I had the opportunity to test in preview the Manfrotto Windsor Reporter bag in Paris, the city where I live and shoot most of my pictures. The city’s architecture, monuments and lifestyle are my biggest inspiration. I mostly shoot during the golden hours, during sunrise or sunset because I find the city even more beautiful under the sunlight! The pictures in this article were in this respect taking during a “chasing light” field-test session around the so-called Iron Lady while I was carrying my equipment in the Manfrotto Windsor bag. As my photo shoot sessions last around 2 hours during when I tend to walk a lot, I was looking for a bag that combines elegance, functionality and comfort! I find out that the Reporter bag meets all my expectations.
As I am living in Paris, the capital of fashion, it is important to carry a stylish bag! The Reporter bag is perfectly designed for the urban and street environment of this city. Indeed, the bag is visually appealing from the outside as it has a vintage look, the design is sleek and nothing lets one imagine that there are some expensive photographic equipment in it 🙂 It is then exactly what I was looking for when I mean “elegance”.
Let’s talk about functionality! On this point, I am really satisfied by the internal design of the bag. Its interior is cleverly built: it is well thought for photographers and there is plenty of space in it, which allows me to fit all my gears. I can easily carry my Olympus PEN F and 4 lenses and there are still space for accessories, books and my iPad! Besides having a large storage capacity, the bag has a partition system based on fully customizable, protective and interchangeable dividers, so that I can adapt it to what I carry. And finally, the access from the top makes it easy and fast to change my lenses while shooting and without having to take the bag off my shoulders!
On top of being functional and elegant, the bag is eventually comfortable: after a two-hour shooting walking a lot to explore the city, my back does not hurt at all. The bag and its design make it well balanced and I can really feel that the weight is well distributed over my shoulder. The shoulder pad and adjustable strap also provide additional comfort.
To sum up, I am very impressed by the Manfrotto Windsor Reporter bag whose design makes it a perfect everyday bag! It is very flexible since I can carry out my personal stuff as well as my camera without having it too bulky. I think this bag could be the perfect match to people who are craving for a good looking bag with a dedicated and well organized space for their photography gear!
Olivier WONG
Instagram: @wonguy974