On a consistent basis, I get pitched to review camera bags. There are always new ones that come out and some obviously suit my style more than others. A nice perk of the job of being an Editor-in-Chief though is that I usually get to keep the bags, but after a while, they tend to pile up. In my closet, I must have at least 10 different camera bags.
As time as progressed, I’ve found new brands, new designs and better products. Some of the absolute best come from Tenba, ZKin, Langly and Artist and Artisan. Why these brands? Because their designs don’t look like camera bags.
And that’s the best thing that any company could do for a photographer.
The opening image and the photo next to this text show my current camera bag setup. It houses the Artisan and Artist insert from the Tote I reviewed. It’s a wonderful insert with protection from the elements if I need it, lots of sufficient padding, customizable pouches, etc. Best of all, it goes well with the camera bag. But in this case, it fits well into a tote bag.
How many times do you see average ordinary people simply slip their laptops into their tote bags and call it a day? It happens all the time. So the bag that I’m currently using lets me do the same while providing sufficient padding to my camera, lenses and flashes when they go into the bag.
It works–it simply works.
That, and there is 100% absolutely no way that anyone would ever think that this bag would be a camera bag. It’s just impossible–at a random first glance anyone could mistake it for an average every day tote. When the bag is down on the floor, the top folds down and keeps anyone from looking in and believing that I’ve got a camera and lenses in there.
Again it just works.
So what’s my point here?
The best camera bag that you can buy may already be your favorite everyday bag and all you need to do is add an insert to protect your gear. But as a call to manufacturers, the best way to appeal to photographers and totally protect your customers is to make it impossible for anyone to think that the bag that they’re using is a camera bag. So with that said:
– Bags should be much more low profile and the presence of your logos need to be even more low profile
– Quicker but secure access since no one will ever think that the photographer is using a camera bag
– Features that are good enough and that aren’t over the top with pockets or slips. Photographers will eventually find a way to fill all of these pockets but they won’t do that if you don’t give it to them to begin with.