I might be one of the last people to get on board with ONA bags, but I have a good excuse! I’ve been pretty happy with the bags that I currently use for weddings (A Kelly Moore B Hobo and the Pelican 1510) and haven’t needed to get another yet. That is, until now! In the past when I’ve traveled for work or fun I’ve just used my B Hobo bag. It’s definitely got enough room! I can fit a ton of stuff in there. The only problem with that is, I find myself either taking TOO MUCH or just getting annoyed and not wanting to carry a heavy bag and leaving it in the car when I sightsee.

For my trip to Italy, I knew I needed something else. Something a little bit lighter and smaller that I could carry around the city all day without feeling tired or sore. I’d originally looked into the KM Riva bag, but decided to see if ONA bags had a smaller bag that would fit the bill. A lot of people I know carry the larger Palma and Capri bags, but I decided on the Bowery because I liked that it was a little different from the one I see lots of people using, and it’s a teeny tiny bag! For a camera bag, at least.

I chose the black in wax canvas partially to be budget conscious (which, I have to say, anyone would be feeling like that after doing their taxes and seeing the reality of the expenses I had last year…yikes) but also because I like to have something I’m not worried about getting wet or damaging. I love how it looks! It looks like a satchel and not at all like a camera bag, which I really appreciate, being a woman who travels solo from time to time. It also matches most of my clothes, which is great for travel, since versatile items are important. One thing I did NOT realize though, that is something to consider, is EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF LINT attracts itself to this material. And being that it’s black, it shows easily. I really wanted the black and didn’t care as much for any of the other colors so I think I would have still chosen the same bag, but just something to know if you’re thinking of buying one.

It BARELY fits my 5D MarkIII with 50 1.2 attached. It’s kind of a rough fit if I have other stuff in there too, but the bag itself is flexible enough to make it work. It fits fine length wise, but the thickness of the Mark III makes it a challenge to get the clasp on the front closed unless you have the rest of your stuff packed just right. I keep my Mark III and lens in the bigger section and my wallet, Mophie, and any other random stuff in the other. If you didn’t need random junk, you could totally put another, smaller lens over there. Maybe a 35 1.4? I REALLY wished I had my 35 in Italy! You could also take the divider out and put other stuff in there! I think this would fit a smaller film camera (a 35mm) very well, but I doubt you could get a contax in there. The bag is actually meant for mirrorless cameras though, so stuff at your own risk!

There are also two smaller pockets on the front where you could put money or your ID or CF cards or something. I didn’t use those for money on my trip though because I was slightly concerned about pick pocketers. There’s also a back pocket, which online people have said you can fit a tablet there…but I think that’s pushing it unless your tablet is a kindle. Even so, half of it would be sticking out…and I wouldn’t personally want to carry it around like that. I used that pocket to store a paper map (so old school, right??) and my phone cord. The pockets on the outside sides DID fit my iPhone 6 (which has a slim case on it) but it was TIGHT. I would have to use a little force to stuff it in and I had to wriggle it out. If you have a 6 Plus or a ginormous Android phone, using that hole for your phone is going to be a no go. My iPhone 5 probably would have fit perfectly though!

One last little thing I noticed, which I also noticed on John’s UNDFIND bag (but strangely never on my Kelly Moore) is that where the clip attaches the strap to the bag squeaks when you move after a bit. It’s really not a big deal (unless squeaking annoys you) but I plan to just put some WD 40 on it. We did this to John’s bag and it was fine.

All in all, I think this bag was a great purchase for me! When I took it on my trip, I packed it in my roller bag stuffed full of rolled up shirts and it fit very nicely. I am really happy that I brought it along. It made it so much easier to enjoy the trip and take lots of photos while I was there without constantly being in pain.