Best Camera Bag for Photographers | 2025

Choosing the right camera bag is one of the most important decisions a photographer can make. With so many styles and designs available, from backpacks to sling bags, shoulder bags to rolling cases, it can be tricky to know which one suits your needs. A good camera bag protects your gear, keeps it organised, and makes it easy to carry, whether you’re shooting on the street, travelling, or heading into the wild.

In this guide, we break down the best camera bags for photographers by type, highlighting their strengths, limitations, and who they’re best suited for. You’ll find recommendations for camera backpacks, sling bags, shoulder bags, rolling cases, hard cases, and helpful bag accessories, with options for travel, tight budgets, and premium choices. Whether you’re after comfort, portability, or maximum protection, we’ve got you covered.

Best Camera Backpack

As far as many photographers are concerned, you can’t beat a good-old camera backpack. Capacious and durable, designed to be worn for long periods without discomfort, a camera backpack is one of the most versatile types of camera bag out there. While there are plenty of other types out there – all of which we’re covering in this guide, a solid camera backpack is going to be an excellent choice for basically any photographer. 

There are lots of different sizes and types of camera backpack available – but most will store two camera bodies and a reasonable number of lenses (likely between five and eight, depending on the size of the lenses in question). The interiors almost always feature customisable velcro dividers, allowing you to mould the space around the contours of your particular setup – e.g. craft a long padded space for your telephoto lens. Camera backpacks come in a variety of different sizes, so here’s a diverse selection of our favourites.

Best Travel Camera Backpack

The Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II Backpack is a dream of an all-in-one travel bag for camera kits. It’s a backpack first and foremost, and it’s comfortable to carry for long periods even when loaded with kit, thanks to its well-padded shoulder straps and optional waist belt. However, it also has another trick at its disposal; with wheels on the bottom and a pull-out extendable handle at the top, it has the capacity to quickly convert to a roller bag for easy airport navigation.

The Lowepro Pro Trekker RLX 450 AW II is designed for professional DSLR and mirrorless kits – so depending on your setup, it may offer more space than you strictly need. Lowepro says it’ll fit a professional camera with a 70-200mm lens attached, plus a long 600mm telephoto and up to three additional lenses, as well as sundry items. If that’s the kind of kit you need to travel with, this could be the last bag you ever buy.

Best Affordable Camera Backpack

Inexperienced photographers sometimes assume that Manfrotto gear is going to be too expensive for them. However, in reality the firm offers an impressively broad range of products, many of which come at enticingly budget-friendly prices. Case in point – the Manfrotto Advanced Active Backpack III, a slim and inexpensive backpack that’s fantastic for carrying a lightweight setup.

For its size, the Manfrotto Advanced Active Backpack III sports an impressive number of pockets and compartments, including a partially hidden laptop sleeve behind the main compartment. It’s good for carrying a mirrorless or DSLR body, and maybe a secondary compact camera body, as well as a few lenses. You could hollow it out and fit in a 150-600mm lens if you wanted to, though most people using such lenses are probably just going to buy a bigger bag. This one is best optimised for street shooters and day trippers who keep their kit on the lighter side, and want bag-space for the other parts of their life too. 

Best Premium Camera Backpack

Billlingham is known throughout the photo industry for its premium bags – you pay a little more up front than you do for a lot of other brands, but its products are designed to last a lifetime. Accordingly, if you’re happy toting a one-camera setup, the Billingham Rucksack 35 could well be the last camera backpack you ever buy. It’s one of the larger in the Billingham range and is designed to house a DSLR or mirrorless camera, and some small-to-medium lenses to go with it. If you’re a sports or wildlife shooter who needs to house multiple pro bodies and big telephoto lenses, this isn’t the bag for you, but those rocking a more standard setup will definitely appreciate the amount of space on offer here. 

With 2.5cm of padding on the inside, the Billingham Rucksack 35 keeps camera gear well protected from bumps and knocks. It’s constructed from Billingham’s proprietary “FibreNyte” canvas, as well as real leather (so this isn’t one for vegans).

Best Sling Camera Bags

Sling camera bags are fantastic for fast-paced urban photography. They can vary quite significantly on an individual level – some closely resemble backpacks save for the missing strap, while others look more like small shoulder bags or waist belt. However, they all have one thing in common – when worn with the strap cross-body, they can be slung around quickly for near-instant access to camera gear.

This is the most popular feature of sling bags, and is a big part of why they are so popular among street and documentary photographers. The whole premise of a ling bag favours a light setup – while many can fit multiple bodies, you’ll practically be more likely to want to use just one, and have your preferred lens attached and ready to shoot. A good sling bag should also be nice and customisable, with lots of outer pockets to give you quick access to other items you may need throughout the day. A robust, weatherproof construction doesn’t hurt either.

Best Travel Sling Camera Bag

As the name implies, the Peak Design Everyday bags are designed for daily use. As such, the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L v2 has a pretty fuss-free design and is also pleasingly light. You won’t get much more than a mirrorless camera and a couple of lenses in here, but it’s designed with the assumption that you won’t want to. Interestingly, it’s also the right size to take a DJI Mavic Pro drone. 

The bag features a waterproof 900D bottom liner, and also has thief-deterring zipper pulls, giving you peace of mind if you’re moving around a busy city. On that subject, it’s a good bag to pack away inside your main travel bag, nesting-doll-style, as the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L v2 folds down completely flat when it’s empty. It also has a dedicated sleeve for an 11-inch tablet, and external straps allow you to attach items to the exterior if you’ve got anything that’s just a little too bulky. 

Best Afforable Sling Camera Bag

The WANDRD X1 CrossBody Bag (Small) is perfect for city explorers, street photographers, and day trippers who don’t need to carry multiple cameras. Despite its compact size, it can comfortably hold a mirrorless camera with a slim lens, plus an additional lens or small accessories. External straps provide extra storage for essentials like a water bottle or lightweight tripod, giving the bag added versatility.

Built from weather‑resistant ballistic nylon with water‑resistant YKK zippers, the bag is designed to keep your kit protected from light rain or unexpected splashes. Its adaptable strap configuration lets you wear it as a sling, messenger-style, or even around the waist, making it a flexible, practical choice for photographers on the move.

Best Premium Sling Camera Bag

If you’ve never been convinced by sling bags, let the Think Tank Urban Access Sling 10 do the convincing. This is a gorgeous bag, one of our favourites – it’s constructed from premium materials, and thanks to the clever way its strap can be swapped at the bottom, it can be easily switched from right-shoulder orientation to left-shoulder. If you find yourself needing to carry it for long periods, there’s also an option waist belt that can be attached to help spread the load. 

The Think Tank Urban Access Sling 10 is rated to carry a single DSLR or mirrorless camera body as well as two to five lenses. This isn’t one for those who like to have two cameras on them at all times, but as long as this doesn’t bother you, it’s a superbly well-featured bag. If you’re using it in a professional capacity, there’s even a business card holder. Hopefully you'll have more people asking you about your photography than people asking you where you got your fabulous sling bag. But if not, do send them our way. 

Best Shoulder Camera Bags

For a low-slung, unobtrusive camera bag option, a shoulder camera bag may well be your best port of call. Like sling bags, they’re based around a single strap, which does limit the amount of gear that can be safely carried in them. However, realistically only a few photographers are going to need to carry significantly more gear than can be comfortably stowed in a shoulder bag – for a couple of mirrorless or DSLR cameras and a few lenses, most people will be just fine. Camera shoulder bags tend to have better-padded straps than the average generic laptop bag, making them more comfortable to carry for long periods. 

For many photographers, the easy access of a shoulder bag is preferable to the superior carrying comfort of a backpack. As you’ll see in this section, shoulder camera bags vary pretty significantly in size and shape. Like most camera bags, they allow you to customise the interior with velcro dividers to more safely cushion your cameras and lenses.

Best Travel Shoulder Camera Bag

For the travelling photographer who wants to field a decently sized setup, the Lowepro Nova 200 AW II is an excellent choice. This is a larger upgraded version of the original popular Nova bag, providing more space for kit. Accordingly, this bag can hold up to two cameras the size of pro DSLRs, with a 24-105mm lens attached and additional room for 3-5 lenses of decent size (a 70-300mm will get in there no problem). There’s also room for flashguns, as well as dedicated easy-access pockets for personal items like your phone, cards, chargers etc.

For a shoulder bag, this does err on the bulky side – though that is quite simply the price you pay for having the space to store a couple of DSLRs. If you want peace of mind though, this is an excellent choice – we appreciate how the weatherproofing on the top flap has been improved, and that there’s also an AW (all weather) cover you can pull over in case of really torrential downpours. 

Best Affordable Shoulder Camera Bag

If you want to pare things back to basics and carry only what you absolutely need for a day’s shoot, the Sony LCS-U21 Shoulder Bag will fit the bill perfectly. This compact shoulder bag is constructed from durable neoprene, and its impressively large top lid ensures your gear will be protected from rain (though the bag itself isn’t as waterproof as others, and there’s no rain cover).

Even with its relatively small size, the Sony LCS-U21 still finds room for customisable interior dividers, so you can securely pack in a couple of small lenses as well as a camera body. Alternatively, you could throw in a battery pack, or a flashgun, some chocolate – it’s up to you. The no-frills design isn’t the most exciting, and there are no exterior loops for a tripod or anything like that, but with a price tag as reasonable as this, it seems fair enough to us.

Best Premium Shoulder Camera Bag

A premium, beautifully constructed shoulder bag that’s a favourite among professional photographers, the Think Tank Retrospective 30 V2 Shoulder Bag gives you a lot of room to play with. There’s enough space in its cavernous, padded interior to hold two pro-level DSLRs with battery grips, as well as up to three additional lenses and a 15-inch laptop. If your day’s shooting setup is generally a single mirrorless camera and an extra lens or two, this bag probably packs more space than you need – hence its aforementioned popularity with pros.

You might think this is a lot to carry on one shoulder, and you’re right, but Think Tank has crafted a premium cotton strap with an impressive level of padding. It also benefits from more security than the average shoulder bag, thanks to an additional zippered opening beneath the main flap. This means opportunistic thieves can’t quickly whip the flap open when you’re not looking and grab whatever’s inside.

Best Rolling Camera Bags

If you’re the kind of travel photographer who spends a lot of time in departure loungers, jetting off to new destinations, then a rolling camera bag is just the thing. Being able to move quickly through airports and train stations without a big boxy lump on your back makes travel much less of a stress – for your body and your mind. The best rolling camera bags have been specifically designed with photographers in mind, so they generally feature the same customisable padded interiors as other types of bag. With precision-engineered wheels and high-end security features like steel locks, they’ll make travel feel not only smooth, but safe, too.

Some rolling camera bags also convert to other types of bag, with straps that allow them to be worn as backpacks. Others have external holders for accessories such as tripods – and many are also designed to conform to airline carry-on size regulations, meaning you won’t have to pay extra to stow them in the hold.

Best Travel Rolling Camera Bag

Another bag that’s really two in one, the Tenba Roadie Roller 21 is a rolling bag with optional straps that allow it to be worn as a backpack. It works best in the former configuration if we’re honest – the wheels roll on high carbon steel bearings with beautiful smoothness, while the angular form factor of the bag itself means it’s not too comfortable to wear for long periods in backpack mode. 

Still, this is a deep, capacious travel bag that looks and feels premium. It’s rated to carry up to two DSLR-sized cameras with eight to ten lenses – and if you like, you can use the removable insert to carry just one camera and two to three lenses. It’s discreet in black trim, so won’t attract too much attention in busy cities, and also has a handy steel security cable and lock for securing to external objects. The exterior is weather-resistant, and the handle is constructed from high-grade aluminium. An all-around excellent roller bag.

Best Budget Rolling Camera Bag

The Vanguard VEO Select 42T is a versatile roller bag designed for travelling photographers who need to pack a professional kit without checking in luggage. Despite its compact carry-on size, it comfortably fits up to two DSLRs and six to seven lenses, including telephotos up to 300mm f4. The bright yellow, well-padded interior keeps gear organised and protected, while dedicated compartments hold essentials like batteries, memory cards, and personal items.

It also includes a secure 14-inch laptop compartment and double security buckles, making it ideal as a single bag for short trips. Lightweight and easy to manoeuvre, the VEO Select 42T glides smoothly through airports. Unlike some roller bags, it doesn’t convert to a backpack... it’s a roller through and through, prioritising airport-friendly travel and protection over extra carry options.

Best Premium Rolling Camera Bag

Called “switch” because it’s (again) both a roller bag and backpack, the Manfrotto Reloader Switch-55 PL Roller Backpack is a popular choice among professional photographers, who love its durable construction and versatile utility. The Pro-Light Rip-Stop fabric on the exterior of the bag allows it to stay relatively light while also being strong enough to withstand attempts to cut it open – useful if you’re travelling in busy cities where crime is a problem.

The bag rolls smoothly, and is capable of holding up to two pro-level DSLRs with around four or five additional lenses. Like many a good roller bag, it has been specifically designed to comply with carry-on luggage size regulations, so you shouldn’t have any trouble getting it on and off a plane. There’s also an external connection to fit a tripod, should you need one, and a separate internal compartment for a laptop.  

Best Hard Cases

Sometimes, a bit of foam padding just doesn’t cut it. If you’ve got a lot of camera gear that’s highly valuable – both monetarily and emotionally – then a hard case is the best way to keep it absolutely safe and secure. Camera hard cases have extremely tough outer shells that are built to withstand heavy impacts, crushing pressure, extreme temperatures (high and low) and full immersion in water. Many premium hard cases are designed to float, and some feature pressure equalisation systems for use when they’re taken on air travel.

Hard cases naturally tend to be much bulkier than other types of camera bag, and while some are equipped with wheels, they’re still not the easiest to carry. You’ll certainly want a separate day bag to have for your travels rather than lugging the case everywhere – indeed, as we’ll see, some come with a removable bag already inside for exactly this purpose.

Best Travel Hard Case

If you want the peace of mind that a hard case brings but don’t want to have to store your photo gear in the hold of an aircraft, the Peli 1510 Carry On Case with Dividers is just the thing. Comparatively small for a hard case, it actually meets the size requirements for most airlines carry-on luggage, meaning you can keep it in the cabin overhead lockers. You may get a few weird looks from other passengers as you manoeuvre this bulky 6.8kg case up into a compartment, but hey, who said travel photography was about looking cool?

As with all Peli cases, this is built to withstand a pounding and then some. It has a buoyancy maximum of 29.2kg as well, meaning it’ll float unless you absolutely stuff it full of bricks or something. Wheels and an extendable handle make it easier to transport, and the interior features padded dividers.

Best Budget Hard Case

The Calumet Hard Case 3618 is a rugged, no-nonsense protective case built for photographers and videographers who need to keep their kit safe in transit. Its removable padded divider bag keeps cameras, lenses, and accessories organised and cushioned, and doubles as a convenient standalone bag once you’ve reached your destination.

Built to withstand airline travel, the case is waterproof, airtight, and pressure-equalised to handle sudden changes in cabin pressure. It also resists extreme temperatures, from freezing cold to intense heat, and can endure heavy external loads. While it lacks rolling wheels, its tough construction and practical internal layout make it a reliable choice for anyone transporting delicate or expensive photography gear.

Best Premium Hard Case

Pros:

• “Unbreakable”
• Strong wheels on smooth bearings
• Watertight, chemical-resistant, corrosion-proof, etc

Cons:

• Very expensive
  
  

All right, you want to make sure your photo gear is safe, do you? Well how about this: a hard case that has been tested to NATO and military standards for its ability to protect its contents from, well, everything. Constructed from ultra-high impact structural copolymer, the Peli 1620 Case is shockproof, crushproof, watertight, airtight, chemical-resistant, corrosion-proof – basically everything-proof. It also includes a 28-piece divider set, since all that protection wouldn’t do much good if your gear ended up rolling around inside, and its polyurethane wheels run on stainless steel bearings, making it relatively easy to transport. It’s also possible to wear it on your back using the RucPac Hardcase Backpack Conversion.

The price and size of this case mean it’s realistically going to be much more than the vast majority of photographers need. But if you want the ultimate in camera protection, here it is, in all its glory. 

Best Bag Inserts and Accessories

You may think your work is done once you’ve got hold of your ideal photographer’s bag, but there are many ways you can make it work for you even more effectively. Many of the same manufacturers who produce fantastic camera bags also offer a number of accessories and inserts that can make it easier to organise and protect your gear.

You don’t necessarily have to stick with one manufacturer – plenty of inserts from one brand will fit perfectly fine in a bag from another. If you’re someone who’s forever digging through your bag or your cupboards to find things like batteries, memory cards, keys or whatever else, having well-organised inserts can be just the thing to make your life a bit easier. 

Here’s a quickfire list of the best bag inserts and accessories we recommend to any photographer who needs a bit more organisation in their life…

Peak’s Tech Pouch helps you keep all the little essentials in one place, rather than having them spread throughout multiple small pockets across the back. Soft and malleable thanks to its recycled canvas construction, it also has handy cable pass through functionality, meaning you can keep a battery pack inside and easily charge your devices.

The Camera Cube is essentially a standalone, portable version of the removable divided inserts that feature in a lot of camera bags. It lets you keep the most important parts of your kit – the camera and lenses – in a single, isolated place that gives them extra protection and makes them easy to access. It’s designed for WANDRD’s PRVKE 21L backpack, though it’ll fit in any bag with roughly similar dimensions. 

There’s nothing worse than opening up your camera bag and finding a tangle of cables – especially when there’s one somewhere in the mess that you urgently need. A quick, cost-effective solution is a pack of ThinkTank Red Whips V2.0 – elastic bungee ties that help you keep your cables bundled together without tangling them. The bright red colour also makes them easy to locate in the depths of your bag.

Transporting shoes in the same bag as your other belongings and equipment can be a recipe for getting mud, dirt and scuffs all over your belongings. The WANDRD Shoe pouch is a clever solution – essentially it’s an insert for shoes, able to house up to a pair of size 14s and prevent them from marking or damaging everything else in the bag.

FAQs

What is a camera bag?

A camera bag is a specially designed bag or case that is used to store and transport camera equipment, such as cameras, lenses, batteries, memory cards, and other accessories.

What are the different types of camera bags?

There are several types of camera bags, including backpacks, shoulder bags, messenger bags, sling bags, and rolling cases. Each type of bag has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your specific needs.

What should I consider when choosing a camera bag?

When choosing a camera bag, you should consider the size of your camera and accessories, the type of photography you will be doing, the level of protection you need, and your personal style and preferences.

What are the benefits of using a camera bag?

Using a camera bag provides several benefits, including protecting your equipment from damage, keeping your gear organised and easily accessible, and allowing you to carry your equipment comfortably and conveniently.

What features should I look for in a camera bag?

Some features to look for in a camera bag include padded compartments, adjustable dividers, waterproof or water-resistant materials, comfortable straps, and additional pockets or compartments for accessories.

Can I use any bag to carry my camera equipment?

While you can technically use any bag to carry your camera equipment, it is not recommended. Camera bags are specifically designed to provide the necessary protection and organisation for your gear, and using a non-camera bag could result in damage or loss of equipment.