By Brady Betzel
After years and years of gear acquisition, I often forget to secure proper bags and protection for my equipment. From Pelican cases to the cheapest camera bags, a truly high-quality bag will extend the life of your equipment.
In this review I am going to go over a super-heavy-duty assistant camera bag by OConnor, which is a part of the Vitec Group. While the Vitec Group provides many different products — from LED lighting to robotic camera systems — OConnor is typically known for their professional fluid heads and tripods. This camera bag is made to not only fit their products, but also other gear, such as pan bars and ARRI plates. The OConnor AC bag is a no-nonsense camera and accessory bag with velcro enforced-repositionable inserts that will accommodate most cameras and accessories you have.
As soon as I opened the box and touched the AC bag I could tell it was high quality. The bag exterior is waterproof and easily wipeable. But, more importantly, there is an internal water- and dust-proof liner that allows the lid to be hinged while the equipment is close at hand while the liner is fully zipped. This internal waterproofing is resistant up to a 1.2M/4ft. column of water. Once I got past the quality of materials, my second inspection focused on the zippers. If I have a camera bag with bad zippers or snaps, it usually is given away or tossed, but the AC bag has strong and easy gliding zippers.
On the lid and inside of the front pockets are extremely tough and see-through mesh pockets for everything from batteries to memory cards. On the front is a business card/label holder. Around the outside are multiple pockets with fixing points for Carabiner hooks. In addition, there are d-rings for the included leather strap if you want to carry this bag over your shoulder instead of using the handles. The bag comes with five dividers to be velcroed on the inside, including two right angle dividers.The dividers are made to securely tie down all OConnor heads and accessories. Finally, the AC bag comes with a separate pouch to use on set for quick use.
Summing Up
In the end, the OConnor AC bag is a well made and roomy bag that will protect your camera gear and accessories from dust as well as water for $375. The inside measures in at 18x12x10.5 inches while the outside measures in at 22×14.5×10.5 inches and has been designed to fit inside of a Pelicase 1620. You can check out the OConnor AC bag on their website and find a dealer in your area.
Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on Life Below Zero and Cutthroat Kitchen. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.
