Camera Bags

The first thing to purchase, after bringing home that new SLR or video camera, is a good camera bag; subsequent traveling or walking around with those expensive cameras, without protection, is a good way to end up paying for them a second time. The all-time issue is: soft carry bag or hard case protection. Here's a look at some examples of both:

The Lowepro Edit 100 Camera Bag has multiple interior accessory pockets, and exterior convenience pockets that are positioned so that you don't have to wade through the inside to get what you need in a hurry. The soft, padded inner compartments are for your vulnerable items of gear -- lenses, camera body, filters, and the like. Adjustable dividers allow for customizing the locations of your equipment in the bag.



A lot of photographers and videographers go with a messenger-style camera bag for their gear -- like this one, the Tamrac Express 6 Compact Messenger Bag. It sports the typical adjustable foam-padded dividers on the interior, three large zippered compartments on the outside of the bag, and a small side pocket for a cell phone or audio player. We like the convenience of having both a shoulder strap and a carry handle.



If you're strictly a camcorder operator, this Panasonic Bag is for you -- a trio of large outside pockets, more in the protective lid, a (particularly valuable) rubber bottom so your gear won't get damp in the inevitable situation where you put the bag on the wet ground, and a clear window pocket for ID, business cards, or camera settings information.



Backpacks for a camera are comfortable and handy, save for the extra seconds it takes to get the bag off your back and the gear from it. This Lowepro Slingshot 200 Camera Backpack makes up for lost time because the sling allows you to quickly move the pack to your front and get your camera into action. This camera bag has plenty of room for an SLR with a medium zoom lens, extra lenses, cable, and miscellaneous accessories.



I use a hard case like this for my camera when I head out on the boat for a SCUBA diving trip -- the Pelican 1200 Watertight Case; it's crush, dust, and corrosion-proof and uses an o-ring seal. The case seals so tightly that it requires a pressure relief valve to get the thing open, especially after an airplane flight. (With the hard case, I don't worry about putting the case in the overhead bin). The company offers, with this case, an unconditional lifetime warranty.

Camera bags -- protective armor for your SLR or camcorder.