3 SLRs and 6 lenses, you'd be too tired to take any photographs. Try to streamline the equipment you're carrying to avoid a backache. Haul a large bag only to bring the equipment on site, but use a smaller bag when actually shooting.
Camera bag designs Think of cars. You have cute little cars to trot around the little streets in town; you have exotic lean mean driving machines like a Ferrari or Porsche to race along the autobahns. And there's the macho 4WD machines like a LandRover to conquer the treacherous terrain of the countryside. As the popular saying does, different horses for different courses. Like cars, camera bags have different designs
for different purposes too.
Photojournalism - compact maneuverability The most moldable bag of all is the Domke bag. Since they're made of canvas and have little padding, they are extremely flexible and comfortable to carry. They will hug to your waist and not bounce around like the other designs. Extremely maneuverable in tight conditions, but they do not offer as much protection as the other designs. When one bag is never enough You have seen that there are many designs of bags, and that there are many sizes. So it is obvious that one bag is never enough. You'd need different bags for different occasions, and for different amount of equipment. The main point to remember when buying a bag is to consider the features and design of each bag to see if it is suitable for you. You may want to bring your gear with you so that you can see if it fits in. Do not get a bag which is too small, or is way too big. Get one which is slightly more than enough to fit in all your equipment. When your equipment gets considerably bigger in amount, then consider moving up to a bigger bag. By then, you'd hopefully have wised up to the idea that you can't carry a heavy bag around. When the situation demands, you may want to get another design of bags. Try out your friends' bags to see if you like them. I personally have 4 bags for different purposes and situations. For most people, one bag is never enough. How to pack your bags Be sensible. Bring only what you need. It's common to start off with only a few items, and end up with a lot in the bag because you keep thinking "what if I need this and I don't have it". Murphy's Law says that the more things you bring, the less things you need. Not only that - the heavier your bag, the more tired you are. And the more tired you are, the worse your photos will turn out. So only bring what is absolutely necessary !!
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