Luna wanted to give her opinion too!
When I started blogging, my first priority was to buy a really good camera and then I was desperate to find a decent bag to carry it in. So, having been blogging for quite a while now, I thought I’d share with you a few things to consider when buying a camera bag.
Ideally, I wanted something stylish – after all, my blog is often about style. Unfortunately, style and camera bags aren’t something that necessarily go hand in hand. Not for a woman anyway. So, after style, the next most important thing on my list was comfort.
I should mention that I did manage to find a few stylish camera bags masquerading as women’s handbags online but, not only did they seem really expensive, they also looked uncomfortable (thin shoulder strap anybody?). I’d love to be proved wrong though because it would be lovely to be able to wear a cute outfit and carry my camera with me.
Not wanting to spend so much money (you know I like a bargain), I began searching on Ebay.
Sadly, I had to give up on the whole stylish thing and settle for a comfortable camera bag – one that at least didn’t look like a camera bag. So I bought this:
It cost £17.99 from eBay. As soon as it arrived I knew I should’ve bought something a little smaller. It is pretty big, but ideal for when you’re out doing interviews and stuff and need your laptop, camera and notebook (plus any extra lenses). I used it once for a whole day out with friends in Lagos. Although cumbersome, I didn’t have too much of a problem, except in a couple of small shops we visited. I had to be so careful not to knock anything off the shelves! Yes, a little embarrassing. It would have been easier had it had a smaller handle to hold on to.
So, after that I started hunting for something smaller for when I was out and about taking photos. I knew I wanted something with a thick strap just like the bag I’d already bought. Ideally it would have plenty of pockets and, another uber important thing that I discovered, was a short ‘handle’. So I found this:
It cost £24.99 from eBay. Although it’s not the perfect bag for when I’m dressed up, I simply hand it over to hubby while I use my own ‘proper’ handbag! He is, after all, my photographer when we go out together 😉
Otherwise it was a brilliant buy. I used it as my main handbag whilst away on holiday so I could take photos anywhere I went, and it was perfect. If only it was just a little more stylish!
Having bought the larger bag first, I was lucky that it’s innards (the padding that protects the camera) actually come out, so it doubles up as a travel bag, which we’ve used on a couple of occasions when we’ve stayed overnight. The smaller bag also has padding that comes out as well as added protection inside too. It’s also water repellant, which was particularly useful when we were in Wales!
So, here are my tips for when you’re looking to buy a camera bag:
- Look for something with a thick strap for comfort.
- Opt for a bag with plenty of pockets, inside and out.
- Choose a bag with a handle, not just a long shoulder strap
- Go for something waterproof / repellant.
- If possible, find a camera bag that can be used for other things, i.e make sure the innards come out.
If you’ve found the perfect, stylish camera bag (for a woman), I’d love to know about it. Let me know by leaving a comment below…
🙂
