This is the most beautiful and rugged camera bag I've ever seen or owned. I have several Lowepro bags, a Lowepro Classified 140, the Stealth Reporter in two different sizes, a Dryzone 200 (which is the best wet bag on the market, IMO) and a Lowepro harness and belt.
But in Manhattan, those nylon bags stand out as camera bags and are targets for a slash and grab. They're also real work bags and I wanted something more for urban use. That's what I got the Brixton. The companies description is accurate, it will accommodate a pro body, two lenses, a Speedlite and accessories. The interior is deep enough for a 5D3 with a 24-105 attached and the hood extended in ready position (easily done, no kidding), but the way I do it is to use it for the disassembled lens and body, the light and accessories, otherwise, it's too heavy to carry all day if I carry the camera assembled and add a second lens. The interior is hook and loop fuzzy material and the three partitions are thick and have the Velcro hooks on each side. There's an inside Velcro partition at the rear which will just fit a 13" laptop.
There are 5 outside pockets, two under the main flap, one on either end, and a large back pocket with a magnet seal. Being leather, they'll stretch to accommodate whatever you put into them. The cover flap is lined with a heavy woven nylon, very sturdy. The flap is attached when closed by brass tongue-in-slot fittings which are covered by the leather strap extensions in the photo below. They are secure but easy to open quickly. The flap itself has "ears" where it meets the main compartment that fold in and form small rain flaps over the central compartment when the main flap is closed which is a nice touch. There are two heavy brass buckles that allow you to lengthen the straps for a bigger load.
The leather is distressed heavy hide, well sewn. The corner of the main flap where it turns under to make the rain flaps has an issue. At these points, the leather edge strip must be under some kind of pulling stretch, leaving the underlying white padding visible, though the stitching itself was in the correct place and well-done - it simply was the edge of the leather edge strip that was lifting up. I went through four bags until I found one where the edging did not pull up, and that was the one I kept. The photo below is of the worst of the three problem bags...that white area is only about 0.75" long. You could easily use some contact cement and glue down the edge of the leather edging, but in an expensive bag like this, that's not my job.
The leather is Italian-tanned and sewn in the DR. The leather itself is thick, heavy, and first-rate, like that of a fashion leather bag that is meant to take a beating and stay looking nice. The strap is the same leather, as is the padded shoulder pad, all meant to be used hard. BTW, the leather of the strap is thick, and could not be cut by a boxcutter for a slash and grab (the same bag is made in canvas, with a thin nylon strap which could easily be cut). Note the small leather handle in the center of the bag. It's sewn into the rear of the bag, next to the rear pocket, which means if you lift the bag by it, the front where all the gear is, falls forward and downward. Others have said that this handle tears off if you use it to carry the bag or lift it, and I agree with them that there is no good purpose for it except esthetics. Of course, you can use it to pull the empty bag out of its dustcover, but not for much else.
All things considered, this is the perfect city bag. It doesn't draw attention to itself as a camera bag, it actually looks like a leather briefcase with a shoulder strap. It holds just enough gear for a day out without being too heavy. There are smaller and larger versions, the first too little to be useful, I think, and the latter too heavy when loaded. People have complained that the bag is too heavy by itself at just over 3 pounds, but it's the same weight as my similarly sized Stealth Reporter. I think it would be a good idea to treat this bag with the leather conditioner and cleaner recommended by ONA every three months or so to keep it looking beautiful.
The warranty is unusual, only one year. Most other bags, even Domke, have a 2 year warranty, if not a 25 year or lifetime one. The company says this is what other leather fashion bags such as Fendi or Bottega Veneta are covered for, and that they would repair any bag no matter how long a customer has had it. But if that's the case, they should have a longer warranty, otherwise it looks like they expect trouble at one year.
In any event, this is the nicest bag I've ever seen, Billingham included, and the most expensive. But we all splurge for photography gear and I think this piece is worth it. Available at all the high end, trusted camera gear vendors, two colors, $439. Don't be fooled, the "dark truffle" is just dark brown.
Photos courtesy Amazon
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