if you could make your own camera bag, what features would you put in it?

[Saddleback Leather]

Photographers, what do you love/hate the most about your camera bags? If you could make your own camera bag, what features would you put in it?

 

[KmH]

I'd make a place in the bag I could put a pony keg and a tap. :thumbup:

 

[Josh66]

Straps for attaching a tripod. Some bags have that, some don't.

Ideally, the straps should be removable.

The bag I use most often doesn't have anywhere to put a tripod, and another bag I have does - but the straps aren't removable...

 

[FAT]

I would make a camera bag based on a one strap sling..like a messenger bag. Something that allows your hands to be free from maneuvering the bulky set up away from your surroundings. It wouldnt hang off your shoulder, but be close to your body, so you can swing it around to your front with ease to remove or put the camera back in and then swing it back around to your back so its out of your way until you are ready for it again.

 

[Formatted]

It can carry itself.

 

[Overread20]

One gap that appears to be in the market is a bag that is suitable for the hiking wildlife photographer. Simply put you've got hiking bags that carry a lot, but have no internal lens padding nor outer strap points to suitably attach tripods or lens pouches (padded of course). Further you've got large camera bags which are mostly a large padded lens box, which offer very little actual room to store regular gear.

Even a regular bag (eg Lowepro Minitrekker) has very little storage space (you can just squeeze some rollup waterproofs, a small sandwich and a few other thingies into the regular storage space before its full).

So I'd like to see camera bags that make room for the camera gear, but also take into account storage space for additional gear as well. It also goes without saying that if aiming at the serious heavy weight approach that a fully suitable harness and padding setup is a must for the bag. I would even argue that smaller scale camera backpacks would benefit from a more serious harness assembly. Some smaller lens setups are still very weighty and if the straps don't have enough padding - if the back if not well bulked out and if the waist strap isn't present or is only a rough strap again it limits how much weight distribution the photographer can have and puts more strain on them when moving around.

 

[ClickAddict]

Think Pelican case in a bag. I love to take my camera kayaking, mountain biking and on my motorcycle. I want a case that straps around my back and swings forward to easy access without having to take the bag off my shoulder and rest on tank (Scraches!) Currently I use a Kata DT213. Works great for this. (Many companies make similar bags which would fit this request. But I need a waterproof and somewhat shockproof bag for kayaking. Haven't taken a spill with it yet, but you never know. Currently use a Pelican 1400 for this. Works great. Problem is Pelican cannot be strapped on my back for on the bike and the Kata dropping in the water would be disasterous. Fitting into a larger bag works but not quickly accessible. Ideally a soft outer bag sling, with an insert which would be like a pelican. I started desigining one for a Kata contest a while back but never finished it. Got a great idea for the quickly opened waterproof seal if you're looking at designing new bags. Wouldn't want any comission, just a free bag if you could build the one I want. :lmao:

 

[cokids]

First of all, it would NOT look like a camera bag, but more like a diaper bag or some other undesireable carry-all. It would be small enough to carry easily and would
hold all my equipment not already ON the camera. It would have space for four or five M4/3 lenses, extra batteries, extra cards and filters along with the camera manual. It does NOT need a space for the camera itself. That I prefer to carry around my neck always ready to use. So, leave out the space in the bag for it! It would be well padded so that if it were dropped, it's contents would not be damaged. Oh, I would also like space for my wallet and perhaps some make-up as my camera
bag doubles as a purse for me! I have not found this bag yet, but will continue to search. The Velocity 6X came close, but was just a bit too small and looked like a
camera bag...a No-no for sure!

 

[xjoewhitex]

If I can? Haha I plan too im. Ive got a caselogic bag that is almost perfect in size the only problem is the body's I currently have no longer fit into the top sling. So in order to fit my body's inside the bag I must detach the lenses. So what would make my bag a perfect back? A bigger hole in the top to drop the body into, a grid system in the main compartment for lens/flash storage instead of open space with straps. Im going to get started on it this week, hope it turns out nice.

 

[Derrel]

Beer cold carry cavity or B-3C; capable of holding 4, 16 oz cans of beer and keeping it c-c-c-cold! Could also be used to carry water, but that's not as fun.

Sandwich Compartment-a lined compartment capable of holding two full-sized sandwiches.

A shoulder belt, as well as a waist belt, for even weight distribution. I don't like backpack style bags for actually shooting out of.

Two modular d-ring and snap-attaching smaller compartments that detach from the main bag, each with a fanny-pack style strap; often I want to go to a location with a bunch of stuff, but shoot various setups using one camera body and two or three lenses, so the fannypack makes a great place to put lenses as they are switched in and out. ANd really--who wants to lug a big bag loaded with beer and sandwiches and cheese and three flashes and two bodies and five lenses when shooting with a body and two lenses at a time???

 

[JClishe]

Even a regular bag (eg Lowepro Minitrekker) has very little storage space (you can just squeeze some rollup waterproofs, a small sandwich and a few other thingies into the regular storage space before its full).

So I'd like to see camera bags that make room for the camera gear, but also take into account storage space for additional gear as well.

^^ Bingo

I don't want a hiking specific bag, but I do want a backpack that has sufficient space for non-camera related gear. The current offerings are dreadful. A want a regular, multi purpose backpack that has padded camera storage for a body and a couple lenses. But I'd also like to use this bag for other things, such as a laptop, cell phone, MP3 player, magazines, Kindle, books, snacks, drinks, power cables and cords for all of the electronics, a laptop mouse, etc. Probably not all of those things at the same time, but you get the point. There isn't a backpack on the market that has a decent amount of organized space for non-camera related gear. I have the Kata DR-467i and it's one of the better options out there, but still very lacking. And it only has one big main compartment, so everything has to be shoved in there in a giant unorganized heap.

 

[Saddleback Leather]

Thanks for the input everyone, it is very helpful

 

[o hey tyler]

An upright bong holder.

 

[Davor]

An Airbag in-case i fall backwards, i wouldn't want to crush all my gear.

 

[Bynx]

The lowpro slingback I have is idea. It swings around and I have a desktop like area right in front of me to get at the equipment and even to help stabilize the camera for shooting. There are extra containers and pouches and water bottle bags to buy as options to attach to the outside. There is a nice raincoat fitted in the bottom of the bag that you get at from outside and it keeps things dry. Only thing I might wish for is larger size and maybe to hold a 17" laptop.