Why a Lens Pouch is a Much Better Option Than a Camera Bag
- Types of Camera Bags
- Lens Pouch Advantages
- Pair a Lens Pouch with a Great Strap
- Two Camera Straps
- Tanker Belt
- Why Choose a HoldFast Lens Pouch?
- Other Recommended Photography Gear
- Regular Bags
- Messenger Bags
- Hard Cases
- Ever-Ready Cases
- Backpacks
- Sling Packs
- Non-Traditional Bags
- Lens Pouches
- Lens Quivers
- Which Type of Leather Camera Strap Is Best?
- Essential Camera Accessories
- How to Carry Gear for Wedding Videography
- How to Wow a Photography Client
- What to Look for in a Good Camera Strap
- Belt, Strap, or Harness - How to Carry Your Camera Gear
Camera bags are some of the easiest, and yet at the same time, some of the hardest decisions to make concerning what to purchase. If you’re like me, you probably have several bags sitting unused in a closet somewhere and also have several bags you switch around for use depending on what you’re doing.
Sometimes a lens pouch and a cross-body two-camera strap is a better way to go than a regular camera bag, backpack, or sling bag. Those three are all good bags, but a lens pouch really eases workflow in active situations.
Pairing the HoldFast Sightseer Lens Pouches with a Moneymaker strap or a Tanker Belt from HoldFast Leather Pro Goods is a combination that’s worked well for me - and I’m sure it will work well for you, too. Let’s explore why!
Table of Contents:
Types of Camera Bags
There are as many types of camera bags as there are types of digital cameras. Some bags cross over from one type or style to another. As a short rundown, I see for sale and in use these camera bags:
Regular bags and ever-ready cases are the most common styles offered to first-time DSLR and mirrorless users. The bags that tend to be included in kits are generally inadequate for any growth of gear choices, and an ever-ready case has the well-deserved negative moniker “never ready” case because many active photographers find them cumbersome.
Messenger bags and other non-traditional bags such as a repurposed purse or satchel have a place for many photographers, though you sometimes need to add some extra padding to them. Hard cases are great for travel and storage but can be a little difficult for quick access.
Backpacks and sling packs are very useful for some photographers, with a sling pack being more ready for active use than a backpack. These are very useful for landscape and architectural photographers because you can carry a lot of gear comfortably.
Lens quivers (open top, shown above) and lens pouches (covered top) are excellent accessories that can be used alone, added to another style of bag, or used in conjunction with a great strap. Not the strap the camera came with, though, an actual good strap!
Lens Pouch Advantages
A couple of the advantages a lens pouch gives us are quick and easy access to an extra lens or two and simplifying what we’re carrying around.
HoldFast makes an excellent lineup of lens pouch solutions called Sightseer Lens Pouches. I say “lineup” because they come in three sizes: medium, medium-wide, and large, and in several different colors.
Sightseer Lens Pouches are made from leather and waxed canvas with 100% Merino Wool felt padding inside. On the outside, you’ll find a belt clip, a strap with metal attachment, a riveted leather attachment point, and a magnetic flap closure.
The lens pouch can be used singly or combined in various ways with other camera bags or straps. You could opt for using a lens pouch for each lens you carry, especially if your photography session is full of rapid action by either the subject matter or you as the photographer.
Learn More:
Pair a Lens Pouch with a Great Strap
Some of the best uses I’ve seen and used myself concerning how to use a lens pouch is to pair a lens pouch or two with a high-quality strap such as a cross-body holster style strap or belt-style of camera strap. You won’t be fumbling around in a bag or case when your other lens or gear is right there, easy to grab in a lens pouch.
One of my favorite straps also comes from HoldFast and is designed to allow you to carry two cameras in an at-the-ready configuration - the Moneymaker Dual Camera Strap. Attach a lens pouch or two to the strap and you have two cameras, each with a lens mounted, and then the lens pouches to hold more lenses or a lens and a flash gun.
Two Camera Straps
This style of strap has become my favorite. The Money Maker is heavy-duty, holds each camera by either the tripod screw or the strap lugs, uses a cross-body configuration that distributes weight comfortably, and they look great.
The Bison leather or bridle leather is tough, and the beauty of the leather only gets better with age and wear. All the other materials, such as rivets and D-rings, are very heavy duty as well, making this strap a great choice for carrying a lot of gear in a true ever-ready configuration.
Tanker Belt
The Tanker Belt from HoldFast also comes in multiple sizes (small, medium, large) and several choices of leather and color.
Designed to be a carrying solution that won’t cause your pants to sag, the Tanker Belt can hold several pounds of camera gear comfortably. Attach the lens pouch directly to the belt for carrying lenses and similarly sized accessories
Why Choose a HoldFast Lens Pouch?
HoldFast Gear makes high-quality leather camera accessories like bags, lens pouches, straps, and other small items. They use fine materials like bison leather, bridle leather, canvas, fine wool, heavy cotton, and copper and steel. This means HoldFast’s products look like a million bucks, but they will also last a long time and do what they’re designed to do.
HoldFast makes their gear by hand in Oklahoma, and they are constantly designing or improving straps, bags, and other things to make a photographer’s job easier, more comfortable, and with lots of style. Check out their full line of fine gear today!