A camera bag can carry a lot of stuff. It fits a camera and lenses, but also other things that may or may not be helpful for your photography. Sometimes, there’s too much stuff that seems to be essential at first, but isn’t used at all. How many things have you collected in your camera bag?

Depending on its size, a camera bag typically holds one or two cameras and a set of lenses. If you use flash for your photography, the content will also have a couple of flashes, light modifiers, and items that allow you to place a flash somewhere, perhaps even the Frio Hold system, which I reviewed recently here on Fstoppers.  

When camera bags are discussed, we often only mention the camera equipment inside. It’s about taking the necessary lenses with you and leaving the things you don’t need for that particular shoot at home. There is no reason to have a macro lens in your bag if you only shoot portraits, unless you macro lens doubles as a portrait lens, of course. Another example is a long telelens, which has no real use for portraits. On the other hand, leave a 50mm or 85mm lens at home if you’re going to shoot landscapes. A zoom lens will do nicely.

The lenses and cameras are often stored in the main compartment of a camera bag. However, most camera bags have a lot of additional pockets to store small items. These pockets can hold a lot of things, and it’s way too easy to fill them with all sorts of accessories that might or might not come in handy.

How many small items do you have in your camera bag? 

There are a few items that are wise to take with you. Put one or more spare batteries and some extra memory cards in your camera bag. After all, you don’t want to run out of power or storage space. If your lens needs a wipe, a microfiber lens cloth can save the day.

But is it really necessary to take a battery charger with you also? Or a card reader? Or a set of elastic bungee ball loops? Or a bunch of different types of USB cables? Over time, you might have gathered a lot of small items in the spare pockets of your camera bag, thinking they may come in handy someday.

Spare batteries. But how many, and are all these types necessary?

Some items may be added to your bag because you needed them a single time, while others are perhaps bought on a whim. It’s too easy to keep these things in the small pocket of your bag, even though you almost never use them. With a lot of small pockets, a lot of stuff will be added over time.

Do you have extra memory cards in your photo bag? 

Recently, I bought a new camera backpack for my travels. I needed a large bag that could carry some spare clothing and lunch as well. After I received the new bag, I emptied the old one completely. I was surprised how many accessories there were inside. Some I put in the bag because I thought they would be handy to have available if needed. The following accessories I found stored in my old camera bag, gathered through the years:

All kinds of small necessities that are sometimes used, and often not. How many do you have in your bag? 

Some of these things can be considered essential one way or another. I already mentioned spare batteries and memory cards. Other things in the list I do use on a regular basis, like the carabiner, flashlight, rain cover, safety reflective vest, and a nodal slide.

But the other things I rarely ever use, if ever. A cold shoe spirit level bubble is unnecessary because the camera now has a built-in horizon level. The Trigger Trap cannot be used anymore since my phone doesn’t have a 3.5mm plug. The angle finder is redundant due to a tilted LCD screen.

A small Miops trigger and a Trigger Trap. Both do the same thing, but you only need one. Although the Trigger Trap doesn't take much space, it's unnecessary to have it in you bag if you have the other one.

I removed a lot of accessories that once seemed to be essential but turned out to be redundant. Many camera bags have enough storage space to hold al these items without any problem, but they do take up space. And although most accessories don’t have a lot of weight, together, it all adds up.

You don't need that many cables. Take only the ones you need.

I’ve seen bags during my workshops and travels that were loaded with all sorts of accessories. Some were carrying a bag that weighed almost 20 kilograms and bulged on every side. I would advise everyone to take a good look at the things you have in your camera bag. Ask yourself if you really need the accessories you have in there. If you didn’t use something in the previous year, you probably never will.

Spare batteries. Do you need that many for one day of shooting?

Have you checked your camera bag lately? What kind of accessories do you carry with you when you go out photographing? Be honest, and ask yourself if you really need all those things.

Perhaps you would like to share which accessories you find essential for your photography, things you have available in your camera bag at all times. I’m looking forward reading about them in the comments below.

Nando Harmsen is a Dutch photographer that is specialized in wedding and landscape photography. With his roots in the analog photo age he gained an extensive knowledge about photography techniques and equipment, and shares this through his personal blog and many workshops.

Rule of thumb... The second I remove it from my bag, I'll need it the next day.

I recommend every goes on a few caravan holidays. You'll soon learn how to pack things in like a Tardis.

When I bought my new bag, I brought two bags of stuff to the dealer to try and squeeze in. He thought it impossible but I managed. Since then I've found space for an extra 2 lenses and 2 extra remote systems, along with space for another 16 AA batteries.

The author lives dangerously. Never needing a backup it seems. Only 4 camera batteries - I always take 8. I'll have 56 AA batteries, about 1TB of CF / SD cards, two cameras with grips, 24-70, 70-200, 35, 50, 16-35 lenses and a couple of speedlights with two sets of radio riggers and a spare. Extra lens caps, batteries for the main Sekonic 758 and a spare Sekonic 308, white balance cards, cables, a twin strap, a single strap, two speedlight diffusers, a set of contact lenses and solution plus spare glasses and reading glasses. A cable camera trigger, filter pullers, a couple of favourite filters and a TTL cable in case radios all fail me. The overly thick manual because I forget things and a rain cover for the camera. A couple of suitable tools in there and a few sets of ear plugs. A LensPen, a couple of cloths, a Hoodman LCD Loupe, a small ColourChecker and an ExpoDisk, (love that thing). I have a full set of gels for my speedlights - cut to size and ready to slot directly onto the lights (no adapters or tape needed). Oh and of course a MagLight torch and a carabiner. I even carry a set of internal button camera batteries - because heck, who knows...

Of course I need a small can of deodorant so clients won't hate me and a pair of gloves for long shoots because those lenses can dig in a bit, and if there is space (of course there is), a bag of chocolate raisins - clearly the most important thing

And then other random stuff - because, I needed it once.

All squeezes into a ThinkTank Airport shoulder bag (the one without the wheels that they sadly don't make anymore. That, and a tripod bag is me travelling light...

And if I fly, I'll hold all this at arm's length to prove it isn't too heavy. :) Works every time.

One day I'll discover the extra dimension I must be stuffing this stuff into. For now, I'm off to make up a mini roll of gaffa tape, that I know I can fit into the front pocket somewhere... :)

"I recommend every goes on a few caravan holidays. You'll soon learn how to pack things in like a Tardis."

I lived on a bicycle for a year and a half. Makes backpacking seem like a luxury. Makes a caravan look like a five-star hotel!

I got to travel even lighter, after someone stole my Praktika camera off my bike. This was in 1975.

lol Do you also take a spare car with you? Just in case. And a spare smartphone. Or a spare set of shoes? I would like to take you with me on my trips, since you have everything a photographer wishes and more,with redundancy. :)

I only own one pair of shoes anyway - but I do often squeeze a spare t-shirt in there, and have even managed a light pair of trousers, (after I tore a big hole in my trousers just before walking into No10 for an interview with the Prime Minister.)

To lighten my load a little, I put my manual on my phone and strips of gaffers tape across the back of my bag. I had a seperate bag just for all my lighting stuff except the actual flashes. Now, even a Canon 5Dmklll/70-200 f/2.8 is too heavy for me, even without a grip!

I roll some gaffa around a pencil - to about 1/2 thick in total. And cut the pencil to width. (Those free ones from Ikea are perfect). Usually enough for any little bits and pieces I'd need it for.

Good idea about the manual on your phone. I may try that.

The problem is the singular bag.

I have three bags of different sizes. All of that stuff belongs in the big bag — which is actually not a "bag," but a lovely glass-door china cabinet, so I can see all my camera stuff.

When going on a trip, I pull things out of the china cabinet that I think I'll need, and they all go in the Lowe Pro AW backpack.

But I only carry that in the car or plane. The stuff I'll need for the day comes out of there and goes in the Lowe Pro Orion II AW waist bag.

Problem solved! I almost NEVER have a lot of extra stuff in my "day bag," and only have essential extra stuff in my "trip bag."

That's a nice cabinet. :) Wish I had one at home

Today I could have used an emergency umbrella, got caught in a thunderstorm with drenching rain. Oops. I did check the weather, as always, before heading out. They were wrong, so very wrong. lol.

You should also check the wind velocity when using the emergency umbrella. Just in case

Finally stopped using Hoodman loops. Had several of them but just easier to review images in viewfinder on mirrorless cameras.

I had one photographer during my workshop who still uses such a thing. Works quite nice, but you need a lot of resolution to make it work, I think

One day I'll go mirrorless and I'll not need mine. (And that will leave a space for another piece of kit - ha).

Pack everything possible as long as it doesn't apply pressure/stress to your camera and lenses in the main compartment. I wish there were affordable camera bags that contained an internal main compartment for the camera and lenses that was a hard case. For example a bag where multiple pockets and pouches were the standard soft paddles stuff, but the middle compartment being essentially a hard pelican case.

You can buy semi-hard cases (ICU) for bags like Shimoda or F-stop. And other brands perhaps also. You could get one of those and use it any bag you like.

Categorize. Smallish bag for the highly immediate stuff, a separate one for your 'might need' things. Or split out even further--a bag for just chargers and cables

I used to do exactly that. But I ended up carrying two bags everywhere because "just in case" things are usually needed in a hurry when there is a problem.

Now with less bags, I move faster on corporate jobs and I don't need a trolly.

I'll be doing a corporate job next month where I will need to travel on our congested London Underground train system - but I'll only need my main bag and a tripod bag with an extra light stand in it. In my multi-bag days, I'd had had a trolly with a couple or 3 bags.

I seem to be constantly aiming to reduce my bag count for speedy workflow without risking anything. The last architecture job I did required 3 trips to the car to unload. Now I figure I can do it in one. But every cubic inch counts when packing a bag.

Now... when it comes to the larger jobs... that's a whole different story... :) Kitchen sink et al.