Guest Posted November 27, 2014 Share #81 Posted November 27, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Am I right in assuming you are basing your comments on the photo of my bag? So I guess I'm just not as picky as you. I like the bag a lot, my MM slips in and out of it more easily than it did the Billingham Hadley I previously used, the interior padding is better than the Billingham in my opinion....plus it's a nice bag to carry..... that is it's well balanced. I'm not about to sit down and examine it's stitching under a microscope. But thank you for your opinion....... I accept your comments and we all have a choice which is right for us but this bag is not well made. It would be interesting to know how long the modification to the strap fastening last. On the outside they have double sewn or so it looks,an extra row of stitching . Is this sewn direct to the bag without any backing on the inside or is all that stitching just attaching the strap loop to the bag ie the soft leather. If that's the case it just looks better and will easily fail again . I am not trying to compare to the Billingham or any other bag and we all buy what's is correct for our own needs and desires . The manufacturing quality of these bags is pretty poor with a poor design ,which is why the tread was started. BrianP Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted November 27, 2014 Posted November 27, 2014 Hi Guest, Take a look here Be careful trusting the strap on your Ona Berlin bag!. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Rona!d Posted November 27, 2014 Share #82 Posted November 27, 2014 Such things can happen with what I call "OH-NO" Bags. There is a reason the good makers have decades of experience in making stuff for heavy duty use Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted November 27, 2014 Share #83 Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) I accept your comments and we all have a choice which is right for us but this bag is not well made. It would be interesting to know how long the modification to the strap fastening last. On the outside they have double sewn or so it looks,an extra row of stitching . Is this sewn direct to the bag without any backing on the inside or is all that stitching just attaching the strap loop to the bag ie the soft leather. If that's the case it just looks better and will easily fail again . I am not trying to compare to the Billingham or any other bag and we all buy what's is correct for our own needs and desires . The manufacturing quality of these bags is pretty poor with a poor design ,which is why the tread was started. BrianP ONA Berlin II: $389 USD, poor design/workmanship, cameras/lenses in danger of strap failure/fall and impact damage. Billingham Hadley Pro: $260 USD, excellent design/workmanship, cameras/lenses not in danger of strap failure/fall and impact damage. Domke F-803: $117 USD, excellent design/workmanship, cameras/lensesnot in danger of strap failure/fall and impact damage. Pretty or safe - the choice seems fairly obvious... Edited November 27, 2014 by Carlos Danger Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted November 27, 2014 Share #84 Posted November 27, 2014 ,,,I had no knowledge of the ins and outs of ONA bag design and production, nor of quite what a minefield one walks through when choosing a bag. It's only a minefield on this forum, where bags are discussed with the same vigor and diversity of opinion as politics. I've hardly changed bags in decades (and don't even use them except for travel/transport to location and bad weather) but discussions are always amusing. Hope you get many years of good, and safe, use. But, as always, I recommend that people carry insurance to cover all damage and/or loss to equipment (e.g., from a broken bag) not covered by warranty or company goodwill. Too bad insurance doesn't get the attention bags do. Jeff 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 27, 2014 Share #85 Posted November 27, 2014 Too bad insurance doesn't get the attention bags do. A GOOD bag is the insurance! Photo gear insurance contracts are the real minefield 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted November 27, 2014 Share #86 Posted November 27, 2014 On the outside they have double sewn or so it looks,an extra row of stitching . Is this sewn direct to the bag without any backing on the inside or is all that stitching just attaching the strap loop to the bag ie the soft leather. If that's the case it just looks better and will easily fail again . BrianP This (highlighted above) appears to be the way in which ONA have done the redesign. It looks sturdy, but only time will tell. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LocalHero1953 Posted November 27, 2014 Share #87 Posted November 27, 2014 (edited) Advertisement (gone after registration) For the statistical record, I can report that I have an ONA Brixton, I am broadly happy with the design and I can see no risk of failure. Good things: - excellent padding protection (unlike my canvas Domke F5XB, which has thin padding, and none at all at the ends - useless as "insurance"). - good looks. - practical design, now I have the partitions sorted. - good construction, as far as I can tell, even after reading this thread:rolleyes: - all in all, useful for city visits where the camera is just one of the things I carry. Bad things: - the buckles rattle. I may get them modified locally. - it's heavy (a general problem with leather). Full of "stuff" it is heavy on my shoulder. - the shoulder strap liner is slippery, so is uncomfortable carried on one shoulder. I usually sling it from left shoulder to right side to avoid the problem. And my other bags, used for different purposes/places, are the aforementioned Domke, a locally made custom leather bag of similar size to the Domke, a Lowepro backpack (uncomfortable as a backpack, and too many little pockets for losing things in), and an F-Stop Loka for more serious travel :-) Edited November 27, 2014 by LocalHero1953 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 28, 2014 Share #88 Posted November 28, 2014 This (highlighted above) appears to be the way in which ONA have done the redesign. It looks sturdy, but only time will tell. Not really a redesign but an extra row off stitching. It looks like they have sewn across the loop twice which will give the impression of a stronger seam. Not so. Due to the cutting action of a sewing needle used on leather it is not reccomended to do this due to the danger of damaging the thread of the first sewn seam. If it works, all well and good but I would not be prepared to carry any of my M kit in one. For anyone interested a sewing machine set up for leather correctly creates a seam which looks as if where a stitch finishes the thread of the next stitch starts at the side of it. It is called laying off.any half decent sewing machine technician can do this. When a product such as a bag is sewn with the machines set like this the end result is very pleasing to many people but we are all differant. At least it shows the manufacturer took a bit of interest. BrianP Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted November 28, 2014 Share #89 Posted November 28, 2014 A GOOD bag is the insurance! Photo gear insurance contracts are the real minefield I can think of myriad things that could lead to damage or loss of gear, regardless of the bag, which also could be stolen. But my insurance gives me total peace of mind….and it's relatively inexpensive. YMMV. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rona!d Posted November 28, 2014 Share #90 Posted November 28, 2014 (edited) I can think of myriad things that could lead to damage or loss of gear, regardless of the bag, which also could be stolen. But my insurance gives me total peace of mind….and it's relatively inexpensive. YMMV. Jeff Jeff, you are a lucky guy. I have checked some contracts a while ago and a lot of the insurance companies make it impossibile to use my gear on a professional base day AND night for a fair insurance fee. Example? A Leica system stolen in Prague or Paris after 10 p.m. (for a fashion shooting) couldn´t be insured without a tremendous extra fee. I once had an insurance for photo gear, they have even failed to pay me a (ONE!!!!) stolen Canon Speedlite 550. I don´t want to think about if that would have been a Noctilux 0.95. Edited November 28, 2014 by Rona|d Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herr Barnack Posted November 28, 2014 Share #91 Posted November 28, 2014 @Ronald, Take a look at ASMP's Prosurance coverage - MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT:Protects your cameras, lighting, computer equipment outside of your office and darkroom equipment against fire, theft, water damage, breakage, earthquake and much more. Coverage is worldwide and on a replacement cost basis for owned equipment. This differs from some policies that exclude coverage for theft from unattended vehicles, earthquake, that are limited to the United States and Canada or only provide coverage on a depreciated basis. Link: ASMP Prosurance was designed with the needs of the professional photographer in mind Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted November 28, 2014 Share #92 Posted November 28, 2014 Here in Australia I have never been able to find insurance cover for my Leica gear at a reasonable cost (i.e. one that I can afford to pay on an ongoing basis). Though I must admit that I gave up trying to locate cover for photo gear many years ago out of disgust and boredom....I find all insurance such a rip off, and I have good reason to feel that way, but that's another story. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted November 29, 2014 Share #93 Posted November 29, 2014 Jeff, you are a lucky guy. I have checked some contracts a while ago and a lot of the insurance companies make it impossibile to use my gear on a professional base day AND night for a fair insurance fee. I'm not a pro, and only 'lucky' in the sense that I live in the US (where such personal equipment protection is available) and qualify for a premium plan. I use the same type plan to insure other valuables, including collected photographs. Still, many here fail to carry insurance, let alone carefully research the possibilities. Too many posts on the forum from uninsured people subject to stolen or damaged gear. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
photorobot Posted January 7, 2015 Share #94 Posted January 7, 2015 I've just come across this thread. Wondering if this failure can happen across all Ona models? For instance the Bowery is much smaller and lighter, hence less stress on the joints? Regards. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert blu Posted January 7, 2015 Share #95 Posted January 7, 2015 Here in Australia I have never been able to find insurance cover for my Leica gear at a reasonable cost (i.e. one that I can afford to pay on an ongoing basis). Though I must admit that I gave up trying to locate cover for photo gear many years ago out of disgust and boredom....I find all insurance such a rip off, and I have good reason to feel that way, but that's another story. Similar where I live, Italy max coverage goes up to 500.00 EUR or it is unknown (!) . robert 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Louis Marit Posted January 7, 2015 Share #96 Posted January 7, 2015 I have an insurance policy on my gear called "photopac" designed primarily for professional photographers. It isn't cheap, and fortunately I have never had to make a claim, but I would not feel comfortable without it. I am of the school that you can never have too much insurance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
platypus Posted January 7, 2015 Share #97 Posted January 7, 2015 (edited) I have an insurance policy on my gear called "photopac" designed primarily for professional photographers. It isn't cheap, and fortunately I have never had to make a claim, but I would not feel comfortable without it. I am of the school that you can never have too much insurance. My feeling is the complete opposite. It stems from a very bad experience (about forty years ago) involving a claim resulting from the theft of some jewellery, which should have been covered by my "house and contents" policy with Lloyd's of London. The company paid up eventually, but it took a year of wrangling and general unpleasantness while they tried to squirm out of it. After that debacle I stopped insuring anything other than my car and have never regretted the decision. I would rather take a risk than risk a repeat of that episode. I simply do not trust insurance companies....and of course there is still the prohibitive cost of coverage for photo gear.... On the original subject of this thread: the ONA Berlin bag....mine is a couple of months old now and so far is living up to all expectations, a great little bag! Edited January 7, 2015 by platypus added on. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratcat Posted April 6, 2015 Share #98 Posted April 6, 2015 Hello everyone, new member here, first post. I'm on a business trip near a Leica Store and I'm considering purchasing a bag for my old film M's. The ONA Berlin II is a candidate, but I'd like to hear if indeed the bag has held up well for the owners as the last post in this thread goes back to early january. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve P Posted April 7, 2015 Share #99 Posted April 7, 2015 I contacted customer service and received this response, which I feel grossly inadequate, "we're very sorry to hear about the stitching on the handle of your bag. If we had known about your concerns on the handle beforehand, we would have informed you that the handle on top of the bag is a grab handle, intended for quick grabs, not for carrying the bag long distances. Notwithstanding any other considerations, this customer service cop-out would be enough to persuade me to shop elsewhere. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McDoPDA Posted May 26, 2015 Share #100 Posted May 26, 2015 Hi, I own a ONA The Berlin since June 2014. I have no problem with the strap. I think you're not lucky and maybe you have the only bag with a defective strap... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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