K i t Z o n e
hen you buy a camera,
it usually comes with
a strap, but not everyone
wants to their camera
to be unprotected from
knocks and on clear
display. A strap is no good if you want to
carry around extra lenses and accessories,
either, so most people will start looking for
a camera bag. If you’re travelling by air or
hiking for miles through the countryside,
a cabin or ‘roller’ bag, a hard case or a
backpack will be a better bet; but for
everything else, a shoulder bag is ideal.
First of all, they’re simple to use. It’s easy
to get at your gear when you need it, and
shoulder bags come in a whole range of
sizes and types to suit your equipment
and your lifestyle. But there’s more to think
about than just getting a bag that’s big
enough at the right price. Camera bags
have evolved: new designs cater to different
types of user, especially those who need to
mix photography with commuting or travel.
So let’s take a look at the many different
types of shoulder bags now available.1 Traditional shoulder bags
Regular photography shoulder
bags are straightforward. The main
compartment has padded dividers, usually
fixed by Velcro, that you can move around
to fit all your camera gear in snugly. It’s
tempting to get one big enough to store
all your gear, but that will make it heavy
on longer trips: think about just the
equipment you will definitely need.2 Messenger bags
This new breed of bag is much slimmer
than a regular shoulder bag and can double
up as an office/work bag. They still have
padded internal dividers for camera gear.
While they may be less use for bulkier
camera bodies or lenses, many have
padded laptop compartments and
pockets for daily office items.3 Sling bags
Messenger bags are often designed
to swing round to your back for easier
commuting or cycling, though nothing
can be worse than a bag that keeps slidinground to the front if you’re cycling through
busy streets or clambering over stiles en
route to a top landscape location. This is
where ‘sling bags’ can be useful. They are
a kind of hybrid between a shoulder bag
and a backpack, but can be swung round
to the front for faster access to your
gear than a backpack can offer.4 Luxury bags
If you want a bag that looks a bit more
professional or elegant, you might have to
pay a little more. Bag maker Billingham has
built its reputation on quality construction
and a timeless canvas and leather look,
while other makers like Ona Bags and
Gillis of London offer stylish designs
that don’t look like camera bags at all.5 Holsters
All these bags carry a range of different
items, but if you just want to carry a single
camera and lens, they’re probably overkill.
Holster bags come in different sizes and
lengths, and you should be able to find one
that fits your own camera/lens combo
snugly. You may get a pocket or two
for small accessories.6 Capacity
Shoulder bag capacity is sometimes
measured in litres, and sometimes in terms
of the equipment the bag can hold. Some
bags are described as ‘mirrorless bags’ or
‘DSLR’ bags, but don’t take that distinction
too seriously: most are adaptable enough
to take both. If you use a pro-DSLR with an
integral grip, or a larger camera with a grip
fitted, make sure there is enough height
or width in the main compartment to
accommodate it – depending on
whether the camera will be stored
‘nose down’ or sideways, for example.W
Help me buy a...
Shoulder bag
It’s the obvious way to carry around your camera gear, but there’s
more to choosing the perfect shoulder bag than you might think
Billingham
Hadley One
£264/$399
The Hadley
One might look
old-fashioned, but
its adaptable main
compartment and padded
laptop sleeve make it a
stylish and adaptable
modern bag.Manfrotto
Noreg
Messenger
-30
£130/$150
It’s the ultimate adaptable
commuting/office/travel
bag! The laptop sleeve is
removable and the camera
insert comes out to act
as a small shoulder bag.Good, better, best
Three shoulder bags to suit every budgetVanguard
Havana 21
£29/$40
You don’t
have to pay a
fortune to get a good
shoulder bag. The Vanguard
Havana 21 is both practical
and stylish, and has space
for a camera body and
a couple of lenses.130 DIGITAL CAMERA^ JUNE 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com