refreshing bag thread

Well, to be perfectly fair, one of the demands this line addresses is for a photographic bag that is attractive and fashionable. There's a reason I don't own any "real" camera bags, and I'm not even particularly picky about being fashionable -- for example, I have only rarely carried a real handbag (or purse), and that's pretty much only if I have to dress up for something. My "purse" is a messenger bag, I wear jeans every day, and my favorite jacket is a black Patagonia R2. Still, when I look at almost all the camera bags available out there, I say, "Ick." They're overpadded, overchunky, awkwardly proportioned and sport unattractive brand logos.

It would be nice if I could find something that is super-functional and made of state of the art materials, AND is cool to look at. I AM picky about quality. I am a total outdoor gear freak and I appreciate it when things are made well, durably, and attractively. I'm not interested in the Shootsac bags because I don't think they're worth the price (frankly, the price point offends me), they don't appear to be made very well, and they don't suit my needs. But lemme tell you, I have been searching for a real camera bag for a long time now that will suit my needs, and a large part of the reason I don't have one yet is that I find most of them so damn unattractive.

I think what I'm going to end up doing is buying inserts for my small and large Timbuk2 bags and leaving it at that.
 
erikhaugsby said:
Melanie:
Domke 803+spray paint+stencils.

Heh. That bag is butt ugly no matter what you spray paint on it. And it has those terrible clip fasteners on the straps. Who came up with those? Plastic quick release buckles, please!
 
Anyone ever had a Sofia Mini? Sparkling wine in a soda can with a cool extensible straw? Sofia as in Coppola? Brilliant packaging. One of the coolest websites ever. Some killer product placements right after launch. (OK I admit I luv Sofia Coppola and don't care if the world thinks I am a creepy old guy).

Sadly, the wine - to use a rather benign expletive I picked up form some of my South African friends - is pretty much kak.

The Shootkak - er, ShootSAC - reminds me of this. All sizzle, no steak.

- John
 
I can't pretend to know what camera/accessory bags will appeal to womenfolk (or which womenfolk...Melanie is appropriately a tougher customer than the target audience for Shootsac), but this bag totally loses me. Pretty is nice, but if they're pitching it toward non-average snapshooters, they've dug themselves a deep hole. There are gals I know who shoot, and (this is subjective, of course) have a sense of "style", but who also don't allow the one to get in the way of the other. (In a few cases, the domke 803 fits very well; didn't at all get in the way of getting one for my own use .:p)

From the pics, the assumption is that the target audience, besides being female and young-ish, also shoots with only a dSLR and middling zoom lens (not necessarily a marketing misfire, based on my forays around NYC the last few days), but the bag itself seems to come up short for even this setup. I give them a year or so before they abandon this haute concept for something else.


- Barrett
 
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