Customer Reviews

Mountainsmith Reflex II Camera Bag

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

 

 

THIS BAG HAS BEEN WELL THOUGHT OUT THE ONLY DRAWBACK IS THAT I ORDERED THE LARGE...WHICH IS NOT LARGE AT ALL...BELIEVE ME, ORDER THE EX-LARGE...OTHER THAN MY MISTAKE ON ORDERING, IT'S A VERY NICE BAG...

I recently purchased this camera bag for my Canon G9 and all its accessories. I really like it! When I was looking for a bigger camera bag, I asked around. People suggested either Lowepro or Tamrac camera bags. I looked at those brands and none of the bags fit my needs. This bag met my needs. I am hooked on Mountainsmith camera bags!

If you're looking for a compact bag that is stylish, rugged and scalable, get this bag. I started by looking at the normal contenders such as LowePro, Canon Accessories, Samsonite and others - I had forgotten about Mountainsmith as a brand. I have a new Canon Powershot G7 as a companion to a digital SLR and a higher quality than my normal digital point-and-shoot. We're having a baby so we wanted to have a solid in-between that took great pictures but was convenient to carry around all the time. I bought this bag along with the larger version of the Reflex II for my SLR Digital (and two lenses) and received both last week and everything fits perfectly.

The cute, compact bag fits my Canon Powershot G7 perfectly with adjustable inner lining, along with my Canon Speedlight 430EX flash and manual. The top zipper fits my camera-to-computer adaptor, and the front pocket fits the extra battery, memory cards and charger with no added bulk. For packing everything nice and tidy - I love this bag. I am experimenting with a few smaller cases when I want to just carry the camera around separately - the one that seems to work the best is the ZING neoprene fitted camera case. I also bought an extra wrist strap for added convenience. It would also be great for a compact video camera and battery charger.

The bag in warm grey suits my taste - even with the multiple zippers and pulls and such since I backpack often and like an 'outdoorsy' feel. For my dad - I'm getting him the same system - I opted for a Lowe Pro Edit 110 bag (it's about the same size as the Mountainsmith and is 1/2 the price) and a Canon PSC-5000 Semi-Hard Leather Case for the Canon Powershot G7 since he likes a more understated, very classic look and feel for his equipment.

I don't have any fancy cameras, just a point and shoot, so I can fit it in with my mini camcorder, accessories, and bird books. My binocs are a little big for it, but I can make it work. I can finally have everything in one bag for vacation without digging around. I like all the compartments, and being able to move around the dividers as needed.

well made, but sort of looks like a lunch box or padded cooler. The rubber bottom really adds a lot of extra weight...kept it, but bought something lighter to carry around.

Mountainsmith makes a valiant try but unfortunately falls short of the mark with many of its camera bags, this one included. Although ruggedly built, with a rubber bottom that is great for outdoor work, the thin little zippers make access tedious, especially if you are going in and out of your bag frequently. Size is ok but even the xl could be a little roomier if you want it to be your all-in-one bag, which it can't be if you have more than one lens and any flash equipment. The mesh side pockets are a waste because nothing you put in them is protected from the elements, and the placement of the sholder strap can make getteng to them tough. Great if you want to bring a cliff bar or two on your shoot but if you are very active with this bag items can fall out of these pockets as well. The rear pouch isn't really suited for anything other than perhaps a small notebook or pamphlet. It would be nice if it was large enough to hold even a user's manual without fear of it falling out but alas, no.

To their credit, Mountainsmith has consistently made efforts over the years to make improvements on its products. Unfortunately, this doesn't seems to include their camera bags, and they have removed a lot of their poor performers from their line. Too bad they haven't replaced them with anything.

As I said, Mountainsmith doesn't cut corners on building a rugged bag, but for serious photojournalistic work and efficiency of design, keep shopping.