Camera Bags - Which Do You Use And Why?

I use a Troop London bag with a Tenba insert. I added the PD Clip and also a padded shoulder bit from an old Sunsniper strap.

The bag holds my EM1 MkII with the 12-100 and a 35mm film camera of choice (in this case the Ihagee Varex IIa with 50mm Tessar.

Filters go in one picket and film in the other. Inside there are two small pockets and each holds a spare battery for the Olympus. My cable release goes in the back zip pocket, usually with my Kindle.

The canvas is water resistant and of course the Tenba is also.

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I will go along with a dual purpose rucksack. I have cut down on the amount I carry when out and about so the Lowe-Pro I have (bought 2nd hand from Ffordes) I think it cost me about £20 or thereabouts 4 years ago. In the bottom half there is enough room for one SLR plus a number of lenses, batteries, films etc. The top half is big enough for my Gortex smock, wooly hat and gloves should I need them and a pack of sandwiches etc and the side pockets take a can of drink or slim metal thermos either side.
There is also a loop on the top cover to fit a lightweight tripod with B&S head. The make is Hahnel and it is lightweight but I have never had a problem with it being unsteady. Ffordes have a number of similar as big or small as you could need.
 
(May have said before but ….)

I take the view that having a purpose-made camera bag is akin to walking around with a sign saying:

‘This bag contains a lot of expensive stuff - PLEASE STEAL’

So I use:

A big standard cheap rucksack,

Pad it with some old exercise mat for protection/ tape some mat together to form compartments and

put the kit in a waterproof bag
 
It matters not what type of bag you use if it looks heavy and may hold something 'tasty' and factor in a moments in-attention and Pooooof! it's gone.! I know of a situation in the early 1980's at a main line London Railway Station where a man who was legitimately carrying a large amount of cash in a plain old Tesco bag from his car to catch a train. He stopped and put the bag at his feet while he checked the arrivals/departures board. literally in no more than 10 seconds lapsed and the bag had been lifted - 80 Grand lighter he came to our public counter to report the theft. Fortunately he had business insurance that covered cash in transit. It was caught on CCTV but unfortunately his face was not facing the camera.
So a pig ugly bag will not afford any extra protection - Thieves will steal anything if it isn't nailed down!
 
John King said:
It matters not what type of bag you use if it looks heavy and may hold something 'tasty' and factor in a moments in-attention and Pooooof! it's gone.! I know of a situation in the early 1980's at a main line London Railway Station where a man who was legitimately carrying a large amount of cash in a plain old Tesco bag from his car to catch a train. He stopped and put the bag at his feet while he checked the arrivals/departures board. literally in no more than 10 seconds lapsed and the bag had been lifted - 80 Grand lighter he came to our public counter to report the theft. Fortunately he had business insurance that covered cash in transit. It was caught on CCTV but unfortunately his face was not facing the camera.
So a pig ugly bag will not afford any extra protection - Thieves will steal anything if it isn't nailed down!
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If that’s so then best not to spend a load of dosh on the bag itself :) :)
 
But a good quality bag will fare better at keeping the contents from getting knocked about and damaged. Far more likely than getting items stolen.
 
John King said:
But a good quality bag will fare better at keeping the contents from getting knocked about and damaged. Far more likely than getting items stolen.
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As usual, it’s a balance re cost v risk.

For me, the balance is best met with cheap rucksack + waterproof liner bag + simple foam compartments.

Also ….. I only ever take one camera (+ phone) and no other lenses, but only stuff like:

- Lens brush + cleaner
- spare batteries + micro cards
- wheelie bin bag for sitting/kneeling

And the like
 
I use a simple Think Tank Digital Holster 10 V2.0 which forces me to keep the quantity of kit down. It has room for a spare battery, a filter and a lens cloth and is extendable so I can fit my wide and kit lenses with hoods attached, or my 300mm zoom with lens hood in reversed position. It is waterproof and padded to protect the camera. It takes a fair amount of abuse too. Now I am a little older, it helps keep the weight down.
 
A good padded waist strap makes all the difference, especially when carrying heavier gear for a full day. The central tripod carry is also a big one; side mounts always feel unbalanced after a while.

If you’re open to alternatives, some of the older F-Stop or Think Tank bags still have that balance of comfort and space for extra gear, food, and layers. They’re not always easy to find, though. For everyday carry that’s stylish but still practical, I recently got a Coach bag from https://coach-bags.co.uk/, and while it’s not for heavy-duty camera hauling, it’s been great for casual outings when I don’t need a full kit.
 
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