ONA Goes To Bermuda (Brooklyn Camera Bag Review)

I’ve been wanting to get a new camera bag for a while.  And when it came time to take a trip to Bermuda a few weeks ago I knew I finally had to break down and get one.  Up until this point I’ve either used a camera backpack or have simply carried my camera in my purse.  Neither option is ideal under many circumstances:  The backpack is too big and cumbersome and looks terribly out of place taken into an upscale restaurant.  In the purse my camera gets jostled around with the other items in it and the purse can’t accommodate extra lenses and gear that I often need.  I needed a camera bag that was somewhere in between in size and that was not only fully functional but also stylish.  And lastly I wanted something that didn’t look like a camera bag (ie, “Look, thieves – there’s expensive camera gear in here – come take me!”)

So I started searching online and reading reviews.  I scoured multiple brands and nothing hit me.  And then I came across ONA for the first time and the moment I saw the Brooklyn I fell in love.  I was given the Brooklyn for review and all the opinions I express are my own.

ONA bags are all handcrafted and named after different places ONA’s CEO, Tracy Foster, has visited.   In the case of my bag, Brooklyn.  I love the Brooklyn’s classical style.  And the size is perfect – big enough to carry the essentials plus a little extra, but not so large that carrying it around becomes a burden.  It’s also classy and formal enough to take into nice restaurants when I’m doing restaurant reviews.

The design of The Brooklyn inspired by the classic 1940s school bag and is made of full-grain leather.  The Brooklyn’s a mid-size bag and not very heavy, just 2.8 pounds, but it’s sturdy and stands firmly without toppling over.  Its secure tuck locks make it quick and easy to open and close.

Its handle is padded and comfortable for carrying and it has a reinforced shoulder strap.  The back of the bag has an extra slit pocket for securing a tablet or other thin items.

The interior is padded and lined with a soft felt-like material and is fully customizable:  You can move (or remove) the dividers to fit the gear you’re carrying.  It’s designed to carry a camera with an attached lens and up to three additional lenses or small accessories.  For my trip to Bermuda I took my camera and two lenses.  I still had room in one of the lens compartments to store an extra battery, remote, and memory cards and I was able to fit my personal items in the front pocket.  Everything was kept very snug and secure.  I didn’t have to worry about anything getting jostled around, damaged, or flying out.

Though I guess it could make for a cool story to say your camera flew out into the Bermuda Triangle. NOT!

Another thing I like about the Brooklyn is that it’s unisex.  Why is that important to me?  Because it means I can “let” my husband carry it around for me when we’re together.  (He’s so good that way.  Love you, Todd!)  And I have to tell you, it looks pretty hot on him.

So ladies, just the fact alone that this is a camera bag your hubby would be willing to be seen wearing may be enough of a selling point.

And being unisex, it’s also feminine enough for me to carry.

We took my Brooklyn on its maiden voyage to Bermuda a few weeks ago and it pretty much followed us everywhere we went.  Our rental scooter came with a basket in the back which was the perfect size for it.  Our entire week there people would honk at us as we drove by, pointing at our bag.  They weren’t able to see that it was securely fastened down by a bungee cord – they we apparently concerned that our ONA would come flying off and create some major congestion on this tiny 21 square mile island!

But it didn’t.  It returned home safely having served us very well and we look forward to taking it with us on many trips to come.

Ready to see my ONA on location while catching a few glimpses of beautiful Bermuda?  Let’s go!

Being the perfect husband that he is, Todd also carries my tripod around for me!

Thanks for joining us!

 

Disclosure: I received my Brooklyn bag from ONA without any obligation to write a positive review.  As always, all opinions are entirely my own.