As a professional photographer I’ve tried more bags than I care to admit, and finding the best camera bag for Fujifilm photographers has been like searching for the Holy Grail. It’s tricky to get the right balance between comfortably packing multiple bodies, lenses, batteries, and all those other must-have accessories, being comfortable to carry, easy to access, and reliable in heavy use, and not looking too much like a camera bag to potential thieves.

Because I use the discrete Fujifilm X-series cameras I find that smaller bags offer more utility than they do for those with larger full-frame cameras, giving me even more options to choose from. But after years of trial and error here’s the lowdown on two of the best camera bags for Fujifilm users – in my experience anyway: the Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive and the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L. And as a cheeky Brucey bonus we’ll take a look at my favourite bag for more low-profile or casual use, the Think Tank Retrospective 7.

These two bags have become essential to my Fujifilm setup. The Think Tank is my trusty workhorse, spacious and adaptable enough to haul pretty much all my Fujifilm cameras and lenses to the shoot, as well as a ton of accessories; while the Peak Design Sling is my lightweight, on-the-go companion once the shoot starts, keeping my essential lenses and tools within reach.

Today I’ll walk you through why I think these camera bags are perfect for Fujifilm photographers, but first here’s a handy link to them on my Kit.co profile where you can find links to various retailers:

Think Tank Street Walker Hard Drive

If you want a backpack rather than a rolling bag, and need it to accommodate a laptop too, the Think Tank Streetwalker Hard Drive is the one for you. Think Tank make well designed functional camera bags and this beauty can put just about everything I might need comfortably on my back. The Street Walker model comes in a couple of variations so always check which one you’re ordering. I’ve got the Hard Drive version which includes a slot at the back for a laptop; if you don’t need that just get the regular Streetwalker model.

Also, I have the V1 – the V2 has some usability nice improvements including a more user-friendly way to attach stands. But after ten years the V1 is still in almost perfect condition, even the strap stitching’s still going strong, touch wood…

What Fujifilm gear can you fit in the Street Walker Hard Drive?

Different shoots call for different kit, so there’s a few different ‘load outs’ I might use with this bag. Here’s the most I’ve ever packed in and still been just about comfortable lugging it into London on the train:

  • two capped Fujifilm X-T5 bodies
  • Fujifilm 8-16mm f/2.8
  • Fujifilm 16-55mm f/2.8
  • Fujifilm 50-140mm f/2.8
  • two Godox flashes and a Godox trigger
  • a handheld Boling P1 LED light
  • Rocket blower tool
  • two Spider Holster clips
  • 14″ MacBook Pro & charger
  • Anker power bank
  • Bits & pieces – ear plugs, velcro straps, lens cloths, memory cards, pens, small screwdriver kit, various USB cables
  • And last but not least, the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L ALSO FITS INSIDE. Seriously! And it’s loaded with:
    • Fujifilm 16mm
    • Fujifilm 23mm
    • Fujifilm 35mm
    • Fujifilm 56mm
    • Fujifilm 90mm*
    • Four Fujifilm NP-W235 batteries
    • Prism and convex lens
    • Peak Design wrist strap
    • Lens cloth and ‘Lens Pen’ cleaning tool

Yes, I can fit all that kit AND the loaded Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L into the bag. Of course I rarely need to take all of that – it’s rare I need the laptop except for headshots or when I’m going away overnight. And often for events I’ll take either my prime kit or my zoom kit. I only take both for conferences where I might use the zooms for keynote coverage and the smaller primes for candid networking coverage.

* By the way I would pretty much never need to take the 50-140mm zoom and the 90mm prime, but there’s space in there for both if need be.

When it’s fully loaded like this it is heavy, obviously. But as a 184cm tall and relatively strong man I find it wearable enough for basic commuting. If you’re driving to the shoot even better! Take out the laptop and it’s much more wearable; drop a few more lenses and you’re laughing.

It even fits as a carry-on bag on an international flight, or at least it did at the time of writing so do double check as certain airlines have been shrinking the carry-on limits annually.

How to pack Fujifilm gear in the Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive

I’ll try to remember to snap a picture of it fully loaded but I keep the layout inside the Streetwalker Hard Drive bag pretty standard. The default configuration of dividers creates a long central space designed to house a camera body at the top with a long zoom lens attached pointing down – the traditional layout that you’ll see in all the marketing pictures. Then there’s adjustable compartments on either side of that central slot, using Velcro dividers that attach to each other and to the soft, thick padded sidewalls.

I use the central slot for my Peak Design Sling bag, loaded with my four key prime lenses. Then either side of that I have compartments for my two Fujifilm X-T5 bodies without lens (body cap on, obviously). Just above one of those bodies there’s a space I slot the 16-55mm lens. Below the bodies on one side is a long space to stash two flashes and a trigger. On the other side in the same space I keep the 50-140mm lens. In a central compartment below the Everyday Sling, at the bottom of the bag, I keep the 8-16mm lens.

I can even strap a tripod or stands to the outside using dedicated straps and loops; I tend to carry these in a dedicated bag if I’ll need them – for example for corporate headshot sessions –  but it’s good to know I could strap them onto the StreetWalker if I needed to.

Pockets galore in the Think Tank Streetwalker Hard Drive

The bag opens by placing it on the floor back-side down, then unzipping the top (or the side that faces out behind you when wearing it) on three sides. Inside that front flap there’s two large transparent zippered pockets; I use the top one to keep my Spider holster clips, and the bottom one for cables and small tools. When the bag is closed these pockets sit against the gear packed into the main compartment so you don’t want anything too bulky in them.

There’s two more big pockets on the outside of the main flap, which is where I keep my spare memory cards, lens cloths, velcro straps, Anker power bank, and other bits and pieces. The top of these two pockets also has plenty of subdivisions inside shaped for business cards and pens, plus a fabric loop you can attach something to (I attach my memory card wallet so it can never fall out and get lost), and a zippered mesh pocket I keep bits and bobs like paracetamol and a few packets of disposable ear plugs (for loud parties).

There’s also open-topped elasticated pockets on each side of the exterior that are useful for a water bottle, as well as a zippered pocket next to each one (OMG SO MANY POCKETS). I keep a regular tie and a bow tie in one zippered pocket, and a bunch of disposable face masks in the other. Just in case!

The laptop slot is at the ‘bottom’ of the bag when it’s on the floor, or between the main compartment and your back when you’re wearing it. It’s accessible primarily by a top-to-bottom zipper on the side. I keep a couple of reusable plastic shopping bags in there all the time, you never know when they’ll come in handy – not least if you stop off for groceries on the way home.

And that’s why I recommend the Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive for Fujifilm photographers

This bag is a beast, and my heartiest recommendation for Fujifilm photographers that want a flexible, high capacity backpack for Fujifilm that can easily fit a professional laptop too. If you’ll never need the laptop you could just go for the regular Street Walker model.

These days you’ll be looking at the V2 model of the Streetwalker Hard Drive – I’ve got the V1. The second version has a few quality of life upgrades but the core design is the same. However this bag is tough as nails – the V1 has been my daily driver for a decade now and still no signs I’ll need to replace it any time soon.

If roller bags are more your speed then Think Tank have plenty of those too. They tend to be a bit boxier and bulkier so you can fit a bit more in. Personally I find them a real drag to navigate public transport with, no pun intended!

Peak Design 6L Everyday Sling

The search for the perfect bag to carry lenses and other bits and pieces on a shoot can seem never ending, but I finally found THE perfect bag – for me, anyway. It’s the Peak Design 6L Everyday Sling. It used to be the 5L Everyday Sling until the zip broke and Peak Design literally just sent me a brand new one – but I needed it before it arrived so I bought a new one upfront and kept the replacement as a spare. At that time only the newer 6L was available, and I much prefer it!

Inside it’s typically divided into three compartments using the provided dividers, but the two compartments on either side of the central one can be further split into two smaller compartments using the folding ‘shelf’ on the dividers. Those two smaller compartments are big enough to hold a smaller Fuji lens without a hood attached, such as the 16mm, the 23mm, the 33mm, or even the 56mm (it’s tight but doable). I don’t use hoods on any of my lenses so that’s perfect for me.

There’s also small pockets on either side inside, perhaps for business cards, a flat space at the back of the interior you could keep a few flat objects (I sometimes fold printed running orders and slip them in there), a zip pocket inside the main opening that has stitched compartments for four batteries, and another zipped pocket on the front exterior that I use for lens cloths and other small bits and pieces. Finally, there’s an element stitched to the outside that’s designed to attach the Peak Design quick release plate, although I don’t use that myself.

What can you fit in the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L?

When I’m shooting event photography with my prime lens kit I’ll have a lens on each of my two X-T5s, and I can fit everything else I need in the Peak Design Everyday Sling 6L. Let’s suppose I’ve got the 23mm and the 56mm attached, here’s what’s in the bag:

  • Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4
  • Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4
  • Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 (usually in the middle slot)
  • four spare batters
  • lens cloths and lens brush
  • spare allen keys to adjust spider holster clips
  • Peak Design wrist strap in case I need to use the camera over a ledge (to prevent drops)

But here’s the really awesome thing, I could easily squeeze another lens in there if I wanted. I could get the 16mm and the 33mm into the two smaller compartments on one side, then the 8-16 in the middle, and the 56mm in the right hand compartment. There’s space on top of the 56mm to just about squeeze the divider down and maybe fit something on top but then it starts getting really fiddly getting to the bottom lenses.

Or if I was shooting all pro zooms for a conference I might have the 16-55mm and the 50-140mm attached, and just the 8-16mm in the bag. What to do if I swap the 50-140mm off a camera, though? Well get this: that lens ALSO FITS IN THIS BAG! It goes easily into the middle compartment, without a hood attached at least.

When I’m packing my bag for a shoot I actually load all my primes into the bag (so for example 23 and 33 in the left side, 56 in the middle, 16 on the right) and then drop the bag itself into the central compartment of my Street Walker backpack, and then I can put any additional lenses I want to take elsewhere in the backpack.

What about with a much lighter kit?

You could just about get away with this bag as your day bag for a bit of lowkey street photography with the X100VI. The camera would easily fit in one one the main compartments with space in the others for a water bottle, say, or some snacks, accessories, whatever you like.

If you’re a keen X100VI user I’ve got a post over here about the essential accessories for your X100VI, with a few more Peak Design goodies in there.

Think Tank Retrospective 7

This shoulder bag in a soft but hardwearing fabric is a beauty – kind of a modern classic in its own way. I think every Fujifilm photographer should check this one out whether they’re a professional or a hobbyist. For me it’s always been an everyday casual use bag, that I use more often for just toting stuff around than carrying camera kit. But it’s also the one I take for low-key engagement session, aka couple portraits sessions, where I only really need one camera and a couple of lenses, and don’t want to look too much like a ‘pro photographer’.

I have the V1 and I’ve had it so long (over a decade?) that the rear bottom corners have almost worn away. The Retrospective 7 V2 has a few changes and improvements. Firstly it’s a little lighter than the original. And it moves its laptop pocket from the rear outside to the inside. Plus it adds a piece of fabric on the back that allows you to attach it to the extendable handle of a roller bag. Not something I’d ever use but handy I suppose.

What makes the Retrospective 7 such a good bag for Fujifilm cameras?

It’s an almost perfect balance between capacity and convenience. All of Fujifilm’s cameras are the perfect size to fit inside with a lens attached or not, with plenty of space left over to include a few spare lenses. There’s Velcro dividers to adapt it to any kit combination you need. And although it’s made of a pliable fabric it’s just the right size to keep some structural stability when it’s got lots of smaller bits and pieces in – unlike its much larger sibling, the Retrospective 30.

Plus for the size there’s pockets galore – some inside the main compartment, others around the outside. There’s space to tuck away everything from batteries and memory cards to power packs and snacks, even space for a small water bottle on the side. In the main compartment there’s space especially for a tablet and a 13″ laptop – although on the V1 at least I can just about squeeze the 14″ MacBook Pro in there and get the zip round.

Perhaps best of all is how unlike a typical camera bag it looks – so much so that like I say I don’t often use it as a camera bag any more, it’s so adaptable and nice to carry. Although it’s made of fabric it’s thick enough to handle a downpour, and there’s a pull-over ‘lid’ inside to give the main compartment a bit more protection, plus a pack-away plastic rain cover if it’s really tipping down. I don’t even know where mine is, never used it.

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