Hey photographer friends!! Today I’m sharing all about my Ona Brooklyn camera satchel bag, my trusty companion for the past two years! I bought this bag after shooting just two or three weddings, and it has come along with me to every shoot since. So, since I’m a huge lists person, here are some pros and cons of this bag:

Pros:

• The perfect size for a side bag at a wedding! I can fit my camera with a lens attached, plus two other lenses (or, if I’m actively shooting, two lenses and a water bottle with my camera in hand).
• Easy to access. It’s so easy for me to flip up the flap and swap out a lens, but it still keeps my lenses somewhat protected (since I never use lens caps on a wedding day).
• It’s VERY durable! It has lasted me for over two years so far! That’s two and a half weddings seasons + all my other shoots that go on during the week. :)
• It keeps your equipment very safe! The padding is very thick, and the flap gives it a little extra protection on top. I have never worried about breaking a lens while it’s in this bag!
• It sits upright on its own. It’s so nice to be able to set it down during a wedding day and not have it fall over!
• It’s real leather. Not only does it look GORGEOUS, but it lasts FOREVER! :)
• It doesn’t look like a camera bag. Which is pretty easy to find in a lot of different camera bags nowadays, but I still love that it just look like a nice side bag! No one would really know I have thousands of dollars worth of equipment in there. :)

Cons:

• It can only fit (about) three lenses comfortably (or two lenses + a camera with a lens attached), with slim room for extra things like a wallet, keys, phone, etc. while you have it filled. I normally don’t leave my wallet in my bag because it doesn’t fit. The other things I carry is a timeline, my phone, some business cards, and bobby pins- and I feel like it is filled to the max if I have all that + my camera with 2 lenses. I typically strap a hard case with my memory cards to the outside with a carabineer clip, because the case doesn’t fit inside! If you’re looking for something that can hold a little more, I’d say it’s not the best fit! (I actually recently purchased the Ona Madison Bag for this reason, so I can comfortably fit a little more. I have started using it more for engagement sessions). But the flip side of it being smaller is you’re carrying less, which feels better on your shoulders after a long day!
• The buckles make noise. I solved this problem by removing them, but that means I can’t buckle them on to fully secure the bag. Which I haven’t found to be a big deal at all, I can still grab the handle strap at the top just fine and I’ve never had stuff fall out with the flap!
• Sometimes I wish it had a better shoulder strap. I don’t think it’s horrible, but it’s not the greatest either! I commonly move the large part of the pad down so it’s not even on my shoulder, because my bag tends to fall off more easily with the pad on (I guess because it isn’t as flexible? I probably just need to use it more so it stretches a bit!)
• It’s a tiny bit heavy of a bag. Even without anything in it, it is a little on the heavy side for its size, but only because it is really durable!! It’s really not a huge difference once you have all your lenses inside. :)

Overall I am really happy with this bag! Mine’s looking a little worn taking these photos, but this is after TWO years of use (60+ weddings and many many engagements)!! I’d say it’s doing pretty well for having it that long. :) Here are some photos I took of my Brooklyn:

This is inside the flap when I open it up. You can adjust the padding dividers however you’d like! I typically put my camera with a lens attached right in the middle, with two lenses on the outside pockets. When I’m using my camera, I can stick a water bottle or something else in the middle!The back of the bag also has this thin pouch that’s perfect for sticking my timeline and phone inside!

Here’s a few photos of myself using it while shooting weddings:

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