scottwallick
ambition ≥ skill
As promised, I picked up a new bag a that I stumbled on while browsing the auction site. Before I bought it, I couldn't find any reviews or buyer photos, so I thought I should share what I found.
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The title.
Let us first consider the name of this product: Leica cowhide archaistic classic camera brown bag. Fascinating.
---
A brief description.
So I bought this bag from the seller She-in on the auction site, previously known as Shoot-in. (Don't why the seller changed its shop name.) No affiliation, etc., but I've bought a number of items from the shop (leather lens bags, this bag, etc.) without any issues.
The specs from the seller (which are accurate enough for my review):
Outside dimensions (w x h x d): 36 x 25 x 20 cm / 14.1 x 9.8 x 7.8 in
Inside dimensions (w x h x d): 32 x 15 x 17 cm / 12.6 x 6 x 6.7
Weight empty but with insert: 1360 g / 2.9 lbs
I paid US $100 for this bag plus $50 for EMS shipping. It took about 10 days for it to arrive from Shanghai. Currently I see that the price has been raised. Hmm. You might consider asking for a 'better' price.
---
In words.
With that title guiding us, let's describe the bag in a few words, with images accompanied by descriptions to follow.
The outisde is well-stitched from very soft cowhide. So soft, in fact, it shows wear easily, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The exterior is finished with the cowhide with brass-looking, but sturdy, metal work. The zippers are excellent, thick but not oversized, and zip open and close smoothly. I quite like the dual-zipper flap for this bag, because it opens wide so getting things out is easy. The leather pulls on the zippers are a nice touch. The external flapped pocket has the same brass-looking magnetic metal snaps and stays closed unless overstuffed and has 'Leica' embossed on the front. It's quite attractive. There are some straps running across the bottom, and I'm frankly not sure what I could do with those, but the straps are detachable.
The inside is also well-stitched, very nicely finished in sheep leather. Nice. There are two pockets inside opposite the front flap that for filter cases and other small, narrow items. The inside of this bag looks great and is finished as nicely as the outside (if not better). The black of the sheep leather is jet black, which could make finding small black things on the bottom of the bag difficult in low light, but, you know, I don't think I'd like it as much if the leather were white. So that's a concenssion I can accept.
The single-piece insert and removable/adjustable dividers appear handmade, too, and are thick. Very. The main insert is so sturdy and padded I think I could throw this bag against the wall without damaging anything. Which is what I wanted in larger bag. So far, the main occasions I have used this bag are as a carry-on on flights, so it gets bumped around a bit. My main complaint is that the insert is not as well finished as the rest of the bag. The velcro for the adjustable inserts is good, but sewed on a bit loose. I can see after a year or so of use, I might need to have my wife (a seamstress) re-stitch the inserts. Also, the synthetic fabric used for the inserts is not the softest fabric, but still not of any danger to anything. I might have the wife line the inserts with microfiber, because on occasion I put naked filters and lenses inside in a rush.
The strap. The strap is comfortable, a lille slippery, but holds well on my shoulder without cutting in. In fact, the strap looks to be made from a seat belt. I **** you not. It adjusts easily but holds its length. It can be made long enough to fit across my chest (satchel-style, I'm 5' 10") comfortably. It doesn't get very short, but I had my wife try it out (she's 5' 3"), and single-shoulder style, it's a bit long. She said she'd carry it across the shoulder (she did last weekend once or twice). The strap is fitted to the case and cannot be removed.
So what fits? With the insert, I can fit my Leica M9 with the massive Voigtlander 35/1.2 attached, a Lumix GF1 with 40/1.7 attached, two Leica M lenses in leather pouches, a Leica SF 24D flash, a Case Logic case for memory cards, and another pouch with three batteries for body. I have placed the compartment dividers downwards at 40 degree angles in two slots so the camera bodies sit 'upright' on a side evenly. With the double-zipper opening, I can pull out a body with lens attached in a snap. It's quite a handy setup.
---
In pictures.
The full collection of images are available in a Picasa album.
The front. The brown is slightly darker than appears here. The wear is mine and from about one month of off-and-on use, but it looks good.
The embossed Leica on the front along with the painted, magnetic snaps.
Using my pen to prop open the front flap, we can fit stuff inside, but it is too short for unfolded A4 / 8.5 x 11" paper.
Excellent quality here and along every seam. The strap is fitted to the case and runs across the bottom of the bag.
The zippers are good quality, too. Not too thick, but just large enough to zip open and closed smoothly.
The double-zipper flap is great. You can see the massive CV 35/1.2 attached to the M9 inside.
From left to right: Memory card case with batteries; Summarit 75/2.5 and Elmar 24/3.8 in pouches; Leica M9 with CV 35/1.2 attached; empty slot for the GF1 with SF 24D in place.
The buckles and metal work are sufficiently heavy, but not real brass.
With insert removed, the sheep leather sewn insides with the two 'filter' pockets visible. The pocket openings come up just above the insert.
Another detail of the finished insides. Without the insert, this bag could hold a great deal of gear.
Compared with the rest of the bag, the finishing of the inserts are not as excellent.
This is a better showing of the actual look and feel of the cowhide. It's very nice leather and will age well.
The insert outside of the bag, gear still in insert. The insert is sturdy enough itself to be removed from the bag when full of stuff.
The bottom of the bag with the removable straps. Not quite sure what I would use these for, but I could take them off.
---
One person's conclusion.
This is an excellent bag, well made with quality materials, functional, comfortable, and good looking. It's an attractive bag, and the leather feels good to the touch. So would I buy this bag again? Yes. What about at an increased price? Maybe. This bag was worth the $150 price tag I paid, but for another $50 beyond that? Well, I would consider it. It is an excellent bag.
I've actually run out of time but wanted to get this online to share with others.
Any questions, just let me know. Most importantly, enjoy the review.
---
The title.
Let us first consider the name of this product: Leica cowhide archaistic classic camera brown bag. Fascinating.
---
A brief description.
So I bought this bag from the seller She-in on the auction site, previously known as Shoot-in. (Don't why the seller changed its shop name.) No affiliation, etc., but I've bought a number of items from the shop (leather lens bags, this bag, etc.) without any issues.
The specs from the seller (which are accurate enough for my review):
Outside dimensions (w x h x d): 36 x 25 x 20 cm / 14.1 x 9.8 x 7.8 in
Inside dimensions (w x h x d): 32 x 15 x 17 cm / 12.6 x 6 x 6.7
Weight empty but with insert: 1360 g / 2.9 lbs
I paid US $100 for this bag plus $50 for EMS shipping. It took about 10 days for it to arrive from Shanghai. Currently I see that the price has been raised. Hmm. You might consider asking for a 'better' price.
---
In words.
With that title guiding us, let's describe the bag in a few words, with images accompanied by descriptions to follow.
The outisde is well-stitched from very soft cowhide. So soft, in fact, it shows wear easily, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The exterior is finished with the cowhide with brass-looking, but sturdy, metal work. The zippers are excellent, thick but not oversized, and zip open and close smoothly. I quite like the dual-zipper flap for this bag, because it opens wide so getting things out is easy. The leather pulls on the zippers are a nice touch. The external flapped pocket has the same brass-looking magnetic metal snaps and stays closed unless overstuffed and has 'Leica' embossed on the front. It's quite attractive. There are some straps running across the bottom, and I'm frankly not sure what I could do with those, but the straps are detachable.
The inside is also well-stitched, very nicely finished in sheep leather. Nice. There are two pockets inside opposite the front flap that for filter cases and other small, narrow items. The inside of this bag looks great and is finished as nicely as the outside (if not better). The black of the sheep leather is jet black, which could make finding small black things on the bottom of the bag difficult in low light, but, you know, I don't think I'd like it as much if the leather were white. So that's a concenssion I can accept.
The single-piece insert and removable/adjustable dividers appear handmade, too, and are thick. Very. The main insert is so sturdy and padded I think I could throw this bag against the wall without damaging anything. Which is what I wanted in larger bag. So far, the main occasions I have used this bag are as a carry-on on flights, so it gets bumped around a bit. My main complaint is that the insert is not as well finished as the rest of the bag. The velcro for the adjustable inserts is good, but sewed on a bit loose. I can see after a year or so of use, I might need to have my wife (a seamstress) re-stitch the inserts. Also, the synthetic fabric used for the inserts is not the softest fabric, but still not of any danger to anything. I might have the wife line the inserts with microfiber, because on occasion I put naked filters and lenses inside in a rush.
The strap. The strap is comfortable, a lille slippery, but holds well on my shoulder without cutting in. In fact, the strap looks to be made from a seat belt. I **** you not. It adjusts easily but holds its length. It can be made long enough to fit across my chest (satchel-style, I'm 5' 10") comfortably. It doesn't get very short, but I had my wife try it out (she's 5' 3"), and single-shoulder style, it's a bit long. She said she'd carry it across the shoulder (she did last weekend once or twice). The strap is fitted to the case and cannot be removed.
So what fits? With the insert, I can fit my Leica M9 with the massive Voigtlander 35/1.2 attached, a Lumix GF1 with 40/1.7 attached, two Leica M lenses in leather pouches, a Leica SF 24D flash, a Case Logic case for memory cards, and another pouch with three batteries for body. I have placed the compartment dividers downwards at 40 degree angles in two slots so the camera bodies sit 'upright' on a side evenly. With the double-zipper opening, I can pull out a body with lens attached in a snap. It's quite a handy setup.
---
In pictures.
The full collection of images are available in a Picasa album.
The front. The brown is slightly darker than appears here. The wear is mine and from about one month of off-and-on use, but it looks good.
The embossed Leica on the front along with the painted, magnetic snaps.
Using my pen to prop open the front flap, we can fit stuff inside, but it is too short for unfolded A4 / 8.5 x 11" paper.
Excellent quality here and along every seam. The strap is fitted to the case and runs across the bottom of the bag.
The zippers are good quality, too. Not too thick, but just large enough to zip open and closed smoothly.
The double-zipper flap is great. You can see the massive CV 35/1.2 attached to the M9 inside.
From left to right: Memory card case with batteries; Summarit 75/2.5 and Elmar 24/3.8 in pouches; Leica M9 with CV 35/1.2 attached; empty slot for the GF1 with SF 24D in place.
The buckles and metal work are sufficiently heavy, but not real brass.
With insert removed, the sheep leather sewn insides with the two 'filter' pockets visible. The pocket openings come up just above the insert.
Another detail of the finished insides. Without the insert, this bag could hold a great deal of gear.
Compared with the rest of the bag, the finishing of the inserts are not as excellent.
This is a better showing of the actual look and feel of the cowhide. It's very nice leather and will age well.
The insert outside of the bag, gear still in insert. The insert is sturdy enough itself to be removed from the bag when full of stuff.
The bottom of the bag with the removable straps. Not quite sure what I would use these for, but I could take them off.
---
One person's conclusion.
This is an excellent bag, well made with quality materials, functional, comfortable, and good looking. It's an attractive bag, and the leather feels good to the touch. So would I buy this bag again? Yes. What about at an increased price? Maybe. This bag was worth the $150 price tag I paid, but for another $50 beyond that? Well, I would consider it. It is an excellent bag.
I've actually run out of time but wanted to get this online to share with others.
Any questions, just let me know. Most importantly, enjoy the review.
Last edited:
back alley
IMAGES
lots of room for the 14-140...oops, wrong system 
BillP
Rangefinder General
Mmm...
Ugly, easily marked, made with old seatbelts and infringing Leica's copyright into the bargain. is it truly the colour of a cheap artifical limb?
Regards,
Bill
Ugly, easily marked, made with old seatbelts and infringing Leica's copyright into the bargain. is it truly the colour of a cheap artifical limb?
Regards,
Bill
FrankS
Registered User
Beauty (and ugly) is in the eye of the beholder.
Silva Lining
CanoHasseLeica
nksyoon
Well-known
Looks like the straps under the bag can be used for carrying a tripod.
scottwallick
ambition ≥ skill
Ah, yes. That would definitely work. I was wondering what this might be used for. Thanks for sharing this.
ampguy
Veteran
Looks Retro and Euro!
f16sunshine
Moderator
I like it Scott.
Maybe not for every occasion but still super groovy and very functional.
Maybe not for every occasion but still super groovy and very functional.
scottwallick
ambition ≥ skill
Yeah, it's definitely not an every day bag. But like earlier tonight, I had to shoot some engagement photos, and it worked very well. Its opening makes it easy to work out of, it's very comfortable, and just wears nice. A bit big, though, for just going out and shooting.
kshapero
South Florida Man
Kinda cool but I prefer hard core canvas.
ernstk
Retro Renaissance
Is this a serious thread? Just asking...
Ernst
Ernst
pkreyenhop
Established
Last edited:
ernstk
Retro Renaissance
Oh, good reply! In the play,(The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde) Lady Bracknell exclaims " A handbag?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyuoUwxCLMs
Kind of fits this thread well and has the right level of incredulity...
Ernst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyuoUwxCLMs
Kind of fits this thread well and has the right level of incredulity...
Ernst
elude
Some photographer
Its not that expensive, far from it actually and seems to be practical. I own a Billingham worth twice the price of this one, and I'm still happy damn happy about it so...
Rogrund
Antti Sivén
M
M like Leica M6
Guest
In the 1980s I owned an Audi 100 with that color. It was dirt cheap because nobody wanted it....
Nobody likes the color??!!
It's the same color as my Nikon FB-11's.
http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf2/accessories/htmls/ff2cases.htm
What a modern bag really needs is the Bayonet mount lens boards to come back around, like on my M3 system case.
Maybe the lens board put into one of the FB-11's...
It's the same color as my Nikon FB-11's.
http://mir.com.my/rb/photography/hardwares/classics/nikonf2/accessories/htmls/ff2cases.htm
What a modern bag really needs is the Bayonet mount lens boards to come back around, like on my M3 system case.
Maybe the lens board put into one of the FB-11's...
kully
Happy Snapper
I have to agree that the bag looks like it was supplied by the NHS for a lead-acid battery powered hearing aid from 1965..
But it looks cool too.
Thanks for the detailed write-up.
But it looks cool too.
Thanks for the detailed write-up.
Man, now I need to find a Nikon hearing aid to go with the FB-4.