List Price: $239.99
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Today's Bonus: 4% Off
First off, I never write product reviews. However, when I went in search of the perfect professional bag, I decided after months of looking, reading hundreds of reviews, and almost ordering a bag or two, a review was exactly what I needed to do. A little background: I'm 5'4'' & used to carry two lens, one external flash, one professional camera body and my emergency kit all in a 4 lb bag. The word "crafty" might come to mind. I knew when I upgraded my equipment I wanted the ability to house two camera bodies, two-three lenses, my external flash, diffuser, extra batteries and my emergency day of kit that I carry, & to be able to have everything in one place, for each and every wedding. I originally HATED the Jill E. The size, the styles, etc. Nothing seemed to fit me, except for the white & bone bag, that was out of my price range, because I knew, being a "scrappy" photographer, I was going to have the bag either ruined, or scuffed up in only a matter of a few events. My other biggest problem was the size issue. Nothing I read, saw, or had heard could describe to me exactly what the size was going to look like on me. I'm a small build, so I didn't want a bag to swallow me whole or be too heavy or uncomfortable. My original first pick, was to get a Kelly Moore, hobo style. I had swooned over the ability to zip or simply close the flap for easy access for months and then when they finally had a shipment in, I backed out. I watched the informational video & thought the bag just wouldn't work for me. It didn't seem deep enough, a lens might fall out, or I might not fully get the lens back in the bag, or might miss the opening. I think you get where I'm going, my equipment trumps the bag style. I looked into the expensive brands I have seen elsewhere, over the shoulder totes, and even totes that National Geographic endorses. Nothing seemed to fit me. Finally, I made up my mind & had my husband order the Jill E medium black bag for me. It was a little more than I had wanted to spend, it was a little bigger than I really wanted to get into, but when it arrived, it was love at first sight. The design is flawless. Truly. Not only is the leather soft to the touch, but the little velcro packs on the inner flap of the zipper are ingenious & easy to access to refill my flash with, there is a pocket for any need, even your cell phone. The inside is completely adjustable. Every flap inside is velcro, so when you get it, you can arrange it however you like. I can fit more than enough equipment inside. I comfortably house my d7000 + vertical grip, my extra d40x body, my 18-200 attached or separate, my 35 mm attached or separate, my sb-600, my diffuser, my cell phone, my wallet, and even a sweater, all within the main compartment. Don't be fooled, it is a deep bag. I could even keep a bottle of water, and some snacks inside, if need be. Outside, in the front two pockets I have my wedding day emergency kits, all safely closed with magnetic snaps. The back flap that is open to neatly houses any programs or paper for the day, and the side pockets are great for the cell phone, if I need quick access, but really, anything moderately slim will fit there. Weight wise, this was quite a step up for me. I think I could have sufficed with the small and still had a heck of a ton of room up in there, but I knew I wanted to go bigger, so all in all, I'm fairly glad a did. I do have a complaint about the size of the across the body strap. It was made for long torso people & thus the silver adjustment piece rubs on my collar bone & the bag sits right on my bum. Also on occasion the over the shoulder straps get caught on pews & whip me back till I unhook them. Many times I carry the bag all day, only to come home to a small back ache, but it is incredibly professionally looking & the complements I have received on it, have been wonderful. There is no doubt that I am the photographer in charge on the wedding day, and that I am overly prepared. My only advice is, if you are small framed, short torso, or aren't used to hauling around weight, just buy the small, I bet you can make it work however you imagine it to. For the price, and the style, which I ended up loving, I can confidently say, this was the best professional bag for the money. I hope to post a video review, just because the reviews I have seen, are not as informative, as I would hope for future buyers. Just little things here & there that go unnoticed, so check back if you still haven't made up your mind! Happy shooting!
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