A photographer is always concerned about his or her gear. It isn’t easy to choose between lenses, batteries, filters, flashes, tripods, and many other useful things. If you miss some of them you may miss a certain framing or effect. The best moment is hard to find and it’s better to find you prepared. How about the perfect camera bag? How concerned are you about it? Well, you should be. Missing a lens can ruin a picture or two, but having the wrong bag with you can ruin the entire shooting session, especially when you photograph outdoor.
A camera bag isn’t just a way of carrying all your equipment in one place, but a careful assistant that will make your job easier. To choose the perfect camera bag you have to think too many aspects. Here are the most important of them.
The capacity
The perfect camera bag should be able to carry all the gear you need for a photo session. But you may have to photograph three days in the mountains or two hours in the city. If the budget and the storage space are not a problem, buy bags of different capacities. The offer will not disappoint you: small, medium, large, extra large, for a lens, for several lenses, with tripod support, with pockets for accessories. But if you don’t want to fill your house with bags, choose a large one. Even if you don’t fill it all the time, you will appreciate the extra space.
The way you carry it
Backpack or postman style? Which do you prefer? Depending on where and how do you plan to use the bag, you have to think of the most comfortable way to carry it. Your gear can be heavy. If you are traveling a lot, choose a backpack, with large straps to protect your back. If you take the subway or travel in crowded places, a postman bag will be easier to protect and keep safe.
The weather conditions
Does your bag have rain protection? This is a good question when you photograph outside. Rain can be very romantic and photogenic, but not when it is wetting all your gear. If you plan a winter photo session, it’s best to choose a well-padded bag to protect the batteries and the lenses.
Accessories and other stories
A photographer always carries many many accessories. You will definitely need a lot of pockets for covers, filters, extra memory cards, extra batteries, napkins, sun shades, plastic bags, and all the other useful things. Look for bags that offer easy access to pockets so you don’t have to open the entire bag and remove half of your stuff to find something.
Be aware of the place you are going to photograph. If pickpockets are on the list, choose a bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag. Photo gear is expensive and attractive. But if you put it in a colored backpack with badges and souvenirs it will be less flashy.