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You’ve spent a small fortune on your equipment, and the last thing you should do it cut corners on what protects it.Ī good camera bag should have nicely padded, removable inserts inside. So you’ve decided on the size and style of bag you wish to purchase but please do not overlook quality. This is ideal to lock the bag to an immovable object perfect for Passive type bags. Some manufacturers also include a cable that is made in to the bag. This is something worth considering if you’re find yourself in a similar situation where you want/need to carry a larger amount of equipment, but do not need that bag once you are at your location. It is a little more expensive, yes, but the benefits are great. I already have two cameras over my shoulders, each with a lens, so the bags I have are there to carry what I cannot hold in my hands, or do not need right at that moment.
CAMERABAG PHOTO PORTABLE
I use my roller bag to transport my kit to my shooting location and it provides great protection during the transport phase – not to mention a great portable desk to sit my laptop on! I then compliment this by using an Active Bag, usually a modular belt system or backpack, to carry the extra lens and flashes that I may need. What I have found to work best is having a combination of both Active and Passive Bags with me. But these bags are not ideal for the photographer who is constantly on the move. Passive Bags are great at transporting all your equipment to and from your shooting location and even providing a great storage solution for storing your kit whilst it’s not being used. It’s small enough to easily fit in the car, yet carries everything that I need on a job. This roller bag – the ThinkTank Roller Derby – is the bag that I take to pretty much every job I have. The styles of bag that are suited to this are: backpacks, sling bags, modular systems and shoulder bags. This brings us to an interesting concept that I have called Active Bag and Passive Bag.Īn Active Bag is a one that allows you to easily carry equipment with you and be more mobile one that can go with you all the time. I have also learned that generally, one bag will not fit every situation. What I have learned from this experience is that one style of bag is no better than the next and that what works on one adventure, won’t necessarily work as well on another. Personally, over the years I have used pretty much every style of bag around from backpacks, sling bags, shoulder bags, to roller bags and modular belt systems you name it and I’ve most likely used it at some stage! Not ideal if you have larger lenses (greater than ~200mm for example).Weight of equipment is on one shoulder and can cause discomfort.Can be great to store equipment when not in use.Varying levels of carrying capacity to suite your equipment.Can look more casual, allowing you to blend in easier.Easy access to equipment as it’s by your side.Let’s have a look at some of the pros and cons of the following bag types: Backpacks Below is a small table with a short list of pros and cons to each style of bag. It’s important to consider just how much equipment you want to carry around in your bag, as this can influence the style of bag you end up purchasing. You may prefer to use a shoulder bag, where the next person may prefer to have a backpack.
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If I need it, I also put my modular set (not pictured) inside this bag to use on site.
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I use this bag to carry my laptop, laptop accessories (charger, internet hub, card reader, etc.) and any other bits and pieces I may need such as wet weather gear. I take my backpack, the ThinkTank Airport Accelerator (left), to nearly every job I do. There are just so many choices available, it really does come down to personal choice. It’s choosing the style of bag that I think is the most challenging, and this is where most people can get a little stuck. Choosing the size of your bag is relatively easy.
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