Why It Is 3 Times Harder to Choose a Camera Bag Than a Sandwich Bag

🎒 Did you know there are 31 types of camera bag? One of them is a sandwich bag. Yes, really.

I used to carry a massive bag full of gear to my local park. Waterproof zips and everything. For boats I never went on. Seven lenses. Four batteries. Two speedlites. Snacks for a week. I was 10 minutes from home.

The penny dropped in Delph Woods in Poole on 30th December 2016 at 15:37. I used one lens. I always used one lens. The rest came along for the ride and stayed in the bag.

Choosing a camera bag is three times harder than choosing a sandwich bag. Here's how to get it right.

🎙️ What's in this episode

• 🚫 Tip 1 — There is no perfect bag — and you might need more than one
• ✍️ Tip 2 — Be honest about what you actually need — write the list before you buy
• 🏔️ Tip 3 — Match the bag to the shoot — mountain vs 100 yards from the car
• 🗂️ Tip 4 — 31 types of camera bag — all listed in the blog post. One is a sandwich bag.
• 📏 Tip 5 — Size matters — but bigger is absolutely not better
• 🤝 Tip 6 — The right bag just feels right — almost like a friend
• 🥪 Tip 7 — The cheese and pickle sandwich rule — the only test you need

📖 Full blog post + all 31 camera bag types

Read the full episode guide — rickmcevoyphotography.com

🔗 Related episodes

Episode 230 — Shiny New Camera? Calm Down and Do This First

Episode 235 — Do I Really Need a Tripod? Really? Why Rick, Why?

💝 Next episode

You've got a camera. You've got a bag to carry it in. Now I'm going to tell you that you have to clean it. Yes, really. 😱

Episode 237 — What — I Have to Clean My Camera Gear? Really? — Friday 17th July at 11am. Don't miss it.

📺 Find me on YouTube

Search Rick McEvoy on YouTube for the full video version of every episode. Utterly splendid.

🎓 Courses and resources

All courses — rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses

Gear, software and tools I actually use — rickmcevoyphotography.com/resources

💬 Text me from the podcast feed

Found your perfect bag? Got a question? Text me directly from the podcast feed. I'd love to hear from you. How utterly splendid. 😊

 My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

 If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.

Transcript

I used to carry a massive camera bag full of gear. To my local park.

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I used to carry a massive camera bag full of gear and a bag with waterproof zibs at that to my local park. Yes, really. Inside that bag, a Canon five D, and then a Canon six D when the Canon Five D finally gave up the ghost. Seven lenses, four batteries, two speed lights, diffusers, loads of filters, a full size tripod, a mini tripod, snacks and drinks for a week, just in case, and loads of other stuff, much too numerous to mention in an episode of this length. I carried all that every time I went out taking photos, every single time, even for an hour in my local park. And this is when the penny actually dropped. It was Delph Woods, pool, 30 december 2016. Last photo taken at 1537. I was loading everything in my car and and I stopped and I thought, when did I last use the 100 to 400 lens? When did I last need the second speed light? I've never used a second speed light, not once in my life. When did I last go on a boat with my camera bag? I've done it once, just once. And I thought, why do I have enough food for a week? I'm only ten minutes from home. Here's the

Choosing a camera bag sounds like the simple bit. It is not

SPEAKER_00 1:18

thing. Choosing a camera bag sounds like the simple bit. It's not the simple bit because before you can choose the right bag, you have to be honest about what you actually need, and that turns out to be surprisingly hard. Much harder than choosing a sandwich bag. At least three times harder, possibly more. Hello and welcome

Hello and welcome to episode 236 of the Photography Explained Podcast.

SPEAKER_00 1:37

to episode 236 of the Photography Explain Podcast. And this episode is titled Why It Is Three Times Harder to Choose a Camera Bag Than a Sandwich Bag. I know where do I come up with these titles? A very good morning, a very good afternoon, or indeed a very good evening to you, wherever you are in the world and whatever time of day you find yourself listening to me. I'm your host Rick. Hi, and in each episode I try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 27 minutes ish without the irrelevant details. Yes, really. I'm a professionally qualified photographer based in England with a lifetime of photographic experience which I share with you in my splendid podcast. And before I forget, you can text me from the podcast feed if you want to get in touch, or if you've got any questions from this episode or from anything that I say. Okay, let's get into this. So how many types of sandwich bag are there? There are ten. Yes, I looked it up, I really did. Ten types of sandwich bag. And how many types of camera bag are there? Well I've got to thirty one. Yes really, thirty one. Which means choosing a camera bag is exactly three times harder than choosing a sandwich bag. And that's before you've even thought about what to put in it. The camera bag that is, a sandwich bag, you'll put a sandwich in, won't you? So let's fix that. Here are seven things to think about before you buy a camera bag. Seven things that I wish someone had told me before I spent years carrying a bag full of gear I didn't need to a parking pool ten minutes from home.

Tip 1 — There is no perfect bag

SPEAKER_00 3:16

Tip one There is no perfect bag. Let's get that out of the way right now. There is no perfect bag. I've been a professional photographer for over 20 years and I have never found the perfect camera bag. Nobody has, and anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to sell you something, in my humble opinion. Now, what you're looking for is the right bag for you for the photography you do right now. Not the photography you might do one day, not the photography that person on YouTube does. That's your photography, it's your bag for you. And here's something else worth knowing early. You might need more than one bag, and that is completely fine. I have several camera bags, different bags for different jobs. We'll get onto that, but for now, forget perfect, think right. And if you think you've got the perfect camera bag, why not let me know? There you go, challenge everybody.

Tip 2 — Be honest about what you actually need

SPEAKER_00 4:15

Tip two be honest about what you actually need. This is the most important tip in the episode, so I want you to really think about this. Before you choose a bag, you need to know what goes in it. And that means being honest about what you actually carry, not what you aspire to carry, not what you think a serious photographer carries, what you carry for the photography you actually do. For most beginners, the honest answer is one camera body, one or two lenses, a spare battery, and a memory card. Maybe a lens cloth, maybe a couple of filters. So going back to me as an example, I had seven lenses in my bag. I only used one of them, the Canon 17 to 40mm F4L lens, my lens of choice for pretty much everything. I've used it on practically every chute for many many years. The other six lenses came along for the ride and they stayed in the bag until I sold them. So write the list down before you buy a bag. Yes, actually write it down. What do you carry? What do you use? Be honest. The bag follows the list, not the other way around.

Tip 3 — Match the bag to the shoot

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Tip three match the bag to the chute. Here's a question worth asking before you buy anything. Where are you actually going? Are you climbing a mountain or are you walking a hundred yards from the car to a viewpoint? These do not need the same bag, not even close. A backpack makes sense on a mountain. Your hands are free, the weight is distributed across your back and shoulders, and it can be waterproof so it keeps your gear safe and dry while you're scrambling around. They're also dead handy for construction sites where you need your hands free to climb ladders and other good stuff. Then you got shoulder bags which makes sense for a quick walk in the park or when you're walking around in a city. Fast access, light, easy to swing round and get into quickly. No need to take it off every time you want your camera. And then you got a sling bag which sits somewhere in between. One strap across the body, swings round to the front, quick access without taking it off, good for travel and street photography. Then you got a waste bag or hip pack that keeps the weight off your shoulders entirely and puts everything at your fingertips, which is great for lighter kits. So think about where you actually go when you take photos and then choose the bag, not the other way around. Most people do it the other way around and then wonder why the bag doesn't work. I've done that. Tip

Tip 4 — There are more bag types than you think

SPEAKER_00 6:42

four There are more bag types than you think. Most people choose between a backpack and a shoulder bag and they think that covers it. It does not cover it, not even close. There are 31 types of camera bag. Yes, really, 31. I have listed every single one of them in the blog post for this episode. Link in the show notes. Go and have a look before you buy anything. You might find something that fits your situation perfectly that you'd never even considered. And one of them is a sandwich bag, yes, really, a sandwich bag. For a sandwich. And a cheese and pickle sandwich at that. How could you possibly go out taking photos without a cheese and pickle sandwich? Sorry. The point is the right bag for you, it might not be the obvious one. Don't limit yourself to what you've seen before. As I said, the full list is in the blog post, so go and have a look. Tip

Tip 5 — Size matters. But bigger is not better.

SPEAKER_00 7:40

five Size matters, but bigger is not better. This isn't the mistake I made for many many years. And it's a mistake many beginners make. A bigger bag feels like a better bag. More room, more options, more professional somehow. A bigger bag is just a bigger bag, and a bigger bag gets heavier, faster than you would believe. Your bag should comfortably fit what you actually carry with a little room to grow. A little, not a lot, not enough room for seven lenses you're never going to use and snacks for a week. Just a little. A bag that's too big becomes a bag full of things you don't need, and carrying things you don't need is tiring, and tiring is the enemy of good photography. If you're thinking about the bag on your back, you're probably not thinking about the photograph in front of you, are you? So if you get a big bag, you're tempted to fill it with stuff like you could put a spare coat in or mood which is my problem. It's just there the temptation to fill the emptiness, so yeah, needs thinking about. Start smaller than you think you need. You can always upsize later. You can't get back the years you spent carrying too much though, as I know to my cost. Tip

Tip 6 — The right bag just feels right

SPEAKER_00 8:58

six The right bag just feels right. This might sound a bit corny, but I mean it completely seriously. The right camera bag, you reach for it without thinking. It just fits, it works, you stop noticing it and start noticing the photography. That's the goal. The bag disappears and the photographs appear. You're not hunting for zips in the wrong place, you're not reorganizing things on a pavement in the rain. You're not digging past things you don't need to get to the thing that you do. You're just taking photos, that's what we want. The right bag becomes almost like a friend. You know where everything is, you trust it, you stop thinking about it. And when you don't need to think about your bag, you can think more about the light, the composition, the moment, which is exactly where your head should be. You'll know it when you find it, and when you find it, you'll probably keep it for a while. Tip

Tip 7 — The cheese and pickle sandwich rule

SPEAKER_00 9:53

7 The cheese and pickle sandwich rule Before I tell you about the cheese and pickle sandwich rule, let me remind you what a camera bag is actually for. It has one job to get your gear from A to B safely so you can take photographs you want to take. That's it. That is what it is there for. Anything else is a bonus. So before you buy a bag, ask yourself four questions. Does it protect my gear? Not just from bumps and drops but from the weather too. Rain happens, dust happens, your bag needs to handle whatever you throw at it. Can I get my gear in and out quickly? There's nothing more frustrating than missing a shot because you couldn't get your camera out of your bag in time. Is it secure? Can someone grab it from you? Can someone unzip it without you noticing? In busy places, security is not paranoia, it's common sense. I think I take that to another level to be honest with you, but it's served me well so far, so I shall continue with my increased vigilance. And does it handle the weather? Not just your gear, you a comfortable bag in the rain is very different from an uncomfortable one. Think about padding, scraps and weight distribution. And does it have space for other gear you need to carry? Hats, coats, drinks, snacks. Not too many mind. Just you know. If the answer to all these questions is yes, and there is room for a cheese and pickle sandwich, you found your bag. Congratulations. And that is the cheese and pickle sandwich rule, it's never let me down. I know I'm obsessed with cheese and pickle sandwiches, aren't I? Okay,

Section 8 — Quick Recap

SPEAKER_00 11:36

quick recap. There is no perfect bag. Find the right one for you, and you might need more than one bag, and that's fine. But be honest about what you actually need. Write the list down before you buy anything. Match the bag to the chute. Mountain versus hundred yards from the car. Not the same bag. There are thirty one types of camera bag, all listed in the blog post, and one of them's a sandwich bag. Bigger is not better. Start smaller than you think you need. The right bag just feels right, it becomes almost like a friend. The cheese and pickle sandwich rule, protection, access, security, weather, space for all those extras. Oh yes, then you're done. Okay, what if I use

Section 9 — What If I Use a Phone to Take My Photos?

SPEAKER_00 12:22

a phone to take my photos? Well that's a great question, isn't it? And the answer is you don't need a bag. Just a pocket's fine. And that is one obvious beauty of a phone, isn't it? Of course it is. So move on Rick. Sorry no, if you're starting to carry extra things with you, like a small portable charger, a clip-on lens, a little tripod, and then a small bag starts to make sense. So you apply the same rules. What do you actually carry? Where are you actually going? Does it protect your stuff and let you get to it quickly? Right, what do

Section 10 — What Do I Do?

SPEAKER_00 12:55

I do? So what do I actually use? Well, and this brings us back to tip one. I have several bags, different bags for different reasons and different uses. For my Canon R100, my everyday travel photography camera, and the one I grab when I'm not on a commercial job. I use a little low pro bag. It's small, it's light, it fits the camera, and one lens. And I reach for it without thinking. It's become almost like a friend to me, a new friend at that. You might say it passes the cheese and pickle sandwich rule. But I can't put a cheese and pickle sandwich in it, so that's an issue, isn't it? But I can put it in a larger carry-on case when I go on holiday, so I'm not having my hand luggage as a camera bag. I've stopped that happen now, which was quite refreshing. And for my commercial work, architectural and real estate photography, I use, and no I'm not being paid to say this, the Peak Design everyday backpack, the 20 litre one. It's a completely different bag for a completely different kind of shooting. So there's not too much gear in there, there's one camera, one lens, and all the stuff that I need, which isn't that much. And no, it hasn't got waterproof zips for boats, I'm never going on. Actually, it might have waterproof zips now I think about it, and it's got a foldy-down top flappy cover thing, so yeah. Hmm, think on that one. And I've also got a mighty low pro Magnum bag for everything else. That's my spare gear, that's what stays in the boot. And I've also got another low pro bag which I use when I fancy a change from the peak design bag. It's the one where the camera bit is on the back of the pack, so nobody can nick your camera because the the zippy bits on the back flush to your back. I'm not explaining this very well, am I? But um, I can't remember what it's called, to be honest with you. But it's a good bag, it's green. It yeah, it looks like a camera bag, but um, yeah, it's different. And it's got a little compartment on the top where I can put me snacks and stuff. And what else have I got? Well, I've got a Stanley toolbox for my tools. Yes, really, a Stanley toolbox, a conventional toolbox. It's not a camera bag, it's a toolbox. It does that job perfectly. So there you go, different bags for different reasons and different uses. None of them perfect, all of them just right though. And I have had lots of other camera bags, lots of camera bags, and that is what I do. Oh sorry, no, one other thing. I don't carry anywhere near as much gear as as I told you about before. I'll carry one camera body, one lens, possibly two, and a small list of accessories, a surprisingly small list, and that's how I can do a commercial shoot using a 20 litre bag, because I don't need the other stuff, I just don't need it. It's great. Works a treat for me. Right,

Section 11 — Here's Something for You to Do, Dear Listener

SPEAKER_00 15:56

here's something for you to do, dear listener. Before you buy a camera bag, any camera bag, write down exactly what you need to carry, not what you might carry one day, what you can carry now. Camera body, one lens, two lenses, three lenses, spare battery, very important, spare memory cards, very important. Sandwich, very important. And a tripod. Or you could have a separate bag for the tripod rather than trying to fit it all into one thing, which is what I do. So when I'm on a commercial shoot, my gear's in my Peak Design 20 litre bag and my tripod, it's in a separate bag with a shoulder strap and that's it. And when I take the tripod out and the camera out, I put the the tripod bag in the camera. Getting back to what I do, sorry. So you decided what you want to put in your bag, so find the smallest bag that fits that list comfortably. Start there. You can always go bigger later. And then you can text me from the podcast feed and tell me how you got on. And then if you're ready to commit, go to an actual camera shop and speak to actual people and try actual bags. Yes, go to a camera shop, speak to people. They can help you. The only way to find the right bag for you is to go and look at them, try them out, take your gear, it's fine, take your gear, put it in the bag, see how it all works. Camera shops are more than happy to help you do that. Well good ones are anyway. Okay, related

Section 12 — Related Episodes

SPEAKER_00 17:22

episodes. If you enjoyed this episode, and I really hope that you did, you might also find these useful. Episode two hundred and thirty Shiny New Camera. Calm down and do this first. And episode two hundred and thirty five, the last episode. Do I really need a tripod? Really? Why Rick? Why? Yeah I went a bit mad on that title, didn't I? But hey it's all good. Next episode

Section 13 — Next Episode 💝

SPEAKER_00 17:51

this is a good one. You've got a camera, you've got a bag to carry it in. Now someone needs to tell you that you have to clean it, yes really. And that's someone. It's me. Episode two hundred and thirty seven. What? I have to clean my camera gear? Really? It's out on Friday the seventeenth of July. Hopefully you won't want to miss it out utterly splendid. Okay, thank you so much for listening

Thank you so much for listening

SPEAKER_00 18:18

to this episode of the Photography Explain Podcast. I do hope you enjoyed it and that you found it useful. If you've got any questions or suggestions for a future episode, just let me know. Be lovely to hear from you. And if you did love this episode, why not subscribe so you get every new episode straight to your listening device of choice? And if you could tell one person all about my splendid podcast, that would be greatly appreciated. For everything else, courses, resources, my weekly email and lots of other good stuff, check out RickMakAvoy Photography.com. And you can find me on YouTube, just put Rick McAvoy into the search. And as I've said more than enough times, you can text me from the podcast feed, how utterly splendid.

Brought to you by....

SPEAKER_00 19:03

This episode was brought to you by a cheese and pickle sandwich, consumed before settling into my homemade acoustically cushioned recording emporium. I've been Rick McAvoy. Thanks again very much for listening to my small but perfectly formed podcast, it says here, and for giving me 27 ish minutes of your valuable time. Now I reckon this episode will be about 20 minutes long after editing out the mistakes and the other bad stuff. Thanks for listening. Take care, stay safe,

Cheers from me, Rick!

SPEAKER_00 19:34

cheers from me Rick.