Wednesday, April 23, 2014

The Camera Bag

I've been using a black purse as my camera bag for the last year. A purse from Wal Mart, with no padding, that cost me $15.... I wanted to take my camera to Alabama with me but because there wasn't any padding in the bag, it freaked me out to know it would be shoved on a plane so I ended up not taking my SLR at all. Sad day. That's when I realized I needed to invest in something.

So I looked at the Epiphanie bags, the Kelly Moore bags, and the ONA bags but nothing felt right. Yes, I talk about bags like I'm buying a house. Sorry, not sorry. But anywho, in my humble opinion, nothing that's not leather should cost more than $40 and nothing that's leather should cost more than about $175. Some of the ONA bags are leather and they're beautiful but I was not about to spend over $400 on a camera bag that's going to get thrown around and hopefully, one day, stuffed under the seat of a plane. In fact, I'd never spend $400 on any bag, ever. That's insanity. 

But I knew I wanted something affordable, something that was leather, and something to hold my laptop and at least two or three lenses, but I didn't want anything so big that it looked like a suitcase or dislocated my shoulder. Well, I recently found this lovely bag that I'm about to share with you and I fell in love. I kept staring at the photos over the next few days and eventually I decided I needed to make the purchase. This Etsy seller (LeftoverStudio) is in India and he was so wonderful! He responded quickly to my questions and the best part is, this is a handmade bag and it's only $139! It just came in the mail last week and I couldn't wait to open it up!! I LOVE IT!! There are lots of his bags to choose from but this is the one in the link above. I decided to go with the large one because I wanted my laptop to fit and the normal sized one would only fit an iPad. Say hello to my new BFF. We hope to travel many places together.






20 comments:

  1. OH MY SO JEALOUS!! This looks exactly like an ONA bag, but EVEN BETTER! For real, this is the most beautiful bag I've ever seen in my entire life. I love my Epiphanie, but it's just waaaaay too big.

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  2. Oh My! Does it hold your camera as well as lenses? Or just lenses?

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  3. Ahh it's too perfect! Is that a MacBook Air that slides in there, too?? xx

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    1. It's a 15" MacBook Pro Retina. I'm assuming the Air fits though since it's probably smaller.

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    2. Ah! Answered my question exactly! The listing says up to 13" laptop, but I have the same one as you, and I thought you did, and so I was going to ask what that was all about. Thankfully it was already answered. :) I think i'm going to upgrade to this one. (so excited right now. eek!)

      xo, rn

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  4. Oh my gosh, I'm so glad you shared this!! I've been on the hunt for bags that aren't CRAZY expensive. I found my "like new" Kelly Moore bag on Amazon 2 years ago, so I got lucky with that price!

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  5. LOVE the bag, Meredith! It's perfect and I love how it's style seems to scream "adventuring" :) Thanks for sharing! [p.s. Love your little succulent garden, too! I recently loved creating a mini cacti/succulent garden for my room using a A Beautiful Mess tutorial. :) Blessings!]

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  6. Hi, I was just wondering, how long did it take your bag to ship? I would need mine in 2 weeks...

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  7. I've been considering buying a bag from Leftover Studio for months now but I had not found a good enough review to make me jump out in faith. Thanks to you, my bag is purchased! I notice you only carry two lenses, is that enough for you when shooting?

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    1. Yay!! So glad this convinced you! If I move one of the dividers, I can fit four lenses in here tightly. I usually carry three lenses in my bag and one on my camera for engagement sessions. On wedding days the bag is probably overpacked but I have four lenses in my bag and one on my camera. So far it hasn't broken. Haha.

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  8. I love this bag!!!! Holy cow might have to order one:) thanks for sharing!!

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  9. I am so glad you shared this!
    I too love the look of the Ona bags, but just can't justify their price tag.
    I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind -
    - You mentioned that if you move one of the dividers, you're then able to fit 4 lenses, I'm assuming that means no room for camera then, right?
    - You said that fit is tight.. How tight are we talking? Lol
    - Do you think it's possible to stack lenses? Move a divider in between for safety, and place one lens on top of another to optimize space?
    - Does the bag sit upright on its own?
    - Is the strap comfortable, even when loaded down with gear?
    - How has your bag held up with use?

    And lastly -
    I checked out this seller on Etsy and one thing he mentions is that at first, the bag will have a very distinct odor/smell due to the fact that the leather is not chemically treated, and that it should wear off over time.
    How did that work out with yours? And did it in fact wear off?

    Sorry this is so long! And thank you for any info you share!

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    1. Hey girl!! I can fit four lenses or three lenses and my camera (without a lens). Sometimes I shove my camera on top laying face up though, so I can close it. But usually I have my camera and a lens out when I'm shooting and then I can store four lenses in there. So it works well for me. It's just heavy. And it's not tight to the point where it's going to break but it is pretty tight. The dividers are like an inch thick though so it's safe. And I don't think you can stack lenses unless it's two short ones. The bag does sit up on its own and the strap is pretty comfortable but with as much stuff as I put in, my back does hurt so I usually set it down when I'm shooting. But it's a comfy design, especially if you don't pack it tight. And I've only had it for about five months but so far it's handled SO much stress!! :) And I didn't smell anything when I got my bag. It smelled a little like leather but nothing weird!!

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    2. Hey!! Thank you SO much for answering all those questions! Finding a *perfect* bag truly is difficult!
      I’ve been eyeballing this bag on etsy ever since I stumbled on your Instagram & blogpost about it.
      I am definitely leaning toward getting this one, especially now! Thank you!
      Also, I justtttt started following you on Instagram :o) So I’ll be eager to see the future adventures and awesome shoots you and this bag tackle together! Have a good day!!

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  10. Hey, I know it's been nearly a year... Now their shop is gone :'( I was going to order one as a graduation present to myself and I can't find them anywhere! You wouldn't happen to have their email, would you?

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    1. Hey girl!! He shut down his shop for some reason!! :( So sorry! I don't have any contact info.

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