The Vanguard VEO Lite B20L is a camera bag that’s designed to look like a regular backpack. It employs a two-section design, with the camera compartment at the bottom, and the top half set aside for carrying personal items. It’s constructed from PVC-coated polyester fabric, which is designed to be waterproof, durable and easy to clean, and it comes in a choice of three colours: red, cream, or blue.

Vanguard VEO Lite B20L at a glance:

• £130 (unavailable in the USA at the time of writing)
• Holds a camera and 3 or 4 lenses
• Separate compartment for 14in laptop and tablet
• 290 x 205 x 420mm (external)
• Weighs 1500g
• Available in red, cream, or blue
• vanguardworld.co.uk

Design-wise, this bag is somewhat similar to Vanguard’s other backpacks, including the Veo City and the more traditionally styled VEO Metro. It has a separate laptop/tablet pocket on the back panel, so you don’t leave these expensive electronics exposed when you unzip the back to access your camera. You can, if you wish, remove the main divider between the two inner sections and use the entire space as a conventional backpack.

Vanguard VEO Lite B20L key features:

• Security: There’s a hidden AirTag pocket, plus a concealed pocket for your passport on the back
• Side pocket: An elasticated expanding pocket on the side can be used to carry a water bottle or tripod
• Phone holder: A neat fold-out pocket on one shoulder strap is designed to hold your smartphone
• Luggage strap: A slim strap on the back allows the bag to be slipped over the handle of a wheeled suitcase
• Side access: A zip-open panel on one side provides quick access to your camera, without having to unzip the entire back

In terms of capacity, the main compartment will hold a camera and three or four lenses. It’s possible to carry a full-frame body with a 70-200mm or 100-400mm telezoom attached, plus wideangle and standard zooms alongside. However, the design of the internal dividers means that it’s a bit tight trying to fit in a telephoto that size when it’s detached from the camera. It’ll all fit, but it’s a squeeze.

Alternatively, you could carry two smaller lenses in place of the telezoom. For example, I was able to fit a Sony A7 V with a 24-105mm f/4 attached, plus 16-35mm f/4, 50mm f/1.4, and 90mm f/2.8 macro lenses.

Vanguard has provided a good array of internal pockets for organising your accessories, along with a large flat pocket on the front. You get a comfortable carrying handle on top, plus an attachment point on one of the shoulder straps for a camera carrying clip. There’s even a cable pass-through point, so you can charge your camera or phone externally from a powerbank inside the bag.

The design does, however, have some minor drawbacks. I’m not a huge fan of the straight top opening, as it provides slightly restricted access compared to a more conventional zipped flap. There’s no waist belt, either, and while much of the time that isn’t a problem, I found the bag a little uncomfortable to carry when it’s fully packed. You only get a single side pocket rather than two, so it’s a choice of either a tripod or water bottle, but not both.

If you need a bit of extra storage space, Vanguard also makes a slightly larger version, the Veo Lite B25L, which costs £150. Both Veo Lite backpacks are also designed so you can clip the Veo Lite S2L compact shoulder/sling bag onto the front. This measures 25 x 11.5 x 15cm and features an array of internal organiser pockets. It comes in the same three colours as the backpacks and costs £40.

Vangard VEO Metro B20L product images gallery

Our Verdict

The Vanguard VEO Lite B20L certainly has its strong points. It’s relatively affordable and nicely made, and that coated fabric will keep your kit nice and dry while being very easy to clean. It holds a sensible amount of kit and personal stuff, too. Overall this is a perfectly nice design, although personally, I’d be inclined to spend a bit more on one of its Metro stablemates instead.

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