Photography can require a lot of equipment, even when you’re not planning on setting up a shoot. That’s the beauty of photography – you can shoot new material anywhere you find inspiration.
Photographers are great at picking out the beauty everywhere they go, so it’s not uncommon for them to carry around their equipment no matter what.
A photographer will always have their camera ready, but more often than not they’ll need to bring more equipment than just a camera.
When you’re holding an expensive camera; however, how do you hold all of the rest of your gear without having to worry about dropping and breaking it?
You’ll need your arms and hands completely free to work the camera without interruption, so tote bags that slip down are not an option. Backpacks could work, but they can be tricky to get off and open quickly when you have a time-sensitive shot.
So what’s next?
Messenger bags are highly regarded by lots of photographers due to the fact that they remain out of the way and they can easily be reached into if you need an additional piece of gear.
Let’s look at the five best camera messenger bags to make your photography life even easier.
In a Hurry?
- 【Large Capacity】Dimensions:38*13*28 centimeters/14.96*5.12*11.02 inches. Inner bag size: 30*13*20cm/11.81*5.12*8.33 inches, Only 0.85kg/1.87lb. Fits 1 camera body, 3 lens, tripod place. Front is ipad zipper pocket. and both sides pockets for bottle, cleaning tools etc. The tripod can be fixed at the bottom. A coin bag is at the inner bag.
- 【Multi-Functions】①Dual use, it is a professional camera bag and outdoor travel bag;②The width of shoulder strap nearly 2 inches, comfort and decompression. Lengthening design, best for Americian. ③12MM thickness high-density PE foam inner bag, shockproof and drop-resistant.④The capacity of the travel outdoor canvas camera bag can be changed by holes on buckle strap.
- 【Multi-Functions】⑤Made of waterproof canvas fabric that is soft, comfort, durable and eco-friendly.⑥side zip pocket for 0.5L kettle, umbrella, power bank or charger cable, a front zip pocket can hold iPad, book, mobile phone, card and so on;⑦Convenient storage, the backpack can be folded into the liner box.
- 【Perfect Design and Good Quality】①All suture parts have taken reinforcement technology, the load-bearing capacity up to 10kg. ②CADeN alloy zipper, smooth and not stuck, won't rusty within 2 years.③2 MM microfiber leather, these fashion elements make CADeN camera bags more fashionable.
- 【Satisfied Services】1 Year warranty, any problem within 1 year, we will offer a new one for you;20 Years factory experience with more than 1000 employees focused on camera bag and photography gear, trustworthy for you.
If you don’t have the time to read this entire article right now and want to get your new camera messenger bag ordered, we have you covered. The best option on the market right now is the CADeN Waterproof Canvas Camera Shoulder Messenger Bag.
Below are some reasons that swayed us into this decision.
- CADeN offers a one-year warranty with your purchase.
- The bag is water and shockproof to ensure your equipment is safe.
- Plenty of pockets for all of your gear.
- The strap is comfortable enough to be worn for many hours at a time.
Best Camera Messenger Bag – Comparison Table
Best Camera Messenger Bag – Reviews
Starting off the list is a 14.96 x 11.02 x 5.12-inch messenger bag from CADeN. You can fit one camera, three lenses, and one tripod in this bag, and there are also plenty of pockets for additional gear such as tablets, cleaning supplies, and a water bottle.
The bag might be on the small side, but this can prevent your gear from having enough room to move around and break.
The waterproof canvas material is durable and usable in a number of different weather conditions, so you don’t have to cancel your shoot just because of the rain or snow. The stitching has been reinforced to ensure excellent reliability, and the bag can hold up to 10kg.
The shoulder strap on the bag is thick and comfortable to prevent you from feeling too much pressure on your back and shoulder after a long day of traveling.
Inside of the bag, there is a 12mm high-density foam to make the bag shockproof. You can also enjoy peace of mind from the one-year warranty.
- There is lots of storage space for all of your gear..
- Waterproof and shockproof.
- Comfortable strap for prolonged use.
- One-year warranty.
- The zipper might not be as high-quality as you’d expect.
The 14.2 x 12.2 x 4.7-inch S-ZONE camera messenger bag is durable, stylish, and great for carrying all of your camera equipment around with you.
This bag has been designed for a DSLR camera, and can also house one or two lenses and whatever accessories you need to complete your shoot.
Plenty of pockets ensure that you’ll always have enough room for extra business cards, SD cards, and leads. The interior of the bag is sectioned into three areas for your lenses and camera. The dividers are made from soft cotton to protect your expensive gear.
S-ZONE offers its camera messenger bag in four different colors – black, blue, grey, and khaki – to perfectly style with your professional outfits.
The manufacturer also offers a one-year warranty for this bag so you can rest assured that you’ll get your money back if there’s something you’re not happy with.
- Made for DSLR cameras and up to two lenses.
- Plenty of storage space.
- Four stylish colors to choose from.
- The fasteners might not be as secure as you’d like.
Peacechaos offers six different camera messenger bags on their listing, all of which are as high-quality as the next. There are two brown options, two black, one army green, and one grey box bag.
The messenger bag that we’re looking at measures in at 14.9 x 12.6 x 5.2 inches, and weighs a mere two pounds.
The thick inner material is brightly colored so that you can clearly see it. Its additional thickness is sure to keep all of your equipment safe and secure, and it is also shockproof.
The canvas bag also houses exterior pockets for smaller pieces of gear such as memory cards and your phone.
The leather straps are closed with magnetic clasps that are very easy to get in and out of. Peacechaos states that they’re happy to offer a full refund if you’re not completely happy with the messenger bag, but there’s no guide on how long this offer is valid for.
- Six different styles and colors for you to choose from.
- The inner material is thick to ensure that your gear is protected.
- The manufacturer offers a refund if you’re not happy.
- The thick inserts take up a lot of the internal space.
The Kattee camera messenger bag measures in at 13.8 x 12.6 x 4.34 inches. The bag is actually made from canvas material with leather details, so the word ‘leather’ in the title is a little misleading.
There are interior dividers that can be removed to customize the size of the pockets in case you have larger gear.
The interior of the bag is soft and padded, ensuring that all of your equipment is safe and sound within your messenger bag. There are additional pockets on all sides of the bag, ensuring that you have enough space for gear of all sizes.
Kattee has created the bag in a vintage style with gorgeous details, making your bag look incredibly stylish for an impressive price.
This bag is structured, stable, and durable, so you can be sure that you’ll be using it for years to come. Choose between six muted colors.
- Microfiber interior ensures clean screens and protected gear.
- Exterior pockets for smaller items.
- The vintage style comes in six colors.
- The leather details might begin to lift after a few months.
Last but not least is another camera messenger bag from CADeN. The bag measures at 21.3 x 13.1 x 8.3 inches, making it large enough to carry one camera, three lenses, one laptop, a tablet, one kettle, one umbrella, and even more.
There are plenty of pockets inside the bag and on the outside, so you’ll have more than enough storage space.
The messenger bag can hold up to 50kg, which is more than enough for all of your equipment. The material is durable and waterproof, so not even the weather can stop you.
The interior of the bag is made from seven layers of fabric to keep all of your belongings safe.
There are also removable inserts that you can put in between your gear to keep them from hitting each other and breaking. You can also attach your tripod to the bottom of the bag for additional storage space which is a great benefit.
If you’re not happy, CADeN offers a one-year warranty.
- Plenty of space and pockets for your gear.
- Can hold up to 50kg of weight.
- One-year warranty.
- One customer found that the zipper was not durable.
Best Camera Messenger Bag – Buyers Guide
Below we’ve listed some of the most important factors to consider when choosing your new camera messenger bag.
It’s easy to choose the best looking bag that you see first but without sufficient research you might, unfortunately, find that the messenger bag is useless wearing it out once or twice.
Keeping the below information in mind when looking for a camera messenger bag will ensure that you don’t opt for a less than the optimal model that won’t last you for as long as you’d like.
Size
The size of the messenger bag will perhaps be the first thing you check when comparing different options on the market. The size of the messenger bag needs to be large enough to house all of the equipment you need on a daily basis.
If it doesn’t hold all of this gear, what’s the point of buying it at all?
The point of a messenger bag is for it to be large enough to carry all of your equipment so that your hands are free to hold only your camera.
Keep this in mind when choosing the best option for you, otherwise, you might have to leave some important pieces at home which could lessen the quality of the images from the day.
Number of Pockets
Following on from the above point, pockets are essential when using a messenger bag for your camera equipment. When you’ve found the perfect image but quickly need to reach for a new lens, you might miss the opportunity to shoot it if you cannot easily find the lens within seconds.
This is the same for all of your necessary equipment, so pockets help you to keep everything in its own place. Once you’ve used your bag for a couple of weeks, you’ll be able to reach in without looking and pull out the piece of gear that you need.
The majority of messenger bags have different sections as well, so you can house your camera snugly in the middle of the bag. This allows the camera to have large buffers on either side of it to prevent it from breaking if you accidentally hit your bag on something as you’re on the move.
Material
Some camera messenger bags are made from canvas, and others are made from leather or a leather-like material. There isn’t too much of a clear winner between these two materials for your camera messenger bag, so it’s all down to your personal preference.
However, one thing that you should be wary of is the quality of the material. To avoid your bag from wearing prematurely, you should ensure that the materials used to make the bag are all high-quality and sturdy.
Another thing to consider is the material of the lining. Some interior messenger bags are rougher than others and you might find that the coarser texture damages your gear. For this reason, we would recommend that you opt for a cotton interior that is soft and delicate on your gear.
Compatibility
Camera messenger bags are often large enough to house any type of camera, but some camera models are particularly large and need their own specific dimensions of bags.
For this reason, it’s imperative that you check the dimensions of your camera against that of the bag you’re looking at, as to not accidentally opt for one that is too small.
Similarly, some cameras are smaller size and therefore will bounce around a lot in a bag that is too big. If you opt for a large bag for a small camera, you could run the risk of breaking the camera while you’re on the move.
If your camera has any fancy features or gear that could prevent them from fitting in a traditional camera section of the bag, you’ll need to ensure that the camera messenger bag you choose is compatible with your camera.
Durability
The durability of your camera messenger bag is incredibly important to avoid the bag from faltering and therefore damaging your equipment.
For example, if the shoulder strap is not durable enough to carry all of the weight of your equipment, there is the potential for it to snap and allow your expensive photography gear to all tumble to the floor.
Of course, this is not what we want out of our camera messenger bags. So, a durable and high-quality camera messenger bag is essential. Moreover, a durable camera messenger bag will allow you to use it for a much longer period of time.
To ensure that you’re getting a durable camera messenger bag, check the customer reviews to see if anyone has had an issue with the durability of the model you’re looking at to ensure you don’t accidentally opt for a compromised bag.
Safety
Your camera and equipment are more often than not going to be expensive, so any additional safety features of your camera messenger bag are always well received.
Bags that include locks that can only be accessed by you are going to be the best for keeping your gear safe, but as you need to be able to reach into your bag mid-shoot, this is not always accessible.
An alternative is faux straps that are closed with a magnetic clasp. These are very popular amongst camera messenger bags, and they’re well-received by photographers. This is because the faux straps look as though the back is locked and secure, but you can still easily reach into the bag without fiddling with straps.
You can prevent people from easily accessing your equipment with a safety feature such as this. Moreover, the clasp can also prevent any equipment from falling out of your bag and breaking.
Price
Messenger camera bags are typically not that expensive, which is good as you’ve more than likely spent the majority of your budget on high-quality cameras and lenses.
However, don’t automatically go for the most inexpensive camera messenger bag that you find, as the lower price could easily compromise the quality of the bag.
At the same time, this doesn’t always mean that you need to go for the most expensive camera messenger bag, either. Middle-priced camera messenger bags are often highly-rated and loved by a lot of photographers, so the higher price isn’t always worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are messenger bags better for your back?
Backpacks are generally considered better for your back than messenger bags, as the weight is evenly distributed across your back thanks to the two straps.
Messenger bags require you to carry all of the weight on only one shoulder, which can strain your muscles and cause the dreaded back pain.
However, we’ve already mentioned how messenger bags are easier to use for photographers as you don’t need to keep removing and putting a backpack back on. Continually removing the backpack can strain your back more as the weight keeps being taken off and put back on again.
What color messenger bag should I get?
It doesn’t really matter which color messenger bag you get, but if you want to match it to your outfit and look stylish while photographing your surroundings, it’s advised that you match the color to your belt, shoes, and watch.
For example, if your belt, shoes, and watch strap were a warm-toned brown, you should opt for a warm-toned brown messenger bag.