I recently purchased a new camera bag that a lot of photographers seem to like. It’s the Kamrette Lyra Camera Backpack. The last time I upgraded my bad was early 2017 when my now husband bought me an amazing leather shoulder bag from Kelley Moore. (Seriously sealed the deal that this boy meant business! ;)) That shoulder bag has really withstood the test of time and is still a great bag. But the main reason for the upgrade was having more versatility on wedding days. I’m proud to report that I love it! But after using it at both sessions and weddings, I’ve realized the shoulder bag is definitely not being retired anytime soon either. Read on for my full review!

What I Love

The Kamrette Lyra Camera Backpack is a great bag! I got the brown leather version and love it aesthetically. Beyond that, it’s so practical. The straps are super comfy, but my favorite part has got to be all the different pockets and compartments. It’s so nice being able to take so much along for any situation on wedding days and to also feel like everything has a place.

The inside has removable padded velcro pieces to separate your gear customized to your needs. There is a laptop sleeve section in a separate compartment at the back of the bag. Super helpful to get a head start on editing or if you are traveling with your gear. Another travel feature is an extra strap along side the back of the bag. It allows you to slide your luggage handle through to set your bag in place as your roll the suitcase. Genius!

Why I’m Keeping My Current Bag

While the Kamrette is perfect for wedding days, after using it at portraits, it wasn’t my favorite. Here’s why- having a backpack camera bag is nice until you’re changing lenses often. This is because it’s a lot harder to take a bag off your back, find a place to set it, and have to unzip all the way to get what you need. Portrait sessions are a lot shorter and faster moving (in terms of artistic and shot variety) than weddings. That being said, my shoulder bag is much more conducive to being easy to grab and switch gear in and out of while on my shoulder.

Have questions about this Kamrette backpack? Do you already have it and agree or disagree with my review? I’d love to know! You will also enjoy this post with my Top Amazon Picks for Photographers.