What are the best budget compact video camera backpacks?
Carrying camera equipment all day can be difficult, time-consuming and give you backache. If you are a mobile cameraperson, you can travel easier with the help of a camera backpack. A backpack will enable you to carry all of your camera equipment with ease and keep you mobile as you move to each location. The best backpacks have enough space for your main camera body, lenses and camera accessories like lights and microphones. Your choice of backpack should also have a pocket for your tripod and space for your laptop. Extra space is also helpful for waterproof clothing any your lunch.
When choosing a backpack you should give some thought to what filming you do the most. If you are hiking up mountains you may need a big bag to carry lots of equipment and clothing. If you travelling around a city, you may only need a small backpack for general camera equipment. Whatever backpack you choose, you should make sure it gives you enough protection for all of your expensive camera gear. Inner movable dividers with padding are also useful to organise your space for your equipment. Waterproofing is also useful if you intend to travel around in bad weather.
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Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II
Lowepro has an excellent reputation for making quality camera backpacks. The Lowepro ProTactic BP 450 AW II modular backpack is no exception and will carry most DSLR and Mirrorless cameras. It has a maximum capacity of 25 litres for you to carry all of your camera gear and the inside compartments are adaptive so you can move them to fit all of your equipment. There is also space for a 15 inch laptop.
This camera backpack features armoured protection at the top for extra safety and has a generous amount of padding all around the main body. So your camera will have plenty of protection. There is a cup for holding your tripod or water bottle with quick release straps for when you are in a hurry. There is also padding on the straps and the back, so it will be comfortable for you to carry over long distances. If the weather does turn bad you can cover the backpack with the built in waterproof cover for added protection.
Price $175.00 £140.00 €155.00
Vanguard Veo Select 49 Backpack
The Vanguard Veo Select 49 Backpack is another quality bag for carrying your camera gear. It has plenty of space for your DSLR or Mirrorless camera and has tough materials to protect anything you may decide to carry in it. Its slim profile also makes it easy to carry in tight spaces and on public transport. There is a large central section that you can get access to by the back or from the side opening. This has enough space to hold your camera body and lenses. There is another large compartment at the top and a pocket to hold a 15 inch laptop.
On the front is a small zipped pocket and a large dual zipped pocket for larger items. On the side is a pocket for you to hold a tripod. The external dimensions are 34 x 20.5 x 50.5cm, so there is plenty of room for you carry all your camera gear. The bag weighs in at 1.65kg, so it’s not heavy if you intend to travel around a lot. It has plenty of padded protection to keep your camera safe and there is a waterproof cover to put over the backpack if the weather turns bad.
Price $150.00 £120.00 €132.00
Manfrotto Manhattan Mover-50
The Manfrotto Manhattan Mover-50 has plenty of space to carry all of your camera equipment. It has four main storage areas that have flexi dividers and interchangeable dividers that you can set up as you like to fit your DSLR or Mirrorless camera. The main internal space has an innovative proactive pouch to hold you camera with the lens attached, so there is plenty of protection. You can also move this pouch if you need more space. You get access to this area from the back of the backpack.
You can use the top compartment to hold another camera with a lens or even a drone. The two other compartments are useful for holding a 15 inch laptop and a 10 inch tablet. On the side of the bag is a pocket for holding a tripod or you can use this to carry a water bottle. This backpack has a pre-treated fabric that is water repellent and there is an extra waterproof cover to protect your camera gear if you should happen to get caught in the rain.
Price $125.00 £100.00 €110.00
Thule EnRoute 25L Camera Backpack
The Thule EnRoute 25L Camera Backpack has the advantage of being able to adjust its size to fit various camera sizes with its unique magnetic roll-top closure. You can adjust this to change the size of the backpack to a 25 litre capacity. It comes with various internal dividers that you can use to customise and create compartments to hold your DSLR camera, lenses and other filmmaking equipment.
The main compartment has a zipped side entry if you need to get access to your camera in a hurry. There is also a separate padded compartment that can hold a 15 inch laptop or 10 inch tablet. On the side of the backpack is a zipped side pocket that you can use to hold a tripod or water bottle. The shoulder straps have pads and so does the back panel, which makes this backpack comfortable to carry over long distances.
Price $118.00 £95.00 €105.00
Manfrotto Pro Light Redbee 310
The Manfrotto Pro Light Redbee 310 has plenty of space to carry all your camera gear. It has enough space to hold a DSLR camera with extra lenses in the main compartment. There is also two side access flaps if you need to get your camera out of the backpack in a hurry. It comes with various flexi dividers so you can customise the bag to fit your camera body, lenses and other filmmaking equipment. You can also remove these if you need to create more internal space.
There are compartments for a 15 inch laptop and for a 10 inch tablet. It has a total weight of 1.85kg, so it will not give you too much backache when you carry it for a day’s filming. It has a 22 litre capacity and the internal dimensions are 31 x 17.5 x 48.5 cm and the external dimensions 33 x 27 x 52 cm, so it has plenty of space for most filmmaking needs. The backpack’s outer fabric is water repellent and should give you plenty of protection if you should happen to be in bad weather.
Price $140.00 £112.00 €124.00
Lowepro Photo Active 300
The Lowepro Photo Active 300 is for the active photographer who is often outdoors hiking with their camera gear. It is a rugged lightweight outdoor backpack that is ideal for your photographic adventures. It has dual side access panels to give you quick access to your camera and lenses. There is also a pocket that will happily hold a 15 inch laptop or a tablet.
The back panel has vents and these should reduce the sweat build up you might get on your back after a day’s hiking. It is lightweight and weighs only 1.48 kg with an overall size of 31 x 19 x 48 cm with a capacity of 25 litres. There are also plenty of dividers to separate your camera gear. If the weather does turn bad there is an all-weather cover to protect your equipment from hostile climates.
Price $110.00 £88.00 €98.00
Incase DSLR Pro Pack
The Incase DSLR Pro Pack is another popular backpack on Amazon and has a durable ballistic nylon material with an abrasion resistant fabric. This means it is great in bad weather and should give your camera plenty of protection. The inside has many compartments and dividers that should be able to fit your camera with the lens on and up to four other lenses. There is also a top zipped entry so you can get quick access to your camera when you need to. If you have a computer you can store that in the large side pocket that will fit a laptop with a screen size of up to 15 inches.
Inside there are two interior zipped mesh pockets and a Velcro bulk pocket that will give you storage for other camera gear such as microphones and portable lights. There is a back panel of mesh to reduce sweat on your body and the shoulder straps have pads to give you extra comfort when you are moving around. The size of this backpack is 12in x 9in x 20in with a generous 26 litre capacity. This should be more than enough space to carry all of your camera gear.
Price $112.00 £90.00 €99.00
Thinktank Urban Access
The Thinktank Urban Access is great for the urban explorer who needs a reliable backpack to move around a city. It has easy access panels on both sides to give you quick access to your camera when you are in a hurry. There is also a rear panel to give you complete access to the bag for other camera equipment. The centre tripod mounting system holds even the largest of tripods and keeps them secure while still allowing access to all of your camera gear.
The arm straps have pads that will give you plenty of comfort while you travel around the city. There is also a large pocket for holding a 15 inch laptop or a tablet if you should happen to need to bring one along. It is not too heavy and weighs 1.8 kg and has a total size of 34 x 52 x 23 cm. If the weather does turn bad there is a waterproof cover to protect the backpack from any bad weather.
Price $90.00 £72.00 €80.00
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