[MUSIC] All right, welcome back. We're going to talk about camera bags now. And that's a very important topic, so let's get right at it. That's me kneeling in front of whatwas at the time my very favorite bag. It's no longer made. It was made by a company called Crumpler, C-R-U-M-P-L-E-R, and the name of the bag was the Company Embarrassment. And Crumpler always has really fun titles and names for their products. I loved that bag because it had an orange inside, and it didn't look like a camera bag whatsoever. And it did what a camera bag's job is.

What that camera bag's job is is to hold enough cameras, hold enough tools hold a computer, if you need one, or a tablet, or both, hold any accessories that you need and also hold your snacks. Those photographers are always hungry. You already know that.

Everybody's got lists and here's one of my lists for you. It's Peter's List of Favorite Features in camera bags. First of all, and foremost, it should not look like a camera bag.

And that’s one of the things that I really try to address in looking for my camera bags. I don’t want it to look like something somebody else wants to steal.

It has to have more room than I think I need. So when I’m shopping for a camera bag, I'm going to bring the equipment with me that I think I would like to put into it. And Im going to find a bag that's bigger, that holds more than the equipment that I would like to carry around, because I know I'm going to put some more stuff in there. I'm going to put a sandwich, or I'm going to put souvenir that I buy. Or I'm going to buy a new lens or a flash, or something that's going to go in that bag.

I like to have a bag that has a lighter color on the interior. You probably noticed that many cameras are black, and if you put them in a black bag, they tend not to show up very well and you tend to lose things. So that's one of the things that I like. I go out and photograph no matter what the weather is. Sometimes I go out it's a beautiful day, and then it's really lousy day. And so I want to camera bag that's durable. That's going to put up with the beating that I'm going to give it. And also put up with the weather, and the beating that it's going to get from that.

And finally, I'd like a camera bag that will accept accessories. That has clips on it, so that I can attach things to it. Maybe add a tripod. We'll get into this, but when you buy a camera bag, just like a camera, very often you're buying into a system by that same manufacturer. And they'll be other appliances and accessories that are made to go with that bag. So there's my list.

Let's take a look at a waist pack, sometimes called a fanny pack, because you might wear it on the back rather than on the side. This one of my favorites. It's, actually, the only waist pack that I own. It happens to have the brand name Canon on it, which is an instant signal to anybody else that there's a camera inside. But I can put my hand on it and nobody will see that, and this is generally the way that I walk around with my camera bag. My hand is right there anyway, just to rest my hand. Make it more comfortable for me. I like a bag like this because it's big. It's almost as big as some people's backpacks, but you don't want to buy yourself a little waist pack that's really too tiny. That maybe is just the right size for your compact or your mirrorless camera, because along with that compact or mirrorless camera, you're going to be buying other things to put in there. Security's always an issue with camera bags, and one of the things that I like about this that you might want to look for, is that there's a clip that you can

lock up, along with zippers to get inside the bag. So there's a two-step process to getting in there, and getting your camera out and getting ready to shoot. It might take you a little bit longer, but it's going to take a thief a little bit longer, too. Well, for many of us who are digital photographers, which includes all of you and me, these days, we have needs that were not there in terms of cases just 5 or 6 or 8 years ago. And one of them is to carry around with us very often a tablet or a tablet sized little computer. And these days many photographers can get by with a mini computer, or a tablet as a way to download pictures, to surf the Internet, to do the things that they need to do out in the field, not only in association with their camera, but other ways. And they want to take a tablet with them, but it just doesn't seem to fit any place. And one of the devices that i carry with me a lot is what some people might refer to is a man bag. If they saw it they might think I'm just carrying this thing around as a purse, but it's what my iPad is going to be housed in. I can also put my cellphone in here. Other documents around in the back, theres plenty of space inside. When I got my first camera bag, it was a leather box with a zipper.

And that's about all that was available to me and to other photographers of the day,

very few options, in terms of camera cases. We're very fortunate today to have camera bag manufacturers that are really sensitive to what photographers need. And one of them is the device I'm wearing here on my hip. It's called a holster. It's kind of like a gun holster, except instead of a firearm in here, I've got my camera. And it's very easy to pull out, get ready and shoot. And the cool thing that I think about this, that I really like about this bag is it's got a zippered compartment on the bottom that extends. So that when I put, say, my 400 millimeter lens on, I can still use this. This is great for backpacking, for city work, street photography, anywhere where you need not to be carrying a big camera bag around with you but you want to carry a big camera. The other thing I like about this is that it's part of a system. Think Tank, Tenba, other manufacturers, they're working within a system for their bags and cases. And the app case that I showed you, just earlier, where my tablet goes, as you can see in this slide, fits quite nicely if I attach it right onto my holster.

A messenger bag is modeled, actually, after the messenger bags that the messengers in New York City fly around on bicycles, delivering papers from one office to another. And they're really handy, and they're really terrific. And actually one of my go to bags is a messenger bag. What I look for in a messenger bag is a shoulder strap that is comfortable enough, big enough that I can either wear it on my shoulder or I can wear it across my shoulder. It's got to have room for one or two cameras, and also has to have room for lenses. I'll usually take two or three lenses along with me, two DSLRs. It needs adjustable dividers. It needs to be light on the inside, so I can see it quickly and easily. And it needs also to have space for a computer, and if all my prayers are answered, it's got both a computer and a tablet space. So let's take a look at some options.

All right, like I said, one of my go-to bags is a messenger bag, and it happens to be this Tenba model, the Tenba DNA 15. And it has the features that I think are important to me. Why don't you take a look and see if it works for you or something like it. These are the features anyway that I would want to look for in a messenger bag like this. It does hold more than a couple of cameras. I like the fact that the velcro ties are backed up by a nice clamp here, and these are actually magnetic. They're hard to get off, but they do clamp on quite easily and quickly. The interior of this bag is light. I can see whatever I've got in there very easily. All my pocket camera equipment stands out quite nicely against the white interior. You can see how nice and white it is. It's got a place for my business card, so that if somebody happens to take the bag, I can say, hey, that's my bag. It's got my card in it, thank you very much. One of the neat features I think about this one is it's gotta top zipper like this. So if I pull a zipper, I don't have to open the whole bag and show everybody what I've got in there. And just put out my camera, I'm ready to shoot.

And easy enough to put it right back in as well. There's slots inside for my tablet, for my computer, and even a very nice elastic pocket on the side for my water bottle. This comes with a rain coat, believe it or not. And since I work in rain, snow, sleet, you name it, I want to have a raincoat for my camera too.

Inside, one more good thing, zippered pockets inside, so that I can put change, or my keys or my other things in, and they're not going to rattle around inside the bag. Finally, if you take a look at the bottom of the bag, that's a good hard rubber surface there that's not going to allow any water to get into my bag if I have to lay it down on the floor or on the ground outside during a rainstorm. The next bag I want to show you is a messenger bag, again, but it's at a very different level. This is the Lily-Deanne Tutto. It's made by Think Thank. And it takes the messenger bag into the stylish handbag realm, while at the same time having terrific functionality. It was designed with women in mind, but it's also for a guy who's a stylish person, I think.

This is a bag with a false leather, faux leather, I should say, but very water repellent and really a quite beautiful surface to it. Magnetics to hold the bag closed, and it comes in black or brown.

The neat thing, I think, about the color situation here is looking inside the bag,

it's this vibrant wonderful blue color that makes

it very easy for you to find your equipment. And also has a set of dividers that are easily moved from one place to another. Definitely hold at least one DSLR, a couple of lenses or two DSLRs both with lenses on them. There's elastic pockets inside, places for you to put a laptop or a tablet. And zippered compartments, as well, to hide your keys or other things that you don't want jangling around. So this is, again, another option in the messenger bag style. So what do we look for in next kind of bag, which we're going to call a backpack. And a backpack is the term of art that's used to describe this kind of luggage. And it really is getting into a little bit more of luggage. It's bigger. It's got to have the capacity. And the reason that you're going to take a backpack around with you is you're probably going to be gone all day, and maybe gone for a number of days and you'll be loading it up with a lot of equipment. So storage is primo. That's the number one thing to look at in a backpack.

Along with the storage of your camera equipment, a standard piece of equipment is the computer and also the tablet. Does it have special slots for them as well? Again, is the interior light enough that when you open it up it'll be easy for you to see the equipment and grab it when you need it? And when you're going with a backpack usually, although not always, but very often, you'll be taking a tripod with you. You're going to be doing a wide range of photography, and you want to be prepared for everything. So a tripod is, in my opinion, a necessity. Finally, is that backpack well padded? Not only on the inside, but also on the backside where it's going to be hitting you in the shoulders and the back. Make sure that both of those areas are well secured and well fluffed out, so that your camera equipment stays safe and so your back doesn't hurt. Whatever backpack or other kind of bag that you're using, if you do a lot of travelling, it's probably a good idea to make sure that that bag is locked when it's out of your site. For example, when you get on the plane and put it in the overhead bin, or you try to get on the plane with it and they say, sorry, it's gotta go in checked luggage. I always carry with me TSA approved locks like this one.

The Tenba Shootout 24 is a bag that I use, and it's also a bag that many of my students have purchased.

It's got all the features that I think you should have including some that are pretty cool, beyond the norm. It's got that spacious interior, lots of dividers that are easily manipulated to customize the interior of the bag for you. It's got two zipper pockets on the inside for your tablet, for your notebook computer. Maybe you want to put a color checker or some other device in there. So there's a lot of storage besides just for camera equipment in the zippable pockets that are inside. If you take a look at this slide, you'll see that there's a DSLR sitting kind of sidewards there on the left side of the bag. In the next slide, we're going to see why that's important.

Here's a photographer, slung the bag over one shoulder, which it's very easy to do with this one and other models as well. But the cool thing about this bag is there's a zippered pocket on the side of the backpack that allows you to easily take that DSLR, pop it right out, without having to take the whole bag off, and undue the back straps and all of that. So it's very, very flexible for you. Easy to respond to situations that you'd like to photograph. Like other bags that I've shown you, you want to look for a waterproof bottom. And that's especially true with a backpack. If you're out in the woods, Mother Nature doesn't care. She wants you to get wet, you better have a backpack that's not only going to be waterproof on the top, but especially on the bottom. And make sure it's got a very durable material down there.

This has also got a slot for the computer that is on the side of the bag on the back part where you don't have to open the whole backpack to get access to your computer. If you travel a lot, you have to take the computer out as you go through security, or you just like to take it out and use it, without unpacking the whole bag. This is a real convenience. And again, this has really good padding, not just in between the human being and the bag, but also on the straps. And for backpackers hiking long distances, you want to make sure that those straps are as comfortable as the rest of the bag.

Rolling cases, well, anybody who's been to the airport or traveled on a ferry or a train or even just traveling from one place to another with a bunch of equipment, either has or wishes they had a rolling case. And rolling cases are something that, it's not a new innovation, but it hasn't been around as long as I've been around. And I certainly wish I had one when I was back in the day beginning my photography. Here's some of the things we look for in rolling cases. Is it the right size that we can put it on an airplane as carry on luggage? To me that's critical. I do not want my camera equipment being taken off the plane and put into a hold someplace, and maybe not coming back to me. Does it have security cables? This is an important feature in a number of bags. A security cable is built into the case, so that you can lock it, say, around a table that you might be sitting at, or even lock the back of the case with a security cable as well. Again, lightly colored interior. You want it to be of the most durable material that you can get. Especially if it's for travel purposes, which obviously it would be. In the holds of ship, in the holds of trains, in the holds of whatever vehicle you're working in, it's going to get thrown around a lot. And it's a good idea to buy a pack like this, a rolling case like this that's part of a system, because there will be accessories that you can get that can go along with a case such as this. And buying the system is really one of my suggestions that I give for any kind of bag that you're going to look at. We're going to take a look at the Think Tank Airport Airstream. And again, Think Tank is one of the top manufacturers, as is Tenba and the other manufacturers that I've shown you. One of the things I really love about this bag, and I've used it on travels far and wide, is that it's got a TSA combination lock for the main compartment. So if for some reason I'm on a small plane and that bag has to be taken out of my hands and put underneath, and I'm supposed to pick it up when I get off the plane, I know it's going to be locked and secure. And TSA can get into if they need to. It's got two security cables. One for my laptop, which I love, and the other, so that I can lock the case to a table or some other firm thing. Maybe I'm sitting down eating some lunch, and I don't want to constantly be worrying about my bag disappearing from under my legs. The interior of this bag has low profile dividers, which is really neat. It allows you to place a gear bag on top of your camera equipment. It's got an outside slot for ease of access for the computer, which, as I mentioned, is really an important factor. And then it's got pockets, outside and in, for plane tickets, for your passport, for all sort of things that you may need to keep track of and want to have easily at hand. One of the unique features about Think Tank is that it's got a security ID plate that's permanently part of the bag. And you can register that, and anywhere in the world if your bag is found, Think Tank will help you get it back.

One more thing, anybody who's had rolling luggage, that luggage is dead when the wheels go bad. You can get replaceable wheels for this. [MUSIC]

Camera Bags, from Mini to Carry-On Sizes

Cameras, Exposure, and Photography

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