Every woman does not simply like but loves bags (we know that you will not argue). We choose bags for any occasion – to go for work, parties, business meetings, or dates. We choose bags to combine with our clothes and shoes. As you have now understood, a bag is an essential accessory for women's life.
The same statement refers to women-photographers. They also need a bag that will be stylish, big enough, and comfortable. And here the question comes – how to choose the best women's camera bag? What are the things we need to consider? Let's find out.
Types of camera bags
Bags for cameras are of many kinds. If you have an analog camera, you can buy a bag with pockets for film cassettes. You can try to find one in the vintage shop or on the market – it will be the most authentic accessory. There are also special cases for storing lenses and other accessories inside your bag. Such bags are quite popular among men's photographers too.
Artisanship is another important feature that you need to pay attention to when choosing a camera bag. Decide whether you want something handmade or just cheap but quality product. Do you want there to be lots of small details on your bag? Or do you prefer a simple design but with great comfort and usability? These questions require thorough analysis and choice. But we'll help you out with that.
Features of a good camera bag
- Material
Material is the first thing to pay attention to when choosing a bag for your camera. The main purpose of this accessory is to protect your equipment against unnecessary shocks and weather factors (especially rain).
There are three types of materials traditionally used to make bags: leather, nylon, or canvas for casual bags; water-resistant nylon (Cordura) for semi-professional ones; ballistic nylon (Kevlar) for professional bags. It's better to choose one of these forms if you want your bag to serve you faithfully for many years. Still not sure what material would be best? Well, let's compare them!
Leather bags – very stylish and beautiful but too expensive and not very ergonomic. The material doesn't stretch so your expensive camera easily slips out of the bag and the leather scratches the surface of your camera.
Nylon – waterproof, tear-proof, and easy to clean but uncomfortable for everyday use. If you don't want any damage done to your equipment or yourself – go for nylon bags! You can treat it roughly without fear that it will be torn or ripped apart as opposed to a leather one.
Cotton bags - they are very soft and comfortable to wear with a nice interior padding which makes them perfect for taking trips. All in all, they look pretty good but their life span is limited because cotton tends to wear out quickly from friction against other objects (for example a tree branch).
- Size
Size is also essential to consider when choosing a bag for your camera. What size should it be? The answer is simple – the bigger the better!
We mean huge bags with an enormous capacity are not very comfortable but if you can't fit everything into them that's okay too, as long as there is enough space left for other things that you might want to take with yourself - snacks, wallet & keys, mobile phone, and other accessories.
Size matters! There are available three main sizes of women's camera bags: small (maximum volume 2L), medium (maximum volume 4-6L), and large (maximum volume 8-12L). As far as small bags are perfect for everyday use because they keep your equipment protected from damage without taking much space, medium and large bags are more convenient for trips or special occasions.
However, it's highly important to consider the size of the lenses you have when choosing a bag for everyday use.
- Comfort
Comfort is another essential thing to take into account when choosing a camera bag for women. It might be small but it will play an important role when buying this accessory - do not forget about comfort! You certainly don't want your neck to ache because of the uncomfortable strap that cuts your skin off in just half an hour after you have worn your bag?
Then go for well-padded straps with adjustable length that fits you perfectly. Comfort is also ensured by soft interior padding which protects your equipment against any damage.
- Pockets
Pockets are very helpful too, especially during outdoor trips. With a pocket, you can store your mobile phone or keys, if they are necessary. But the most important thing is to have a pocket for memory cards – having all of them scattered around your bag will be really annoying if something bad happens. So take my advice and buy a camera bag with lots of small pockets inside!
- Price
The price can also be an important factor to consider when buying a camera bag for women. It's clear that the more you pay, the better quality you receive so don't hesitate to spend some extra money if you want your bag to last forever.
- Water repellent coating
This is not necessarily crucial but it would be very useful in rainy or snowy weather. You know that rain or snow will damage your camera if it's exposed without protection against them… That's why water repellent coating is always welcomed!
When a woman buys...
There are several factors that every woman needs to take into account when choosing the camera bag.
First of all, it is a bag's construction. Every woman wants to have a rugged bag with good construction where they can carry everything. And it also refers to women photographers. They need to take not only the camera but also all the necessary features. That's why the women's camera bag should have a great, robust construction that will provide a long lifespan.
The second thing is its look. All women pay attention to this feature. And it concerns not only the camera bag. It refers to everything from clothes, shoes, and various accessories to home décor, furniture, and other stuff.
The women's camera bag serves not only as a bag where we carry a camera, but it also is the necessary accessory that needs to suit the women's style. That is why it needs to be attractive and eye-catching.
The third factor connects with the previous one - the bag's design. The camera bag design depends on the purpose – whether we want a classical women's bag where we can carry everything, plus a camera, or it needs to be a bag where we will carry only a camera and all necessary stuff.
When choosing a women's camera bag, we should also pay attention to the bag's material and its quality. The camera bag needs to be made from quality material that will stand the test of time. And this factor influences the other one – the price.
The camera bag should be worth the money you pay for it. If you buy a leather camera bag, for example, you need to ensure that the leather will not wear out quickly. In this case, it is worth any amount of money.
There is one more tip about the women's camera bag. Not always, the all-new camera bag can be good. In many cases, old women's camera bags can serve longer and better. It depends on the bag's material, quality, and other factors.
What to look for when choosing a camera bag?
As we've already discussed some criteria that help us choose this accessory (material, size, and comfort), let's figure out what else we should pay attention to before buying it:
- Adjustable straps - an essential feature because straps will give you the possibility to adjust the length of your bag depending on what clothes you wear;
- A d-ring system (to add extra accessories);
- Removable inner bag (if you need to carry something smaller than a camera inside the bag with your camera);
- Anti-slip surface;
- Zipper compartments (not only large compartments where we can put all our gadgets and stuff in one place).
When choosing the RIGHT camera bag: Never choose a cheap model. With low price, most probably you will get low quality. While big brands offer better construction which means higher durability of this accessory. That's why it is worth investing money into such brand bags even if they are more expensive than usual ones.
Choose not too small, not too big size. If you are only going to carry a camera with a couple of lenses, then you do not need a huge bag that can store your entire wardrobe. Thus, choose the volume according to what you are actually going to put in it.
Final word
The global market is full of brands that can offer a great variety of women's camera bags. And sometimes, choosing the perfect bag can be a rather challenging task. But we hope that with our recommendations this task will become easier.
And every woman-photographer will find a camera bag that can satisfy all her needs. So we wish every woman good luck trying to find the perfect camera bag!