If You Don’t Have a Camera Bag in Your Closet, You Need One

In general, I believe that most things in the world of accessories are matters of personal taste, which means I’m slow to become evangelical about my belief in the goodness of any particular trend, brand, structure or look. Sure, I personally endorse bags all the time, but I realize that’s just my personal opinion, which will be of varying value to those who might read it. When it comes to one type of bag, though, things go a little bit beyond that: I believe that camera bags are truly, genuinely the most useful of the widely available bag styles.

A camera bag is characterized by a collection of the following characteristics: it’s petite and rectangular, with a crossbody strap, top zipper and side gussets that maintain a consistent width from top to bottom. It looks, essentially, like a little bag that would comfortably hold a digital camera from ten or so years ago, with a little extra room—hence the name of the genre.

Camera bags are so great because of how all of these features interact. The bags are lightweight, largely because they’re not very big and don’t have the surface area necessary for tons of extra pockets, zippers, studs, or other things that weigh a bag down. The bag’s structure and zippered closure means that the bags always hold more than you’d expect they would because you can layer things into them without worrying that a flap closure won’t lay correctly or things will spill out. And once loaded up, everything is secure—they always have full-width zippers that lend themselves to use during a wide range of activities. The crossbody strap keeps everything easy and hands-free.

Naturally, these little bags are widely popular with shoppers—especially in recent years—which means that most brands big and small make some version, often at an entry-level price point for their line. Below, we’ve selected some of our favorites, whether you want to add one to your collection for the first time or just keep your options open for additional camera bags. (I have like four, and I use them all, somehow.)

Balenciaga Everyday Camera Bag
$1,090 via Net-a-Porter

Chanel Camera Case
$3,500 via Chanel

Coach Camera Bag
$275 via Coach

Cole Haan Payson Camera Bag
$198 via Nordstrom

Draper James Scallop Camera Bag
$98 via Nordstrom

Fendi Camera Case
$1,290 via Fendi

Gucci Ophidia Mini Bag
$950 via Gucci

Louis Vuitton Saintonge Bag
$1,580 via Louis Vuitton

Marc Jacobs Snapshot Bag
$295 via Marc Jacobs

Marni Shell Camera Bag
$1,490 via Shopbop

Pop and Suki Camera Bag
$225 via Nordstrom

Prada Quilted Camera Bag
$990 via Net-a-Porter

Saint Laurent Lou Camera Bag
$1,150 via Nordstrom

Stella McCartney Quilted Camera Bag
$895 via Net-a-Porter

Tibi Garcon Bag
$850 via Shopbop

Valentino Rockstud Camera Bag
$1,445 via Net-a-Porter

Versace Camera Case
$950 via Shopbop

Welden Explorer Woven Camera Bag
$295 via Nordstrom