Camera bags

Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case Review: How Did They Make a Bag This Good?

Chris Gampat
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08/16/2023
4 Mins read
Chris Gampat The Phoblographer Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case product images 2.81-100s200 3

The Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case is a deceivingly beautiful bag capable of doing some of the tasks I ask of everyday life. But here’s the kicker: it’s insanely affordable. These days, I honestly only want to carry around smaller rangefinder-style cameras. So that means my Leica Ms and some Fujifilm X Pro series cameras. They are competent, and also pretty to look at. But finding an equally stylish, small camera bag to accompany them has been challenging. Read that sentence again: I specifically state “camera bag” because I want the gear protected. As crazy as this sounds, I may have found one of the perfect messenger bags for photographers.

The big picture

If you’re a fan of messenger bag-style camera bags, then the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case is the single bag you need if you want something affordable, stylish, lightweight, and made of canvas. For years, brands have told me that making canvas bags is expensive. Yet Bagsmart found a way to do it affordably. Moreover, I’d even gladly pay more for a bag like this.

Lots of messenger bags have hurt my back after a while. But the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case never made my back feel out of whack. Instead, it was always just pleasant to carry around no matter the weather.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

We’re giving the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case five out of five stars and an Editor’s Choice award.

Pros

  • Built of great canvas
  • Stylish
  • Not too large
  • Very comfortable shoulder pad
  • Can carry an astonishing amount of gear
  • Perfect as an everyday camera bag
  • Very affordable

Cons

  • Seriously, not a single thing.

Innovations

This bag isn’t really doing anything innovative. Instead, it’s taking the existing ideas and just doing them perfectly right.

Gear used

We tested this bag with the Leica SL2s, Leica M6, and the Fuji X Pro 3. All the units we bought ourselves.

Ergonomics

Here’s a quick look at the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case. When you look at it, you’d think that you’re supposed to undo the leather strap. But that’s not the situation here. Instead, the strap is part of a magnetic button system that quickly lets the bag open and close.

Look towards the top and you’ll spot the beautiful canvas design. The top flap comes around the entire body to ensure that the contents inside are protected from the elements. The canvas here is also slightly waxed.

Open the bag up, and you’ll spot the protective flap. This keeps your gear extra protected from bumps on top.

Open up that flap, and you’ll spot the area for your cameras. I stuffed a Fujifilm X Pro 3 and a Leica M6 in here. But at other times, I’ve shoved Panasonic and Leica L-mount cameras in here too. Granted, they stretched a bit. But they fit!

On the back of the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case, there’s a zippered pocket. This pocket is great for storing notebooks and flasks.

There’s also one in the front.

Build Quality

Brands have told me for years that they can’t make a durable and well-made canvas bag cheaply. But Bagsmart did. And more importantly, I think that if manufacturers made a bag like this and charged three to four times the price, photographers would still pay for it. After all, it’s durable, well-made, weather resistant, and slightly expandable if you’re really shoving stuff in there.

I truly can’t find many faults at all with this bag. Though I’m also not sure, it could resist the absolute torture that I’ve put Billingham snags through. With that said, this bag does it more comfortably than Billinham’s smallest bags.

One of the best things about the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case is the strap padding. It’s very comfortable.

Ease of use

Shove your cameras in here along with eye drops, a kindle, beard oil, keys, wallets and more. This bag can hold a fair amount of necessities while staying small, comfortable and lightweight.

Opening it up is simple with the magnetic latch. But it’s also not so simple that anyone can figure it out immediately. That’s great for keeping robbers away.

I’d only put thing stuff in the back pocket as that lays against you. So if anything, only shove a thin paperback book, a kindle or something thin in there.

In my ultimate test, I shoved this bag with:

  • Beard oil
  • Fujifilm X Pro 3
  • Fujifilm 23mm f1.4 R WR
  • Leica M6
  • Contax 35mm f2 Adapted to Leica M
  • A notebook
  • Fountain pen
  • A Stanley flask
  • Eye drops
  • My phone
  • Passport
  • Wallet

And it kept functioning just fine. It also still felt insanely comfortable. I was astonished. How can a bag this affordable do all that? Well, apparently, it can. Better yet, it does it incredibly well.

Who is the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case For?

Street photographers and film shooters. Seriously, there’s very little that you can hate about this bag.

Tech Specs

This text came from the official website listing:

The Photo Series/ Shoulder & Messenger & Camera Bag can help keep your photography equipment well organized. The stylish camera bag has one main compartment for 1 DSLR with an attached lens plus 1-2 additional lenses and front/ back pockets for other camera accessories. Crafted in water-resistant materials, this bag for travel also contains a raincoat for unexpected weather.

Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case Review: A Bag This Good?
Conclusions
If you're a fan of messenger bag-style camera bags, then the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case is the single bag you need if you want something affordable, stylish, lightweight, and made of canvas. For years, brands have told me that making canvas bags is expensive. Yet Bagsmart found a way to do it affordably. Moreover, I'd even gladly pay more for a bag like this. Lots of messenger bags have hurt my back after a while. But the Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case never made my back feel out of whack. Instead, it was always just pleasant to carry around no matter the weather.
5
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Bagsmart Bagsmart Canvas Camera Case camera bag canvas bag canvas camera bag ease of use ergonomics fujifilm Messenger Bag
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Chris Gampat is the Editor in Chief, Founder, and Publisher of the Phoblographer. He provides oversight to all of the daily tasks, including editorial, administrative, and advertising work. Chris's editorial work includes not only editing and scheduling articles but also writing them himself. He's the author of various product guides, educational pieces, product reviews, and interviews with photographers. He's fascinated by how photographers create, considering the fact that he's legally blind./ HIGHLIGHTS: Chris used to work in Men's lifestyle and tech. He's a veteran technology writer, editor, and reviewer with more than 15 years experience. He's also a Photographer that has had his share of bylines and viral projects like "Secret Order of the Slice." PAST BYLINES: Gear Patrol, PC Mag, Geek.com, Digital Photo Pro, Resource Magazine, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Finance, IGN, PDN, and others. EXPERIENCE: Chris Gampat began working in tech and art journalism both in 2008. He started at PCMag, Magnum Photos, and Geek.com. He founded the Phoblographer in 2009 after working at places like PDN and Photography Bay. He left his day job as the Social Media Content Developer at B&H Photo in the early 2010s. Since then, he's evolved as a publisher using AI ethically, coming up with ethical ways to bring in affiliate income, and preaching the word of diversity in the photo industry. His background and work has spread to non-profits like American Photographic Arts where he's done work to get photographers various benefits. His skills are in SEO, app development, content planning, ethics management, photography, Wordpress, and other things. EDUCATION: Chris graduated Magna Cum Laude from Adelphi University with a degree in Communications in Journalism in 2009. Since then, he's learned and adapted to various things in the fields of social media, SEO, app development, e-commerce development, HTML, etc. FAVORITE SUBJECT TO PHOTOGRAPH: Chris enjoys creating conceptual work that makes people stare at his photos. But he doesn't get to do much of this because of the high demand of photography content. / BEST PHOTOGRAPHY TIP: Don't do it in post-production when you can do it in-camera.