I'm about eye level deep in pictures from Venice and there's no telling when I will wade out of that. Procrastinating to clean the office probably wasn't the best idea. But, it's a lot of photos, like 4 cards worth and I've already dedicated all of next week to the task. In order to keep on procrastinating I decided to do another gear review. Yay!
First off, however, I have a confession to make. As you can see from the photo below I have a bit of a problem.
Yes, I have a more specific version of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)- C.B.A.S. (Camera Bag Acquisition Syndrome). The reason for this is that I don't like to use a neck strap most of the time. The camera swinging around drives me crazy. Also, I think a camera around your neck is a giant sign that screams "I'M A TOURIST!!!!!" A good bag keeps the camera out of the way when I'm not using it and it also keeps me from looking like an easy mark (the rest of how I look does well enough in that department, thank you very much). For the record, almost all of these bags in the photo have a purpose and they all get used. The wee Lowepro in the top right is for hiking on local trails when I'm just taking a macro setup or something else basic. The black leather one next to it is for dressier occasions (poor thing rarely gets used). The ThinkTank Retrospective on the top left gets used all the time when I'm carrying two bodies, filters, etc and I'm wearing earth tones. The ThinkTank Airport Essentials underneath is awesome. I use it when we fly or take the train because Brian the Tripod fits inside along with all my bodies, lenses, accessories, MacBook, iPad, and other travel essentials. It really is an awesome bag and I totally recommend it. That black bag in the middle of the pile is something I picked up in Germany to use for longer hikes and I need Brian to come along. Next to that one on the right is a Lowepro Slingshot that I dislike and never use. That generic German backpack replaced it and I haven't gotten around to getting rid of it yet. The brown leather in the front is my beloved Ona Brixton. I use that one most days. I love, love, love this bag. Finally, the one next to that is the latest addition to the bag collection, Peak Design's 15" Everyday Messenger. And, that is the bag that I'm going to review. Oh, that blue tube shaped one is Brian's. We use that if he has to come along with us all day.
We wanted the Everyday Messenger (ok, I wanted it), because my old black messenger bag was falling apart and needed to be replaced. Having bags that coordinate with what I'm wearing is important to me, yes, and I require various ones in earth tones, blacks, or grays. I had heard a lot of good things about the Everyday Messenger. It was kind of hard not to hear about this bag. If you're into photography you probably heard about it too since it was an incredibly successful Kickstarter project, was touted by Trey Ratcliff, and at one point was called the greatest messenger/camera bag of all time by a bunch of bloggers. So, when my old bag died the death, I didn't really need to shop around this time. As much as I appreciate the ThinkTank Retrospective, the size I have is a bit small for some projects, but at the same time can become oddly bulky. Plus, I can't carry Brian with it (hence, the use of the tripod bag on occasion). Also, it would be weird to have the same bag in two different colors. I was looking for a larger, black or grey messenger that was better quality than my old bag that I had stuff a padded camera pocket in. The Everyday Messenger fit the bill. It arrived just in time for our week in Venice and we used it everyday, as the name suggested we should. It was an intense test and I think I can confidently review the bag after that trip.
The new bag absolutely had to be a messenger bag. I prefer that style over a backpack because it's easier to get into on the go and that's important since I don't use straps. They also aren't another giant sign that screams "I'M A TOURIST!!!!!!" like a backpack is. Versatility was the next requirement. I wanted something that could carry my MacBook and iPad, could carry several bodies, could accommodate Brian if necessary, and still fit the other stuff one needs to carry around like sunglasses, filters, batteries, notebook, etc. And, if I didn't need to carry all the stuff then it would collapse down into a thinner form. Also, it couldn't be a bag that looked blatantly like a camera bag. It would be even better if it could function just as well as a regular messenger in case my husband needed a black bag. Yes, he has a thing about color coordination too, probably more than I do.
So here's my Everyday Messenger.
One of the first things I noticed was the construction of the bag. Unlike other traditional camera bags, this one doesn't come with a separate rain cover. The exterior fabric itself is water resistant. The exterior zippers are water resistant too, thus negating the need for a bulky and goofy looking rain cover. Also, the entire thing is padded, but it's not thick and awkward. The unique padding also stays rigid so the bag keeps its shape even when it's full and heavily loaded or nearly empty. This is a feature that really comes in handy when you're trying to get things out while on the move. Because of the construction, the bag expands when full, but collapses down tightly without any excess material getting in the way. The interior fabrics are sleek and protective as well. All the stitching is solid and tight, nothing catches on gear when it's being removed, and all the stitches survived a brutal week of heavy load carrying (probably around 20lbs at times) without a single fray.
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| Rear laptop/tablet pocket |
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| Interior fabric and stitching |
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| Felt lined tablet pocket |
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| Interior fabric of the rear laptop/fabric pocket |
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| Exterior fabric and stitching |
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| Weather resistant zippers. |
The next thing that makes this bag unique from others is the strap system. Normally bag straps are afterthoughts. Some of them are overly padded and bizarre looking, others are fashionable, but really uncomfortable. The strap system, yes system, of the Everyday Messenger stands out as being one of the things that was a priority for the designers.
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| Pivoting attachment point keeps the bag close to you, no matter how full it is or how it is being carried. |
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| Flat and easy to adjust clasps |
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| Folding strap handle so the bag can be adjusted on the go. |
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| The strap is the same material as car seat belts. Since paramedics need a special knife to cut seat belts, you know this strap isn't going to fail you. |
Ok, now for the interior. The unique feature of Peak Design's bags are the main compartment dividers. Dividers in a camera bag are a necessary evil that serve a protective purpose, but can easily end up driving you mad. The ones in this bag are different than those chubby uncooperative ones. These are thin and rigid, and their construction makes it possible to fold them down to create inner pockets or to accommodate smaller items. They're pretty ingenious. Also in that main compartment there's a nifty little pocket at the top for essentials like passports, wallets, tickets, phones, what have you.
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| Foldable dividers make it easy and safe to stack other items on top of camera bodies or lenses. |
When the bag is closed the designers came up with the coolest solution for quickly grabbing items that doesn't involve opening the whole thing up. This feature is probably my favorite thing about this bag. When I'm in a crowded area like a full subway car or, as in Venice, a packed Vaporetto, I don't have the room to fully open these kinds of bags nor do I feel comfortable showing everyone around me all the equipment I'm carrying. Peak Design came up with a simple, yet genius solution- just put a zipper in the top flap! That's all you need to access the main compartment to grab your sunglasses or phone and even a camera!
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| Brilliant! |
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| The pockets have red or green stitching so you can differentiate between full memory cards and empty ones or between charged or used batteries. |
But, wait! There are other cool features about the Everyday Messenger that you should know about too! Let's head back to the outside of the bag to check out the clasp system. It's really quite lovely.
The clasp system is actually pretty remarkable. First of all, there's no buckles involved so you don't have to make any adjustments to it as your load volume expands or shrinks. Secondly, it uses a magnet (yes, digital safe), so even if you don't latch it, the clasp will find the hooks and with a little tension click into place. It's also easy to use one handed and without stopping. Plus, the hooks aren't sewn on, they're bolted on. Like everything else with this bag you don't have to worry about the clasp system falling apart.
There are also some nice, sly side pockets that are great for stowing small often needed items like lens caps. One of them also has a quick access key lanyard inside so you always know where your keys are. It features Peak Design's Anchor link system so you can detach your keys from the lanyard quickly, but they aren't going to become detached when you don't want them to.
Near these pockets are dedicated attachment straps for Peak Design's Capture Camera clip systems. I love the Capture Pro I got for hiking so much I now use it all the time. It works seamlessly with the Everyday Messenger. Using the Capture system makes my camera as accessible as it would be with a traditional neck strap, but it keeps the camera from getting knocked about or in my way while storing it out of general line of sight to others. Plus, its base plate works with Brian so I don't have to switch the plate out when using the tripod.
If we continue along the back side of the bag we come to the laptop/tablet pocket. It also has a weather sealed zipper and easily fits my MacBook and iPad. However, I never carry both at the same time in the same bag. That would just be heavy and redundant.
The last feature I want to highlight is the tripod carry system. This is another one of the main reasons I wanted to get this bag. Normally both my husband and myself carry a bag. Sometimes I need to take the tripod with me all day. It's not an ideal situation, but the schedule may not allow time to run back to the hotel to drop it off after an early morning shoot or pick it up in the evening. Our schedule in Venice made this the norm, especially with the short days of December. In the past, it was really irritating to have to carry Brian in his own bag in addition to a camera bag. If we didn't need Brian every day all day on a trip there isn't really a need for a backpack and neither of us likes to carry those anyway. So, a messenger that can accommodate a travel tripod without being ridiculous about it would be really helpful. The Everyday Messenger can do that. Inside the main flap is a sleeve (it also has a pocket in it) that you can slide a tripod leg into to affix the tripod to the bag. They also send along a silicon ring (Or fashion accessory. You decide.) to loop around the leg ends to keep the tripod from sliding out.
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| Tripod Storage system |
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| Sleeve opens on either end to slide a tripod leg through. |
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| It also includes a pocket that is perfect for storing cables. |
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| Tripod ring...or BRACELET! |
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| Brian hanging out on the Everyday Messenger, happy as a clam. |
Bottom line, he said, "This is probably the greatest bag in the world." Yep. He basically raved about it for an entire week, even more so after we remembered the additional straps that could adjust the position of the bag as needed. His favorite thing about the bag was that it wasn't bulky. We had the X-T1 in it with the 55-200m lens, the 10-24mm lens, plus all sorts of miscellaneous items and sundry, not to mention Brian. It was pretty full, but didn't look full. His second favorite thing about the bag was how easy it is to use. The closure is a piece of cake to operate. Also, he could tighten and loosen the strap without taking the bag off, the keys never got misplaced, the laptop pocket was perfect for carrying documents, and the flap zip access made it easy to grab stuff quickly. Using the bag wasn't a production and it never slowed us down. If I asked for the X-T1 (I was carrying and mainly using the X-T2 with the 16-55mm in my Ona Bag ), he could pull it out quickly for me and I didn't miss the shot. His third favorite thing about the bag was its style. It is a great looking bag and he didn't feel like he stuck out at all like one would with a typical day bag. He also appreciated the solid construction and the protective material on the bottom that makes ok to set the bag down on the ground. The front pocket also received a good review since it can be opened wide therefore he never lost anything down in the bottom of it. Keep in mind, camera gear, let alone camera bags are not something he generally thinks about, but by the end of the week he was ready to write Peak Design to tell them how much he loved the bag. He may still.
There are only a couple of things that did't work out so well, but we only noticed them since we were carrying a lot more gear than usual. The zip access in the flap is totally awesome, but we found that it doesn't work well to get larger camera bodies in an out of the bag. For grabbing the X-E2 with a small lens or the X70 it works great, but it's a bit of a struggle to get the X-T1 or 2 with the 16-55mm. Another slight issue was discovered with the strap, but I think it mostly had to do with the weight of the load. Over time there was some creep, and it had to be adjusted a couple of times a day. Thankfully, doing so is incredibly easy so that wasn't a huge deal.
We were definitely carrying more than normal on that trip. I don't usually carry a tripod, cable release, and filters with me all day. We had to carry more batteries because of the cold weather. We also stuck gloves and hats in there. Then there were all the other non-photo related items that went in too. A souvenir got tucked in a couple of times as well. It was full and heavy. With that type of load, it would have been more comfortable to have a backpack. Definitely. The bag itself didn't have any trouble handling the weight (except for the strap creep), it was having all the weight on one shoulder that became uncomfortable. But, he said he still preferred this bag since it was easier to use and looked more stylish than a backpack. Fashion over comfort, right?
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| A sample of what can easily fit inside the Everyday Messenger. I was using my MacBook and had Netflix running on my iPad so they aren't pictured here. |
To sum it up, with all these features it really is an Everyday Messenger, meaning you can use it just about everyday for most shooting situations. The larger model is remarkably spacious, and could even function as a flight carry-on. The smaller model would definitely be the perfect everyday bag if you don't need as much room. I think street photographers would appreciate its quick functionality and unobtrusive looks. The bag is solidly constructed and clearly a great deal of thought was given to every detail. It can also work well for non-photographers! Remove the dividers or don't and it can become anything you need. It is beautifully made and looks fashionable, while being tough and versatile. So, yes, when it comes to camera bags, the buck may very well stop here. I'm so impressed with it, I'm considering picking up a tan one. And, since their messenger bag has changed the world a little, I might even consider their Everyday Backpack to replace that old German bag down the road...
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