Photo Bag News

Camera straps have evolved over the last 50 years from pencil-thin leather strips secured by gaudy stud-like rivets to inch-wide fiber belts that brazenly scream out the name of the camera brand they’re attached to. Oh, I’m not objecting to the flexible billboards that camera makers laughingly call straps and deliver with digital SLRs, but I personally prefer something a bit more civilized—and less ostentatious—especially when it’s going to be hanging around my neck.

Manfrotto just launched it's new Off Road collection, which is designed to meet the needs of outdoor photographers looking for compact and lightweight accessories to capture their adventures. The Off Road collection includes a pair of Italian-made walking sticks with camera attachment (converting it to a monopod), a lightweight tripod and a collection of hiker backpacks for photo gear, available in a variety of colors to match your hiking gear.

You all know the story of Jim Domke, the Philadelphia photojournalist who nearly 40 years ago (1975) developed a camera bag to suit his own needs and in the process created a product family that’s sold nearly one million units and is used by photographers around the world. If you stay interested in photography long enough, sooner or later you’ll own a Domke. Or two. 

You know better than to carry a camera in your trouser pocket, but who wants to look like they’re wearing a goofy fanny pack? Manfrotto offers what is arguably the best compact camera belt pouch ever made. Best looking, too. Want to know why I think so?

Shoes come in all colors, styles, and configurations. Some are ideal for the beach, others are only for formal wear, and still others shelter feet when it rains. Think of photo bags in the same way, only more so. You don’t have to select a photo bag to match your outfit, but you do need different carrying solutions depending on your activity.

PhotoPlus Expo in New York City may not have featured as many blockbuster photo gear announcements as photokina in Germany had last month but there was certainly an ample amount of interesting new gear and software at the show.