Smart, Safe, and Stylish

by Vinson Watson
Published on Apr 9, 2003 12:00 AM



Whether you’re just starting out or a professional videographer, sooner or later you’ll need a good camera bag and Kata bags have a lot to offer. Let’s face it Camcorders can cost anywhere from $500 to $50,000. Most of us aren’t using $50,000 cameras but the money we do pay is probably hard earned. A lot can happen to a camera on a shoot. If your camera bag only provides basic protection you could end up in a situation where that’s not enough. Even dropping a camera while in a bag can cause damage. That’s where Kata comes in. They make accessories for camcorders in all sizes and offer you the ability to tailor the perfect bag to your own taste not to mention the cost is competitive.

I’ll review three bags. Before I get into the different variations I want to talk about them overall. These are multifunctional camera bags with thick padding, not like the flimsy stuff found in some bags. Kata bags have extra long carry straps and they’re relatively lightweight ranging from two to four pounds and can be modified with a products called ''Modi-Vers'' which divide the bag up anyway you’d prefer. The bags are made from DuPontd 1000 denier Cordura. When sprayed with water it seems to bead off very nicely. Even when left there for awhile the water stays outside the bag. (I’m talking about three to five minutes under a decent pour). This helps keep the elements away from your equipment. Kata boast ''Six layers of protection.'' This doesn’t mean go swimming with the bag. It means these bags are tough and offer safety for your camera even in harsh whether.

The first bag I got to take a look at was the CCC-102. It’s compact and designed to hold a small DV cam, with all the goodies. It’ll hold a prosumer-sized camcorder and it’s lens. You should have no problem fitting a Sony, VX-2000, PD-150, the Panasonic DVX100 or any camera in the same size range, nicely in this bag. You’d still be able to drop wires small camcorder batteries and other flat accessories in the side pocket and inside pocket. Without a doubt you could fit a Canon ZR or GL sized camera in here along with the charger, cables, batteries and tapes. And with the Modi-Vers you can section the bag off so everything fits neatly. This bag comes with a shoulder strap and padded mesh handgrip. The shoulder strap has a thick curved, shoulder pad on it making it one of the most comfortable bags I’ve ever carried on my shoulder. Shoulder straps can be a pain but on these bags they’re full adjustable and can be quickly taken off. The bag along weighs 1.5 pounds. It includes coil and molded zippers along with ITW™ and Duraflex™ buckles. You also get the option of a ''none slip'' shoulder strap with a nylon buckle. I’ve seen this bag retail for $100. You may find it for more or less with a good internet search or trip to eBay. Personally I would’ve liked to see a pouch on the outside of the bag but that may be going against the compact all in one nature of this bag. It’s a simple, safe and quick storage solution for your camera when you’re on the go.

The next bag is the CCC-10. This one’s for medium sized cameras. It’s almost like a larger version of the CCC-102. The dimensions for this bag are 23.6 x 9.4 x 9.4. They say the bag is made for the JVC GY-DV500/700, SONY DSR-200/250 and 300 and similar sized cameras. It also can fit the Canon XL with accessories. It also comes with two Modi-Vers and an Aluminum stave that reinforces the top flap to protect the viewfinder and on camera microphone.

It weighs four pounds and has padded outside pocket and a non-padded pouch with a comfortable non-slide shoulder strap. The handgrips have padded interlocking handles reinforced with PVC. The pouch has Velcro fasteners and a buckled strap over it. For a big bag it’s not very cumbersome. This would be my bag of choice for a big shoot, because I could carry all my stuff in here including small props and make up. I’d have a VX2000 sized cam so I could drop it in here and fill it up with supplies including books and maybe even a modern hard drive.

The last bag is the best of the bunch because I believe it truly fits the modern video producer, the CCC-3333 w/ Topic 10. The CCC-3333 is an 18 x 7.8 x 11.8 bag for small, large or full sized cameras. The Topic 10 is a 16.5 x 11 densely padded, detachable, laptop bag. This means all the mobile video pros editing on 15 inch Apple Powerbooks or smaller laptop this is your bag. No longer do you have to carry a separate bag for your computer. I have a friend who uses a Powerbook. She would be able to carry her whole mobile studio in this bag.

This bag isn’t really that different from the rest except it features interlocking hard plastic handgrips, and a B – Shaped Shoulder Strap (a ''BSS''), a ''Mod-U-Lox'' connector for adding additional bags, a pouch for a rain cover, vest, etc and a ''service door'' in the back to hold tapes and small accessories. It also comes with Modi-Vers. I like this bag even better than the CCC-10 because everything would fit in it and with the Topic 10 connected there’s enough pockets and pouches to make any videographer green with envy once they check out your set up.

Between the Topic-10 and the CCC-3333 itself is a sleeve that you can slide the optional ''DTS'' insert trolley through and use it to wheel the bag back and forth effortlessly when you’re carrying heavier items. The DTS is small but sturdy and holds up to fifty-five pounds.

The Modi-Vers system itself is pretty nice. It’s a Velcro based system whereas you can order a strip of the material and cut it up anyway you like to fit into the bags, then it has Velcro pieces that can be fit around the edges of the material and slide into the bags to make compartment. I cut some of these up and it’s not too difficult. The material itself is some of the same stuff that lines some of the bags. All in all these bags are a great buy if you’re a consistent user. If you’re one of those people who take your camera out every once and awhile these probably aren’t for you, but if you’re using your camera often or you’re shooting professionally then one of these bags may be for you.