dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
The chair squeaks on the old gym floor as I stand up. "My name is Doug...and I'm a bagaholic."
"Hi Doug!"
"I have this thing for bags. I keep buying them, and then being disappointed by them."
"We hear you!"
"They inevitably disappoint. And yet I keep searching for the perfect match of form and aesthetics. I endlessly debate between wool, leather, waxed canvas and cordura."
"Uh-huh!"
"Camera bags are my real weakness. I'm never satisfied with any off-the-shelf one. They are all too poofy or too techy or too leathery and uncomfortable. They are almost always too one-sided, as if all I was was a photographer. I'm more than that!"
"Yes, you are!"
"I tried to get over it..."
"We can help you."
"...but then I found a seller on Etsy, by the name of Martilena. She makes custom camera bag inserts for about $50. You give her the dimensions and the colors and she sews it up for you and ships it out in a couple of weeks. Now you can take any bag and make it into a camera bag. Or order it a bit smaller and preserve some bag space for our non-photographic lives."
"Wait, do you want HELP with your problem?"
"My problem is that I never could find this before."
Murmuring fills the hall. A few people get up and sheepishly sneak out, probably to go online and check this out. The hard-core folks at Bag Addicts Anonymous ask me politely to leave.
"We can't help you unless you admit you have a problem!"
"He has to hit rock bottom," someone says as I leave, clicking his tongue.
-----
Anyway, that scene is imagined and I mean no offense to anyone in a 12 step program. Lots of my family members are and they do good things quite often. But I am excited about Martilena custom inserts (and I have no connection with the seller except I bought two and think they are great.) Here's some images of the one I just got, to fit into a superb messenger bag from Rickshaw Bags in San Francisco.
Martilena sells her inserts on esty and also on her own website. Google will enable your addiction to progress.
"Hi Doug!"
"I have this thing for bags. I keep buying them, and then being disappointed by them."
"We hear you!"
"They inevitably disappoint. And yet I keep searching for the perfect match of form and aesthetics. I endlessly debate between wool, leather, waxed canvas and cordura."
"Uh-huh!"
"Camera bags are my real weakness. I'm never satisfied with any off-the-shelf one. They are all too poofy or too techy or too leathery and uncomfortable. They are almost always too one-sided, as if all I was was a photographer. I'm more than that!"
"Yes, you are!"
"I tried to get over it..."
"We can help you."
"...but then I found a seller on Etsy, by the name of Martilena. She makes custom camera bag inserts for about $50. You give her the dimensions and the colors and she sews it up for you and ships it out in a couple of weeks. Now you can take any bag and make it into a camera bag. Or order it a bit smaller and preserve some bag space for our non-photographic lives."
"Wait, do you want HELP with your problem?"
"My problem is that I never could find this before."
Murmuring fills the hall. A few people get up and sheepishly sneak out, probably to go online and check this out. The hard-core folks at Bag Addicts Anonymous ask me politely to leave.
"We can't help you unless you admit you have a problem!"
"He has to hit rock bottom," someone says as I leave, clicking his tongue.
-----
Anyway, that scene is imagined and I mean no offense to anyone in a 12 step program. Lots of my family members are and they do good things quite often. But I am excited about Martilena custom inserts (and I have no connection with the seller except I bought two and think they are great.) Here's some images of the one I just got, to fit into a superb messenger bag from Rickshaw Bags in San Francisco.
Martilena sells her inserts on esty and also on her own website. Google will enable your addiction to progress.
f16sunshine
Moderator
Sweet... thanks!
tjh
Well-known
wow - This is just what I need!!!! I carry a Leica M in a small PacSafe bag, especially when I'm abroad. I've been using a Leica neoprene soft case to pad the camera in the bag but a custom insert would be fantastic. Thanks for the reference.
ChrisP
Grain Lover
Have you ever tried thinktank? These look cool but I think they might solve your problems
dreilly
Chillin' in Geneva
When I was in Japan, Hakuba had a full line of different size/color inserts that also fit the bill. Not sure if they are available here, and anyway it's best if you can either order custom or be there in person to try things out.
I really like that Martilena is a small craftsperson (woman?) trying to make a go at running a small business. And manufacturing...in the US? Who ever thought!
She gives a range of sizes on the website...the one pictured is close to the smaller end of the range. But the good thing about small producers is that they are often flexible, so it's worth emailing in case you think you need something bigger/smaller. The red pull ties were a custom addition to my order, no charge.
I really like that Martilena is a small craftsperson (woman?) trying to make a go at running a small business. And manufacturing...in the US? Who ever thought!
She gives a range of sizes on the website...the one pictured is close to the smaller end of the range. But the good thing about small producers is that they are often flexible, so it's worth emailing in case you think you need something bigger/smaller. The red pull ties were a custom addition to my order, no charge.
andrewteee
Established
Great find. I have a Rickshaw bag too (same size I think) and it was a bit flimsy for camera carrying. But other than that, a great bag! I will check on those inserts.
