Let’s talk about camera bags that are suitable for amateur photographers, that are able to hold 1 – 2 camera bodies,  3 – 4 lenses and some room for your photography accessories.



Today’s question came from Oliver,  who says he has a camera system that consists of a Nikon DSLR and 3 lense, 1 flash and lots of memory cards, cable release plus batteries.



He is  looking to add another camera body when he gets the money and maybe a prime lens. He won’t always be carrying the whole camera kit when out taking photos. 



He currently uses a lowepro backpack and it holds his camera kit nicely, but is very empty when he takes a single camera body and lens setup.



He has looked online and came to the conclusion, No camera bag is going to work for every occasion.



What are your thoughts?



What is the Best camera bag for an amateur photographer?



I have to agree with you there mate, there is no camera bag that will suit every single occasion.



I must have accumulated at least 10 camera bags over the years and each bag serves a different purpose, and I assure my wife every time I buy a new one it does too.



Just like a pair of shoes, there’s no pair that suits every single occasion, but there is a pair of shoes for every occasion.



Anyway, back to camera bags. When choosing a camera backpack, it comes down to how much equipment you want to carry when you’re out photographing.



Often with new photographers, they tend to take their whole camera kit and they don’t necessarily use all of it.  Why? 



Well, it has to do with where they store all their photography equipment and not planning for the photo session ahead.



Now, you say you’ve already got a backpack and it holds your camera kit nicely. It’s only when you take one camera body and one lens, your camera backpack feels empty. 



The solution is depending on what else you want to carry with you and how long you’re out photographing.



* Camera pouch or camera bum bag  –  Holds only your camera and lens.  Perfect for short photo sessions or when you want to carry the bare minimum.* Small camera sling bag – To hold your kit and other essentials like water or a jumper. Perfect for a day out photographing with some walking.* Small camera backpack – Will hold your camera kit and a few camera accessories or water and clothes. Perfect for longer sessions, the two shoulder straps will make it easier on your back, especially if your camera kit is heavy and you’re walking a lot. 



That’s what I would recommend.



How to choose the right camera bag for the job



Now if you’re using your camera bag for storage, like a lot of us do, then having a bag that accommodates your whole photography kit in one camera bag is a good storage option.



For instance I store my event photography kit in a photography roller bag. And the rest of my camera equipment in two other photography bags. I know what I need when I go out to photograph events and have packed my bags ready to go.



So you can understand why most photographers have more than one camera bag, as your camera kit grows you need more places to store it and not everyone has shelf space to do that.



Small camera pouches / camera bum bags



The Lowepro sideline shooter bum bag is no longer sold by Lowepro.