If you decide to carry this bag via the handle, rather than the shoulder strap, you are in for a bit of an adventure. The leather shoulder pad which is certainly elegant enough, doesn't have nearly the amount of padding that I had become accustomed to with the Signature 13. I strongly prefer the Think Tank strap which is mounted via a swiveling latch hook, which not only allows the strap to avoid “winding up” or getting unwieldy, but it also allows you to simply unhook the strap, and take it off the bag, if you wish. The shoulder strap is mounted directly to the bag, via a brass connector. The amount of extra equipment that will fit in the front of that bag at least matches, if not exceeds the Ona, and because there are two compartments, it's easier to keep things organized. In the front of the Think Tank bag, there is both a zipped pouch, and then an un-zippered pouch that is secured by a leather strap with a snap. Here again as I have compared this very heavily with the Think Tank, I would say that this bag falls a bit short in terms of function, by comparison. There are a couple of pen/pencil holders, a couple of other larger holders, and then plenty of room for quite a few accessories in the front portion of the bag. You can just see one of those four in the right side of this image. One of the nicest elements of this front accessory section is the inclusion of four memory card holders that are built right in to the bag. While it's generally safe, it is more secure in the Think Tank bag with a zipped cover to that main compartment ensuring that the camera or lenses can not fall out inadvertently. The Union Street functions exactly as the Peak Design Messenger 15, in that the gear is not actually held inside the bag by anything beyond just gravity. ![]() One feature of the Think Tank Signature 13 that I absotutely adore is that there is a zipper cover to completely secure the items inside the main compartment. Both the back inside wall of the bag, and the divider section will serve as the velcro holder for the divider system, so the user has great flexibility in how they chose to set up the inside of the bag. ![]() If you wish, you can easily remove the divider for the laptop, as well as all of the separators for the lenses, etc. A design feature that I absolutely love is the fact that the divider that creates the pocket for the laptop is actually held in by two velcro strips. You could very easily fit 3-4 lenses with a camera body, or 2-3 lenses with a flash and other accessories. The fact that the bag is wide enough for a 15″ laptop means that it is also wide enough for a multitude of lenses and a camera body. The main compartment of this bag is very large and roomy. Exterior dimensions: 16.5″L X 11″H X 5″D.Room for a camera and up to three lenses. ![]() There are clear aesthetic differences, but the size and general capability of the two bags are relatively similar. I feel that in a great many ways, the Ona bag and the Peak Design are fairly similar. Equally, I also think that if Ona had sent me the leather version of the Union Street, the sheer beauty of an Italian leather bag may very well have also helped push me over the edge to become a fan.Īlthough I intended this not to be a comparative review, the reality is that I am comparing it very much to both the Peak Design Everyday Messenger 15, and the Think Tank Signature Series 13. If I had never used the Signature Series 13, and if I had never felt the incredibly soft leather and luxurious wool fabric of that bag, then I think I would be in love with this Ona bag. The best that I can offer the reader is a completely honest explanation of why I have so much conflict. I feel that they are a very solid/good company, and I know that the folks I interacted with were absolutely wonderful. I love the fact that they donate $10 from every bag purchase to a fund to support Storytellers. I love the fact that they are a little company, working hard to make their dent in the camera bag market. I loved the interactions I had with the folks at Ona. Having reviewed a lot of photography equipment, I find myself more conflicted in this review than I would like to admit. They were incredibly helpful, and they sent out a complimentary review copy of the Union Street, which is their 15″ messenger bag. I reached out to the wonderful folks at Ona Bags. Thus began my quest for a bag of comparable quality, but that would also have the capacity to handle that 15″ laptop. I had practically nothing negative to say about the bag, with one exception: I use a 15″ MacBook Pro, and the Signature Series is not available in a 15″ version. If you have read that article, you already know that I found that bag to be one of the most incredible finds in terms of high-end camera bag design. Several weeks ago I published an article about the Signature Series 13 by Think Tank.
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