When I first got my 5D mk ii, I knew I didn’t want a typical camera bag to carry it around in…I wanted a bag that was intended for every day use, because I fully intended to bring my new camera with me EVERYWHERE. I started researching all of the different companies that make purse-style, more modern looking bags, and kept coming back to Kelly Moore.

For me the hard part was not deciding IF I should get a Kelly Moore bag..the hard part was deciding WHICH ONE to get! I LOVE this brand and there are so many different styles to choose from…

If I’m being perfectly honest, I mostly went with the Kelly Moore Mimi bag at the time because I thought it was the cutest one! It’s a little vintage-y looking and I thought it’d be the perfect size because it’s not too big and not too small…I can’t say that I’d choose it again from a practicality standpoint, I STILL think it’s the cutest one though..but I really wish I owned one of each style!

After using this bag for almost a year and toting it all over Germany for two weeks, it’s safe to say that the bag is made of quality materials (although keep in mind it’s NOT real leather)! It still hasn’t ripped or torn, all of the seams are still in tact, and all of the zippers are in good working condition! I was pleasantly surprised because I was hard on it in Germany and kind of expected to have to get a new one when we got back..It feels a lot softer and more worn in now than when I first got it, but it still looks nice!

The GOOD:

• I like that it has  a longer shoulder strap AND shorter straps so you can choose which way you want to carry it.
• I like the two mini front zipper pockets because I store CF cards in them…I put the unused ones in one pocket and then move them over to the other pocket as I use them!
• It’s deceitfully large…it doesn’t look like it would hold as much as it does when it’s all zipped up.
• It has a magnet pocket on the side thats the perfect size to hold my iPad, which is useful when I take it to client meetings to share my work.
• I like to put my iPhone in the big zipper pocket on the back so I can find it easily.
• It comes with FIVE velcro inserts, which you can arrange however you want to accommodate the gear you want to carry. These might be my favorite part…there are so many different ways you can arrange them!
• I love the color! It’s the perfect gray…it matches almost everything I wear!
• I feel classy when I carry it.

 

The BAD:

• I think the longer strap could use a little more padding…on a normal wedding day I don’t notice it as much because I don’t have it on my shoulder the whole day..but when I was toting this baby all over Germany it was not super comfortable. I’ve noticed that it seems like all of the Kelly Moore bags could use more padding on the straps though.
• The bag itself is really wide, which makes it uncomfortable to carry all day because it doesn’t lay flat against your body.
• I can’t fit my camera body and EVERY lens that I bring to a wedding in it…again, it’s kind of an awkward in between size…too small to carry all my gear, too small to hold a laptop, but too big to carry all day.

Overall, I have LOVED my Kelly Moore Mimi bag…but I think it’s probably a better bag for a mom with a camera than a wedding photographer. I’m looking forward to using it as a diaper bag that can also hold my camera one day though (in the distant future!). Since I don’t carry a laptop to weddings, I’ll probably just get a smaller Kelly Moore bag that’s thinner and easier to carry around all day to supplement this one next.

If you’re thinking of buying a Kelly Moore bag I hope this was helpful! Have a good Tuesday!