Testing the new CosySpeed Camslinger Bag for Street Shooting (Video)
A month or two ago I was out in Las Vegas with the Head Honcho of CosySpeed (Thomas Ludwig) who travelled all the way from Germany to let me see his newest bag as well as shoot some video of me street shooting while using it and putting it to the test. I also did an interview where I answered quite a few questions about photography as well as discussing things I enjoy, my style and what drives me. It was a great time and I enjoyed it as I was doing what I love to do in a city I enjoy for its vast amount of photographic subjects.
Here I am using the new “Paris Grey” Camslinger in Las Vegas NV a few weeks ago. See how I prefer to shoot on the street…
In Vegas I used the new Grey model which I thought was pretty nice, especially when compared to the Green and Black original. The grey was classy and looked great. As I walked I even had a couple of people ask me what bag it was. The whole concept of the bag came to CosySpeed owner, Thomas Ludwig while he watched two of his favorite movies. One was a Clint Eastwood western, which insider him to make a holster style case that was a bit different from the typical “Fanny Pack” we see today. The Camslinger does not sit on your waist like a fanny pack, it sites more like a holster for your camera…slightly lower on one side for easy access to the camera inside.
As I walked the streets of Las Vegas with the Camslinger I found that I never even noticed I was carrying a thing, until I went to grab my Camera. It is that light and un-obtrusive. After that shooting session I was sort of hooked on the holster bag. It was functional, it was attractive and when it was on me, I did not even realize it. Thomas told me they also were releasing an all black version MINUS the green, which is also killer for those who want their case/bag/holster to be all black and stealthy.
The belt is adjustable, the bag is adjustable and can be made wider depending on your needs and they come in a couple of sizes. They also do not and wilt break the bank. These bags are well worth the cost at $99 for both the special edition Camslinger 160 in Paris Grey and the 160 Street Edition in al black.
In this world of $400-$600 camera bags, getting a simple, functional and very lightweight holster for your camera at $99 seems like a bargain of the year.
Don’t be put off by the looks, in use it is fantastic. You can buy these Camslinger Bags at B&H Photo HERE. I now own the Paris Grey version I used in the video above and love it. When I need to take one camera with me, the 160 Camslinger goes with me and it is like not even bringing a camera as you really do not realize it is on!
Steve
PRESS RELEASE BELOW:
New CAMSLINGER bags from COSYSPEED.
Just in time for the Christmas season, COSYSPEED introduces two new color editions of its CAMSLINGER camera bag for compact system cameras: the CAMSLINGER 160 Street Edition and the CAMSLINGER 160 Paris Gray. Both versions of the bag will be available by mid-November for a special price of 79.99 Euro / US-$ 99.00.”
A quick word about Street Photography
A week or two ago I posted a video I whipped up about how I GO ABOUT shooting images on the “street” and a few of you (only a few) chimed in saying “taking portraits in not street photography” – well…who defined what street photography is? Those who like to shoot the backs of heads or sniping shots of unaware people? To me, that is just random shooting.
For example, Vivian Maier is one person I consider to be an amazing “street photographer”. In fact, I prefer her work to any of the old masters many rave about. She did a mix of “decisive moment” shooting as well as “street portraits” and she is now known as a great street photographer, as she should be. That is what she did and she was fantastic at it. But saying portraits of strangers is NOT a form of street is incorrect, as it is.
I do not and have never posed anyone though sometimes they pose themselves if I am doing that sort of street portrait. I like to mix it up and get people without me telling them up front and I also like to chat it up with others, and then ask them for a photo. It works both ways but I do not “pose” – I just go out, walk around, look for interesting people to meet and try to be as social as possible as this approach usually yields some great results, more so than sneaking shots of people walking by or “decisive moments” of someone walking out of a shadow in front of a building which is so overdone it is quite boring to look at today.
I find people interesting and in a place like Las Vegas, most are willing and excited to talk with you. It’s a fun time and shooting strangers is something I have always enjoyed. Its therapeutic and feels great and yes, this is indeed a form..a version..a variant of “Street Photography”.
I enjoy it and in the grand scheme of things, that is ALL that matters 😉
Steve
B&H has another version Camslinger 160 that is $69 and almost the same as the street edition 160. Please confirm
Yep, and that is a steal. It is the same bag but black and green instead of all black.
Thanks for the quick reply.
I have bought many lens, bags, cameras based straightly from your recommendation and never went to the store to check out the items before I made the orders. So far, not even one that I am not happy with.
street portraiture or street decisive moments both happen in the street, so…who cares…they both belong to street photography, don’t they?!
If you are at the spectator level, then you are limiting yourself to randomly snap shooting by avoiding interacting with other fellow humans…not much of an experience in my opinion.
If you graduated to actor, then you can freely decide what you want to do (interact of not) when you see something interesting.
Love Vivian Maier work!
street portraiture is definitely a form of street photography…it is just one discipline in street photography…what many people do not even consider…but in street photography…you do not even need people in the image…but…you know swimming is swimming…whether you do freestyle , breast stroke …backstroke…it is all swimming…but Steve…we really do not even need to put a label on it…as long as you are enjoying what you are doing…plus by going over and talking to your subject…it adds even a bit more to their story
I hate to be the only negative review here, but I really, really don’t like the looks of this bulky fanny pack. One really needs an untucked shirt or a sweater to cover up the massive waist buckle strap.
If it’s a one-camera and one-lens day, I will stick to the standard camera shoulder strap. If it’s a day that requires more gear than that, nothing beats a small messenger bag, carried over the shoulder.
Not gonna buy one of these.
Steve, what kind of finger loop do you use in this video?
The Cosyspeed one and it is very effective and cheap.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1051472-REG/cosyspeed_cs0006_cosyspeed_finger_cam_strap.html/BI/4399/KBID/4837
Thank you!
Re street photography, I’m with you on that one Steve! I’d much prefer to have a bit of a chat and ask a person on the street for their photo rather than snipe off a shot as they’re walking past. I cringe when I see those type of photos, but maybe that’s just me?
yep it is just you…I still like to get a candid…and really it is not just you…many people feel the same way…but I think getting a candid tells a much different story than an image one may ask for . I have found myself more recently asking for permission…and most times people are agreeable…if they say no…there is always someone else…but what makes you cringe ?
Hi Sven, what makes me cringe is the often pained or annoyed expressions I see on the faces of subjects who have just had a camera poked in their face. It doesn’t sit well with me because I would be really ticked off if someone did that to me. I’m only starting to get game enough to go up and ask people for their photograph and the last thing I want to do is to impose my desire to get a photo over someone’s right to walk along un-accosted. A recent experience was just last weekend where we had an Ironman event being held very close to home and I headed over to get some shots of the competitors. I saw this elder gentlemen in the crowd dressed in full cycle racing gear straddling a racing bike, I really liked that scene. I walked up and asked if I could take his photo and he asked defensively “why, I’m not a competitor” I replied “I’d like to take your photo because you have a lot of character in your face”, which he did. “Oh, ok no problems” he said” his demeanour completely changed and he gave me a nice natural happy look straight down the lens and I got a nice shot. We had a bit of a chat after and he said that I’m much better than his wife as she takes forever to compose and shoot and by the time she presses the button he’s completely lost interest and is looking away 🙂 We had a bit of a laugh, said goodbye and walked away liking each other. I got a nice shot and made a connection with someone I’d never met before, made my day!
That grey is pretty nice, looks nice on the leg, i might consider this, the ona bowery is great but swinging around in the summer gets annoying when street shooting since I’m only doing one camera/one lens
B&H has it on sale for $69 at the moment.
I really prefer a bag that doesn’t draw attention, so the ‘all black’ is one I’d be very interested in!
Steve: in Leica terms, can this fit a M w/35/2, a spare lens 50 cron, battery and a few cards?
NO, it will fit the M and 35 (my Mono fit with the 50 Elmar) – yo would have to use the lens pouch attachment for the extra lens.
Thanks!
What’s the lens used with the Leica in the video?
50 3.5 Elmar, vintage
Nice post Steve! This bag looks very useful. I just picked up a blackmagic strap and I like having the camera on my side. How did the A7 fit? Whats the largest lens you think you can get on the A7 before its too big?
The A7 will fit but not with something like the 16-35. It fit OK with a prime.
Thank you!
An excellent video, plus I love that it was shot in B&W in one of the world’s most colorful cities!
Another inspiring point of view about street photography! Thank you and keep feeding us with yours brilliant posts!