What Type of Camera Bag Do You Need? Shoulder Bag or Backpack?
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If you’re in need of a new camera bag, you definitely need to do your research before choosing one. Your camera bag makes or breaks your shooting experience, and considering the fact that a lot of types of camera bags are incredibly expensive, it would be a downer to purchase one just to realize it wasn’t quite what you were looking for.
In this article we are going to compare the benefits of a shoulder bag with the benefits of a camera backpack.
Benefits of Shoulder Bags
Shoulders bags are a kind of camera bag that you sling over one shoulder. They are designed to hold your camera, as well as a number of different lenses.
One of the biggest benefits of choosing this type of camera bag is that they can double as a day pack and a camera bag. For photographers who travel a lot, this means you don’t have to carry as much luggage with you.
Another advantage of choosing a shoulder bag is that your equipment is constantly within reach. If you are a street photographer, you know the importance of having a camera that you can access within a few seconds.
One final advantage of a shoulder bag is that they are easier to organize, especially if you opt for a shoulder bag like Holdfast’s Sightseer Modular Camera Bag.
This bag allows you to store your camera, your lenses, and your personal belongings in different pockets so you always know where your equipment is.
This bag is also large enough to store your laptop so you can do some editing on the go.
The Sightseer Modular Camera Bag is available for $485 and comes with a lifetime guarantee, so you’ll never need to purchase another camera bag again.
Benefits of Backpacks
One of the best benefits of using a backpack is that it is more ergonomic than a shoulder bag, especially if you’re going to be carrying it around quite often. For someone with back and shoulder pains, like myself, a backpack is definitely the best option.
Another benefit of using a camera backpack is that you can carry more equipment. As an example, you can carry a 15” laptop, your camera, lenses, batteries, notebooks, tripod, and a change of clothes with Holdfast’s Sightseer Backpack and every item you bring has its own dedicated pocket.
One last benefit of using a camera backpack over a shoulder bag is that they typically look less conspicuous. If you travel, having a bag that conceals the fact that you’re carrying expensive camera gear is a huge bonus.
For instance, the Sightseer Backpack looks high end while still hiding the fact that it could be carrying thousands of dollars worth of professional photography gear.
If you’re interested in picking up the Sightseer Backpack, you can do so for $800 here. As with every Holdfast product, it comes with a lifetime guarantee.
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Disadvantages of Shoulder Bags
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The biggest disadvantage of a shoulder bag is that they can be uncomfortable, especially if you’re carrying heavy equipment or carrying equipment for long periods of time. If this is the case, you should definitely opt for a backpack.
Another disadvantage of shoulder bags is that they don’t carry as much equipment as a backpack can. So, if you can only afford to purchase one camera bag right now, you should probably go with one that can carry all of your equipment for when you need it all.
photo by brytta via iStock
Shoulder bags can also slide around a lot while you’re working, which is not only just annoying but it can be painful after a long period of time. If you’re going to opt for a shoulder bag, then you should make sure that you’re going to be shooting in safe areas where you can feel comfortable putting your bag down as you’re working. Otherwise, you can get incredibly sore or you could get your bag stolen.
Disadvantages of Backpacks
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The biggest disadvantage of a backpack is that your gear is less accessible. Of course, this isn’t the case with the Sightseer Backpack, which comes with a shoulder strap built specifically to keep your camera within an arm’s reach at all times. But, many backpacks do require you to be in a safe area in order to dig through it for whatever piece of equipment you need.
Another disadvantage of using a backpack is they can make it more difficult to shoot in a crowd because of their size. This definitely isn’t a problem a lot of photographers are going to face, but if you are a travel photographer or a concert photographer, a backpack would be really frustrating.