The Clever Supply Co. Sidekick Pro is the Camera Bag We’ve Been Waiting For

Clever Supply Co. are proprietors of premium, well-designed camera accessories. Beautiful leather camera straps, durable extremely well thought out bags, and even this amazing leather case for loose rolls of film. Two years ago, the company released its very first camera bag, the 6L Camera Sling. The Camera Sling strikes a great balance in that it isn’t overly big, looks great, but also provides enough room for larger kit loadouts; i.e. one or two camera bodies and multiple lenses.

But as good as the Camera Sling is, even Clever Supply Co. founder Todd Balsley admits that it wasn’t the right bag for a lot of situations. “There are times I need something a little bit more compact,” Balsley says in his announcement video on Kickstarter. He adds that because he didn’t have a smaller bag—just big enough to fit a camera, maybe a second lens, and a few other odds and ends—he would often leave his camera at home entirely.

And that’s something that goes against the entire ethos of Clever Supply, which Balsley says is to ensure that photographers are always inspired to pick up their camera. “Frankly I got tired of not having a solution for stashing my camera with me on the go. I’ve seen hundreds of bags over the years…I wanted a bag I could wear on the go but was also the perfect size to stash in a commuter day bag,” Balsley adds.

(We’d also like to take a second and just add that Balsley and Clever Supply Co. have excellent taste in memory cards. The announcement video on Kickstarter was trusted to OWC Atlas cards, which you can check out here.)

The result of Balsley's frustration is the Sidekick Pro, a 2L camera sling with an included padded camera cube that tucks away inside. The cube is designed to provide more padding and protection for smaller cameras and camera bodies but is easily removable if you’re carrying something larger on a given day.

The Sidekick Pro also features three interior pockets to stash away things like batteries, chargers, notebooks, etc. The bag's main compartment opens via a weather resistant zipper and there are also two exterior pockets: one on the front of the bag with a weather resistant zipper, and a sleeve on the rear of the bag without a zipper. Clever calls this a quick access sleeve and it has a foam protective lining, making it perfect for stashing your phone.

The bag has a comfortable strap with a quick release buckle and on the bottom of the bag there are a couple of cinch compression buckles for stowing a tripod or jacket.

The Clever Supply Co. Sidekick Pro comes in two colors and each shade is actually made of two different materials. The tan bag is made of waxed canvas. And while waxed canvas is very resilient to wear and is weather resistant, Clever Supply is making the black bag out of 400D weather resistant cordura.

Clever says the reason for this is that “black waxed canvas attracts lint and dust in the initial break-in period [and] we received a number of complaints over the years and have opted to use a new material as an alternative.” The company says the materials do differ in feel/texture, but not by a lot.

What Clever Supply have created here is a camera-sized camera bag. Something that is built around the idea of making your camera truly everyday carry. Maybe you're like me and you avoid using a camera strap when you don't have to and like the idea of your camera being nestled safely away in its own cozy bag. Whatever your preference, this is a bag that finally acknowledges that digital cameras and lenses have gotten more compact over the last decade, and gives us a sling option that isn’t bulky or super conspicuous.

To that end, Clever Supply Co. tested and revised this bag to ensure that the Sidekick Pro works with as many modern camera and lens combinations as possible. That means you’ll be able to fit in cameras like the Fuji X100VI or Leica Q3 with ease, but you’ll also be able to fit larger mirrorless cameras like the Nikon Zf or Canon R cameras with a lens as well. The Sidekick Pro is small but not at the expense of being versatile.

Here is a list of compatible cameras from the Sidekick Pro’s FAQ:

Compact Cameras with attached lens

• Any Ricoh GR camera

• Any Fuji X100 series and X-M5

• Any Leica M, Q or D-lux series camera

Full-size Mirrorless Cameras


• Fuji XE, XPRO, XH, and XT series cameras with lens length no longer than 4"

• Sony A series cameras with lens no longer than 3.5"

• Nikon Z cameras with lens no longer than 3.5"

• Canon R cameras with lens no longer with 3.5" (need to be tested still)

Film SLR Cameras

• Most film SLR cameras fit with prime lens no longer than 3.5"

Personally, I instantly backed this project when I saw it pop up on my Threads and Instagram feeds. Not only because it’s literally the camera bag I’ve been hoping for, but also because Clever Supply Co. plan to ship the first wave of orders of these bags by the end of the year. (As things stand on the project page now, you can still save $20 on the bag as an early bird backer, but shipping dates have slipped to February 2024.)

Be sure to check out the Sidekick Pro on Kickstarter.