I have to admit, I have become quite the collector of camera bags. So after entering the world of mirrorless cameras, I thought, what better excuse do I need to get a new, smaller, lighter camera bag? Enter the Bob Cut medium messenger from Barber Shop bags.
When first looking for a new bag, I knew I wanted it to be smaller, but I didn’t want to be super limited on space. My ideal size was something large enough to carry my Nikon D750, but not so large that my Fuji Xpro2 kit left a bunch of unused space. This medium messenger bag is pretty much the perfect fit for this. My D750 fits snuggly without bulging out the sides of the bag and my Fuji kit fits perfectly without leaving a ton of wasted space like I get with some of my larger bags.
Nikon D750 next to my Novoflex Tripod system.
The construction of the bag is very solid. This version is constructed from black Cardura (a durable synthetic fabric) and is lined with black leather. It has an adjustable padded strap as well as leather carry handles. The padded strap and padded lining are also easily removable.
As for storage, the padded liner can hold two small to medium-sized cameras along with two to three small to medium lenses. There is a zippered pocket on the inside, along with a padded sleeve that is large enough to carry a tablet or 13-inch laptop. There are also small pockets on both sides of the bag and one on the back of the bag.
My favorite part about this bag is the attention to details. For example, the small barber shop styled tab that is found on the outside of the bag, as well as the padded liner. Also the patterned bag lining that is checkered with the Barber Shop logo, and the customizable leather tag on the side of the bag. They are small details, but they add to the overall appearance.
In use this bag was very comfortable to wear around for long treks through a local museum and I found that it was easy to get in and out of without having to set the bag down. However, my first issue with the bag was when I was walking around. The grab handles would not stay in an upright position. Instead, the handle that was not being pressed against my side would just flop around. When I set the bag down, the handles would still remain in this flopped position, making it so that I had to grab each individual handle before lifting the bag. Minor issue, but it can get annoying.
Next issue I had with this bag is the lack of pockets, or more importantly, the lack of closable pockets. To be fair, minimal to no closable pockets seems to be the trend with most bag companies that specialize in a “bag made for style” and I’m not sure why. I get that pockets on the outside of the bag can take away from the anesthetics, but why not add them to the inside? This bag has one zippered pocket on the inside, which I love. Why not have another on the outside of the laptop sleeve? Or maybe some pockets on the outside of the padded insert? This would make organizing all the small items us photographers have to carry around a lot simpler.
Lastly is the price, this bag comes in at whopping $443. Even in the world of high-end handmade camera bags, that’s pretty expensive. If you want to upgrade to the leather version, it will cost you $599.
The Good
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The size
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The style
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The details
The Bad
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Floppy handles
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Lack of pockets
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Expensive
In conclusion, this is a great little bag with some minor quirks. The floppy handles are not a deal breaker, but merely something to know about. The lack of pockets can be frustrating, but is currently an industry standard with this type of bag. The quality and function of the bag are on par with other high-end bag makers and the small details add to the beauty. If price is not an issue to you, then the Barber Shop Bob Cut is a viable option.
