Clever Supply’s New Camera Sling V2 6L Is Even Better for Photographers

Clever Supply Co. has announced a new and improved Camera Sling V2 6L bag built for active and style-conscious photographers. The updated design has been in the works for a long time, following development delays due to tariffs.

Last year, PetaPixel wrote about how the tariffs were affecting small American photo companies, including Clever Supply. Tariffs forced Clever Supply Co. to pause development on multiple new products, including the Camera Sling V2 6L the company has just launched.

“We had big plans for our camera bag line — two successful Kickstarter campaigns gave us momentum, and we were gearing up to launch new designs,” Clever Supply Co. founder and owner Todd Balsley told PetaPixel last May. “But we’ve had to pause both development of a new prototype and production of a finished bag that’s already market-ready. That’s incredibly frustrating.”

After an extensive, tariff-induced wait, the Clever Supply Sling V2 6L has arrived.

“We didn’t do a Kickstarter this time around,” Balsley tells PetaPixel. “These bags are actually the bags we had just put an order in for back in April when the trade-war blew up, and then we had to put a hold on.”

Unwilling to pass the massive price increase on to its customers, Clever Supply began pursuing other options, including working with U.S.-based suppliers to see what components it could source locally. The company has long used American leather for most of its products, including its popular camera straps, but, like so many other companies, it has historically relied on global supply chains for various hardware, packaging, and other essential components.

As PetaPixel wrote last year, Clever Supply does so much “right.” It makes its products in the U.S., it uses many domestic components, and works hard to stay as lean and efficient as possible. It also refused to force its customers to eat massive tariff bills, opting instead to put plans on hold.

“We’re just a small team trying to do things the right way — even when the ground keeps shifting. What customers can expect is transparency. If things take longer, we’ll tell you. If we change something, we’ll explain why. And no matter what, we’ll keep building things that are made with care, and built to last,” Balsley said.

That brings us to Clever Supply’s new Camera Sling V2. The new-and-improved bag features many refinements built on customer feedback, including improved internal organization, a new external accessory pouch, bottom cinch straps for additional carry, a hidden AirTag pocket for security, and a longer shoulder strap that now pivots.

“It’s taken a lot longer than we anticipated to get these things out and to the public, but here we are, showing up once again trying to put in the work to get people excited about something we’ve worked really hard on,” Balsley tells PetaPixel.

The new Camera Sling 6L comes in weather-resistant waxed tan canvas with color-coordinated brown leather, features removal internal gear dividers, three grab handles, and weather-sealed zippers.

When empty, the bag weighs 1.5 pounds, and it can comfortably hold a full-frame mirrorless camera or a smaller DSLR with an extra lens.

The Clever Supply Camera Sling V2 looks like a clever, thoughtful upgrade to a popular shoulder bag for photographers. The Camera Sling V2 6L is available to purchase now for $198, the same price as the original version.

Image credits: Clever Supply Co.