SUMMARY: An efficient way to hold your light meter, spot meter, color meter, gray scale, digital still camera, 17-inch laptop and more.
TARGET APPS Designed with cinematograpers in mind, but really useful for anyone shooting video or film
WHAT IT COSTS YOU $219 (bag); $32 (AC pouch)
WHAT’S COOL The lighter color makes it easy to find things, and the reflective stripe on the outside protects you on location.
WHAT’S MISSING For the bag, a divider option in the laptop section
SPECS EXT: 17" x 9.5" x 12"; Features: padded laptop compartment, label holder, large padded shoulder strap, six interior compartments, large zipped opening for easy access, front organizer, waterproof material, bottom rail for protection
At the end of 2008, I had a small budget for some additional cases for my gear. While doing research on different brands, I stumbled upon CineBags. CineBags is a company based out of California that makes gear bags, back packs and other carrying gear. I was really impressed with this line, so I ordered the CB-10 Cinematographer V2 bag and an AC pouch. Before big shoots, I always go through my equipment and load up the gear I’ll need. My camera has its own case, as does my lighting gear. But my DP gear — such as meters, charts, laptop, etc. — always got tossed in my backpack or shoved in my camera case. That is, until I got my CineBag. Now all my assorted gear is accessible in one bag, all the time. How did I ever get by before this?
Compartment Crew
I now have one case that has my director’s finder, spot meter, light meter, incline meter, camera charts, P2 cards and P2 drive all in one convenient location. One – stop shopping! It even holds my 17-inch notebook with extra room for my camera charts. The bag is very sturdy and has six removable interior compartments grouped in threes. Each compartment is padded and has a place for a business card or labeled placard to identify each compartment’s contents. It also features a front zipper space that’s perfect for small items like zip drives. A flap portion holds highlighters, pens and contains a small zipper compartment for business cards. One of my favorite features on this bag is the adjustable opening for the compartment section, which has three stages of snaps that open the bag. This is nice on location when you don’t want to expose your gear to the elements. You can unsnap it all the way or just a few inches and not spill everything out.
Protective Pocket
The AC pouch is something I have needed for a long time. Unfortunately, I always seemed to spend my budget for it on one new gadget after another. Not this year: I purchased one from Lindcraft and promptly received one from CineBags with my new bag. Side by side, the CineBags AC pouch immediately stands out. It’s not just the gray color and reflective stripe, though they are an advantage in low light situations. The nylon is a better grade and the belt loop features sewn grommets. Both bags have the same number of compartments, but I like the styling and the construction of the CineBags AC pouch better. It is the only AC pouch I use now.
CineBags is a fairly new company and is creating exciting products to make our lives easier on the set. I highly recommend their products, and will be purchasing more as soon as my budget allows.
