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Cosyspeed’s new Photohiker backpacks are designed for hikers that want to carry camera gear

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All too often these days, photography backpacks seem to simply be based around “How much gear can we shove into it?” with things like comfort and actual usability brought on as an afterthought. This is fine if you’re just shifting gear between your car and a client’s location, but what if you’re carrying it all day on a hike?

Well, Cosyspeed’s new Photohiker backpack, made in collaboration with outdoor equipment specialist Vaude, is built specifically for that kind of use. It takes its carrying system design straight from high-end hiking and trekking packs to make carrying a heavy load all day as comfortable as possible while also keeping your camera gear safe and easy for you to access.

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Peak Design publicly calls out Amazon for making their Everyday Sling knockoff

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If you’ve seen Peak Design’s Everyday Sling and this camera bag from Amazon Basics, perhaps you’ve noticed that they’re very similar. And so did Peak Design. In fact, they think that Amazon’s bag is so similar that they decided to publicly call them out in a tongue-in-cheek video.

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Take a peek inside a girl photographer’s camera bag

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This weekend, I took a photo walk with my cousin, who is also a professional photographer. We were joking about a bottle of nail polish in a mesh pocket of her camera bag. “Have you ever considered writing an article about the content of a girl’s camera bag?” she asked. “As a matter of fact, I have.” I’d totally forgot about it, and I’m glad that she reminded me. You know, it’s always fun for me to find out what other photographers use for the job. We took a peek inside a wedding photojournalist’s bag thanks to Ben Kelmer. Even the former White House photographer Pete Souza showed the gear he normally has in the bag. But I wanted to make this a little more personal and fun. So, I open my photography bag for you to give you an answer to the question you never asked: what’s inside a girl’s photo bag?

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Beginners, do you really need a camera bag?

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If you’re just starting out in photography, chances are you’ve bought a camera with a kit lens and added a memory card and a strap to it. And now you need a bag to carry your new gear around. Or do you? In this video, James Popsys discusses why you may not need a dedicated camera bag after all, and why it could be clever to skip buying it, at least in the beginning.

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21 unexpected items that can save your portrait photo session

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There are plenty of small items you should have in your gear bag: spare batteries, memory cards, gaff tape… We all know that, right? But what about some less obvious, even unusual things like floss picks, chewing gum or eye drops? Miguel Quiles has come up with a list of 21 items that may seem unusual, but they could save your next portrait photo session.

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This is a great messenger bag for mirrorless cameras

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I know that Peak Design’s Everyday Messenger has been here for a while. I’ve been using it for about four months now as my “lighter bag” and wanted to share my thought about why I think that it’s a great bag for small kits, and probably not the right choice if you have more gear.

Let me say this though, I love bags. A new bag is a check that cashes immediacy. You don’t need to take photos with it, no need to set it up, no need to bring a model in. the minute you buy a photography bag, it delivers. This is why I have lots and lots of bags. And this is why buying this (or any) photography bag will make you happy on the spot. Ready? lets jump in.

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The Alotech ELEV 5800′ is a backpack for wildlife photographers designed by wildlife photographers

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I have a love/hate relationship with backpacks. About 16 years ago I picked up a Tamrac Cyberpack 6 and I didn’t find anything that came anywhere near close with regard to comfort and capacity until a few months ago when I got the Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II. Most backpacks are just designed badly. Sure, they hold a lot of gear, but they’re often a killer on the back when fully loaded.

Thomas and the team at Alotech, though, have been working with wildlife photographers to work on a bag that allows you to carry a ton of heavy gear comfortably while avoiding the pitfalls of many other backpack designs on the market. Their new backpack is called the ELEV 5800′ and it’s funding through Kickstarter.

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After 16 years, I’ve finally found another backpack that I love – The Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II

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I’ve not generally been the biggest fan of backpacks. Around 16 years ago, I got a Tamrac Cyberpack 6, which I love and it’s served me well over the years. I’ve bought and borrowed other backpacks in the intervening years, but invariably I’ve hated them for one reason or another. But my Cyberpack 6 is getting a little old now, they don’t make them anymore, and my friends at Lowepro insisted that I give the new ProTactic BP 450 AW II a go.

I’ve tried a few Lowepro backpacks in the past, and they really didn’t do my back any favours. But I’d heard a lot of good things about the original ProTactics, so I decided to give it a shot. I’ve been using it for a couple of months now, and, well, I don’t hate it. In fact, I really quite like it.

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This roller case is one feature away from being perfect

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If there’s one thing about camera bags and cases, it’s that we never seem to have enough. Like the cameras they contain, they just build up and multiply over time. We justify the collection of bags and cases by saying that each has a different purpose. That they’re all used when shooting in different circumstances.

And while “the perfect camera bag” can never exist, there can be perfect examples of particular types of bags for each of those different circumstances. And when circumstances call for a roller case, the Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 comes pretty close.[Read More…]

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