If you want to find out the best Nikon camera bag to carry your kit in, we've put together a list of our favorites. We've included some of the best camera bags and cases and the best camera backpacks to help you make the right decision. Regardless of whether you're a street photographer, a lover of landscapes or a fan of portraiture, there's bound to be a bag here to suit your needs.
Nikon cameras come in all shapes and sizes and have a huge variety of uses. From the compact, easy-to-use Coolpix cameras to medium-sized bridge cameras all the way up to big, professional DSLRs and mirrorless systems. While some of these bags are just about big enough to fit in your camera, others have enough space for all your Nikon lenses, flashguns, ND filters and some even have tripod attachments! The best bag for you will depend on how long you need to carry it for, how much kit you need to have on you, how accessible it needs to be and what conditions you'll be using it. You'll also need to think about whether you want space for non-camera-related equipment such as a raincoat, water bottle, wallet and keys or if you're strictly after compartments for camera gear.
If you have a weightier DSLR outfit with numerous lenses, and maybe a backup body and multiple flashguns, camera backpacks tend to be a better solution. These enable you to spread the load across both shoulders, as well as your back and your pelvis, making carrying your kit much less of a strain.
Yet another option is to go for a split camera/daypack. These backpacks have two separate compartments, typically with a lower section for stowing camera gear, and an upper compartment for daily essentials.
No matter which style you prefer – or what budget you have to spend – we've found all the best Nikon camera bags on the market right now, below...
Best Nikon camera bag in 2024
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One of Lowepro’s bigger backpacks, the Lowepro ProTactic 450 AW can hold one or two pro-grade Nikon DSLRs and up to eight additional lenses or other accessories, so you don’t need to leave anything behind that you might need on a shoot. It’s equally suitable for hiking into the hills, touring the city, or just about anything else. Access to kit is quick and easy, thanks to four separate access points on the top, rear and both sides of the backpack. For negotiating tricky terrain and climbing over obstacles, there’s a waistband that adds stabilizing support as well as providing extra storage for small items, but you can remove this if you need a more streamlined approach. Lowepro’s ActivZone System design ensures a really comfortable fit.
If you're looking for something slightly smaller, why not try the Lowepro ProTactic 350 AW which we think is the best camera backpack. It comes with a lot of the same features as the 450 AW such as external straps, a tripod pouch, a rigid top and adjustable waist and chest straps only in a more compact design. It's perfect for carrying a Nikon D850 or a Nikon Z7 II plus two or three additional lenses, a flash and smaller accessories.
For everything from nipping out for coffee, navigating the daily commute or embarking on a grand day out, the Peak Design Everyday Messenger is a really smart messenger bag for stashing your Nikon camera kit. Available in 13-inch and 15-inch options, it’s ideal for carrying a medium-sized Nikon DSLR kit, plus either a 13-inch or 15-inch laptop, respectively. Innovative design elements include quick-action MagLatch closures, plus a zippered top flap for even faster access to your camera, without opening the whole bag. ‘FlexFold’ dividers are said to be origami-inspired and, while they work very well to cosset your kit, they can seem a bit unintuitive at first. The Version 2 editions have enhanced weatherproofing and their small inner pockets are made from a more durable fabric. This is a brilliant bag for your Nikon camera.
Read more: The best messenger bags for photographers
The Billingham Hadley Pro is hard to beat. It’s super-stylish and impeccably made, featuring a fully waterproof canvas-look outer, coupled with full-grain leather and brass fixings. For a photographic shoulder bag, the design is refreshingly slim, and yet there’s enough room inside for a full-frame DSLR body like the D850 with an attached 24-70mm f/2.8 lens, plus a 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom (without tripod collar) and a pro-grade flashgun like the SB-5000. Two additional front pockets enable extra gear to be stashed away, and the rear zippered pocket is big enough for a tablet. For heavier collections of kit, the optional shoulder pad is worth buying, and additional AVEA pockets that can attach to both ends are also available, in two sizes.
The Tenba Fulton v2 16L is perfect for mirrorless Nikon shooters looking for a comfortable day bag that looks smart but is also very practical. It has space for a body and several extra lenses although it's not really big enough for a professional Nikon DSLR such as the Nikon D850 and telephoto lenses. The dividers are easily customisable and could even be arranged to fit a drone in as well as a camera with lens attached. There are external pockets to attach a tripod and water bottle and plenty of compartments for smaller accessories such as memory cards and spare batteries. We loved using the Tenba Fulton and found it especially great for city shooting and content creators. The one downside is it doesn't have a quick side access pocket so you do need to take the bag off every time you want to access the camera section but that's not the end of the world.
This Think Tank messenger may be on the small size but it's perfect for those times when you really want to minimize the kit you've got on you. It's available in two colors, Pinestone as pictured or black if you prefer something more traditional. It's got a thick, padded strap for extra comfort and is easily adjustable. There's enough room for a DSLR OR CSC and one of the best Nikon standard zoom lenses plus small accessories such as filters or an extra battery. The Think Tank Retrospective 5 V2 Shoulder Bag would be perfect for a street photographer who wants easy access to their kit or to a landscape photographer who wants to carry one wide-angle lens and one zoom lens. There is a zip close fastening as well as a flap for additional security and like the original bag, it's made of a soft flexible material. Perhaps not the best bag for traveling with as it could get crushed in overhead lockers on trains or planes but definitely perfect for a city wander.
Giving great protection to your camera kit, this Manfrotto Reloader Air-55 PL Roller Bag has a cavernous main compartment with endlessly adjustable dividers. It therefore adapts to snugly cosset just about any collection of Nikon camera bodies, lenses and other accessories. Additional pockets are built into the lid for safeguarding both a tablet and a laptop of up to 17-inches in size. Further pouches are built into the underside of the flap for smaller accessories. Typical of roller bags, it has a sturdy set of wheels and an extending handle, for easy maneuvering around anything from train and coach stations to airport terminals. However, when you do need to lift the bag, it’s rather weighty at nearly 5kg even when empty.
The is the middle-sized bag in Billingham’s ‘5 Series’ range. It can swallow up one or two Nikon DSLR bodies and up to eight additional lenses, flashguns and the like. There’s also a full-length front pocket that can accommodate a 13-inch laptop, for which a laptop slip is available as an optional extra. Nine different pockets are included, which can be arranged at will to suit different photographic items, and external Delta pockets are also available separately, for attaching to the bag. The quality is fabulous throughout but it’s a relatively heavy bag and, even though a shoulder pad is included, it can be a strain to carry when fully laden.
The best hard Nikon camera case: Keep your Nikon camera kit safe from harm, this offers supreme protection. It’s super-tough, fully dust-proof and waterproof, has steel reinforced padlock rings and an automatic pressure release valve to cope with changes in air pressure and altitude, for example when stowed in the baggage hold of an aircraft. It’s also O-ring sealed to withstand being submerged in water, down to a depth of five metres. The softer side of the case is within, as it comprises a removable soft inner bag with adjustable dividers. There are no less than three carrying handles for lifting the case, plus a set of wheels and a retractable pull-along handle. The wheels are most welcome, given that the case weighs almost 8kg even without anything in it.
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