gene fama photography

Attention Starved Pacific Palisades, California | May 21,...

Wed, 25 May 2011 18:05:57 -0400

Attention Starved

Pacific Palisades, California | May 21, 2011
Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L

Giraffe Santa Barbara, California | February 7, 2007Canon EOS...

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 00:40:00 -0500

Giraffe

Santa Barbara, California | February 7, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

When Mommy’s Sick Pacific Palisades, California | August...

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 02:18:58 -0500

When Mommy’s Sick

Pacific Palisades, California | August 12, 2010
Leica M9 : Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 Asph

Napture Santa Monica, California | March 25, 2007Canon EOS...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:26:25 -0500

Napture

Santa Monica, California | March 25, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

Robert with Blackberry in Kitchen Burlingame, California |...

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:16:11 -0500

Robert with Blackberry in Kitchen

Burlingame, California | December 7, 2010
Leica M9 : Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 Asph

Destination Moon Pacific Palisades, California | January 17,...

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 20:29:20 -0500

Destination Moon

Pacific Palisades, California | January 17, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

Sun Room Santa Monica, California | October 22, 2010Canon EOS...

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0500

Sun Room

Santa Monica, California | October 22, 2010
Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II

Reflection 2 Chicago, Illinois | June 5, 2009Canon EOS 5D Mark...

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:51:19 -0500

Reflection 2

Chicago, Illinois | June 5, 2009
Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS

Pod Pacific Palisades, California | July 25, 2007Canon EOS...

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 14:06:00 -0500

Pod

Pacific Palisades, California | July 25, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

High Schooler Santa Monica, California | June 12, 2007Canon...

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:07:00 -0500

High Schooler

Santa Monica, California | June 12, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

Leica M kit bags for Glamour and Stealth

Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:12:00 -0500

Gene Fama | January 5, 2011

First the glamour

I own a lot of bags. When not on the road I pack my rangefinder into a Fogg b-Sharp. For my money, the b-Sharp squeaks by the b-Laïka (which is designed specifically for Leica kits) as the best high-end bag for M rangefinders. The main difference between the two is that the b-Sharp is less deep from front to back than is the b-Laïka, which is a good thing. You wouldn’t want the b-Sharp to protrude more than it already does.

Fogg bags are minimalist, classy, and expensive—like the camera. The lining is satiny linen. The workmanship and materials bring tears to your eyes. Dividers are modular and beautifully made—including a hinged piece you can use to cover the camera compartment and protect your darling from a stray set of keys or an unattached Thumbs-up. My b-Sharp easily accommodates the M9 in its Luigi half-case with a mounted 50mm, plus two additional M lenses in their leather cozies, and an SF 24D flash. There’s a flapped front pocket for sundries and a zippered back pocket big enough for an unpruned wallet or airplane tickets. To top it off, a padded slot behind the main compartment fits an iPad the way similar pockets in bigger bags fit a laptop.

The Fogg bags are handmade to be nice and light, yet solidly built. They hold their shape, which you’ll probably love or hate. I love it because I’m never wedging gear into it or wrestling it out. Everything fits amply, which leads to fewer lost lens caps and shot opportunities. But it’s a little bit fancy, and if you travel a lot you might also need a rugged messenger-style bag.

On that note, the Stealth

For low-profile use such as shooting in sketch neighborhoods and socialist countries, it’s hard to beat the Domke F-803 camera satchel. I have it in the oiled leatherette. They sell a three-compartment insert as an add-on that should really be included with the bag. It keeps camera and lenses separate and cushioned. You can easily fit an M9 with lens attached, two additional lenses, and a flash, with room to spare for extra batteries, a GPS tracker, filters, a few amyl nitrate canisters, and a butterfly knife.

The bag looks unassuming. The front flap has a brass latch that’d be a bitch for even the most deft of gypsies to unhitch. YouTube has a video of M9 street photographer Chris Weeks that shows his gear. He carries an F-803 in black. You get a good idea of its size and cargo load.

Aside: do not repeat my trial and error. No matter how much mention they get on the internet, the Domke F-5XA and B are too small for a Leica kit (see comparison below). And even if they were big enough they’d be too petite for the fellas. Plus, they have a zipper at the mouth of the main compartment. When you pull out your camera, the maw tries to close. It’s just a matter of time before the zipper drags across your nice anodized finish. A few scars might look tough, but I paid for my M9. How much Robert Capa have you got in you?

Left to right: Fogg b-Sharp, Domke F-803, Domke F-5XB (for those heavy-flow days).

The F-803 is wider and heftier than the F-5X, but compact nonetheless. I stick mine into a laptop briefcase, nesting-egg style. That way I travel with a rollerboard, a carry-on, and a dedicated camera bag, all the while complying with the two-bag limit (the TSA guy sometimes asks if your M9 is an antique camera while he’s feeling your crotch). Keep in mind, unless you bought a briefcase that’s too big, this bag-in-a-bag trick would be tough to do with the Fogg. The material is softer but less collapsable. You’d risk dinging it up. Anyway, in a strange city it might be a magnet for blackjack-and-run artists. I’m told the strap has wire in it that’s resistant to theif-shears but I’d hate to find out for myself.

In everyday use when not traveling and for local photo outings I reach for the Fogg every time. It’s unrivaled not only for its quality and classiness, but for how easy it is to slip your equipment in and out of. It’s a perfect combination of roominess and light weight. The Domke, by comparison, is just a bit narrower front to back than I like, at least when I’m not on the road scrounging to save space and keep an air of foreign intrigue.

Both the Fogg and the F-803 have flap-protected main compartments with no zippers and, more importantly, no velcro to startle the birds. They differ in price and style, but both bags are tough as nails and the picture of the everyday M-kit satchel.

Million Pacific Palisades, California | November 17. 2010Canon...

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:42:00 -0500

Million

Pacific Palisades, California | November 17. 2010
Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Canon EF 35mm f/4L

Plankfall Venice, California | March 21, 2008Canon EOS 5D Mark...

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 23:59:00 -0400

Plankfall

Venice, California | March 21, 2008
Canon EOS 5D Mark II : Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS

Blue Chair Pacific Palisades, California | September 19,...

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 03:09:00 -0400

Blue Chair

Pacific Palisades, California | September 19, 2010
Canon EOS 40D : Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L

Lucie Pacific Palisades, California | September 11, 2010Leica...

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 10:38:00 -0400

Lucie

Pacific Palisades, California | September 11, 2010
Leica M9 : Leica Summilux 50mm f/1.4 Asph

World’s Finest (Silver and Gold) Pacific Palisades,...

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 19:05:00 -0400

World’s Finest (Silver and Gold)

Pacific Palisades, California | April 20, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L

Sitter Pacific Palisades, California | July 25, 2007Canon EOS...

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:26:00 -0400

Sitter

Pacific Palisades, California | July 25, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

Eames Era 2 Pacific Palisades, California | June 20, 2008Leica...

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 20:15:36 -0400

Eames Era 2

Pacific Palisades, California | June 20, 2008
Leica D-Lux 3

Soon Pacific Palisades, California | March 10, 2007Canon EOS...

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:43:00 -0400

Soon

Pacific Palisades, California | March 10, 2007
Canon EOS 20D : Canon 85mm f/1.2L

Summicron Pacific Palisades, California | September 3, 2010Leica...

Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:31:00 -0400

Summicron

Pacific Palisades, California | September 3, 2010
Leica M9 : Leica APO-Summicron 75mm f/2.0 Asph