Crumpler Tallee

Crumpler is an Australian company that makes messenger bags. The bags look nothing like the average boring camera bag. They are kind of nice-looking! Of course, they don't sell these things where I live, so I had to order online.

Lesson 1: Don't buy bags online unless I've actually had a chance to check it out in person ahead of time.

The bag:
Crumpler Tallee, color "rust".


What fits in it:
10D + 28-135 mounted in main compartment. Many possible orientations.


Main compartment


17-40 in the hidden chamber of secrets.
More space for at least another lens or 2, a flash, or image tank.



What I liked:
The bag looked hip.
Great construction. Doesn't look like it could ever break.

What I didn't like:

A bit too big for what I wanted (carry just 10D + 2 lenses). The color (rust) was much darker than on the Web. It's really a dark brown color...not orange at all. Shoulder strap was too wide, long, and stiff for me. I couldn't shorten it without leaving this huge amount of excess strap hanging in a loop (see picture on the left). Didn't look good. Didn't hang well from my shoulders.

Final verdict:
I returned the bag. It was too big for me, and that loopy shoulder strap looked too weird. Maybe a smaller Crumpler bag (like the 15 Love) would have been a better fit. But it would have had the same shoulder strap. So, I gave up on getting a cool-looking Crumpler.