Photofocus

This May Be The Finest Camera Bag I’ve Ever Seen!

I’ve had every camera bag ever made. I’ve had every kind of bag ever made. I’ve thrown away more camera bags than most photographers have ever owned. In other words I have camera bags coming out my you know what. But THIS ladies and gentlemen is one bag I will NOT be throwing away. The ONA The Union Street Camera and Laptop Bag rocks!

I’ve never heard of Ona before being contacted about this review. But clearly that hasn’t stopped them! :) It’s clear they have found a niche for themselves. They make ultra-high-end, ultra-quality bags for photographers.

To the casual observer, the Union Street DSLR bag is a typical (but nicer) messenger bag. But open it up and you see that it’s got photography in its bones.

According to Ona – the bag holds up to a 15″ laptop, and a small camera body and up to three small lenses. There’s a padded insert for both the computer and the camera gear. The bag has five dividers including the removable laptop section. There’s a front section you can use to store memory cards and small accessories. But it’s not a great deal of space. More on all that in a minute.

The construction is simply the best I’ve ever seen. The company uses only full-grain cowhide leather, waxed cotton canvas, solid brass, and closed-cell foam in its bags. This particular unit is a very handsome bag. It’s handcrafted. No detail was spared. Everything is top-shelf quality. You could carry this to a Wall Street firm wearing your best suit and nobody would question you. But it’s rugged enough to go out into the wild with Indiana Jones. In fact, I am betting that if Indiana Jones carried a camera bag it would be this one.

Now to the bad news. It’s a very small bag. While the company claims it will hold a 15″ computer, a DSLR body and up to three lenses, in my tests, I’d say that is a generous description.

For me this is not a problem. This bag is perfect for those (like me) who have switched to Micro Four Thirds. My OM-D E-M5 body and three primary lenses (the Oly 12mm, 45mm and 75mm) fit no problem along with battery charger, cables, etc. My MacBook Air fits no problem. But my pals big beefy Dell 15″ laptop wouldn’t squeeze in. Likewise, if you’re shooting a big pro body like a Canon 1DX or a Nikon D4, forget it. You can remove the laptop wall giving you another inch or so of interior room, which may make the difference for some of you with smaller DSLRs like the Canon 7D or the Nikon D600.

This camera bag is designed for someone who is trying to travel light. It will carry the necessities for many jobs. And it will do so very safely, securely and beautifully. But you can’t bring everything you own. Oh and more bad news – the cost for this is steep at $289. But money is just a means of exchange. And if you’re getting something of great value, it matters less.

To me it’s absolutely worth it. There’s nothing on the market that can touch this bag’s looks and construction. I only wish it were bigger and I hope that the company will send me their Camps Bay backpack to test. It is more expensive still, but larger and probably better suited to those who carry lots of gear.

If you want a camera bag that doesn’t look like a camera bag, and that will get you where you want to go with the basics, but in style – this is the one. I love this bag and will absolutely be using this in my everyday workflow.

Highly recommended!

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