Last week, I sold my Canon XSi camera and my Canon Vixia camcorder (on my Facebook page, of all places!) and bought a Canon T3i. This excites me on so many levels, but mainly because I can now use one piece of equipment to shoot photos AND shoot my video tutorials. Hallelujah! The T3i shoots in full HD and has a swivel LCD, which allows me to see myself while filming. (This is enormously helpful, especially for hair and makeup tutorials.)
In the midst of the Facebook haggling (you people drive a hard bargain), I ended up throwing in my current camera bag (#5 above) with my camera. Do you know what that means? That means my brand new camera is sitting completely naked on my desk right now. Just waiting for some little hellion to get their grubby hands on it. Help!
Needless to say, I’ve been in full camera bag shopping mode over the past few days, and I’d thought I share some of my favorites. As you can see, I’m drawn to relatively simple shapes – I’m not one for pleats, embellishments or anything overtly girly. I’m on the lookout for a smaller bag, so I’m leaning towards #6 or #8, but I’m not ready to call off the search just yet.
1. Epiphanie Lyric – Love the golden yellow shade.
2. The SLR Sloop – Stripes. Need I say more?
3. Kelly Moore Kelly Boy Bag – I’m definitely drawn to this bag, but I think it’s a little too big for me.
4. Border Stripe Camera Strap – Cutest camera strap ever. The price? Not so cute.
5. Ona Any Bag Camera Insert – This cool insert makes any bag a camera bag. (This is the one I just sold with my camera. Why? Not sure.)
6. Camera Day Pack – Love the plum color and the smaller size. This could be the one, folks.
7. The Monaco Satchel – Blue and white chic!
8. Kelly Moore Posey 2 – Ohhhhh, this one comes in really good colors. How do you choose just one?
Thoughts? Do you have a favorite camera bag? I want to make sure I’ve seen it all before signing on the dotted line.
Danielle (elleinadspir)
March 16, 2012 at 6:35 amI have a Kelly Moore. They are great, but big. Look at the videos on her site. They help you get a better idea how big the bags are.
Leslie
March 16, 2012 at 7:36 amYou know what I want? A cute Backpack! Some of these shoulder bags are large and with camera gear inside, super heavy. It totally throws my body off to have it all on one shoulder. It would also be nice if there was a removable zippered insert so that I can put all my extra gear in that and easily take it out when I want to walk around with just the esstentials. I have a feeling there is no one bag for me… The Crumpler backpack that I found that did all this was massively heavy on it’s own. Add gear to it and I could barely lift it. Plus it was not cute. Thanks for the round up though! For now, I have an Epiphanie Ginger for the essentials and a Jill E rolling red leather bag for all my camera gear and my laptop.
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 7:58 amYep, a backpack would be key. (Not for me, since I’m totally a novice, but I can see how it would be super helpful for pros like you!)
RA
March 16, 2012 at 7:49 amI bought the Kelly Moore Posey bag, and I love it! It is a tad bigger than I expected from looking at the website, but I am a small person, and I think there is a minimum bigness to deal with when you are hauling around an SLR. I got mine in muted teal, and it is great.
Jill V. / TerraSavvy
March 16, 2012 at 7:50 amI too, like you, am constantly looking for a perfect camera bag and also wrote about it a year ago looking for some advise.
For about a year now, I have been using the one you just gave away, #5 for keeping all my things together in one place. Lenses, charger, notebook etc. It works great for that purpose and when we travel or take longer trips.
Then if I just want to take my camera along for an outing, I throw it (not literally) into whatever my current large shoulder tote/purse that I am using. That is my main bag/purse style for now because I still need space it for Claire’s diapers and wipes (and cup and snacks and toys…you understand).
It’s not ideal for the camera because it’s left kind of unprotected inside my bag, but with a toddler in tow, I can’t handle another larger bag. I am thinking of getting a neoprene cover for it to give it a little more protection for those day trips it takes on occasion. Like this one – http://bhpho.to/zT377o
Good luck! Let us know what you end up with!
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 7:59 amA neoprene cover would be a great idea…the only thing that kind of bothered me about the Ona insert is that it didn’t have much padding. I felt like it wasn’t really doing a great job of protecting.
Jill V. / TerraSavvy
March 21, 2012 at 7:03 amI know, I felt the same way and would only use it in my suitcase or another tote bag. Let us know what you end up getting and if you like it OK?
Meghan @ Life Refocused
March 16, 2012 at 7:51 amI’m still searching for the perfect bag. I have the Lola by Epiphanie, but am thinking of getting the Lyric for something a bit more streamlined and easier to get in and out of.
Courtney
March 16, 2012 at 8:06 amI have #6 and love it! I use it all over Asia as my primary purse/camera bag and it worked perfectly.
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:01 amI bought #6 and just got it in the mail yesterday. I LOVE all the pockets, and the thick protection it gives my camera, but they were right, only the camera and one lens/flash will fit in it. It’s absolutely perfect for me, though!
Heather
March 16, 2012 at 9:42 amI am an Epiphanie addict. Maile can look at me and suddenly I own another Lyric. It’s insane.
Emily @ Peck Life
March 16, 2012 at 10:54 amThank you for posting this! We just got our first “real” camera last month and it is still naked! I really want a cool bag but need to save my pennies first. I found a cool vintage green bag on Ebay but it’s gone now. Love all of these!!
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:01 amYou’re welcome, Emily! Good luck with your search!
Rachel
March 16, 2012 at 11:04 amI am seriously considering Ketti’s chevron bag, though they have several design options: http://www.kettihandbags.com/category_s/1817.htm
they do tend to sell out quickly.
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:02 amHa! I had that exact bag in my roundup, but I didn’t like the way it looked in my image. (What can I say…I am a total perfectionist!)
Leslie Capron
March 16, 2012 at 12:22 pmI need a camera bag so badly! My poor camera is usually bouncing around the bottom of my stroller or the front seat of my car. I like the bag insert – seem so handy. I also loved the bags that Rachel mentioned above at Ketti. I’m in a serious chevron stage right now. Good luck on deciding!
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:04 amThat Chevron bag is adorable, but the straps are kind of throwing me for a loop. It reminds me of a 80s scrunchie.
Meg
March 16, 2012 at 6:01 pmI’ve got the betsy from http://www.jototes.com and love it. Its got a perfect padded compartment to drag the ipad around too.
Caroline Cohenour
March 16, 2012 at 7:01 pmThis is SO helpful! I am always bemoaning the sad, sad state of camera bags. We’re not all going on safari! In Patagonias! Some of us are wearing heels and shooting and want some fashion with their photography. I think mama’s going camera bag pronto with your links, AWESOME.
laura @ hollywood housewife
March 17, 2012 at 3:07 pmI love the #8 Kelly Moore. I’m sitting here wondering if I could use it as a purse.
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:05 amYeah, even though I bought #6, I think that KM Posey bag will make an appearance in the future.
Belinda
March 17, 2012 at 10:38 pmI have an Epiphanie Belle and a Kelly Moore B-hobo and I’ve found the Epiphanie great for travel and the Kelly Moore great for walkabouts. To be honest though, I’ve been eyeing the Kelly Moore Posey for my next one!
Kristen
March 18, 2012 at 6:54 pmI have the epiphanie Lyric in the slate gray(?) and, in general, I love it. My only complaint is that it’s not quite as slim or as deep as I thought it might be. The width, I should’ve realized — it does need to fit a DSLR, after all. But, I’m a little bummed that once I put in a camera and an extra lens, there’s really not a lot of room to put much else. But, then again, if there was room, I guess it would be even bigger. It’s possible that what I really want doesn’t exist, and probably CAN’T exist in this universe. Because, while we’re at it, could we make my camera light as air? And extra, super durable?
whoorl
March 20, 2012 at 8:11 amLight as air! Sign me up, please!