What actually fits in a 20L camera bag
A packing list for a full day of shooting, tested on three bodies and five lenses.
By Maya Chen · Oct 8, 2026 · 2 min read
Twenty litres sounds small until you pack it properly. The trick is not squeezing more in. It is deciding what earns a place, then giving each thing a home it returns to.
Start with the body
Pick the camera first and build around it. A mirrorless body with a mounted 35mm takes up less than half of a Camera Cube M, which leaves room for a second lens and spare batteries.
I used to carry everything just in case. Now I carry what I will use, and I shoot more because of it.
Jordan Reyes, wedding photographer
Two lenses, not four
Most days you will use one lens for 80 percent of your shots. Bring that, plus one that does something it cannot.
- A fast prime for people and low light
- A short zoom for street and travel
- Skip the macro unless you are shooting product
The laptop question
If you need a laptop on set, use a bag with a suspended sleeve. It keeps the screen off the ground when you set the bag down on wet pavement.
The full list
- Mirrorless body with 35mm f/1.8
- 24-70mm f/4 zoom
- Three batteries and a charger
- 16-inch laptop, with its charger in the Tech Pouch
- Rain cover (it lives in the base pocket)
Questions about your setup? Email us at [email protected]. We read everything.
Maya Chen
Maya is the field editor at Carryvo. She has spent ten years shooting documentary work in New York and Taipei, and she tests every bag we make on the subway first.
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