ONA The Brooklyn Premium Leather Camera Satchel, Chestnut

2013-10-21T21:00:00

What I keep in the bag: Canon 5D MarkII with small lens attached (35mm), 100mm macro lens, and 85mm lens. The fit for all of these is really tight, but I can manage it. There is no room for anything else other than my phone, a very small, flat wallet, and a small, thin notebook. The bag would be most comfortable to use with a camera body and attached lens plus only one additional lens. The specific cons follow: The first thing I noted as I unboxed the Ona Brooklyn bag in chestnut is that it is not the warm color as pictured in the product image. It is definitely darker, with a more wine or burgundy tone. Though disappointing, this was not a deal breaker for me. The leather is still beautiful. However, I would have preferred the bag to look exactly as pictured. Secondly, I was not happy with the trim along all edges of the bag. There appears to be some sort of thick coating applied to the edges, and this coating is cracked in two places where the flap curves over the top of the bag. I fear that this coating will only continue to crack over time. Furthermore, in some places, this coating appears to be unevenly applied, which just doesn't look nice. For a bag of this price, I would have expected the same edging that I find on the other fine leather purses that I own. Finally, I knew that this bag was going to be on the smaller side, and that is what I wanted as an alternative to the functional, yet large backpack I already own. But I wish the Ona bag was at least a half inch wider. Squeezing my full frame camera body inside causes a bulge in the bag, and doesn't make quick removal of the camera as easy as I think it should be. The bulge is probably not noticeable to others, but it bothers me. This is a camera bag - there should be room for my camera. I'm still debating whether or not to return the bag. Unfortunately, options for a classic, beautiful, all-leather camera bag are limited.

DOUGLAS W.

2013-02-10T19:00:00

I purchased this bag about one year ago from Adorama. It has held up very well. My bag did not have uneven stitching as the other review did. I do agree that that the strap needs more holes. I went to a leather shop and had three more added for free. I could actually have a couple more added. The bag is not a lightweight bag and it does provide great protection. I like that the dividers inside are velcro and may be moved around to accommodate your needs. I also agree with Angie that it is not a go it alone bag. I went to Europe and did not bring it as I wanted one bag for camera, passport, wallet, sunglasses, etc. and there just was not enough room to fit it all in.

Janet

2012-08-09T21:00:00

I have it in brown leather, and love how this bag looks and feels. I've been carrying it for a year now and it's aging beautifully. Easy to wear cross-body or to carry by its top handle. Inner compartments are flexible and can hold two cameras with short lenses attached, or one body with short lens attached and another long lens separate. A simple, go-to bag, not meant to go it alone for serious travel, but perfect for local shoots.

angie.papalas@sbcglobal.net a.

2012-05-03T21:00:00

This bag is made of nice leather and the padding is stiff and supportive. However, the quality of the leather and the stitching isn't as nice as I would've liked for the price. For example, the stitching on the shoulder pad and the stiching where the strap and buckle meet are crooked. The tanning of the leather is uneven, so parts of the leather have a nice grain and other parts are slick smooth. Also, I wish there were a few more holes punched into the strap. Because the bag itself is quite hefty, it's very heavy when full of gear. It nees to sit higher up near the hip bone or else it places too much stress on the shoulder when carried cross-body. Also, it's important to note that while the bag can fit a pro DSLR (like a 5D Mark III), it does not fit comfortably. The bag will close, but leather is stiff so it contorts. If you use some sort of Sun Sniper or Black Rapid strap that attaches to the tripod mount, you'll need to take it off or really shove the camera in the bag for it to fit. And you can pretty much forget about storing hoods with your larger pro lenses (e.g. Canon L lenses). The bag is not wide enough to comfortably store my 85L with the hood attached. It's a good bag if you are using a smaller, entry level DSLR. Or, if you plan to use it to carry lenses only without a body, it could work for you. For me, I wish it was at least an inch wider, taller, and deeper. It's a size shy of being useful.

KC