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How Do You Carry Your Camera on the Bike?
After retiring his longtime handlebar-mounted compact camera bag, the Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger, Lucas is on the hunt for a new solution for hauling his Fuji X-T3 on the bike. He’s seeking input on your favorite camera-carrying bags on today’s market. Find a few suggestions and add your recommendations here…
It’s been a few years since we published our in-depth Guide to Bikepacking with a Camera, which is still an excellent resource for all things related to the subject and features a range of helpful recommendations and perspectives. However, I now find myself needing to replace my all-time favorite camera-hauling bag, the discontinued Porcelain Rocket Mini Slinger, which has sent me down the rabbit hole of available options in 2024.
Even though I only share maybe one percent of the photos I shoot while riding, having my camera at hand is an essential part of the bikepacking experience for me. Whether it’s shooting a portrait of a friend, a landscape, a snapshot of a meal, or something needed for a bike/gear review, I value being able to access my camera on the go without the need to stop and swing around a backpack or hip pack, potentially missing the moment. Something about seeing the camera in a stem/handlebar bag in front of me helps me stay more tuned into the creative mindset and remember to slow down and shoot, too.
Having run the gamut from rangefinders to chunky DSLRs to pocket-sized point-and-shoots, these days, I’m mostly shooting with a compact Fuji X-T3 and a 27mm pancake lens when I ride. It fits neatly in a larger stem bag (contributing editor Josh Meissner uses the same camera/lens combo in his Outer Shell Stem Caddy, which I find to be just a tad small for my liking, measuring at 6 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches (15.25 x 8.9 x 8x9cm). For now, the best-looking replacement option I’ve come across online is the German-made Wit Slingers Stem Bag with Lid, which is available in custom dimensions and features a quick-access cover that looks super handy. I’ve yet to see one in person, but it seems to be a great direction, and it’s near the top of my list for now. Still, I know there are countless creative people in our community using bags suited to their needs, and I’m sure there are many I’ve missed.
In hopes of guiding my search, I’d love to know what solution you’ve arrived at for carrying a compact camera on the handlebars (bonus points if you have photos of your setup in action!). Ideally, it should be mounted in the stem bag position, stable, easy to open and close, somewhat protected from water and dust, and not overly large. Let me know what readymade and custom bags I should be looking at in the conversation below, and I’ll plan a follow-up post highlighting some of my favorite suggestions later this summer!
Further Reading
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