Mekko f-803 Mini-Review w/ Pics

[Dog Case]

I picked up one of these bags after pouring over the various posts I was able to search up on the forums here, and thought I'd give back with a quick little review with a few pictures.

Over all the bag is a little thicker front to back than I'd expected, but still much less bulky than the bags I bought it to replace. Also much less rigid. It sort of molds around my side rather than being a rigid cube that bounces off of me like my Lowepro Nova Mini.
From the photos on that Auction Site, I assumed the shoulder pad would be big and bulky and seldom used, but after actually trying it out I can say it's likely to never leave that strap; it's nice and comfy.
The clasp on the flap isn't as easy to open as the plastic buckles like everybody else uses, but it CAN be opened one-handed with a little practice. Sometimes...
It came with two mystery straps. One is adjustable and I think it's supposed to be a belt strap, but it's way too short. The other is a fixed length and has a grip in the middle, and came attached to the two large "D" rings that are inside of where the shoulder strap is attached, like some sort of hand strap for when the hand strap atop the flap just isn't good enough😕
Anyway, I'm really pleased with it so far. It holds just what I need, and doesn't have that shiny nylon plastic look that everything else does these days.
Now pictures!

 

[Dog Case]

More pictures

More pictures

That rectangular gray thing is a pad with a rigid sheet of plastic inside that fits underneath the insert, which is also padded on the bottom.
Also all of the buckles and rings are metal.

 

[buckpago]

I was amaze when i saw these MEKKO bags, even if their designers just copy the design to the original Domke bags.the first thing came to my mind was "ITS A RIP OFF" but the price was almost half compare to Domke. I wonder about the durability and quality........ I have domke f-2 and domke reporter satchel for 2 dacades and still in condition...

 

[pcfranchina]

I have the Safrotto version of this bag and I think the quality is great. I just wish the insert was a bit different. The sections are a bit too big for a small RF kit. One camera with one lens and an extra lens. I didn't like to keep a lens in one of the front pocket and too small to put in of of the 3 sections.

 

[Gerold]

[... ] I just wish the insert was a bit different. The sections are a bit too big for a small RF kit. [... ]

I thought that, too. I opened the seam on the bottom of the insert, took out the bottom padding through the open seem, closed the seam with strong tape, put some smaller foam paddings inside the insert, fixed those with a small patch of double-sided tape. Now I have a very thin and very flexible bag, which takes a RF body, one mounted lens, one additional lens, 6 rolls of film, and an Oly Stylus Epic. With that stuff, it still looks and feels very thin. I can add a newspaper and a book. Plus a Or a small notebook computer. With that, it's still not overloaded.
I use this bag every day, and like it very much indeed.

 

[goo0h]

I picked up one of these bags after pouring over the various posts I was able to search up on the forums here, and thought I'd give back with a quick little review with a few pictures.

Interesting. Can film go into the two under-the-top-flap pockets, say if you wanted to carry 3 rangefinder cameras?

 

[nksyoon]

I just wish the insert was a bit different.

I agree, I use an insert from Tenba which has continuous velcro on the inside which allows you to place the dividers at different intervals or use 3 dividers to create 4 compartments.

Interesting. Can film go into the two under-the-top-flap pockets, say if you wanted to carry 3 rangefinder cameras?

You could fit 1-2 rolls in there but it would make an ugly bulge. They're better for flatter objects.

 

[Dog Case]

Interesting. Can film go into the two under-the-top-flap pockets, say if you wanted to carry 3 rangefinder cameras?

I keep a couple rolls in one and a small meter and lens-cloth in the other. The film side does bulge a little, but it's not too bad.

Since I got the bag, I've found that I like it best with the small divider that fits into the center section of the insert out, so that I have three full-depth sections. You can also vary the size of the sections a small amount depending on which side of the velcro strips you put the divider. I.E., for one of the end sections, if I place the divider so that the velcro tabs point toward that section, it's a little bit bigger than if the tabs point away from the section.

I've been using it with the dividers set to give me smaller end sections and a bigger center. I can fit my M3 or Bessa-R with lens in one end, an extra lens or two and an Ultra-Pod in the other end and have plenty of room for film and other non-camera related things in the center.

 

[goo0h]

I notice that the "GoShotCamera" eBay retailer that sells these Mekko bags now has a real web site.

http://www.goshotcamera.com/product/BCS004F803Y