Check Out The New Mirrorless Bag From Ming Thein!

Not too long ago, Ming Thein released his Ultimate Daybag (in coloboration with premium camera bag manufacturer, Frankie Falcon) which I have written about here (click). While that original version of MT x FF bag was great in many ways, large and spacious to fit many, many items efficiently into it. However to me, a photography enthusiast who use small mirrorless cameras, I did not find the need to carry that many items with me when I go out for my shutter therapy sessions. Like many other minimalist shooters out there, I carry one small mirrorless body and perhaps 2 to 3 small lenses, and a smaller bag customized for smaller system would make more sense. Recognizing the need for a smaller bag for the growing mirrorless shooting crowd, here comes the new Mirrorless Bag from Ming Thein!

I fully understand my partnership with Ming Thein, so this is not exactly a review, and should not be viewed as one. I just happened to have the bag with me and I thought why not I share my own thoughts after using it for a day or two.

I will not deny that the one crucial factor that I look for in a camera bag, is the looks. This is purely subjective and arguable, and at a level somewhat personal. Yes, many would argue function is more important than appearance, that is entirely true and I will not disagree with you. Personally to me, if I were to spend some money on a camera bag that I will use almost everyday, I would strongly consider how the bag looks and whether the look fits my overall presentation as a photography enthusiast, a street photographer and a photography blogger. In all honesty, not that many bags out there have the look and design that I find attractive, or beautiful. When I first saw Ming Thein's bag (I have had the privilege to see the earlier pre-production samples), I immediately fell in love with the shape and design. There is a premium, high-quality look to the bag and it is not at all loud and over-overbearingly attention seeking. It does not scream "look I am a camera bag", it has subtle styling and the black finish is exactly what I want.

The new Mirrorless Bag carries over many similarities with the original Ultimate Daybay. In terms of style and design, they both look like siblings, and the Mirrorless Bag appears to be a slimmed down, mini version of the Ultimate Daybag. Similarly, the Mirrorless Bag is made in England by Frankie Falcon with the same materials as the Ultimate Daybag (black laminated cotton canvas). The material is fully water resistant. The bag also comes with some new improvements and interesting modifications. There are four elastic neoprene pockets, built internally into the bag for small lenses and accessories storage, perfectly adequate in thickness to prevent any scratching or bumping onto one another. Just make sure the lens or anything you fit into the pockets are not too large in size. Right in the middle of the bag, there is a removable velcro loop, in case you need to store larger camera body or item into the bag.

LOOK, THE VIDEO SHOWS I CAN FIT A BOTTLE OF CHIVAS WHISKEY INTO THE BAG!

I find the configuration of the internal neoprene side pockets to be extremely useful. The side pockets provided 4 separate slots, and in addition to that you can further divide the middle space of the bag by using the removeable velcro loop into 3 compartments.

Comfortably I have stored the following items into the Mirrorless  bag:

1) Olympus OM-D E-M1 Body with M.Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 PRO lens attached

2) M.Zuiko 25mm F1.8 lens

3) M.Zuiko 45mm F1.8 lens

4) 2 x spare batteries for E-M1

5) A Powerbank

6) Memory Card case

7) Headphones (In ear monitors)

8) A mini bottle of Chivas Whisky, bevause, why not? Street shooting can get stressful sometimes.

9) A small notepad and a pen

Honestly, these are all the items that I need to carry with me for a photowalk. Most of the time I only use one lens as my primary shooting lens, and maybe one more just in case I found a shot or two that require different focal length.

Another view of how everything fits into the bag, with the middle slot for the E-M1 + 12-40mm lens. 

Camera bag choice and preferences can be quite subjective and personal. I do love the design of Ming Thein's new Mirrorless Bag, and I find that it functions perfectly for my shooting needs. I cannot say the same for everyone, but if you are like me, shooting with minimal gear, using small mirrorless camera body with only 2-3 small prime lenses or standard zooms, doing a lot of shooting outdoor, this smaller version of Ming Thein's bag works just fine. I walk a lot, so I do not intend to carry anything too large, and I do not carry that many items with me, only the essentials. 

You can find out more about the bag on the official product page here. You can also order yours now here. 

Food Adventures in Kuching

My hometown, Kuching is located at the heart of Borneo Island, which is separated from the rest of Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. It is only natural that the food found here would be different from the usual encounters in West Malaysia. Typically people rave about Penang and Ipoh food but when asked if they have tried Sarawakian food, many of my friends have not even explored the beautiful Kuching, which is only about an hour and a half flight time away from Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, in this particular short trip back to my hometown, I had one goal, to eat as much as I can and to share photographs of glorious Kuching food with you beautiful readers!

I was travelling together with Jason Lioh (once a popular food blogger known as Jasonmumbles) a friend hailing from Malacca, and this was his first proper "food trip" to Kuching. Joining us was Jian, a super famous comic blogger who has successfully published two books. Jian was our driver and guide throughout the whole trip.

Kolo Mee

Kim Joo at Carpenter Street. 

Packing A Short Trip Into Lowepro Campus+ Backpack

One of the perks of not being tied to a camera company anymore, was the freedom to move around and get invited to product launches from other manufacturers. When an invite came for Lowepro's 50 Years Celebration and launch of their new bags, it was liberating to be able to say yes and attend. It was indeed a surreal experience for me, since the roles have been swapped: that I no longer am the host and organizer of the media and consumers events and finally can participate as a guest. In this case, I went to the Lowepro event as a blogger and photographer.

Lowepro Campus+ backpack easily packs in all my travel essentials for my short trip home to Kuching soon!

It Has Retro-Classic Design And Can Even Charge Your Phone And Smart Devices

When I first saw it on display at a local store, I was instantly enamored by the Leica-esque design. The silver retro design was just screaming for attention. I actually walked out of the store because I did not want to end up buying an item that I may not have that much need for, but then I just could not stop thinking about it! So I bought one for myself, you know, sometimes we can have nice things too. Perhaps, once in a while, it is prudent to reward ourselves with something that we truly want, but not desperately need.