Like Butter: Cecilia Camera Bags

With a nod to the spirit of exploration, the new lineup of Cecilia camera backpacks and messenger bags are named for cartographers. Cecilia is an American company with a 160-year heritage in the leather industry, which shows in the quality of the quality materials used in its products.

The Tharp Camera Messenger Bag ($149, shown above) in cotton canvas has the kind of supple leather you typically see in luxury handbags and other high-end products. The color is a warm charcoal gray with brown leather accents. The leather in the accents and shoulder padding of this bag is soft enough for comfortable flexibility but sturdy enough to last for years. The canvas is lightweight yet sturdy, and the strap material is a soft seatbelt-style webbing.

The design of the 8L size is elegantly simple. Two moveable dividers separate the main camera compartment. A zippered compartment for flat items like smartphones and wallets is under the flap on the front of the bag that secured with two magnetic closures. And each end has a small canvas pocket. The back features a molded EVA foam panel for comfort and breathability.

Cecilia's camera backpacks, with padded laptop compartment and rain cover, come in canvas or leather in 14L and 16L sizes from $349 to $489. Messenger bags come in 8L and 12L sizes in canvas or leather, from $149 to $439.

Joan Sherwood is the senior editor of Professional Photographer.