One thing that unites professional and passionate photographers is the need for a large and durable DSLR camera backpack. Let’s see how to choose the best DSLR camera bag for travel and hiking.
Camera, lenses, tripods, flashlights, spare batteries, and cables of any kind – whether you are amateur or professional, your photo kit needs space and protection. So, sooner or later, you will face the issue of choosing the best DSLR camera bag that can hold everything you need for photo outputs. Therefore, we invite you to read our best DSLR Camera Bag reviews to buy the best DSLR Camera Bag.
One thing is certain: there is no absolute best backpack. Each photographer has different needs. Some need extra-large backpacks to conveniently carry more body parts and even a tripod, others give priority to lightweight and compact sizes because they travel a lot, and others need a backpack with special padding. On the market, there are models for all tastes and pockets. Let’s see what are the features to consider in choosing to try to make the perfect purchase.
Why is it so important to have a good backpack for your photographic equipment?
The backpacks and bags for cameras are not just a way to store and transport your equipment in a comfortable way but also are the main way to protect your photographic equipment when you go out. The scratches, the blows, the dust, and even the thieves will be on the lookout for your camera and equipment or you decide to go out and do some photographs, that is why, the more you protect against these threats, the more tranquil you can make your photos.
While you can use almost any bag, backpack, or shoulder bag to carry your equipment, not all of these will guarantee the desired protection. Backpacks specially designed for photographers are usually sturdy, with cushioned compartments, and even waterproof so as to ensure both comfort and safety.
Types of bags and backpacks
There are many options on the market that you can choose, according to your needs, to store, transport, and protect your equipment. Before such a variety, it is important that, before going out to buy your next backpack for your SLR camera, think about what you want to give it, under what conditions (adverse weather, city photography or a studio, etc.) and in addition, the amount of equipment that you intend to put inside.
That is why, so that you can get a better idea of the options available to you, I have prepared a short summary with the main models among which you can choose, in order to achieve a balance between comfort and use:
Cover
As its name indicates, the covers are a very good option when it comes to transferring and protecting your camera. Its size allows you to save the camera with a lens, a memory card, and some other cable, nothing else. If you are looking to carry lightweight, the covers are an ideal choice. Its main advantage is the possibility to quickly draw your camera to take a great photograph.
Shoulder bags
This type of bag is something bigger than the covers. They will allow you not only to transport your camera but also some other lenses and their accessories. A good shoulder bag should have enough padding to protect your camera, divisions to keep your equipment organized, and pockets that allow you to store the smallest material.
Their shape and size may vary depending on the manufacturer but almost all have something in common: the ability to carry your equipment hanging from one of your shoulders in a practical and safe. Anyway, try not to overload it too much, since, when relaying all the weight on a single shoulder, you can get to experience fatigue and back pain if you load it over.
Backpack Bandolier
These backpacks are midway between a shoulder bag and a backpack for your SLR camera. This is an excellent way to transport your equipment. You will also have the convenience to access it as long as you need to take a picture without having to remove it from the back (it rotates easily). Unlike regular backpacks that have two “handles” or straps so you can spread the weight between both shoulders, these shoulder straps carry a single strap that will cross your chest.
Backpack
Backpacks are the ideal way to move your equipment in a safe, convenient, and comfortable. Its greater size with regard to the bags and shoulder bags will allow you to carry with you all the accessories that you think convenient. Although you can use almost any backpack for this purpose, those specially designed for photography, when coming quilted, with divisions and some even waterproof, will allow you to do it in a safe way.
Its two straps will allow you to distribute all the weight of this on your shoulders and back. So they are ideal for long work or adventure. Its main disadvantage: if you want to take your camera or some accessory, you must remove it from the back.
Hard cases
If you have to carry a large amount of equipment, a rigid case or briefcase will be the ideal option for you. These briefcases are mostly used by professional photographers. Why? Because professional photographers have a large number of cameras and lenses they need to perform their activity. A backpack or bag does not guarantee the space and security they need to do it. Despite being the ideal way to move and protect your camera, it is usually the least used mode.
What are the most recommended brands of DSLR camera backpacks?
There are so many varieties of models as well as manufacturers of these. So your choice will not be easy, especially if you consider that almost any bag and backpack can be used to convert easily for use in photography. Anyway, here is a small list of the most popular manufacturers of DSLR Camera Bag, which does not mean that they are the only ones:
1. Lowpro
2. USA Gear
3. BESTEK
4. CaseLogic
5. Vanguard
Each of the brands has a lot of different models of cases, bags, and backpacks of excellent quality. So you can lean on one manufacturer or another. It is important to pay special attention to the quality of the seams, the zippers, and the fabric with which they are made when checking the bag or backpack. If these appear to be poor quality or poor resistance, the best thing is that you keep looking.
How to choose the next backpack for your camera?
Now you know the different alternatives available in the market and which are the main manufacturers of these. Surely, you have already got an idea of the type of bag you need to move and protect your equipment. The time has come to make that idea come true!
Here are the aspects that you should not ignore if you want to get right in choosing your next photo backpack:
The use you are going to give it
It is important to keep in mind the type of photography practice you have decided to do. Choose a bag or backpack that best suits the situations in which you will take your photos. It is not the same as a backpack to go on an adventure through a forest or mountain as another to walk the streets of a city venturing into “urban photography”. Depending on the use you are going to give, a sheath, a bag, or a backpack will be of greater or lesser help. When choosing a backpack, it is important to be clear about what equipment you need to carry with you.
Equipment and accessories
As I just mentioned, it is not the same as transporting a camera with a lens mounted on it, to take with you the camera, a pair of lenses, a flash, a laptop, etc. The size, weight, and quantity of items that you are going to take with you determine the type and size of the bag or backpack you need to carry them.
Compartments, divisions, and pockets
You should pay special attention to this aspect because the quantity and quality of divisions of your bag or backpack are what will ensure that your equipment does not move and hit inside your bag or backpack. It is very important that each compartment firmly secures each accessory and protects it from possible blows.
Again, it will depend on the use you are going to give it and the number of divisions and pockets that you need to occupy during use. Many backpacks and purses allow the use of Velcro to adapt the different divisions to the size and shape of the lenses or accessories you want to carry with you. The thicker and more padded they are, the better protected they will be.
The weight of the backpack
This is another aspect that you can not ignore since, to the weight of all the equipment that you carry with you, you must add the own weight of the backpack or bag that you carry with you. Contrary to what it may seem, photographic backpacks can become very heavy on their own as the materials with which they are made add a lot of extra weight. Your back and shoulders will be grateful that you keep them in mind at the time of your choice.
Safety
The easier it is to open them, the greater the chances that something will fall or be stolen from them and even more if it is a backpack where you do not always have your load in view. Inside your backpack, you will carry very expensive equipment so, try not to be too flashy.
Comfort
The more you find yourself at the time of making your photographs, the better the results you achieve with these so you must ensure that the backpack you choose, is not a hindrance. Finding a comfortable, lightweight, sturdy, and safe backpack is very difficult, but finding a balance between all these characteristics is not so much. It will only be enough that you do a good analysis beforehand of the use you are going to give, to define the type of bag or backpack that best suits it.
Resistance and durability
As I said before, the last thing you want is that while you take a photographic walk, a strap or zipper will break and all your equipment will end up hitting the ground, or if it rains, your camera will get wet. That is why the strength and durability of the materials with which they are made, the quality of the zippers and seams, etc., are fundamental to preventing your camera, targets, and accessories from being ruined. Keep in mind that there are backpacks designed to go on adventures that are more resistant and waterproof than those that were designed for more daily use and less extreme. Again, everything ends depending on the use you are going to give.
Style
While fashion is completely secondary to choosing a backpack that accompanies you in all your photographic adventures, it may be more important for you. If you are one of those people, do not worry because there are endless designs for you to choose from. In addition, with a little imagination and style, you can easily build your own.
The price
All the aspects you just read are conditioned by the latter: the price. The best way to save money when buying a bag or a backpack is to analyze well what will be used that you are going to give so as not to pay for benefits that you would never end up using. If you do not plan on leaving for adventure, it does not make sense to spend a bundle in a bag for this purpose.
Now, once you have defined this aspect, try not to skimp on expenses. The cost of a quality backpack is more of an investment, safety for your equipment, and quality for your photographs as it will allow you to work more comfortably and relaxed.
The best backpack to keep safe and protect your reflex camera
The camera bags vary in brand, price, and color; however, the most important thing is to find one that protects your equipment, and that fits your budget. Below we mention the best rucksacks for SLR cameras with the best reference among buyers and that represents a good option for its price-quality ratio.
VANGUARD ADAPTOR 41 DSLR Camera Bag
If you want to buy the best backpack for the reflex camera of the moment, the model Vanguard Adapter 41 is for you. This backpack has easy access, thought for both left and right, keeping the content of thieves protected by its closed design.
In its interior, we find a space cushioned and compartmentalized with space for both the camera and its lenses and other accessories. As an option, you can add a space for your laptop, if you wish, while the tripod is placed in an outer buckle.
To keep comfort the back of the backpack is padded in a comfortable and breathable material, and can also convert the backpack into a shoulder strap format by just making a turn on one of its straps. Strips that by their padding also distribute the weight adequately to facilitate the transfer of your equipment.
+ PROS
- Holds DSLR with Attached Lens, Extra Lens
- Holds Flash, Accessories
- Easily Converts to Sling Pack
- Zippered/Buckled Top Compartment
- Access to Gear From Left or Right Side
- Zippered Accessory Pockets
- Tripod Holder
- Customizable Interior Dividers
- Adjustable Backpack Straps/Carry Handle
– CONS
- Doesn’t have a built-in liquor cabinet.
Discover more and the price here
BESTEK Waterproof Canvas DSLR Camera Bag
Its great capacity is its greatest strength. The case has room for an SLR camera, a lens, an iPad or mini laptop, and other accessories. The dimensions are 27 x 16 x 25 cm.
The design is a classic brown shoulder bag with comfortable compartments inside. It is made of waterproof and durable canvas and is fully padded, so your equipment will be safe and cushioned before any blow.
It has an inside pocket to support larger computers or other objects like books, laptops, telephones, and more. The exterior front compartment is perfect for carrying smaller objects which will be retained with closure and in the same way, also has a removable compartment where you take your valued camera with the lens.
+ PROS
- It is convenient during travel.
- You can bring extra things to the part of your camera.
- It is versatile.
- It is a good size.
- Made with quality materials.
- It is waterproof.
- It has multiple uses.
– CONS
- The backpack might be a bit heavy.
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Caden Professional Waterproof Camera Bag
It has a nice design, perfect for use with Nikon, Sony, Canon, or any mid-range SLR camera with its accessories.
This camera bag is made with durable Oxford fabrics and microfibers with high density and soft to the touch, which makes it resistant to prevent the equipment from feeling shocked or movements that could affect it. It is waterproof and durable, Moisture-proof. You can easily clean and wash this DSLR backpack. Also comes with a rain cover to protect the whole camera bag from the heavy rain, sand, and dust.
The backpack is to be carried on the shoulder, and your strap is adjusted according to your needs. The main compartment is segmented by removable pads, which when removed will have a larger space to carry what you need and you can use the backpack as a casual bag.
+ PROS
- The model is versatile.
- It has an attractive and compact design.
- The materials are of excellent quality.
– CONS
- The straps are a little hard to open
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USA Gear Professional DSLR Camera Bag
If you are looking for a functional camera backpack model, the Gear backpack is what you are looking for. We speak of a product with a completely modular design. You can find a dedicated pocket to protect your camera, a top to store larger accessories, a buckle to place the tripod, and a pocket smaller to save your cards and other means of work.
This design is customizable so you can adjust the space as you prefer. It is a waterproof case that can protect your equipment from inclement weather.
The set has two handles to carry on the back, very comfortable, and adjustable. Also has a padded back that improves the sensations when loading it. With so much to choose from it is not strange that this model is considered the best backpack for the reflex camera.
+ PROS
- Very large and comfortable to wear
- Perfect for professional use
- Three years warranty
– CONS
- Improved space organization
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Case Logic CPL-107GY Camera Sling for DSLR
It is a backpack with a strap type that adjusts to the size you need or if you prefer you can hold it by its comfortable handle that will fit perfectly in your hand. The main section is divided to separate the camera from the other accessories; Likewise, the inside has small pockets to save memories or smaller components and additionally has three external compartments in which you can save some additional equipment.
Its compact size makes it easy to move and locate in spaces during trips. However, it is sufficient to carry photographic equipment along with cables, batteries, lenses, and more.
+ PROS
- Its size is small and portable.
- It is a recommended product.
- It has good quality.
- You will have an order when saving your photo set.
- The case is lightweight.
– CONS
- If your camera is too large, the size of the case will probably not be enough.
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Lowepro Photo Hatchback DSLR Camera Bag
If you know a little about products and backpacks to carry different electronic devices, you will know the brand Lowepro. It is one of the most recognized and prestigious brands in the market. Here we find one of their best teams, the LP36433-PWW. We speak of a backpack with a little more space, since this one is available in 16 and also in 22L. It also has a compartment in the back to store the camera along with 2 or 3 more accessories.
Also, it allows you to store clothes, food, and other devices in the main section.
On the other hand, the backpack has a cover to protect it from rain, a key chain for safety, and a small pocket on each side to store a tripod or other object of interest. At Amazon, it is available in three colors: blue galaxy, slate gray, and red pepper.
+ PROS
- Lightweight
- Removable camera box
- Large tablet pocket
- Weatherproof cover
– CONS
- Thin waist strap
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AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Bag
Within the range of cheap and quality proposals from Amazon, this backpack model may be a good option to take your camera.
Its design is simple and, is confused with that of a traditional backpack, but when you open the lid we find a compartmentalized and padded space where you have a gap for each lens, body, and element you need to carry. The backpack is made of durable nylon, which in addition to protecting your equipment ensures long life at your side with an excellent look.
The access with a single zipper makes it easier to see at a glance your equipment without having to search in innumerable pockets. And thanks to its padded handles you can carry it both in shoulder strap and in a traditional backpack, depending on what you prefer at any time.
+ PROS
- The materials are of good quality.
- It has a modern design.
- The size of the belt is long.
- The finish is good.
- It’s a comfortable backpack.
– CONS
- The strap may not be flexible when used.
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Manfrotto MB MA-BP-TL Advanced Tri DSLR Camera Bag
Among the strengths of this backpack, there is no doubt versatility. First of all, you can use it as a backpack or as a single shoulder, even for left-handers. It also offers the maximum freedom to organize the interior space through practical dividers.
It can contain, for example, a reflex with a mounted lens, three additional lenses, a flash, and any accessories such as chargers, cables, and memory cards. And yet, an 11 “tablet to put in the special padded compartment beside the various personal effects. It also has an optional connection to attach a tripod externally.
Water repellent has a special coating applied to the fabric that keeps it moisture-resistant. The rain cover included protects it from adverse weather conditions.
+ PROS
- The rucksack turns into single-sided, even for left-handers
- Highly customizable internal subdivision
- It has a practical rain cover
– CONS
- There is no outside pocket
Discover more and the price here
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Here, we have left 8 good options for the DSLR Camera Bag. According to the budget, you can choose good options, so you do not have to have half a fortnight available to purchase any of these.
I hope today’s article has been helpful to you. If so, do not forget to share it on social networks and recommend it to your friends and colleagues.
Are you looking for very useful DSLR camera accessories for your next photographic journey? Then read our article on the best accessories for your DSLR camera.