Best Camera Backpack for the Busy Professional
Photography is an important part of our daily lives. In fact, all of the current smartphone devices are equipped with cameras. With that being said, those who aspire to produce crystal-clear portraits and pixel-perfect landscapes often opt for a standalone device.
Professional and amateur photographers constantly carry around a lot of equipment that requires proper storage. The best camera backpack will often make their lives easier.
Events, various types of trips, and intimate moments shared with loved ones require specific accessories to be captured as professionally as possible. Industry manufacturers have a wide offer when it comes to camera backpacks. These are specifically designed to provide proper storage and organization for the often frail pieces of equipment.
Velcro straps, padding and water protection, are just some of the features that are present in the following three products.
Vivitar Camera Backpack
Vivitar is a company that’s best known for their works in the optical device industry. They specialize in action, dashboard, and home security cameras as well as camera accessories. Because of their expertise in the field, their backpack has been designed using first-hand knowledge of what professionals require.
The Vivitar Camera Backpack comes equipped with a lot of features that make it an ideal carrying bag for cameras and camera accessories.
The interior is padded and has dividers installed to help photographers organize their various lenses, mounts, straps and other belongings. It features a wide central compartment that is meant for storing the camera. The center divider is roomy so storing additional lenses isn’t out of the question.
The backpack itself is somewhat slim, which can be both an advantage and a disadvantage, depending on individual needs. On the side, the Vivitar Camera Backpack features a pocket with a Velcro strap, which is ideal for carrying tripods and other bigger pieces of equipment.
Moving onto drawbacks, the biggest one is the fact that the Vivitar backpack lacks additional pockets. It is just designed with a big, main pocket—the one with the dividers.
The padding and the overall quality of the materials are on-spot. Durable and long lasting are some of this backpack’s traits, making it a great value purchase. Something to mention is that using very heavy equipment might give the dividers a flimsy appearance, as they’ll change shape drastically.
Pros
- It is a good-value purchase.
- 90-day guarantee from the manufacturer
- Somewhat roomy
Cons
- The Velcro isn’t that high-quality.
- Heavy equipment will put too much strain on the divider material.
Acuvar Professional DSLR Camera Backpack
Acuvar is another industry manufacturer that specializes in camera accessories such as tripods, battery chargers, and carrying equipment. Acuvar is very appreciated by its clients, and it’s easy to see why.
This professional DSLR camera backpack is subjectively better looking than the previously featured product. While looks aren’t always important, a photographer knows best how important aesthetics can be. With that out of the way, the Acuvar DSLR camera backpack is a step up when it comes to capacity.
The dividers are similar, but the center one can now carry two full-sized DSLR cameras. Furthermore, other features on the Vivitar backpack, such as the Velcro straps for carrying tripods, are also present.
The Acuvar backpack is made out of a mix of nylon and polyester. Such makes the backpack durable, easy to clean and very lightweight. The manufacturer was thoughtful enough to include a rain cover, which covers the whole bag.
While it’s not waterproof, exposure to rain for a sensible amount of time will be manageable. In addition to the main compartment, the Acuvar camera backpack has a second storage section for slimmer items, like a tablet or a small notebook.
The main compartment has two main zipper pockets, separate from the dividers, that is ideal for storing cables, extra batteries, and other small accessories.
Pros
- Great overall design
- Comes packed with storage compartments, sectioned in such a way that maximizes efficiency
- Includes a light, water-resistant cover
- Awesome value purchase, just a bit more expensive than the Vivitar backpack
Cons
- Zipper might succumb to the weight of the cameras if misplaced (zipped halfway)
AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Backpack
The last featured product comes from the well-known retail industry leader and innovator—Amazon. The AmazonBasics DSLR backpack is a product designed to maximize efficiency and organization. The quality of the materials is on point, and the design is hard to overlook.
For starters, both the paddings and dividers are thick. A thick padding will provide the contents with a bit more protection from the elements, which is convenient since the AmazonBasics DSLR doesn’t come with any sort of a waterproof or water-resistant feature.
The padded dividers are removable and can be positioned in a way that maximizes storage capacity—a brilliant design choice.
The shoulder straps also come with two buckle chest and waist straps, maximizing shock absorption and making it easy for the users to carry heavy gear.
The interior is roomy enough for two full-sized cameras, five lenses and other accessories. It even has a separate compartment for a full-sized laptop, in case the photographer needs to get some work done on the go.
One of the backpack’s sides has a Velcro pocket, while the other has Velcro straps. Both can be used as storage options for all types of accessories. While it costs around twice the amount of the first product, spending a little extra is entirely understandable when it comes to such an essential piece of equipment.
Pros
- Best camera backpack so far
- Fully customizable dividers, allowing the user to get the most out of the space
- It is made of high-quality materials.
- Comes both in orange and low-profile gray padding
- Has a 17-inch laptop compartment
- Has chest straps
Cons
- Price is roughly twice as the other options
- Lacks a waterproof or water-resistant cover
Best Camera Backpack: The Verdict
The three featured backpacks all have strengths and weaknesses. The Vivitar and Acuvar both seem attractive choices.
The quality of the materials used on both is more than decent, and the storage capabilities are only slightly inferior to the somewhat more expensive AmazonBasics backpack. However, the Amazon backpack is superior when it comes to organization, storage capabilities and quality of materials.
The AmazonBasics DSLR and Laptop Backpack offers the best value to the buyer, with customizable dividers, various pockets, and storage options, topped off by a thick padding and a good strap placement. It’s the only viable choice for the professional photographer.