Finally, I've been thinking about writing this post for a while now. Recently, I've been planning a trip and got myself into the photography gear loop. Of course, equipment is bound to come into play—body, lens, tripod, and various accessories. Naturally, the camera bag became the focal point of my attention. Then there's the tripod. Photography requires experience, and perhaps you'll end up with a few scratches and bruises along the way.
By accident, I ended up planting my own grass. Photography enthusiasts often say that you only truly understand what you need when you buy your third tripod, and the same might apply to camera bags. You won't really know what you need until you’ve bought a few and tried them out.
Sure enough, getting into photography feels like diving into the deep end of the sea.
After replacing my Pentax K5II with a 17-50mm lens, the original small bag could no longer hold the body + lens combo. It still worked勉强勉强, but I continued with the Dragon SP90, Star 535, and 1017 fisheye lenses, stuffing everything into a Nike sports backpack. Honestly, I hadn't thought much about photography bags before, and luckily, the lenses didn't break.
Then came the chance to get a Pro-Player Pro Runner 300AW. State-of-the-art, right? Not exactly a noble photography bag, but it still counts as a first-line photography bag.
This bag is actually quite good. The capacity is large enough; according to normal travel needs, it’s certainly not overkill. It can easily hold seven or eight lenses plus a full-frame body. On the downside, whoever travels with so many things isn't exactly going on a light journey.
However, I’m someone who likes to push limits. Astrophotography, deep space photography, timelapse, etc., means this bag’s capacity falls short. No attachment bay, a few long-tail plates, batteries, shutter cables, fake batteries—it all needs to be crammed into the outer compartments. Even fitting a 6D + white rabbit + 15-30mm + 35mm + 50mm + D5300 + 135mm + equatorial mount proved challenging. And that's without a computer bag. For deep-space photography, a laptop is essential, along with guide stars, polar alignment, and temporary photo guides—you name it.
As a result, the old Nike shoulder bag had to be brought back into action.
So, the Pro-Player Pro Runner 300AW was somewhat underwhelming. Too heavy for light travel, lacking capacity for heavier trips, and too bulky for lighter excursions where I couldn’t bring other small essentials like clothes or an umbrella.
Thus, the quest for an upgrade began.
The first thought was to combine it with a Nike bag, maybe adding a Cardin liner. The idea seemed solid, but reality was harsh. These products weren’t visually appealing, nor were they practical. I tried this approach once, but it just didn’t work out—awkward, uncomfortable, and not aesthetically pleasing. At best, it served as a temporary holder for my equatorial mount and a 40AH lithium battery, which accompanied me on a trip to Tibet.
If you're considering upgrading your old backpack into a photo bag by adding a liner, don’t bother.
My first attempt failed miserably, and I decided to switch to an ultralight mirrorless setup. Coincidentally, I was asked to tag along on a commercial shoot over the weekend, and I ended up using a shoulder-length camera bag. The direct Taobao version looked promising, but after testing it out, it didn’t pan out either.
After one use, it still wasn’t ideal. The 6D + white rabbit combination was cumbersome, and the zippers on both sides weren’t self-locking. Without using the central buckle to secure the two zipper pull ropes, both sides of the opening would sag under the weight of the lens and camera. The rinse net was too shallow, spilling water whenever I carried more than 500ml. The front storage pouch was too shallow too—trying to fit a charging bank, wallet, and batteries left no room for anything else. And forget about installing a phone or pocket games—it just didn’t work.
When hanging a 2kg tripod on a shoulder bag, the weight puts noticeable strain on your shoulders. There’s no compartmentation, and placing random items like lens caps, water bottles, and tissues made carrying this gear stressful.
This bag has been used a couple of times, and it’s not ideal for light trips. After careful consideration, I decided to upgrade the lightweight bag eventually. Weekend trips involving one camera, one lens, and a few small items still happen frequently.
After trying so many options, from mid-range to low-end, I gradually developed some ideas.
In summary:
Budget: Within $1500
Capacity: Can hold a mirrorless camera + big three lenses + sundries for a one or two-day trip, including wallets, phones, batteries, power banks, water bottles, changes of clothes, umbrellas, tripods, and even laptops.
Functionality: Needs side pockets that securely hold additional lenses when opened. The wallet area should have a more concealed storage compartment.
Ergonomic design: The bag should support loads of about 7-8 kg without causing shoulder fatigue.
Appearance: Must look stylish, not just functional as a camera bag.
Given these requirements, the available options are limited.
Ergonomic design is something Manfrotto’s Music Camera series doesn’t excel at, but their full capacity can handle about 10kg loads without causing much fatigue. As long as it’s a first-line brand, this usually isn’t an issue.
Within a $1500 budget, Manfrotto might be the only option. God horse Buckingham, one of the favorites…wallets say excessive bleeding.
Main considerations during filtering: 6
Manfrotto National Geographic:
Africa Series 5280, 5290
Africa Series National Geographic NG A5290 Medium Shoulder Bags New Leather Match Soft Wash Canvas 1099 Yuan Jingdong To Buy
Mediterranean Series: 5350
National Geographic NG MC 5350 Backpack 799 yuan Jingdong to buy
Rainforest series: 5350
National Geographic NG RF 5350 medium camera backpack 1199 yuan Jingdong to buy
Australian Series: 5350, 5310
Wikipedia
National Geographic Camera Package NG AU 5350 Australian Series Digital SLR Dual Shoulder Bags Laptop Bags Casual Travel Bag This series was launched last year by Manfrotto and National Geographic. The design draws inspiration from Australia’s vast red earth and magnificent blue ocean. The size of the NG AU 5350 is 30*23*44cm, capable of accommodating a full-frame mirrorless camera, a 15-inch notebook, and a tripod with ample capacity. Its back-opening design also features a side cache for safe and convenient access to the camera. Value 0 Reviews 0 Original 0 Very Good 10 To Purchase See Details
Wikipedia
National Geographic National Geographic NG AU 5310 SLR Camera Backpack Backpack Camera Bag This camera bag belongs to the Australian series produced by Manfrotto and International Geographical Cooperation. The outer layer is made of blue canvas and red leather, while the inner layer uses a foliage-patterned nylon fabric. The size of the bag is 30*19*40cm, weighs 1.36kg, and can accommodate a DSLR camera (equipped with a 70-200 large zoom lens), a 13-inch notebook, and a tripod, with a thick protective compartment. One of its most unique features is the design of three different carrying methods Value 0 Comments0 Original 0 Very good price 6 To buy View Details
Manfrotto Windsor Series: BP
Wikipedia
Manfrotto Manfrotto MB LF-WN-BP Windsor Series Dual Shoulder Bags Digital Camera Bag SLR Camera Backpacks Manfrotto’s Windsor Series draws inspiration from British style, featuring two colors—light gray and dark gray—with leather accessories and brand-new metal elements creating a simple, stylish urban British aesthetic. The inner fabric also uses the classic Scottish plaid pattern. The MB LF-WN-BP shoulder camera bag has a volume of 31.5 × 22 × 46cm, with a camera liner volume of 25 × 14 × 17cm, supporting up to a mirrorless camera with three lenses (supporting a 720mm telephoto zoom lens) Value 2 Comments0 Original 0 Good price 3 Go to Purchase View Details
At first, I liked the African series. The appearance was the most appealing, though the capacity was slightly smaller, and the compartment design wasn’t perfect. It was nearly a convenient option. I gave up because I didn’t want to try it. I started looking at 2XX imitation goods, but I wasn’t sure about the authenticity of the 799 model, and the price of 1000+ genuine goods wasn’t worth it. In the end, I abandoned it ~ even once I planned to buy a pair of imitations and a wallet, but seeing the durability reviews, it wasn’t reliable ~ I gave up.
The Mediterranean series saw physical examples in the paraelectric store. The space was too small. It was clearly designed for one camera, two lenses, and some sundries. After trying it out, the female student said it was very sturdy. The price was 699, which was the cheapest version of the classic 5350 model.
The Rainforest series was also similar to the African series. It was slightly larger in size, but the capacity and storage division were not as good as the newly released Australia series. After all, handling the Big Three lenses and a full-frame airframe was already a challenge for the Rainforest. If it were a two-lens setup, the Rainforest and Mediterranean series would be a good choice—affordable, and highly valuable.
The other Windsor series of Manfrotto was released alongside the Australian series of National Geographic backpacks. It was also quite stylish. The camera capacity was slightly smaller, but the storage division was better. I was torn for a while until I read some online reviews:
Oh, what kind of ghost is this? Why is it so ugly here? So then there is no ~
The National Geographic backpack of the Australian series was first seen in Mongkok, Hong Kong. It was originally designed to look like an affordable African product. The result was a newly released denim blue backpack. The cowboy was instantly smitten and stood in front of the glass cabinet for a long time (in fact, the price wasn’t expensive, 1499 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to 13XX RMB). Unfortunately, the Hong Kong brothers weren’t enthusiastic. My thoughts faded away, and I was carrying the shadow of the dying white rabbit. Had he taken the initiative, perhaps this backpack would not have arrived so quickly.
The screening process for the above 6 backpacks.
Advantages of the AU series: The latest models have no imitations, and the camera capacity is large (a mirrorless camera with five bars + a white rabbit. After receiving it, it looks spacious. In the five-bar system, it’s probably five bars. It handles the Big Three lenses without issue), the appearance is elegant, and it’s not easy to have the “bag mountain†situation (the evaluation of this release a year later was actually the starting point of Zhang Amy’s home package).
Appearance Gallery
The packaging is a bit simple, just a plastic bag. How can we say it’s also a bag over a thousand yuan? Shouldn’t it be a good point to make a kraft paper bag?
This buckle design is awesome, a one-way buckle, inserted and locked, press and hold to open. Of course, there are layers of zippers. Considering domestic accidents and good security conditions, some cities still don’t put wallets in this small bag, which is good inside.
The side water bottle bag is also very stylish, with two limit snaps, allowing a mineral water bottle to be inserted after installation. When opened, it can hold thicker items like a tripod ~
The lid is also buckled ~
The back material is very sturdy, providing excellent support, and a design strap can be easily placed on the lever of a wheeled suitcase.
The back compartment, you can put some valuables. The photography compartment is also open design, and the computer compartment is designed in front.
Then open the gauze and put it into the white rabbit, oh ~ basically full, slightly smaller space, the size of the small white and the like is very suitable to install the white rabbit, but not recommended putting the hood together. Comparing about space, roughly how you can barely release the big three yuan
The computer’s compartment, separated up and down, and can pass through the design, all removed liner can be used to do a commuter package ~
summary:
The most intuitive feeling is that it’s stylish, with ample storage space. A spacious two-lens setup and a crowded three-lens setup are both possible. Just arrived, haven’t brought it out yet, after more slots continue to edit and add it ~
Conclusion ~ should be considered worth buying ~
1500 blocks, there is no more stylish choice right ~
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