The Right Bag For All Your Digital Camera Needs

By Sylvia Howard

Whether you are an already experienced photographer and proud owner of a quality digital camera and a lot of photoshooting accessories, or a photography newbie with a compact digital camera, you may think that camera bags are only an afterthought.

Yet, the truth is that after buying your new digital camera, the camera bag might just be the most important accessory. Why is this? Well, you certainly want to be able to protect that camera that you just spent so much time and money on, and you certainly want to be able to carry your new camera around. You also need a bag that allows you to access your equipment easily and helps you organize your other equipment.

There are many different camera bags, but which one should you choose? A lot depends on the number of digital camera accessories that you intend to carry along, and on whether you will carry extra lenses and multiple camera housings.

If you don't have a lot of stuff for your digital camera, a small shoulder strap or fanny pack camera bag is fine. And it will also allow you to carry the most indispensable accessories, such as more storage cards, a mini-tripod and an extra battery or two.

If on the other hand you have a professional SLR digital camera, and possibly a lot of extra accessories such as lenses, filters and flashlights, you should get a more complex bag. Depending on the kind of journeys that you will be doing, you could opt for a metal case, or for a specialized backpack.

Just bear in mind that the camera bag is there to help you carry the kit, and not to hinder you. Thus, it's unadvisable to get a heavy and hard case if you are ever going to use walk a long way carrying your photographic equipment, such as during a trekking or mountaineering trip.

You may also not need a bag that can carry all the accessories for your digital camera, as you will probably not always take your entire kit with you, but just the items that you will need on a specific assignment or trip. Plus, some items, such as tripods, are sturdy enough to be carried strapped to the camera bag.

If your camera bag is going to be used to carry more than just a camera, you definitely want moveable padded dividers in it. In fact, even if you do have just a camera, it is nice to be able to store your wallet or a snack in your camera bag so that you do not need to carry around an extra bag just for those things.

Do also make sure that you get a bag with big-tooth zippers that have closures against rain. You also wanted double-sided zippers for easy access.

Concerning the color of your new camera luggage, you may not consider that important, but it can, in fact, be a good idea to choose a light or medium tone color (such as tan, green or navy blue) to avoid overheating the equipment when you are out in the sun. It's advisable to choose a color and fabric that will also hide dirt and stains on the bag for your digital camera accessories. - 30452

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