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3 Legged Thing’s unfortunately named “Morally Toxic” brand has released new camera bags

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The tripod company 3 Legged Thing has started up a new company making bags and it’s called “Morally Toxic” – which seems a rather odd and unfortunate choice of name to me. According to company founder, Danny Lenihan, the name comes from mixing two ideas “Morally” from its apparent ethical production methods and “Toxic” because it wants to break from the “dull” and “corporate-looking” aesthetic of more traditional bags.

Personally, I’m not sure I know anybody who’d walk around proudly bearing a tag that labels them as “morally toxic” – I think I’ve blocked most of the people who would fall under that particular umbrella. But still, let’s take a look at the bags.

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Overhyped camera gear you absolutely shouldn’t buy – unless you know why you need it

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When I first watched this video, I thought “well, I’ve got like five of those things on his list and I find them quite useful”. And you’ll probably feel the same way. But you have to remember who this video from Raphael Ludwig is aimed towards. Mostly beginners.

Every time a new piece of gear is announced, there’s a lot of hype and people new to photography and filmmaking get sucked in by it. Every new filmmaker thinks they have to have a gimbal, a motorised slider, a drone and a bunch of other stuff simply because they don’t know any better. And, well, the video’s right. Most of the time they don’t need it.

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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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This is hands down the best dual use bag I’ve used so far

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We first met WANDRD in PPE in New-york and they showed us the WANDRD DUO – a dual-use travel bag for photographers.  The bag raked over $650,000 on Kickstater so we were curious to test it.

I was impressed with the bag build-quality and feel and fell in love with the zipper system (more on that in a bit). This bag is not big enough to hold all the gear I use for my usual shooting setup, but it’s just the right size for the casual walk with a camera, or a quick run and gun gig.

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When you buy these African lens pouches, you support a mother in a developing country

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With the holidays only a few days away, I think this project is something you’re all gonna like.

Cosyspeed, the photography funny pack company just announced a new line of products – African lens pouches. Aside from being gorgeous pieces of gear, they are made in a sustainable way. The lens pouches are made in Africa by a local community. That means that when you buy one of these (insanely cheap) lens pouches, you are also providing a job to a young mother.

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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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The Manfrotto Advanced2 Hybrid Backpack is the best photography travel bag I’ve ever used

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I’ve spoken about camera bags before. They’re one of those things that photographers just seem to collect. Each has its purpose, but ultimately, many of them fail to live up to expectations and just end up becoming gear storage to keep the dust off your kit when it’s not in use. I’ve owned far too many bags for years, so new ones rarely get me excited anymore.

Recently, though, I’ve been using the new Manfrotto Advanced2 Hybrid Backpack, and it’s very quickly become my favourite travel photography bag and one that I use all the time.

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Pelican launches the Vault Photography Collection – A new line of lightweight rugged cases

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Pelican has pretty much been an industry standard for many years now, in the worlds of both the photography and video. They’re tough, rugged, can withstand being driven over by a Jeep, and many photographers and filmmakers trust their gear to be safe inside them. Pelican has now announced the new lightweight “Vault Photography Collection” range of cases specifically designed for photography and outdoor enthusiasts.

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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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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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