For the Demands of Professional Work: We Review the PGYTECH Roller Camera Backpack

by Nicco Valenzuela June 24, 2025 0 Comments

You reach a certain point in your photography life when you realize that you need to bring a lot of gear for a lot of reasons but also need to be kind to your body. This convertible roller camera bag aims to cater to your changing needs.

It doesn’t really take decades of experience to realize that when you use a lot of gear, having a camera bag with wheels in certain situations can make a world of difference to what you can do and how comfortably you can do it as a professional photographer. As camera gear began getting smaller and lighter, we first thought that it would mean we’d have to carry less, but in reality, it led to us being able to bring more gear for better efficiency or assurance that we can get the job done. However, even rolling camera bags are not created equal. This thoughtfully designed convertible roller backpack from PGYTECH is one that can adapt to your needs on the go.

The PGYTECH Roller Camera Backpack

The PGYTECH Roller camera backpack is made of a padded black polyester shell that is water- and dust-resistant. Externally, it comes in at 21.3 x 14.2 x 9.8 inches (540 x 360 x 250 mm). It's important to note that this bag may or may not fit within airline carry-on restrictions depending on the specific airline because of its length and/or width. Some airlines have relatively larger allowed sizes, so it’s important to check before using it as a carry-on bag. On a personal note, it doesn’t seem like it was entirely made for that anyway. The bag weighs 3.6 kg (7.9 lbs), which also means that as an empty bag, it takes up about half of the usual weight allowed for carry-on luggage, so it’s important to take note of that as well.

One of the key differences with this bag is that it uses a much wider handle that spans almost the entire length of the bag. This seems to have been made so that the space taken up by the rods is pushed all the way to the sides so that they barely get in the way of the gear compartment, and the user can place the dividers and the gear more freely. It uses a 3-stage telescopic handle that allows the user to adjust the height of the handle to where they are comfortable. One minor but potentially important downside of this uniquely shaped handle is that it does not fit within the luggage handle sleeves that most backpacks and sling bags now have, which allow them to be securely placed on top of the bag. This is one of the reasons why it does not seem like air travel was the main intention of the design.

Convertible Features

On the rear panel of the bag is a zipper that spans the edges of the upper half of the shell. When opened, this reveals an adjustable pair of shoulder straps that can be used to carry the bag as a backpack. These straps also come with a movable chest strap for better comfort. It is, however, notable that the straps are not as thick as what most other camera backpacks have, possibly for the sake of keeping them slimmer and easier to stow. After all, the bag is primarily a rolling camera bag that just has the convenient feature of being carried on the user’s back for when the terrain is not smooth.

Out of the box, the wheels of the roller bag can be found inside the main compartment. Installing the wheels only requires sliding the tab of the lock away from the port and inserting the stud of the wheels into the port, which then automatically locks them in place. Removing the wheels involves the same simple procedure in reverse. When carrying the bag as a backpack, the user has the option to remove the wheels entirely to get them out of the way, specifically if the bag will be carried on their back for a long time.

Outer Pockets

Both sides of the roller camera backpack have large flex pockets that span almost the entire width of the bag. These are big enough to hold even standard-sized tripods or light stands and can be reinforced with attachment straps that hook into the loops on the corners of the bag. On one side, there is a large tech accessory pouch tethered to the handle of the bag that can easily be released using the quick-release link on the strap. This accessory pouch can hold camera batteries, card readers, cables, and chargers, with a lot of extra room to spare.

On the frontmost part is a small pocket for personal items and accessories such as phones, wallets, or a passport. Behind it is a large zipper that spans all the sides of the bag. Once fully opened, it reveals a collapsible compartment that can be used for additional space. This collapsible compartment adds an extra 10 liters of space that can be used for large accessories, even a camera gimbal, or even multiple sets of clothes. This is accessed through another hidden zipper once the compartment has been expanded.

Main Compartment

The main compartment opens through a large zipper right behind the expander zipper and its subsequent compartment. This opens outward, retaining the bottom side as the joint. On the inner surface of the flap is a large pocket for up to a 16-inch laptop and/or a tablet. However, the actual capacity also depends on whether the main compartment and the front compartment are fully packed, as some of the potential spaces can overlap. On the sides of this compartment, on the inner flap, are buckles for straps located on the side of the main compartment, which allow the user to securely open the main zipper while keeping the bag upright without the flap opening all the way.

The main compartment has an internal space of 20.5 x 13.4 x 5.9 inches (520 x 340 x 150 mm) and is covered by muted blue-green padding. This space is filled with an abundance of movable and customizable dividers that allow the user to arrange all the gear as necessary while making sure that the individual pieces don’t bounce along while in transit. In terms of gear, the main compartment can hold a combination of 2 to 3 full frame camera bodies along with 8 to 10 medium to large-sized lenses. The long side of the compartment can hold a camera with an attached 200–600mm lens or anything shorter. Alternatively, parts of the compartment can be allocated for accessories such as a travel tripod, a lot of batteries, a camera gimbal, or even some lights.

Application and User Experience

To put it simply, the PGYTECH roller camera backpack is a large modular camera bag that was designed to adapt to the needs of the user. It is definitely larger than most camera roller bags on the market and even expands to take in more stuff. The padded polyester exterior provides adequate protection from light rain and moisture, but if necessary, the included rain cover can protect the gear even further.

The compartment holds more gear than what most photographers would probably need for a single shoot and can even be a shared bag among a team of photographers. The capacity of the compartment and even the fact that the handles don’t obstruct the inner layout allow for more arrangement options inside the bag.

The front expanding pocket might not always be necessary but is definitely a convenient one to have for when additional items need to be brought aside from the camera gear. The side pockets also allow attachment of larger support equipment on both sides, which allows the user to over-pack the bag altogether. For added convenience, the removable wheels and packable shoulder straps make the bag highly capable of adjusting for the user.

Given all of the features, compartments, and the capacity, along with the overall size of the bag, it seems that the PGYTECH roller camera backpack was designed specifically for working photographers (and videographers) who need to bring a lot of gear for a long shooting day. The bag is larger than what a lot of airlines would allow for carry-ons, and maximizing the bag’s capacity certainly means not keeping it below the usual 7-kilogram limit. While it can be suitable for some travel settings, it’s safe to say that this bag best fits high-demand professional shoots.