I know, I know.
Photographers have soooo many bags, why do we need another?
Because you just do. The right bag for the right assignment. There is no one perfect camera bag.
And why a new bag? Well, depending on your assignment, you may not want to show up at the gig with a nasty beat up old bag, especially if your clients are all in business attire, or formal wear.
Living in New York City, messenger bags are the primary order of the day, for most people.
Before I start getting into the different bags, I would like to point out that a messenger, cross slinging bag, isn’t right for everyone. Many woman find them uncomfortable.
I’ll be talking about 4 bags in total. All bags have been used on the street for 2 days, minimum.
OK, here we go:
First up is a bag called the 24/7, sold by Adorama and Amazon.

With a design made for slinging to the back, the bag has a back, zipped pocket, the full depth of the bag, mirrored with an internal padded laptop pocket.
The flap is secured by a pretty standard clip system, velcro free.

Under the flap there is a very convenient pocket, where I put my ever present battery for charging the phone. Perfect placement. On the top of that section are some easy to get to pockets for pens, biz cards, cleaning cloths, etc.. They do give you a little card holder case deal, pictured, but I never used it.

That whole thing zips up, to give you some more security, especially if you are riding a bike, or just slinging it back.

Once inside, the orange interior gives you a better view of what may be hidden. Enough additional pockets for perhaps a portable drive, media card wallet, pen slots, card reader, etc.

Then we go to the bulk of the interior space. Designed to sit flat on the ground, it’s a pretty open area.

But wait, there’s more.

You get a sweet handled pouch, with zipper, and some simple foam dividers. A great way to pre-pack your cameras.

Plus there is a cable, or whatever extras you like, pouch.

The flap of the bag is made is some kind of rubberized, or waterproof material.
I found out just how waterproof it was, as I was shooting Cage The Elephant (incredible band) in the pit during fleet week, and the crowd was well lubricated and sloshing their free rum drinks, all the way into the pit. (Photos below)

The flap was closed on the bag, an my loose lenses were well protected.

My gear on this jaunt was 2 mirrorless bodies, 3 lenses, card wallets, plenty o’ camera batteries, tablet, large phone battery, cables, snacks, biz cards, lens pen, .

Admittedly, I was a little bit dubious about the weight, and how it would sit on may back.
That was the first clue that 24/7 had a sweet design: walking 15 NYC blocks from my apt to the venue, the bag was comfortable and secure on my back. And day 2, when I shot at the Intrepid for Memorial Day, with the same set-up, another comfortable shoot.

By slinging the bag to the front, I was able to get to the gear quickly, and actually, kinda tossed the changed lenses in the gear pouch, and felt that it would protect the glass. And it did. Could use some work on the access, but got it sorted for this gig.

What I like:
Great price, simple, well made, waterproof flap (also comes with a rain cover), flat bottom.
What I didn’t like:
A bit too deep, no outside pocket for water, needs more versatility on the strap to use easily as a shoulder bag, top of bag access would be helpful.

Overall: a great value proposition($80), perfect for a mirrorless system, and if you ride a bike, a secure, comfortable way to get your gear to the gig, or use for everyday use.
Although isn’t have a camera with you an everyday use?

and even a video!

Shots from the gigs:

Cage The Elephant

Cage The Elephant

Memorial Day at The Intrepid

Norman Reedus