Artisan&Artist ACAM 7100 Mini-Review

[Cindy Flood]

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PS: there's a 'spare' catch at the bottom of the inside flap - i assume this is somehow for attaching some sort of additional 'security' strap, but i'm not certain. Anyone know?

I have that on my A&A Oskar, too. You can choose to hook the male end into either of the female ends. You might have to change the position of the male connector on the strap to use the female end that is on the bag flap. If you connect it to the bag flap connector, then the flap can not come up without a dis-connect of the two connectors. Play around with it a little and you will see. I like my flap to connect with velcro and I put the connector tight to the back of the bag.

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[plasticman]

Thanks Cindy - playing around a little with the bag last night i figured that this might be the intention, but i can't say it's 100% obvious to the bag purchaser...

 

In any case, when i fully unpacked and inspected the contents of the package i saw that the bag is apparently called the ACAM 7000. I'm using it today as a normal 'satchel' in order to break it in and skuff it around a little - and my first observations would be:

 

- the bag is EXTREMELY well-constructed: everything looks and feels indestructible

 

- i'm a little disappointed that more attention hasn't been paid to security: the pockets on the front of the bag under the flap have no catch or zippers, so it's really easy to reach into them from the side (so no phones and iPods there)

 

- because of the bigger dimensions than Carsten's bag, this one looks a little bit too much like it might contain a laptop - so some of the 'mug me' factor i was trying to avoid with an ordinary camera bag is still there

 

- i've seen a couple of padded lens holders with drawstrings, and though they're crazily expensive, i imagine that the ACAM 7000 would actually be what Sean Reid's been looking for in combination with a couple of those, as there's plenty of space for stacked (and well-protected) lenses in this bag, together with a couple of M6s 7s or 8s...

 

Great bag anyway!

[Guest stnami]

i've seen a couple of padded cells holding inmates with drawstrings, and though it's a crazy experience

.........so the story goes with the bag man and............

[carstenw]

Hi Carsten

 

I just received the latest 'update' to the GCAM 7200 from Photo Village - no leather flap but just a canvas one instead - which really doesn't bother me at all, as my main intention is to look like i have a few gym rags and a book in there.

Given your wishlist, i'd say maybe the dimensions of the 7200 are more in line with what you were after - the only problem maybe being that it could be mistaken for a laptop bag.

Otherwise i'm pretty darn impressed with the build quality of these A&A bags.

 

PS: there's a 'spare' catch at the bottom of the inside flap - i assume this is somehow for attaching some sort of additional 'security' strap, but i'm not certain. Anyone know?

edit: and i ought to add, i don't mean the clips that secure together the top of the inside bag; there's also an extra clip actually on the inside of the flap, very slightly protruding from the bottom.

Incidentally, my 7200 doesn't have the netted inner sleeve - which i'm very envious about...

 

The 7200 is meant to be the smaller bag, which wouldn't hold all that I want to stuff into it. I am considering getting one at a later point for really light travelling, but for now, the 7100 is exactly what I hoped for.

 

I also have the two clips, one at the forward edge of the flap, which I don't use, and another at the base/elbow of the flap, which I use to hold the back tight together while open. I have tried slacking off the flap-edge clip but I still find it a little awkward. I am not quite sure what the intention with that one was.

[plasticman]

It's all very confusing as far as the naming conventions are concerned... but as i appear to have bought the ACAM 7000, i think i got the slightly larger version of the same bag - but i don't mean this as a "mine's bigger than your's" debate

 

Anyways, after using it (for just one day) i'm actually beginning to wonder if anyone's ever tried customizing an A&A? I'm mostly concerned with how open the pockets are - so i wondered what the practicalities would be of either:

 

- adding a zipper to the outside pocket nearest your body

- adding some velcro to one or both pockets under the flap

 

Does anyone think either idea might fly? I'm really not too concerned about the aesthetics of these customizations, because i really do want the bag to look a bit more 'beat-up'. But i don't want the bag either falling apart or leaking rain.

 

Anyone ever tried anything like this? Considering the indestructible toughness of the fabric, maybe adding zippers just is a non-starter...?

[Cindy Flood]

I think you probably want to forget about adding a zipper unless you have a professional seamstress do that.

I looked mine over, and can see that you could easily hand sew velcro onto those pockets. You can purchase strips or circles of velcro at a fabric store (or Walmart). Just make sure you use a sturdy needle for the job.

[KM-25]

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I hate to revive an old thread, but I am a bit frustrated by some things about my new A&A bag.

 

About three weeks ago, I got the A&A ACAM 7000, "Sebastio's Reporter". I wanted something I could travel with and carry two bodies with lenses attached ( 35 and 50 Lux with shades ), put my 90 Tele-Elmarit on it's side and 28 cron stacked on top in the center, hold at least a dozen rolls of film, etc.

 

I pulled the bag out of the box and was really surprised at how darn big it is. It is thick too, not exactly "Form fitting" as the site would have you believe. The padding is nice, but maybe too nice, too much, not pliable enough and there is no way to adjust the outer circumference. And the red color, jeez is it bright, a nice olive or dark brown would have been much better.

 

So I have put my gear in and out of this bag like 6 times already, taking great care not to put a mark on the leather flap. I have yet to use this bag even once on a shoot. I literally fit more gear ( 15 CV ) in my Domke 803 satchel than I do this bag and the Domke is a slim little package, works great. I just can't see pushing my way through a crowd with the 7000 nearly as well as I can my 803 satchel. Maybe it needs to break in and it will form fit better? The plus side of the bag being a bit larger than my 803 is that I can fit a rain poncho, sandwich, gloves in the top if I need to.

 

So my thought is what about the 7100 ( One Day Bag )? It has to carry two M bodies with lenses attached, 28 cron, 35 Lux, 50 Lux and 90 TE, SF-20. This should not take a huge bag, this is Leica gear...but I don't know what to think..

 

As it stands, the Domke 803 satchel is my perfect travel assignment bag. I was looking for an alternative to the Domke for travel, but I just don't know about these A&A bags and their puffiness.

 

And for what it is worth, I feel it is a really poor design to not include a closure on the front pockets and a clasp on the bottom of the front flap. I cut two strips of velcro to attach to the pockets when I need near silent operation, but that makes it to where I no longer can secure the bag.

 

Looks like Domke is still king for the working documentary / photojournalist thus far. When you look at the A&A 7000 and the 803 next to each other, the 7000 does not look that much bigger. But when I see the loaded 7000 by it self, it just looks too darn big for a professional's R/F bag, unnecessarily so actually.

[plasticman]

I hate to revive an old thread, but I am a bit frustrated by some things about my new A&A bag.About three weeks ago, I got the A&A ACAM 7000, "Sebastio's Reporter". I wanted something I could travel with and carry two bodies with lenses attached ( 35 and 50 Lux with shades ). and put my 90 Tele-Elmarit and 28 cron stacked in the center, hold at least a dozen rolls of film, etc.I pulled the bag out of the box and was really surprised at how darn big it is. It is thick too, not exactly "Form fitting" as the site would have you believe. The padding is nice, but maybe too nice, too much, not pliable enough and there is no way to adjust the outer circumference. And the red color, jeez is it bright, a nice olive or dark brown would have been much better....but I just don't know about these A&A bags and their puffiness.

 

And for what it is worth, I feel it is a really poor design to not include a closure on the front pockets and a clasp on the bottom of the front flap. I cut two strips of velcro to attach to the pockets when I need near silent operation, but that makes it to where I no longer can secure the bag.

 

I agree with all the points you make here - my A&A bag is now doing service as a diaper bag, hanging on the stroller.

The padding I sometimes use inside a beat-up canvas Muji bag - the slightly less stiff fabric allows it to form around my back a little more. But you're right about it being too thick and rigid.

As for the wide-open pockets at the front - the lack of any zipper or clip over those makes them pretty useless, as they're easily accessible from both sides.

 

All in all, too big and clumsy, not secure from thieves, pretty obviously contains something valuable, and did I mention it's not only not waterproof - it sucks water like a sponge.

 

Pretty okay as a diaper bag though.

 

Mani

[KM-25]

I agree with all the points you make here - my A&A bag is now doing service as a diaper bag, hanging on the stroller.

The padding I sometimes use inside a beat-up canvas Muji bag - the slightly less stiff fabric allows it to form around my back a little more. But you're right about it being too thick and rigid.

As for the wide-open pockets at the front - the lack of any zipper or clip over those makes them pretty useless, as they're easily accessible from both sides.

 

All in all, too big and clumsy, not secure from thieves, pretty obviously contains something valuable, and did I mention it's not only not waterproof - it sucks water like a sponge.

 

Pretty okay as a diaper bag though.

 

Mani

 

Thanks,

 

Yikes, a $260 Diaper Bag....ouch.

 

I will write Photo Village and see if they will exchange it for the 7100, they have a 20% re-stocking fee. If not, I could use the 7000 on some high end events in which people like the president show up.

 

I mean really, look how tight the 803 looks, it is just not bulky like the A&A bag, someone snapped this while I was on a 5 week Kodachrome shoot:

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[ljclark]

As it stands, the Domke 803 satchel is my perfect travel assignment bag. I was looking for an alternative to the Domke for travel, but I just don't know about these A&A bags and their puffiness..

 

I was looking at the A&A bags (at least what I could see from the web site), but things just didn't seem to add up.

 

I've been using the F-803 since I got back into RF. Nowadays I have 6 lenses (with double rear caps) in 3 cells, and I stick the M8 (no lens) in the 4th cell. (That's just the way I happen to shoot -- if the lens is on, the camera is usually out.)

 

My first 803 was black, and I still use it for non-photo field work. My current 803 is OD, and kinda looks like something from the surplus store.

 

The cool thing about the F-803 is that it fits nicely into a Pelican 1450. That keeps the gear in "field" configuration, but I can swing the Pelican up into the airliner overhead bin and not worry about somebody else's stuff banging my camera and lenses.

[KM-25]

Looks like Photo Village is going to let me exchange it and refund the difference.

 

I look forward to the Oskar Bag and if it is too tight for my 2 body with lenses on and 2 lens stowed operation, I will just use a different insert to loosen it up a bit.

[Nicoleica]

Thanks,

 

Yikes, a $260 Diaper Bag....ouch.

 

I will write Photo Village and see if they will exchange it for the 7100, they have a 20% re-stocking fee. If not, I could use the 7000 on some high end events in which people like the president show up.

 

I mean really, look how tight the 803 looks, it is just not bulky like the A&A bag, someone snapped this while I was on a 5 week Kodachrome shoot:

 

Excuse me for going completely off-subject here, but has anybody noticed the amazing camera technique of the gentleman in the background of your photograph!

[geesbert]

that seems to be the proper way to use the Leica 0-Serie

[ljclark]

Excuse me for going completely off-subject here, but has anybody noticed the amazing camera technique of the gentleman in the background of your photograph!

 

That's why everyone is so, so looking forward to Live View in the M9.

 

[carstenw]

My Artisan&Artist 7100 is also a bit rigid, and thick, but it never really bothered me. The padding is thicker than in the Domkes, which is a typical criticism of the latter, for some. I doubt the 7100 would comfortably fit all the stuff you want to load into it, KChrome. If the Domke fits, then why not just use it?

 

Personally, I have stopped using my 7100 most of the time for two reasons: I carry a 15" MacBook Pro most of the time, and it doesn't fit, and secondly, I also use a Contax 645 and Hasselblad 2000FC/M now, which don't fit either. Perhaps I'll see if I can fit my MBP into a Domke.

 

Can anyone make a recommendation for a bag which will fit a 15" MBP as well as an M8 and a few lenses, or possibly a Contax 645 and two fat lenses? Weird criteria, I know, but that is what I haul around these days.

[KM-25]

My Artisan&Artist 7100 is also a bit rigid, and thick, but it never really bothered me. The padding is thicker than in the Domkes, which is a typical criticism of the latter, for some. I doubt the 7100 would comfortably fit all the stuff you want to load into it, KChrome. If the Domke fits, then why not just use it?

 

I do use the Domke a lot, along with a trashy worn out FX3 and a set of FX5B and A bags. But I thought I would go for a different look than the easily recognized Domke canvas and the A&A bags were getting rave reviews with some folks.

 

In hindsight, I would get my money back and order a black F803, but I don't want to lose 20% on a re-stocking fee when I can just get a smaller bag. I also think that the 7100 will be more pliable with a different brand of insert and would most likely accommodate the gear I want to put in it.

 

But overall, the best shooter's bag for professional Leica use is the F803, hands down.

 

As far as needing a bag for a MBP and a blad / Contax, that is a tough one to do without a backpack. You are looking at dissimilar objects that clash. I avoid carrying a laptop around like the plague when I am shooting, it just does not go well with it. But if I am going on location for a week or some other big shoot, I use a LowePro pack.

[KM-25]

So I went into Photo Village today and picked up the "Oskar's One Day Bag"....much better! I put my 28/2 and 90 Tele-elmarit in the center stacked then my M6 / 35 lux-asph w/ shade on and my M3 with LHSA 50 lux-asph and shade on the sides in ready to shoot mode.

 

I felt it was a bit tight so I removed the padding on the ends by cutting holes in the bottom and replacing the padding with cardboard from a cereal box. The bag is now perfect for what I need it to do.

 

I just think that for a Leica shooter bag, the Reporter Satchel is too big / bulky and the Oskar with my mod is perfect.

 

I used it all day today wearing a black hoodie on the streets of Manhattan and it was a joy.

 

More thoughts later when I am not typing from an iPhone...

[GarethC]

Excuse me for going completely off-subject here, but has anybody noticed the amazing camera technique of the gentleman in the background of your photograph!

 

reminds me of taking a photo at a party a few weeks ago using a friend's camera and I was looking for the viewfinder to tak a photo, it didn't have one. Apparently that is quite common, encouraging people to take photos like this. All the megapixels in the world won't help if you have camera shake.

 

I have a Domke, can't remember the model and it si a great bag and form fitting. A pure delight, went through 932 camera bags to find it though. I can probably review every camera bag ever made.

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[carstenw]

I just think that for a Leica shooter bag, the Reporter Satchel is too big / bulky and the Oskar with my mod is perfect.

 

Well, Bob's your uncle

[plasticman]

Well yesterday I was looking at the Domke 803. A little bit difficult to tell whether it'll soften-up a little in use, because it seemed rather rigid (when new?) Also the black does make it look rather like a small laptop bag - which to me is a minus. And there's no paperback pocket - by which I mean, a pocket that goes the width of the bag, and can take guidebook and/or novel to read on the way.

 

Oh and one other thing about the Domke was the catch on the front flap: almost impossible to open and close with one hand was my impression. Maybe you get the hang of it?

 

I have no idea why camera bags pretty much all have to look like this. I've even thought that maybe one of the leather Lomo bags might be an improvement?