Leica M kit bags for Glamour and Stealth
Gene Fama | January 5, 2011
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.
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