Photographers are constantly updating their gear, from camera bodies, lenses, memory cards, filters, and more.
When traveling with several pieces of photography tools, it becomes crucial that you conveniently carry everything in one single bag ready to go.
Believe it or not, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a new camera backpack; here is our guide to finding the best budget camera backpack.
When coming up with our picks, we considered the following as vital factors:
- The ability to pack at least one DSLR/mirrorless body and at least two lenses (one medium telephoto and one wide angle).
- At least a couple of slots for carrying accessories such as a flash and a set of ND filters.
- Under $75.
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1. Accessory Power USA Gear S17 DSLR Camera Backpack
Loaded with features typically seen on more expensive camera backpacks.
Packing for a trip is stressful enough without having to consider how to pack photography gear. Thankfully, the Accessory Power USA Gear S17 is designed with travel photographers in mind! This backpack really has boiled everything down, so travelers have easy access to their gear and don’t have to sweat too much about the best packing configurations!
This nifty budget backpack holds plenty of features you would expect in much more expensive options, such as a design that ensures accessing your gear is easy and convenient. You don’t have to unzip the main pouch all the way to reach your camera. Just unzip the top pouch, and your camera and lens are easily within your grasp!
If backpack mode doesn’t work for you, the Accessory Power USA Gear S17 DSLR Camera Backpack can be used as a sling bag instead, which makes it far easier to access your photography gear. This customization continues inside the backpack, with each compartment being fully modular to meet your needs.
There are dedicated pouches to store lenses and accessories as well. You can even carry a 15.6″ laptop inside the backpack! Plus, you can slide in a tripod in the dedicated holder – it’s as if they thought of everything! Caught in the rain? No problem, a rain cover is also provided.
This is definitely one of the most versatile budget camera backpacks you can take on all of your adventures.
2. Vivitar DKS-18 Photo / SLR / Laptop Sling Backpack
Similar in features to the USA Gear bag above, this option has nice comfortable padded straps.
The Vivitar DKS-18 Photo / SLR / Laptop Sling Backpack is a neat design. This backpack is so versatile that it can serve as a regular backpack if you are going out for the day. You can use it as your go-to backpack for a weekend outdoor hiking trip. But, when you need to add in your camera gear, you can just throw all the inserts back in and be ready to rock and roll!
Despite its inconspicuous size, this backpack is actually much larger than it appears. The backpack can accommodate up to a 14″ laptop and a full-sized DSLR with multiple lenses. Some smaller storage pockets ensure easy access to cables, chargers, filters, and any other accessory you may find yourself needing.
Designed with the adventure photographer in mind, the soft cushioned padding provides comfortable wear for long durations, and the chest straps ensure no swaying when worn as a backpack. A rain cover comes with the bag for protection against bad weather, another added bonus!
3. BAGSMART Camera Backpack
Built with function in mind, this under $40 bag is an excellent choice for traveling photographers.
If you’re looking for a backpack with one purpose in mind, look no further than the BAGSMART Camera Backpack. This is definitely a more affordable option that packs everything you could possibly want in a camera backpack (and the design isn’t too shabby either)!
Rightfully titled as ‘smart’, you can certainly see the care put into its design. All of your essential camera, drone, or video equipment sits in the primary compartment with removable inserts so that you can organize it however you want. However, there is a designated spot for your camera and a lens to sit so that you can have easy side access to your gear. This design means you don’t have to completely unzip your backpack every time you need to grab your camera. You can easily swing the camera backpack over to your front and grab what you need with ease!
There is a padded slot for a 13.3″ laptop (or tablet) as well as a designated tripod pocket. What’s neat about these two facets having designated pockets is that nothing has to free hang and depend on straps!
For travelers, there is even a backstrap that is intended to easily slide over the handles of a suitcase or roller bag!
4. BPAULL DSLR Camera Bag
With plenty of nifty features for all of your jungle adventures, this backpack is a great option for quite inexpensive!
If you’re looking for style and function, the BPAULL DSLR Camera Bag happens to have both! Sleek and geometric, this camera bag looks just as good as it feels. Sewn with a sturdy material that still leaves plenty of airflow in the back (to prevent a sweaty back, no one likes that!), the BPAULL DSLR Camera Bag tries to make lugging your gear as enjoyable as possible.
Featuring a slew of organizational tools, alongside the standard camera insert (which is removable), there are plenty of pockets for all of your little accessories. If you remove one side of the inserts, you can even have a DSLR with a 70-200mm F/2.8 telephoto lens on one side and your clothes and toiletries on the other side with ease!
Some of the nifty features that the BPAULL DSLR Camera Bag has, include safety straps (to ensure your backpack doesn’t accidentally open and spill everything out), an outside pocket for a water bottle, a 12″ laptop sleeve, and a rubber bottom to ensure it doesn’t slip and slide if you set the bag down.
5. TARION Camera Backpack
If you have a lot you need to bring into the city, this backpack is here to make that happen.
Berlin-based company TARION has a goal in mind to create professional camera accessories for the modern age, and thus comes forth the TARION Camera Backpack! Able to hold up to one camera, six lenses, and an external flash, this large backpack has plenty of room for any of the gear you may need to bring with you. At under $40, this backpack is practically a steal!
Built to be lightweight, the TARION Camera Backpack makes it easy to take out into the wilds of the city, not adding excessive weight to your already heavy gear. With mesh pockets and a laptop/tablet sleeve, you can keep all of your required items well kept and organized.
What makes this backpack even more fun are the various color choices – you are no longer stuck with just plain black! The TARION Camera Backpack comes in black, blue, gray, pink, and green.
6. Endurax Canvas Camera Backpack
A feature-packed, functional option with style to boot!
Meant to endure whatever you may throw at it, the Endurax Canvas Camera Backpack is arguably one of the nicer looking camera bags on our list – at a surprisingly low price! Camera backpacks don’t need to look like traditional black polyester blobs, this neat and organized canvas fabric brings a much cooler aesthetic to your overall look.
This backpack is a bit on the heavier side, weighing in at 3 lbs. However, the many features of the Endurax Canvas Camera Backpack make the extra weight insignificant!
The bottom half of the backpack is a camera compartment with modular, sturdy dividers, with the top half free for anything else you need to bring along. The entire backpack is filled with many pockets and compartments for all of your accessory needs and has a padded section for an up to 15.6″ laptop.
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A hidden door allows easy access to your camera gear, with mesh pockets on either side granting you the ability to carry a water bottle, umbrella, tripod, or more with ease. The backpack itself stays a sturdy square shape and won’t bend or shift with whatever is inside of it.
The double zipper lets you place a lock through them for extra security, while the canvas fabric offers sturdy protection for your valuables inside. The top of the backpack is a drawstring that can stretch up to 22% additionally to allow much more room. There is even a convenient little sunglasses hook!
7. Neewer Camera Case Waterproof Shockproof Backpack
If gear safety is your top priority, this bag is waterproof and shockproof!
Protecting our gear is a pretty big concern when deciding upon a backpack, so Neewer decided to make the choice much easier with the Neewer Camera Case Waterproof Shockproof Backpack.
This backpack is everything you would want out of a camera bag whose sole purpose is to keep your gear intact. Often used as storage for camera gear even when not taking out, this bag is unique on our list because it is a hard case. This camera bag will not lose its shape no matter what you put inside.
All the compartments are specially made for camera gear, but can also be moved around to configure in whatever method works the best for you. The multiple mesh pockets make great organizational tools for batteries, cards, cables, and more. The snazzy bright red interior makes for an eye-catching bag, something a bit different from the rest! This is also one of the larger bags on our list, with dimensions sitting at 15.9 x 12.5 x 5.9 inches.
8. eCost Deluxe Camera/Video Padded Backpack
Although this bag doesn’t have anything particularly special in it, the $22.99 price tag is worthy of attention!
If cost is a factor, the cheapest option on our list is the eCost Deluxe Camera/Video Padded Backpack, coming in at only $22.99! It doesn’t get lower than this!
This bag is fully padded, comes packed with seven removable inserts, and features two mesh pockets on the outside. There isn’t really anything particularly special about this bag other than the price, but it is nicely padded to keep your gear safe and secure. If you’re looking for a quick fix to a lack-of-a-backpack problem, this would be your solution!
That being said, this bag is quite shallow, so it is intended primarily for mirrorless camera systems or smaller DSLR cameras.
9. GOgroove Full-Size DSLR Photography Backpack
The many colors and prints that this backpack comes in allows photographers to really express their unique individual styles.
For another super stylish option at a good price, the GOgroove Full-Size DSLR Photography Backpack will definitely turn heads! With its beautiful selection of colors and prints (black, green, galaxy print, grey, red, tan, and tropical) you can really express your unique style as an individual.
The backpack itself is extremely similar to the Endurax Canvas Camera Backpack both in ergonomics, build, and design, but does come at a higher price. This is because it is actually a more compact size (but holds the same amount) and comes with a fantastic three-year warranty! Warranties on budget camera backpacks can be quite hard to find, so this is a massive-added bonus.
The straps themselves are unique as well, fully customizable in both length and style. You can turn this backpack into a sling if that’s more comfortable for you, or use the waist straps to help with weight distribution if you have the bag packed to the brim.
10. S-ZONE Water-Repellent Canvas Camera Backpack
If you want it all and still have it for under $75, this is the ultimate backpack choice.
At the very top of the budget sits the S-ZONE Water-Repellent Canvas Camera Backpack, intended for those that want the best of the best in the best budget camera backpack category! Sitting at a little under $70, this is an expensive bag, but well worth every dollar spent.
If multiple pockets make you drool, then the S-ZONE Water-Repellent Canvas Camera Backpack is an organizer’s dream with a slew of pockets to utilize. The front pockets make it easy to plop in your cell phone, wallet, and other such necessary items, with interior and side pockets helping you organize everything else needed on your travels. The interior camera pocket is huge and comfortable, with a side door for easy access. The top compartment holds your non-photography belongings such as clothing or an extra pair of shoes while the bottom half is all photography-oriented.
To prevent sweaty backs, the backside of the camera backpack is made up of ventilated padding that you can physically see and feel – a great touch. The material the backpack is made of is water-repellent, so you can explore waterfalls without fear. The actual aesthetic of the bag is very Indiana Jones-like, a nice tan canvas color. The bottom straps hold the tripod, and you are all set on your escapades!
What Budget Camera Backpack is Right for You?
Consumers win when they realize there are many budget options that could work great! You don’t need to spend a fortune on an excellent camera backpack. Our overall favorite, thanks to both its slew of features and physical appeal, is the Endurax Canvas Camera Backpack (even better at under $40!). A great additional choice is the GOgroove Full-Size DSLR Photography Backpack, which is very comparable to the Endurax version. For the best of the best, but also at a premium price (relative to our list), is the S-ZONE Water-Repellent Canvas Camera Backpack, helping protect your gear through the wildest adventures.
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