Site Supporter Registered: September, 2010 Location: Hudson Valley, NY Posts: 2,626 | | Review Date: December 30, 2010 | Recommended | Price: $65.00
| Rating: 9 |
| Pros: | Good room for equipment without being excessively large. Adaptable | | Cons: | Accessory bag assortment needs to be more flexible | |
I first became aware of the M-Rock bags from the local photography store. Besides having the conventional assortment of bags, they also had the M-Rock bag line. I purchased a smaller bag first trying to go "minimalist" with my new K-7 system but within three months I had outgrown it! The first bag was the model 662, Grand Canyon, which turned out to be just a bit too small. For me, the model 663, Everglade, worked well for my equipment assortment.
The bag is very adaptable. I do work both in the field and on location, which requires a different equipment assortment. For instance I do not use the flash when I am shooting landscapes, but could use it when I am shooting macro. I do not need the macro bellows when I am shooting on location, but need the flash. With the M-Rock bag system, you can get the base bag and add additional lens/accessory bags on each end as needed.
The 663, Everglade bag (each M-Rock bag is "branded" with a location setting, e.g., Mesa Verde, Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, etc., many named after National Parks in the USA) is quite roomy and flexible. I am able to carry 9 lenses and two bodies easily within the bag. I have used other bags that do not offer the room for the size (others were less tall but wider). Even with all of this equipment, the configuration of the bag reduces the overall weight on the shoulder.
The bag offers substantial cushion protection on each of the six sides of the main compartment. Additionally, the dividers offer about 1/2 inch of foam protection between sections. The dividers have edges with the hook side of velcro type (hook and loop) fasteners. The dividers can therefore be modified to any configuration. M-Rock also provides enough divider material to make it easy to configure the bag they way you want it.
The front pouch pocket offers a large front zipper pouch which is perfect for thinner supplies (gray card, reference books/manual, etc.). It also offers slotted locations for other accessories and memory card holders. The rear pouch can fit a Netbook sized computer easily, or a portable hard drive.
There are also side pockets for note pads or additional accessories, but this area I try to keep clear as I have obtained additional M-Rock bags to augment the main bar. The Joshua Tree bag is perfect for the Macro bellows and two lenses specifically used with the bellows. Another bag contains my Promaster flash with extra batteries and charger. Still another bag is relegated to the 500mm mirror lens. Each of these bags can be added or removed within seconds when I go out to shoot.
I even reworked the original bag I purchased for the two larger handheld flashes I use. Why let it go to waste!
The M-Rock bags are designed well for field work, with the water proof/resistant nylon shells and water resistant zippers. Each of the bags also comes with a weather cover that easily stows within the bag and is tethered to the bag to keep it from being left behind in the field!
The one drawback of the bag system is the need for a greater variety of auxiliary bags to use with the main bag. With the assortment of bags this company does offer, a universal system to attach most any of them would be beneficial. That said, with the assortment of auxiliary bags they do have and some creativity to adapt the smaller bags, the M-Rock 663 Everglade bag is a great start to an overall system.
Finally, M-Rock provides a true system approach to the bags with straps to turn a bag into a backpack (they also offer backpacks and sling bags), and belts to place smaller bags or pouches at the waste. I know I made a great decision choosing this brand!
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