Rebecca emailed me a question about camera bags. Â The first line cracks me up!
Goddess of photography. Â I am agonizing over a camera bag. Â What do you use? Â Is there a perfect one out there that has style as well as functionality? Â Am I going to have to make my own?
Thanks for the email, Rebecca! Â I use two different camera bags. Â For my everyday shoots and to carry my lenses at weddings I use a Shootsac. Â Shootsacs are made out of neoprene (wetsuit type material) and were designed primarily to hold your lenses. Â Jessica Claire designed it so she could change her lenses fast while shooting weddings. Â While it works well for me, the thing I don’t like about it is it won’t actually hold your camera body. Â Also, there are no secure compartments (with zippers) to hold keys, cell phones, or money. Â It is good because it doesn’t have any velcro on it. Â When you’re shooting a wedding the last thing you want to do is to have to open your camera bag with noisy velcro on it. Â The other great thing about Shootsacs is that they have interchangeable covers so you can really express your own personal style!Â
The other bag I use is a Think Tank Airstream. Â This is a roller bag I use to carry ALL of my equipment during a wedding. Â The stuff I don’t need to get to right away. Â It holds at least two camera bodies, multiples lenses, flashes, etc. Â It also holds my laptop. Â It has an TSA approved lock and it also has a lock that allows you to lock it to something else, which is super handy at weddings if I need to leave it somewhere. Â This bag is great for traveling as it fits in an overhead compartment on a plane. Â
ETA: Â To get a free gift with your purchase of $50 from Think Tank go to http://www.thinktankphoto.com/affiliate and enter the code AP-384
In the past I’ve also had a couple of Crumpler bags.  I like them, but stopped using it for weddings because of the velcro issue and because things were getting lost in it.  The Shootsac keeps things much more organized, but doesn’t  hold everything I need it to, which is why I also have the Think Tank.  Confused yet?
I’ve also heard a lot of talk about the jill-e camera bags. Â They are supposed to be stylish camera bags for women. Â They look pretty interesting!
Don’t get sticker shock! Â Camera bags are not cheap. Â But, it’s important to invest in something that will protect your biggest investments, right? Â Everything in photography is about investments! Â
What type of camera bag do you use?
Here’s a picture that my awesome friend/client Jen took of me during her family shoot on Friday. Â You can see my Shootsac 
 I really need a new cover after seeing all the cute ones they offer now.  And you can also see that I’m true to my word and always carry a backup camera on me!
I have a Crumpler 6 million dollar bag, but I rarely take it anywhere b/c of the velcro issue…and because it’s so big.
For trips to the park, I wrap my Canon 7d up in a baby blanket and stick it in the diaper bag. That means I only get to take one lens, and usually I just take the 50mm b/c it’s so small…and any bigger lens would just be TOO much.
I’m gonna check out the bags you listed. May be time for an early Christmas present for me!!!
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I love my Shootsac! I have found it will hold my tiny Xti body with no lens but it does stretch a bit
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I have a Crumpler, which I like. I only have 2 lenses right now, so I don’t change out too much. Works for me now, although once I get more I’d be interested in the shootsac and/or a larger Crumpler.
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One of my favorite local photos will soon be releasing her own line of stylish camera bags. Check it out:
http://dailyrelish.squarespace.com/journal/2009/9/27/cute-camera-bagsfinally.html?SSScrollPosition=333
I have a Canon backpack. I love it! It doesn’t hold multiple cameras, but it does hold multiple lenses, a laptop, and a lot more stuff. I find this espeically good as a mom for day trips,trips to the zoo, things like that as I can shove extra clothes and other mom needed things in the outside pockets and then just carry it all on my back.
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I have a Lowepro backpack. It is really hard to shoot with it on my back so it usually ends up next to me. My husband bought it for me as a gift but I kinda wish I would have had a chance to pick it out.
I’m glad you mentioned that about the Crumpler! I had no idea about the velcro and I had been looking at buying one for weddings. Right now I have a Tracy Joy bag, but it is along the same lines as a Shootsac and doesn’t really hold my camera bodies very well. I can cram one in there but I’m sure that doesn’t protect everything so great! I usually have my cameras on me (I always carry 2) and all my lenses in the bag. I’m looking for a new set up though!!
I have a shootsac… I love it, but I do wish there was a place for the camera body. But it is so awesome just to be carrying that and not a bulky bag on shoots.
I don’t do weddings, just families, so the velcro isn’t an issue on my Crumpler. The thing I don’t like is I can’t get all my stuff into it: keys, wallet, etc. I hate having to carry TWO bags. Maybe it’s just too small. Once I get another lens, I definitely have to get another bag.
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Just FYI–the new crumplers have a “velcro silencer” feature (an alternative way to close the bag that doesn’t use velcro, to prevent the noise).
Great to know! Thanks, Linda!
For weddings and the every day shoots, I LOVE my Shootsac! I use it to carry lenses, CF cards, a small change purse, keys, cell phone, business cards, etc! I generally take it everywhere, even school field trips with my kids. When traveling with my gear, I use an Ape Case (http://www.norazza.com/) that was recommended by a friend. It hold my 50D w/grip, my back up Rebel, my 5 lenses, and every other spare part you’d need. Plus, it’s bright yellow on the inside, so everything is easily seen!
Drew, you are the best. Thanks for answering my question in a public forum. I do not feel quite so hopeless and I have a few more choices. And I still maintain that you are the goddess of photography. Thank you for saving me from my sewing machine.
I have a Tamrac Velocity 6 bag. It fits my Nikon D40 with one lens on and I can put some essentials in the front pocket for a day out. It’s a tight fit though. I did take it on vacation and it worked well.
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