Telemetry - Photography

 Choosing a Camera bag

If you'd known what to look for you wouldn't have settled for this bag. To prevent you from making such mis­takes, we offer the following advice on what to look for—in features, materials, and the latest bag innovations.

First, let's briefly talk about bag size. Most bags manufacturers are only too willing to send you full catalogs of their lines in all forms, shapes, and sizes. From these it's fairly easy your choice to a few select examples depending on what you intend to carry. (Hint: Less is often best and certainly lighter.)

Now you're ready to tackle the big job of deciding what features that bag should have. The first thing to consider is the material the bag is made out of, which determines how tough it will be. The amount of protection required by the bag varies. If you're a weekend photographer who treats an equipment bag with tender, loving care, you don't need a bag as tough as one by a rough-and-tumble photojournalist or mountaineer. Many of us fall some­where in the middle of those two extremes. We travel with our cameras, and our bags do get thumps and bangs. We don't require a metal suit­case, but a flimsy bag won't do, either.

Bags are best bought in person. Make sure you closely examine the workmanship and seam strength, even to the point of discreetly trying to separate the seams. You may get frowns from the sales staff, but if you can separate stitching with just a little pres­sure, avoid the bag. Remember that a bag may take a great deal of abuse as it older and taken for granted. Poor seams will even­tually separate and allow dirt or water into a once-ship­shape bag— and they may allow contents to spill out. No matter how well designed or padded a bag may be, it's all for naught if a strap lets loose while you're running up the stairs, leaning out over the water, or changing lenses. That's when the bag's hardware—buckles, zippers, Velcro—becomes important. Vibrant colors seem to be big this year, especially in bags designed for hiking or outdoor activity. The question you'll need to ask yourself is, will the colors be in fashion next year?