> strict $300 budget max Ngl, finding something for an M11 that doesn't scream "expensive camera inside" is tough, but lowkey you should check out the Wotancraft Pilot 2L. It's like $140ish, super slim, and fits a 35mm cron attached with room to spare. Idk if it holds enough for a full multi-day trip depending on your packing style, but for a weekend in Chicago, it's honestly fire. No zippers scratching your gear either (major plus tbh).

To add to the point above: be super careful with bag straps. I once had a cheap carabiner fail on a generic sling while walking through a crowded terminal and my M10 hit the floor hard. It was a nightmare getting the rangefinder patch realigned, so now I just make sure all my connection points are reinforced or use secondary tethers. I'd recommend getting it professionally done if you're not sure about the stitching strength on your bag. For a weekend trip, I ended up using a Wotancraft Pilot 7L because the canvas is tough and the dividers dont scratch the body. Just double-check your strap lugs before you leave the hotel each morning. Honestly, taking that extra minute to pull on the hardware keeps me from losing sleep over my gear falling apart in transit...

Saw this earlier but just now responding... before you drop any cash on a bag, what kind of weather sealing protection are you actually expecting from it during your Chicago weekend?

• Just make sure whatever you pick has decent rain flaps
• Double-check the hardware quality so things dont snap unexpectedly
• Go with Billingham Camera Bag stuff if you want solid weather protection, you cant go wrong there.

Look, I see people overthinking these bags all the time. You dont need some fancy artisanal leather thing that costs more than a decent set of wrenches. Listen, I have been using the Ona The Bowery Camera Bag Canvas for my M gear for years and it is solid. Honestly, it fits a 35mm cron perfectly without all that extra bulk you find in the tactical stuff. It is compact, sits right against the body, and doesnt scream "expensive camera inside" when you are walking through the city. I gotta disagree with you on those inserts though. If the dial is scraping the zipper, you are probably just throwing the body in raw. You need a simple felt wrap or a small divider that keeps the tension off the top plate. It is like balancing a gearbox; if it is not seated right, everything wears down faster. Keep it simple. That bag holds the body, a spare battery, and maybe a cleaning cloth without being a massive eyesore. Chicago streets can be rough, so having something low-profile is key. Dont overspend on the branding. Get something that functions like a tool, not a fashion statement. Use the extra cash for a good strap instead...

oh man reading this just gave me flashbacks to last summer when my cousin decided he was gonna film a documentary about stray cats in Chicago... wait no it was pigeons, whatever, same vibe. he spent like three weeks straight stressing over the exact same thing, watching all these crazy teardown videos until he practically lost his mind. anyway he finally pulls the trigger on this absurdly expensive custom leather holster from some guy on etsy who supposedly hand-stitches everything by moonlight in the mountains. cut to day one of the trip, he gets caught in this insane sudden downpour right by the bean and the leather basically acts like a sponge, swells up to twice its size, and locks itself shut. we had to use a butter knife from a diner to pry it open while he was near tears in front of a bunch of tourists. totally wild scene tbh. idk if this applies to your exact setup since he was shooting some weird film rig instead of a modern digital body, but watching him try to salvage his gear while it was dripping wet was lowkey hilarious. anyway good luck finding something that works out there!

Re: "Saw this earlier but just now responding... before..."

• The weather protection point hits home. I remember testing rain resistance on my old canvas shoulder bag during a sudden cloudburst in Seattle back in 2018, water pooled right in the front pocket and ruined an entire roll of Ilford HP5. Anyway, bottom line is check the zipper seals.

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