A great camera bag is expensive. This guide will help you make the most of that investment.



There are several key points you want to acknowledge when purchasing a new camera bag. It needs to be comfortable/easy to carry, it needs to be durable, and even preferably weather-proof, and it needs to accomodate not only your current gear, but gear you might be buying in the future.

The first thing will need to do, is compare brands. There are several companies that focus entirely on making camera bags, and these are the companies you want to be buying from. Camera companies usually make their own bags too, but they make them in a way that the aesthetic appeal beats far outweighs the reliability.


The three top brands I would suggest reasearching are:

Lowepro: Lowepro make lifetime warrantied bags that are generally marked with "AW" meaning all-weather. Lowepro bags are 'geared' towards every type of photographer


Tamrac: One of Lowepro's main competitors in the North American market, they make similar bags, at a similar price. Tamrac bags are geared towards every type of photographer.


Kata: Kata bags are developed FOR the Israeli military. They are sleek, protective, and well designed. They have a large selection of bags mainly geared towards the photojournalist or street photographer.


There are several more manufacturers, but in general, you should find the above three at almost any photo/camera retailer.


After you have reserched the brands online, It is a good idea to head down to the camera store with all the gear you are trying to find a bag for. There is nothing worse than finding out AFTER you get it home, that it doesn't suit your needs.

Most camera stores will be ok with you fooling around with the bags in store, and If they aren't, their competition will be. Wear the bag around the store, full of your gear to get a feel for it. Ask the employees at the store (If they shoot) what they use, and how they like it. Comfort is a big thing, you dont want a cool looking bag that digs into your back, but you also dont want a really comfy bag that doesnt carry all your stuff..



I recently added a new bag to my collection of six Lowepro bags. There is no bag that is 'right' for any given situation, so it is always a good idea to look at owning several very different bags to suit the "mood of the day."


For example, the bags I own are as follows:


Lowepro Toploader: This is a small bag that is able to carry an SLR with a small zoom or prime lens attached. I would use this bag during general outings when a camera by my side might be a good idea.

Lowepro Sling200 AW: This is my go-to bag for mostly everything. It is versatile, and very handy. It is also small enough that I can carry a lens bag with it, without being cumbersome.

Lowepro Lens case 4 (LC4): This bag is built for larger zoom lenses, most notably the 70-200/2.8 series from canon or nikon

Lowepro Computrekker AW: A larger backpack that can accomidate all my gear and more. There is a laptop area that is big enough for laptops with under 15 inch screens

Lowepro Nova4 AW: A hip bag, and the first bag I owned. I dont use it often any more, but several times it has still been useful, when a smaller bag that can still carry most of my gear is needed.

Lowepro Fastpack 250: My newest bag, which has a space for a larger DSLR with a battery grip, up to three smaller lenses or accessories, and a big pouch at the top for everything else, which is also large enough to fit the 70-200/2.8 if necessary. It also has a large laptop pocket built for 15.4 inch screens, all while staying smaller than the computrekker AW.


If your bag is not waterproof, or AW (all weather) carrying a large black garbage bag with you makes it waterproof, and saves you some money.


Happy shopping