Customer Reviews

Crumpler 5 Million Dollar Home Photo Bag, Black/Gun Metal

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is not a bag for carrying lots of stuff, so don't get it if you wanna carry a pro SLR and several bulky lenses. Check out the 7 or 8 Million Dollar Home if you need that. Instead it is an attractive and petite bag for a small SLR (no grip) and a medium sized lens or two. I bought the 5 Mil for my Canon 7D with attached 17-55 2.8 IS USM. It's a perfect fit and has plenty of room for a flash and/or small lens, plus a few nicknacks like iPod and CF cards. My 5DII/24-105 4L also fits, albeit a little snug for my taste. It's a smart looking bag, sort of a chubby mini messenger bag. The diminutive size may appear a bit purse-like on larger men. Although it doesn't look like a typical camera bag, it won't fool a knowledgable gear thief. Get a Timbuk2 Snoop if you need to be truly incognito. My wife says I look like a cool metromale rather than a geeky photog when I carry the 5MDH.

The 5 Mil is a toploader with 2 small compartments on both sides of the main camera compartment. The adjustable dividers are stiff and don't buckle under camera weight. The velcro used to anchor the dividers is super heavy duty and will never move in normal use. I like the soft cloth interior and, unlike coarse nylon cloth, will not scratch the camera finish with repeated sliding in and out of the bag. The bag has some type of stiff reinforcing material in the walls and dividers, so it keeps its shape whether full or empty and, of course offers great protection. The downside to this stiffness is the bag doesn't conform to your body shape and can't be flattened for packing in a suitcase.

Some have complained the velcro on the flap, although strong, is too loud when opened. If they read the instructions (!), they'd know all of the Million Dollar Home bags have a fold out cover to disable the velcro. Of course you'll have to leave the flap loose or use the buckle.

A few cons: although the strap is wide it lacks a shoulder pad. Of course you can buy a Crumpler shoulder pad separately but it really needs one if you load up the bag. I added one. Crumpler really should have added a zippered pocket on the rear for storing papers. The front pocket isn't enough. Finally, the coarse nylon on the exterior, although nearly indestructible, really tears up your clothing after a few hours of walking around. Jeans fare okay but several of my t-shirts have holes where the bag "sands" them during trekking. I wouldn't use this bag while wearing a delicate shirt or jacket! I'm thinking of installing a leather or cloth protector on the back of the bag. Other bag makers--Tamrac--make a point of using smoother material on the back to mineralize clothing wear.

I bought this bag to house my Canon XSi, kit lens & 50-250mm zoom, and on occasion my 50mm prime. I recently took this bag with me on a week long vacation through Disney World where I was constantly snapping pics and it worked out really well for me. I was able to store my cell phone, small wallet, point & shoot digi cam, memory cards and a few other odds and ends (sunglasses etc) along with the body/attached kit lens and the zoom (left my prime at home). Everything fits very nicely! My goal was not to have to lug around a camera bag & a purse the entire time. I originally purchased the 6 million dollar bag, figuring bigger would be better, but it was a little bit TOO big for me. Plenty of space in the bag, but I almost felt like it was too much empty space, seeing as how I don't have a ton of accessories at this time. The 5 million is a good size, not overwhelming, but holds more than you think. The velcro 'silencer' is a nice touch! Long story short, I'd recommend this bag/brand to family and friends looking for a stylish bag which holds a decent amount of equipment!

This is a perfect bag for any beginner photographer or perhaps someone who doesn't want to haul all their gear with them. It feels like it is made of top quality materials that will hold up with heavy use. Crumpler added the velcro silencers on the 2009 models so you can use just the clips if wanted. I wouldn't think twice to buy another Crumpler bag from Amazon in the future or recommend one to someone else.

Despite a slightly higher than average price, you definitely get what you pay for.

I've got my Canon Rebel XSi along with two lenses in it. There's room for another smaller lens (like the nifty fifty), an external flash, and a battery grip as well.

I travel frequently and often take my SLR and an additional lens or two with me. I own several camera bags including two Lowepro camera bags which I think do a fantastic job at protecting my camera and making it easy to carry my gear. However, the downside of the Lowepro bags is that the Lowepro logo is stamped prominently on the bags making it very clear to everyone that you are carrying expensive gear. In the past I have used electrical tape over the Lowepro logo to mask it, but the tape often peals from the bag's nylon material.

That is why I decided to purchase the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag for a recent trip to Egypt. The biggest attraction of the Crumpler bag was the lack of a recognizable logo. There is a logo of a little figure on the front, but the key thing is that it does not immediately look like a camera bag. The Crumpler bag could carry my Canon 40D with a 28-135 lens as well as a 17-40mm lens and my Rocket Air Blaster, filters, batteries and flash cards. Everything fit into the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag very easily.

The Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag rested comfortably on my shoulder and it was easy to take the camera out and to put it back in. I liked the Velcro that held the flap closed in addition to the two buckles on the front. When I was using the camera a lot, I could secure the flap with just the Velcro. When I was done photographing in one area, I would use the buckles for additional security. This aspect of the bag was very well done.

I believe that the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag certainly fulfilled the purpose of making my gear less obvious. However, I don't think that the Crumpler bag is the best camera bag. I felt that the removable inserts which are used to hold the camera and lenses in place were too short and flimsy. I had to leave a gap at the bottom of the bag so that my camera had some clearance between the end of the lens and the bottom of the bag. Even then, I was not happy with the rigidity of the supports or the padding at the bottom of the bag for when the camera did make contact with the bottom of the bag.

Overall, I think that the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag is a great idea. I wish that Lowepro came out with a line of bags that were not obviously camera bags. However, I believe that the Crumpler bag is just is not as good as a Lowepro bag for the protection of my camera gear. I own both the Lowepro Nova 2 and the Lowepro Fastpack 350 and I highly recommend these bags instead of the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag. I just need to find a better way of covering over the Lowepro logos on these bags for when I am travelling in places where I don't want people to immediately recognize a camera bag.

So in summary, if you are buying the Crumpler 5 Million Dollar bag to make your camera less obvious, then the bag is a great option. However, it you are looking for a bag to protect your camera equipment, a Lowepro bag would be a better option.

I got the 5MDH to fit my nikon d40x with 18-200 lens attached. Also to hold a JVC Everio GZ-HM200 Dual SD High-Def Camcorder (Black), plus all chargers, cables, cards and my wallet/checkbook when we travel. It seems to hold all that quite well. The 6MDH would have been too big for my small gear (1 body, 1 camcorder, only 1 lens, no external flash), the 5MDH is perfect, thought you could fit more, i think it would be perhaps too much of a struggle to get the camera out again, too tight a fit otherwise.

PROS:

1. love the new 2009 design with two straps and silencers for the velco. That is amazing velcro.

2. I like the strap. other reviews comparing it to a seatbelt were worrisome to me, but I really do like it. It's pretty comfortable, although for the price it should have come with a shoulder pad. WIll probably buy the Domke 725-310 FA-031 U.S. Post Office Shoulder Pad soon.

3. sturdy handle, good grip.

4. soft inside, good smooth/stiff fabric outside.

5. It forms to your body really well, very comfortable, nothing jabbing you in the back or side. Even when full of stuff.

6. For my layout I'm using only one insert, it's working great. the size is about perfect.

NEUTRAL to POSITIVE

At first the color bugged me, thought the outside was too dull, and the inside was wrong. the interior color on this brown/orange one is more of a teal to my eyes, not baby blue like the picture. that was disappointing because I really wanted the baby blue. But while I think I can now live with the teal, I've discovered the brown is really great because it goes with everything and isn't as typical as black (black would still scream camera bag to me). It's a deep, rich brown and the orange makes it fun. At first I desperately wanted the purple one but it's the old style and I prefer the new style because of the velcro silencer.

CONS

it's an odd combination of just the right size and a little too bulky. I wish it collapsed a little more, but the slightly stiffer form will likely protect the precious contents better. Honestly, the longer I have it, the more I love it. It's like it has a personality almost, and just demands to be loved for what it is...

It's too expensive, but just like most every other house on the market, million dollar homes are overpriced. Maybe you can catch a sale. I think $60 is reasonable, $80 was obscene, but I'm keeping it. I guess quality comes at a price. They should have more than 5 color combos though. If I were to exchange it would be for color.

Great bag, perfect for carrying my Nikon D300, SB900 Flash, and an extra prime lens. It has space for extra batteries and such. I recommend this bag to anyone who has a digital SLR that doesn't want to tote around EVERYTHING all the time!

This is a terrific bag - a good size without being too big. It is very attractive, falls nicely against your side without being too bulky and is very well padded. It also has a mesh pockeet on the top as well as a pocket in the front, and small side holders where you can attach other lens bags.

I really like the two buckles, which are much more useful than the one center buckle on the former model--when you carry bag by the handle instead of straps, the two buckles support the bag. Before, the bag bulged. The velcro area is also much smaller and less noisy than before. Great improvement overall and the older bag was also very good.

This bag was purchased to house my camera, which it safely does. I can keep it, lens down and on, and it's ready for the next shot. The velcro is tough and noisy, a definite security feature...and, if that isn't enough, there are straps and buckles.

As a traveler, less is better. I can actually pack this bag with my camera, a small hairbrush, a travel book, a spare battery, sunglasses, my cash, cards, phone, and more. There are lots of small, secure pockets that are easily accessible. Other than my pc, it is my only piece of hand luggage on a plane.

On a separate, vain, note, it's "practical-black", but has a fun, bright yellow-green interior. It's comfortable and weightless across my chest and the adjustable straps allow me everything I need at the right level.

I am submitting the review after a five week trip because I felt the designer should be congratulated!

I love Crumpler bags because they're more stylish and less blatantly gadget-y than most bags. In the Crumpler 5 Mil, I can fit a Canon Rebel XSi with the kit 28-55 lens attached, a 50mm prime, a Sigma 50-200 lens, and a 430 EX Speedlite in its pouch. It also has enough accessory pockets to fit some batteries, spare SD cards, and a remote switch.

With all of the above inside, the bag is packed just right; not a lot of empty space left, but not bursting either. The problem is that the weight of the gear makes the carrying the bag just uncomfortable enough to be noticed, and the 5 Mil doesn't come with a shoulder strap included. For the price, I would think that Crumpler could have thrown one into the package.

Also, I've been carrying mine around a lot lately and I've noticed that the black color doesn't seem as deep as before. It's acquired a reddish/purplish hue, probably because of exposure to the sun. It's not a huge deal, but it might bother some people because it makes the bag look old, even though it's probably still got lots of years left in it.

This is a great camera bag, but it is important to know (as some other reviews have pointed out) that this bag still looks like a camera bag. Very durable and extremely well put together. It's also very comfortable to throw over your shoulder and walk. The strap is not padded but is comfortable, if you are going to be throwing several very heavy lenses and a very heavy camera you might want to consider a different strap. With a D5000 and 2 lenses it is very manageable. Finally one thing to know is that there are no external pockets, not a big deal to me but may be to others.