When it comes to camera bags, I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done here at The Phoblographer. We’ve arguably reviewed the most camera bags of any publication. And our team comes in a variety of body shapes, plus we’re of different genders. I’ve been reviewing Manfrotto bags for a long time, and they always seem to do something that doesn’t get it quite right. That’s what I experienced with the Manfrotto Advanced Active III for the most part. I purposely held off on writing this for a month. Why? I wanted to sit with my feelings on it and step away from the experience. But after some time away, I still feel the same.

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Too Long; Didn’t Read

The Manfrotto Advanced Active III could’ve been better with the addition of a few things like a waist strap and better side pockets. In our meeting with Manfrotto, they told us it didn’t need a waist strap. But, we found this to be a poor understanding of the modern photographer.

Pros and Cons

Pros

It’s all black.

A decent amount of pockets and compartmentalization

It can hold a surprising amount of gear, just not in the camera section.

For what this bag is, it’s comfortable but could’ve been made so much more so.

It’s only around $109.

Cons

I wish there were a canvas and leather version of this bag. I understand that can be too heavy, so I’d settle for treated hemp.

It really needed a waist strap.

The side pockets feel restricting.

I don’t quite understand how the top compartment is so huge yet the camera compartment is so small.

I think all backpacks these days should have a roll-top standard. It lets a photographer expand the capabilities of the backpack.

Innovations

In the grand scheme of things, the Manfrotto Advanced Active III isn’t reinventing the wheel. Everything that we’ve seen from this camera bag we’ve seen from others. So what makes it stand out? Manfrotto’s padding is quite good and gotten better. But this is across the entire latest refresh of products.

Gear Used

We stuffed the Manfrotto Advanced Active III with:

Sony a7r III

Tamron 17-28mm f2.8

Tamron 70-300mm FE

Macbook Pro 2015

Books

Filson mask

Tech Specs

The tech specs for this bag are borrowed from the Adorama listing.

The Advanced Compact, Active, Befree, Gear, Fast, and Travel backpacks offer a diverse variations of backpacks that differ in overall capacity, designated compartments for camera gear and personal items, and various options for access points to the gear compartments that complement the needs of every creator with any kind of on-the-go workflow.

Black Microinjection 3D Logo: Characteristic feel of the Manfrotto Bag collections’ new sleek and minimalist design Gray Hypalon Pullers: Durable lightweight accents for the main gear compartment access Gray Functional Details Total Black Polyester Fabric: Characteristic feel of the Manfrotto Bag collections’ new sleek and minimalist design Manfrotto Branded Lining M-Guard Dividers – Improved Protection Harmonized Harness System with Chest Strap

Ergonomics

The Manfrotto Advanced Active III is a fascinating bag. First off, if you’ve ever wanted a camera bag that doesn’t look like it’s a camera bag, this is probably one of if not the best option on the market. When you look at it, you wouldn’t at all think it’s a camera bag. It’s also got a very plain, nondescript look.

The low profile of the bag mostly permeates through the rest of the design. Manfrotto’s big logo, red tabs, and structured back pad make things look a bit different.

On the side of the bag, there isn’t much in the way of pockets. Quite honestly, you can forget about bringing a tripod with this bag. In my opinion, Manfrotto took the support strap to hold a tripod and put it on the wrong side. The pocket below isn’t very expandable. However, the pocket on the other side is easily expandable enough to accommodate a tripod...