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Camera and iPad Bags – iPad Summer Travel Series

By | June 6, 2010 | 23 comments
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Whether you’re a photography enthusiast or parent taking the family vacation photos, you need a good camera bag to protect your gear. Now add the iPad into the mix of equipment you want to carry and your job of finding a good camera bag just got a little bit harder.

I’ve spent the past several weeks looking for the perfect bag to carry my Canon DSLR and my iPad during an upcoming trip to Europe.  I want something that will be easy to carry, protect my gear (DSLR, extra zoom lens, flash, iPad and a few other smaller accessories) and not break the bank.  The bag has to be durable, comfortable to wear, and to keep wandering fingers away from my stuff, it shouldn’t scream out that I’m carrying expensive electronics gear.  There are a lot of camera bags on the market with special storage for a laptop, but I want to find something that is smaller to carry and better fits the iPad and my camera equipment.

I’ve looked at four bags from Naneu, Lowepro and Kata that all fit a DSLR + zoom, an extra lens, flash and an iPad.  All of these bags fit my needs and would make a great addition to your shutterbug accessory collection too. Keep reading to check out the bags, one of which I’m looking to buy.

1.) The first bag I looked at is from the Lowepro Classified collection.  I’ve been a long time Lowepro user and I love their bags.  They are durable and functional camera bags and the Classified 160 is no exception.  The bag is well organized and provides a ton of pockets and compartments to store your gear and accessories such as memory cards, filters, sync cables, etc. The bag has a pocket under the main flap which fits the iPad perfectly.  I like the fact that the pocket is on the inside so your iPad can’t easily fall out and is also away from any pickpockets you might run across.  The only down side is the pocket is a little tight if you have an extra protective case on your iPad. Be sure to check it out in the store before buying and make sure your case and iPad will properly fit. Available from Amazon for $129.95

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About Bill: Contact me via Twitter: @PadGadgetBill

  • http://ipadcasesblog.com Phil Garcia

    Thanks for sharing this nice iPad bags though some are a bit expensive. :)

    • Bill

      You’re right. They aren’t the cheapest bags out there but they have a good reputation and have a lot of nice camera / DSLR specific features.

      We’re looking at some smaller and less expensive bags and should have a post up in a few weeks as part of our summer travel series.

      • http://ranggaw0636.student.ipb.ac.id/ ranggaw0636

        i don’t really need the camera bag, maybe they could make a cheaper model

      • Bubba

        Bill,

        When the hell are u gonna tell us what bag u chose? huh????????????

  • robin harry

    Does the first bag have room for an iPad in an apple case/sleeve?

    Also I’d be interested in a review of bags that can fir just a dslr with zoom and an iPad and nothing else

    Shame all of the bags are pretty ugly though – apart from the last one but it’s a bit feminine

    • Bill

      I didn’t have an Apple case on the iPad I tested, but I think a standard Apple Case or sleeve should fit, although it might be a tight fit. If you’re concerned about fit for a specific sleeve or case, try your local camera dealer to see if they have it in stock. Lowepro is widely carried by most retailers and big box shops like Best Buy.

      • Stefan H.

        Loewpro sucks!

      • adam

        i don’t like lowepro either…

  • Christopher

    Based on my experience in the field, I’ve found that Naneu has been the most dependable brand available. Like you said, when you are not needing it for photography use per se, you can still use it as a general backpack. I like this additional versatility that is available when you remove the inserts inside. It is great for hiking and camping trips too. Plus, Naneu offers a lifetime guarantee on all their products. If something breaks or tears, they will replace it for you. I have used three different bags of theirs for the last four or five years, and have found myself more than pleased with my decision to purchase from Naneu. As of yet, I have not had to return any of my bags for any reason; and that is with very heavy use of them. I don’t mean to sound biased, but I strongly encourage you to go with Naneu’s bags. I think you will find yourself very happy with the results and products available in comparison to Lowepro and Tamarac and the such. By the way, if you’ve bought an iPad, I heard that Naneu is currently developing a special bag/case for it. Hope this helps you out Bill. Good luck in your decision!

  • Sara

    I agree with Christopher. Naneu Pro is the way to go!

  • Luis Reyes

    I used to use Tamarac bags up until about 2 or 3 years ago when I got a Sahara model from Naneu. I do not plan on ever going back to Tamarac or going with any other brand for that matter. Naneu has earned my loyalty with their beautiful designs, durability, and the lifetime guarantee they offer. Yes, they are expensive (any of the other brands are too), but they are worth it. It is truly a case of you get what you pay for! I strongly agree with the above 2 people Bill that Naneu is the best there is! Let us know what you end up choosing and how it turns out for you ok? :-)

  • http://meijie.info meijie

    good article, i will drop in visit your blog if i have times!

  • Sara

    Bill, we are all awaiting your reply as to what bag you chose…hope you made the smart decision and went with Naneu! =)

    • Bill

      I never thought my camera bag decision would be such a hot topic. :-)

      I’m going to get two bags, one for me and one form my wife. I’ve ordered the Lowepro Passport Sling for my wife because she liked the versatility of being able to use it as a day bag while traveling and also carry camera gear. I have not ordered my bag yet because I still have some time before my trip and I wanted to check out bags from Crumpler, Domke and Tenba to compare.

      I promise I’ll let you know what I finally get, but for now, I’ll be doing some more reviewing!

      • Sherry

        Bill,

        Lowepro bags are HORRIBLE! Big mistake. Your wife is not going to be as happy with that as she would be with Tenba or Naneu! I use bags from both and love them, though I’d have to give the edge to Naneu. Crumpler is all talk, no walk. Cool website, cool designs, NO functionality. Go for Naneu’s Sierra or Tango from Naneu, although the 115F isn’t a bad choice either.

      • Ed

        Talk about being a trendsetter: Naneu was the FIRST camera bag company to offer camera bags that did not look like camera bags for security reasons. Kudos to them! I think that is who I am going to choose.

      • Dominick

        Bill,

        Please don’t keep us waiting any longer! The suspense is killing me! Well, not really, but you get what I mean, right? I’m just really anticipating which company you chose to go with because I am currently looking at camera bags to buy right now too. I have narrowed down my search to Think Tank and Naneu, although it seems that most of the people on this site prefer Naneu overwhelmingly. I suppose I can’t go wrong with them. But seriously, hurry the hell up already Bill!

  • http://www.bbpbags.com Sean

    i emailed the folks at bbp bags and they let me know that they’re DSLR iPad bag will be a sling bag that fits a full size DSLR, spare lense, flash and iPad. will have some sort of strap to attach a tripod as well. i asked them for some pics, but no pics yet. can’t wait to see it.

  • Bill

    OK everyone….I wanted to give you an update on my camera bag choice. After reviewing about a dozen bags and listening to a ton of feedback from folks, I decided to get the Kata 3N1 – 22. There were two main reasons for my choice:

    1.) The bag has a perfect compartment for the iPad. The iPad fits snuggly in the slot and I could even put on a small case and still get it to fit.

    2.) I wanted a bag that was a sling design so I could quickly get into the bag without taking it off or needing to use two hands. The Kata’s flexible design was perfect for this. This is the first time I’ve owned a sling and I must say its great for anyone that’s constantly taking their camera in and out of a bag during a shoot. Perfect for touristy type trips.

    I used the bag for over two weeks trekking across Europe and loved the storage, flexibility and protection. This bag had everything I was looking for and has been a great purchase so far.

    Thanks to everyone that left comments and suggestions!

  • Sara

    Bill!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Why didn’t you choose Naneu?!?!?!? You are surely gonna regret it! =(

    • Bill

      I looked at Naneu bags but really wanted a quick sling type design. The Naneu messenger style bags looked great and seem to have a large fan base on the net but didn’t fit what I was looking for on this trip.

      • Sara

        Oh, Ok…that’s understandable Bill. I know everyone has personal preference. Naneu does have some sling bags though…I’ve never used one of their slings (I prefer backpacks), but I’ve seen them at trade shows and they look like they’d be quite useful and enjoyable to those who do like slings. =)

  • http://www.stylishdslrcamerabags.com adthenomad

    Naneu, Lowepro, Vanguard, Kata …IMO (from a women’s perspective) they are all quite boring and dull.

    I spend quite soem time reviewing stylish camera bags for women, but I found the best ipad + dslr camera bag is still the one from incase. if you have an ipad, you already like sleek, modern and minimal. incase i known for products that protect apple products, but this time they partnered with male photographer, Ari Marcopoulos to design the perfect slr bag.

    http://www.stylishdslrcamerabags.com/2010/12/ari-marcopoulos-camera-bag-by-incase/