Bag the best

6 messengers tested

Billingham Hadley One

From £249/$399 www.billingham.co.uk

Billingham makes a lot of camera bags, but the Hadley One’s standout feature is a 13-inch laptop slot behind the main compartment. It’s a practically sized bag without being unwieldy, although you only get a half-width padded insert included. The insert provided will swallow a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, plus an ungripped full-frame body with a 50mm lens attached. Two large front pockets, meanwhile, are ideal for keeping lenses reachable during a shoot. These look low-tech with pressstud closure, but the gusseted sides mean they can expand to hold more equipment than you might expect.

But the real reasons you buy a Hadley One are its supreme quality and a timeless style that’ll suit any occasion. The smell of the leather straps and the reinforcing trim is worth the money alone, while the rugged canvas outer material and domed flap shrug off abuse and heavy rain.

The Billingham Hadley Pro might look a little old-fashioned – and it’s certainly expensive – but it’s durable, versatile and convenient to use.

PROS Stunning material and quality; spacious, classy design; lots of colour options

CONS Fiddly flap fasteners; just a single half‑size insert included; expensive

Gitzo Century Traveler Camera Messenger

From £179/$140 www.gitzo.com

Gitzo is best-known for its prestigious tripods, but you can also get Gitzobranded camera bags, which are altogether more reasonably priced. These are split into two ranges: Gitzo Adventure backpacks and the Gitzo Century Traveler bags.

The Century Traveler comes in two sizes. There is a smaller ‘compact’ model designed to hold a tablet, but our review sample is the larger version with a laptop compartment. This bag features locking side-pocket zippers and a clever Fidlock fastener, which latches and releases the main flap. The flap has an easy-access slot on top, under which is a compact but practical main compartment that’ll fit a Nikon D850 with a small attached lens, plus a few more optics alongside.

Behind this is a svelte suede-lined 13-inch laptop pouch, although the two end pockets won’t fit much other than the included rain cover. However, there is a neat tripod pouch in the base to hold a Gitzo Traveler series 0 or 1 tripod. Build and material quality are very good, with leather trim and premium hardware.

PROS Packed with features; well‑made; contains a built‑in tripod pouch

CONS Effective, but not exactly stylish; end pockets aren’t as big as they could be

Manfrotto Noreg Messenger-30

From £109/$150 www.manfrotto.com

Manfrotto makes a wide range of camera bags, but its Noreg bags are distinctly different. There is also a Noreg backpack, but it’s the messenger bag we review here. The Noreg Messenger-30 is no ordinary camera bag: its modular, detachable components mean it can be turned into your work bag or overnight bag, too.

It’s a regular shoulder bag with a removable padded camera insert that has its own shoulder strap, giving you a smaller photography bag for quick photo expeditions. There is also a removable padded 15-inch laptop sleeve on the back that you can unzip and take in to meetings.

This means that if you just need an overnight travel bag, for example, you can take off the laptop sleeve, remove the camera insert and stuff in all the clothes and other bits you need. The Noreg Messenger-30 also has straps for carrying a tripod, as well as a pull-out raincover. It is, however, only available in a dramatic camouflagestyle finish with crossed webbing straps over the front, which might not be to everyone’s taste.

PROS Four‑in‑one solution; pull‑out rain cover; swallows a 15in laptop; good value for money

CONS Only available in camo look; the laptop sleeve can be a little awkward to fit

Peak Design Everyday Messenger 13 V2

From £209/$220 www.peakdesign.com

The Peak Design Everyday Messenger has become an icon in the world of camera messenger bag design. It looks as smart as a briefcase, but it packs in as much camera gear as any regular shoulder bag. For those with larger laptops, there is a 15-inch Messenger 15 model.

This V2 bag is a little different to the V1, with more rounded corners on the lid (a good thing, as the corners on the old one tended to bend) and a smaller, simpler front pocket for stationery, disk drives and other bits of office equipment.

There are so many clever design touches that it’s hard to take them all in straight away.

The materials feel firm and durable, and the Everyday Messenger keeps its shape much better than many rivals on test.

It does have a couple of features and quirks that might not suit everyone. The main compartment is covered only by the lid – there’s no zipper – while the internal Flexfold dividers, clever as they are, seem designed for larger cameras and lenses, so smaller items may rattle around.

PROS Has a surprisingly high capacity; lots of pockets and cubbyholes to store bits and pieces

CONS The lid is the only main closure, with no zip for security; smaller items can rattle around

Tenba Skyline 13

From £59/$60 www.tenba.com

Tenba makes a range of different shoulder bags for a variety of tastes and occasions, including the textured black Cooper range, the more urban DNA bags and the Skyline ‘top-loader’ bags. This slick and upgraded Skyline 13 is a terrific messenger bag for zipping around a city with your camera gear in tow. It’s capable of holding a mirrorless or DSLR camera with between three and five lenses, and can also hold a 13-inch laptop in its dedicated pocket. All this gear inside the bag will also remain protected from the weather thanks to the tough, water-repellent fabric, and there are tons of useful extra features, like a carry-handle and extra zipped compartments.

You get to your gear via a lid that opens away from you, so you get better access to items in the bag. If the 13-inch version is bigger than you need, there is a smaller Skyline 10 without the laptop sleeve. The interior dividers are customizable – but only up to a point, with limited surfaces for hook-and-loop fasteners to cling to, which is a shame; but this is still a great, stylish bag.

PROS Durable, weatherproof construction; good price; great access to gear

CONS The limited internal customization restricts your storage options

Vanguard Veo Range 36M/38M

From £74/$100 www.vanguardworld.com

The Veo Range 36M/38M bags are light, practical and affordable shoulder bags with some neat touches. They can take a laptop and a good quantity of kit without feeling overstuffed. It’s great that the bag design enables you to put a tripod in the base and not have to strap it to the outside – although it’s going to have to be a pretty small tripod when it’s folded down in order to fit.

The Veo Range 36M (Uk-only) would be ideal for a mirrorless camera system (although it will take a DSLR too), while the 38M (UK and US) would be better for a DSLR system and a slightly longer travel tripod (up to 41cm folded length).

There are two zippers in the top: one to offer access to the main compartment and another acting as a storage pocket, which extends forward and down into the front flap of the lid. You could use this for a phone, cables, documents or all sorts of other everyday items. There’s also a zippered document sleeve in the back and a pocket in the front for memory cards, so you’re not short on storage options or versatility.

PROS Integrated tripod compartment; it carries a lot without deforming

CONS Only relatively small tripods will fit into the base; noisy hook‑and‑loop fasteners