Review: Amazon.com AmazonBasics Backpack

I've tried many different styles of camera cases over the years, and I know what I like.  Maybe it's a personality thing, but I tend to prefer the style of case that lays flat and features adjustable dividers.  Other styles like the top-loading variety tend to frustrate me more than help me when I'm on a video shoot.  And the thrifty side of me wants a well-designed, versatile case that opens up and lays all my gear out for easy picking.  The AmazonBasics camera backpack is a pretty good choice for the thrifty lenser on the go.

There's three attributes that immediately jump out at me about this bag -- it feels well-constructed, it is thoughtfully and intelligently designed, and it's tiny.  Yes, it's a very small backpack.  For someone like me with -- shall we say -- ample carriage, this backpack looks like a fanny-pack on my back.  That said, it packs a lot of stuff and is a breeze to carry with me all the time.

The pack zips open and lays flat, and features a good selection of velcro dividers, allowing you to customize the layout of your gear and keep it protected.  With the size of video and photo gear shrinking more and more all the time, you'll find room for your camera, memory cards, power and data cords, plus plenty of other accessories.  If you're a Flip-style camera fan, you could pack enough cameras in this bag to cover an NFL football game!  There's two zippered pouches inside that are clear mesh for easy reference of stored goods.

Turning to the outside, there's a handy tripod mount on one side, pouch pockets on both sides, a couple deeper zippered pockets and a bungee corded tether on the outside to stuff even more stuff.  On the back of the pack and the shoulder straps, you'll find nice gel cushioning which makes this pack comfortable to wear.  The straps are adjustable far enough to allow someone like me to carry it, but the straps that buckle around the waist are a tad short for the pudgy shooters like myself.  I'll likely either tie these off or just outright clip them off as they do me little good.  Most of the time, I just find myself carrying it around by the handle at the top.

The construction quality is great, especially for a pack under $40.  I was amazed how much I could pack into this bag, but be aware that the backpack is a little shallow if you're intending to tote longer items like a 300mm camera lens.  You may have to lay those items in sideways instead of top down.  The interior dividers are a little more "cushy" than the sidewalls, so bare that in mind if you're toting sensitive, delicate items.  On the whole, I feel this is a bag that can take a moderate amount of abuse and keep the contents nicely shielded.  Don't go dropping it down the stairs or anything, but the occasion bump and jostle from everyday transport shouldn't be a problem.

If you're an organizational freak who wants a well-made and well-designed camera bag that's just as easy to carry to a shoot as it is to carry on a hike, this may be the bag for you.  It's a great entry-level bag, or an affordable camera bag for your all-purpose social multimedia pro.  It's made for Amazon and comes in their "frustration-free packaging," which essentially means it comes in a plain brown box without tags, twist ties or extraneous packaging.  It's a great value and a case I feel I can count on for years to come.