Search for a Camera Bag : Part III - The Final Report

Part III of III

I have finally reached the end of my quest for a Camera Bag. In Part I, I discussed the "ideal" camera bag and started my search by comparing some of the popular retail options available.  Moving on to Part II, I added several excellent Camera Bag options available from the handmade realm.  I also provided a comparison sheet for all the bags we had discussed and revealed my choice of the Porteen Gear Camera Bag.

Yesterday my bag arrived, only 2 days after I had ordered it.  Now, that's impressively quick shipping from MI to TX.  I'd also like to take a moment to say that Robyn of Porteen Gear has been nothing but exceptionally attentive and responsive throughout the entire research and purchasing process.  And no, she did not know I was going to review her bag... so it wasn't special treatment.

Packaging

The bag was excellently packed and covered in plastic to protect it from any weather elements on its trip.  Inside the plastic wrapping, the bag was carefully wrapped in complimentary tissue paper, tied with a ribbon, and closed with a Porteen logo sticker.  These lovely touches made it feel like I was receiving a gift for myself in the mail, and that's just a nice way to make your customers feel!  The inside of the bag was thoroughly packed with bubble wrap as well, so it presented perfectly straight out of the box.

First Impressions
I have to say, the colors of this bag are exactly as they were pictured in the online store.  I guess that is one of the many advantages of purchasing from a photographer!  All was as I expected it to be.  Robyn has a great eye for color, allowing her to combine multiple fabrics that compliment each other and work together to create one truly cohesive look.

My first impression: this bag is incredibly soft.  Regardless of what purpose it serves, I like fabric to be soft and comfortable.  I wasn't sure what to expect of the water-repellent waxed canvas that Robyn describes in her shop, but I imagined it was going to end up being something along the lines of outdoor upholstery fabric.  You know, the stuff you find on outdoor lounge chairs that feels as if it could survive a million years without ever wearing down.  It's great for resilience, but icky to come in contact with.  The fabric used on this bag is the best of both worlds.  And, of course, the leather flap is even softer...

Construction and Compartments
I was immediately impressed with the construction of  this bag.  It looks lovely and it has a fair amount of padding, through it is not super thick or firm.  In other words, it is padded without being rigid and clunky.  It's like a giant protective pillow for all the camera equipment you hold dear.

All sides are padded with foam, including the bottom.  The foam feels like it is 1/2" to 3/4" thick.  It is fairly squishy, but still has some substance to it.  As you can see in the picture above, it also has two padded dividers that help to separate your camera from your lens etc.  These dividers feel like they contain poly-fil, not foam.  Most bags you find will have velcro inserts that you can arrange and/or remove.  I knew this bag had sewn in dividers, and I was a little dubious as to how this would work.

The divers themselves are U-shaped (with the bottom of the U being the big padded part you see in the middle).  The tops of the U's are sewn into the bag, but because of the way Robyn structured this, you can actually "collapse" the U into the sides if you do not need dividers.  This works wonderfully and offers flexibility in how you would like to organize and arrange your camera bag.  If I'm using 2 lens + camera/lens combo, I use all dividers.  If I'm just carrying a camera/lens combo + 1 lens, I can collapse one divider and give myself some extra space.  Or use that divider to hold my battery pack, cell phone etc.  These sectionals are sturdy, protective, easily adjusted, and honestly, prettier than exposed velcro.

There is also a back pocket that goes the entire length of the bag back there.  You can kind of see where it is bowing on the right.  It has a velco latch in the middle, right behind the purse logo.  This is a great place to slide a guide, notebook, or accessories.

Capacity
It always helps to just see what a bag looks like when it's in use.  Because people are always more interested in how much something can hold, I stuffed my bag full for this picture.  As you can see, I've got my Canon EOS 60D in the middle there, with an attached 18 - 135mm lens.  The depth of the camera in this position is just a little deeper than the bag.  You notice a slight bow if the camera is lens down (pictured), rather than lens up.  I actually prefer it the other way around, though I wonder if there is a reason I'm not suppose to put it that way since I always see it like this.  In the left section, I have my 55 - 250 mm lens.  On the right side, I have a placeholder for an additional lens that is slightly wider and taller.

In the front left pocket is my bulky phone, an Epic 4g.  The fit is a little tight for my fat phone, but I think it would be fine for an iPhone or even a Galaxy/Evo.  Here is something to consider: I originally thought there were only 2 large pockets on the front.  Not so.  There is a large left pocket, a middle pocket, and then a small pocket on the right.  The middle pocket currently holds the leather card pouch that came with the bag.  It's full of my "essential cards" so I can leave my whole wallet at home, but it would also great for business cards.  The right pocket is perfect for a pen, pocket light, single car key, or maybe a lens cloth.  You could also use it for a thumb drive or some AA's.  The pocket is not wide enough to hold my SD card in its case.

On the front, there is also a zipper pouch that runs the full depth of the front of the bag.  It doesn't look like there is much depth to it, but it is a little deceiving.  I was able to put my manual, colors cards, and quick guides in here without any noticeable distortion.  It's also a great place to drop lens caps and possible filters, since it has a fair amount of padding.  The bag came an adorable little suede-like removable zipper pouch.  I forgot to take pictures of the accessories, as you can tell.  It matches the brown on the bag and is great for all those little accessories, like SD cards, that you don't want to get lost in the mix.  Again, these extra touches really make this product and experience golden.  You can see the quality stitching and workmanship in everything she does.

Wear and Use
When I was shopping online for my camera bag, I just kept wondering why I couldn't find pictures of these bags actually being USED. Not only for scale, but for drape and general appearance.  So, I am posting this picture here even though it makes my skin crawl and is generally not the best photograph.  Here is the bag, full of stuff and on my shoulder messenger-style.

It was my intention, from day 1, to find a comfortable bag that I could wear cross shoulder.  This bag comes with a thick strap and a rubber shoulder pad.  The pad is comfortable enough when wearing the bag purse-style, but only okay messenger-style.  When the bag is full and heavier, the rubber starts to dig into my shoulder pretty hard.  Upon this realization, I was distraught.  It's that moment that you fear, finding something so lovely and well made, and then being overtaken by the fear that it might not be functional.  I slide the rubber pad further down the strap and put the purse back on.  Whew, much better.

The bare strap on my shoulder did start to cut into my shoulder when the bag is heavy and I wear it for a while, but that's true with most bags.  I contacted Robyn to ask for her suggestions/thoughts on the situation, and she informed me that she also offers a leather padded shoulder strap that is not as rigid as the rubber one.  I sent my bag back to her and she happily switched out the shoulder pad for little 'ol high-maintenance me.  Again, impressively fast responses and excellent customer service.

The bag returned in only a few days, the new strap not only looks classy but it is much more comfortable to me.  It is mainly just two pieces of leather around the strap.  I didn't take a picture of it, but you get the picture.  There isn't much in terms of padding, per say, but it helps keep the strap from making a permanent crease in my shoulder. Because it is basically sewn around the strap, it does slip around a little more than the previous strap.  To me, this is a small trade for comfort.

Egg Test
When the bag returned, I decided to go ahead and do an egg test for you fine folks.  We are all interested to know just how much protection the bag offers.  I put an egg in a ziploc bag, and then another.  I put the first egg in the middle compartment, and the second egg in one of the side compartments.  I held the bag directly over our kitchen floor at a height of 4ft (including the strap), which is higher than where it sits on my shoulder.  I dropped the bag directly down, it landed flat on the bottom and then fell forward.  I opened it up to take a look.  The egg on the right side had one tiny hairline crack in the side.  The egg in the middle was substantially cracked.

I really thought I must be doing the egg test wrong, so I do it twice more, again with the egg in the middle.  I even have my husband try it out.  Half a dozen eggs later, I'm sad to say all the results were the same: every one was cracked. Luckily, it was stir fry night so into the wok they went. 

Obviously I want a bag that will protect my camera... but I do like everything else this bag has to offer.  It is confusing, but I suppose I could just add some additional padding to the bottom of the bag if my brain continues to itch about it.

Summary
In summary, as if you need one, the Porteen Gear Camera Bag is nice bag.  It is incredibly comfortable and, if it were physically possible, I would curl up and take a nap inside this bag.  I am having to make the adjustment to heavier equipment in general, as my recent camera upgrade was substantial.  I can not fault Robyn for this, because as my husband so gently reminded me, if the bag were any smaller it would not fit my camera!  The bag did not pass the egg test and this still perplexes me. 

Regardless, I am happy to have found a good product that offers some protection for my camera without becoming a brick with a strap.  It conforms to the body, looks great, and holds everything I need with room to spare. The bag did fall a little short of my expectations protection-wise, but generally, I am pleased. 

I hope the information in this series has helped you find a direction in your camera bag search.  Let me know what ends up being your perfect camera bag!

UPDATE 6/6/11: I did end up buying some High Density Foam at Jo-Anns, which I covered in matching brown fabric and put in the bottom of this bag for extra protection.  It took about 5 minutes and I feel better about safety of my equipment now.