Ona bags

chris91387

chris91387

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Jan 4, 2006
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i just want to tell the world about Ona bags. i just received an amazing leather bag for my Leica but i'm sure a lot of you are unfamiliar with the brand, Ona. the bag was sent quickly and the quality appears to be top notch. not cheap by any means but i expect it to get weathered and scuffed up and last a lifetime.

highly recommend.

check them out:
http://www.onabags.com/store/messenger-bags.html
 
Ona bags are hardly unknown to RFFers, certainly not to the bags sub-forum. Only Billingham gets mentioned more often.

I have the Ona Berlin I. It's OK, but not in the same class as Wotancraft or Hard Graft.
 
Have the (leather) Bowery too - Joe (back alley) pushed over the edge and I bought it even if it is expensive. I'm happy I did.
 
I have the waxed canvas union street and carry it every day. Love it. Usually use it to carry my laptop for work, but have a couple of times used it with just photo gear, and even though it's not a particularly small bag, it's very comfortable to carry so enjoyed it nonetheless. I rather like the seat-belt straps on the waxed canvas bags.
 
I've got the Ona Brixton in cognac leather. It's super solid and looks really nice. It's a bit big, but I find that I can carry an M-body w/lens + 2 other lenses and my Ricoh GR1v with film/batteries etc. If you want a classy bag for travel or one that will just last a long time, I don't think you can go wrong with Ona leather bags. Not sure about the canvas bags, but they seem just as solid from what I've seen.
 
I have a canvas Bowery. It is a compromise of a bag that also wants to be an insert in a bigger bag. The strap with its clasp hooks does not inspire confidence. They look sturdy but I worry that it will unfasten in some way. It should have had a strap that was sewn onto it, I think. Looked nice in the store anyways. Maybe it will be a special camera bag and not an everyday carry in the way my Crumpler is. Time will tell.
 
Not that it matters regarding the quality of the bags, but as a retailer I dealt with ONA the company regularly. I found them to be incredibly supportive of small business and a pleasure to work with. This was not true of the vast majority of photo suppliers that I dealt with. (and I have a Brixton that I use every single day)
 
Jerevan said:
I have a canvas Bowery. It is a compromise of a bag that also wants to be an insert in a bigger bag. The strap with its clasp hooks does not inspire confidence. They look sturdy but I worry that it will unfasten in some way. It should have had a strap that was sewn onto it, I think. Looked nice in the store anyways. Maybe it will be a special camera bag and not an everyday carry in the way my Crumpler is. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

i have not had the clasp open on it's own yet...
 
I use a canvas Bowery with two dividers. Works great. But I don't like those heavy strap buckles at all and replaced mine with a bag Upstrap. Thin, light, better grip. Much nicer.
 
Could be that I need to change out the strap - will have a look at the Upstrap. Borrowed the Crumpler shoulder pad and it felt more comfortable already.
 
Had Prince Street for a few weeks before sending it to the winner of my giveaway.
I'd definitely go for a leather Ona!

ona-prince-street-review-00184.jpg


ona-prince-street-review-00270.jpg



ona-prince-street-review-00369.jpg
 
Jerevan said:
I have a canvas Bowery. It is a compromise of a bag that also wants to be an insert in a bigger bag. The strap with its clasp hooks does not inspire confidence. They look sturdy but I worry that it will unfasten in some way. It should have had a strap that was sewn onto it, I think. Looked nice in the store anyways. Maybe it will be a special camera bag and not an everyday carry in the way my Crumpler is. Time will tell.
Click to expand...

I hate my canvas Bowry. It looks like an overstuffed pillow case, the seams are stiched so that the material is wrinkled, it is surprisingly heavy, and the strap has a metal buckle (with no padding covering it) that rests either on top of, or against the front or back of your shoulder.
Seriously, those who like the canvas version, what is it that you like? I don't get it.
FYI I bought mine used sight unseen for $60 cuz of all the positive comments. I'm using it to store my two Nikon Fs. At least it works for that.
 
I like the canvas Bowery very much. I don't find it heavy. It's the bag I use when I'm shooting bands in clubs. I usually go with an M9 with lens attached, and one extra lens. I also have my GR with me, but in a belt case. The ONA's size is good for those situations, because I can move around easily without my bag bumping into people. I like the fact it can be secured. And I like that it doesn't have Velcro.

Jerevan raises an interesting point though. After I adjusted the strap (not the shoulder strap), the bottom part fell off. I hadn't even noticed till a musician packing up saw it on the floor. It happened again a few shows later. After that I wound gaffer tape around the strap, holding the two parts together. It's been fine since then.

The back pocket is pretty useless too. It's too shallow, and I lost a CD a band had given me on the way home when it fell out.

I use one of the external end pockets for an extra Leica battery. I also like the two pockets in the front, and the fact they are protected when the clasp is closed. In one, I keep my extra GR battery, a small notebook (not a notebook computer:) ) and some Moo cards. In the other, earplugs in a case and a cleaning cloth.

It basically has replaced my BBB-E and my Barebones Stealth (which I keep forgetting I own, but like when I use it, provided I don't have a heavy lens with me like the Canon 85 F2). The BBB-E is deeper than I need (except for CDs), but it does have the zippered back pocket, and I've managed to shove some merch in it. The BBB-E is also better in the rain.

I have no regrets about getting the Bowery.
 
asilda said:
Had Prince Street for a few weeks before sending it to the winner of my giveaway.
I'd definitely go for a leather Ona!

ona-prince-street-review-00184.jpg


ona-prince-street-review-00270.jpg



ona-prince-street-review-00369.jpg
Click to expand...

Something about these three photos makes me want to run right out and buy an Ona Prince Street and put my Hasselblad in it.
 
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