I’m without a doubt, the journalist in the photography world is the most experience with the camera bag industry. And I really mean it when I say that I don’t get things wrongs — especially because I may not be the user I was intended for. On top of that, sometimes I’m also given information that just doesn’t make sense. The Gura Gear Kiboko City 6L Sling is indeed the best that I’ve used in years. But what I didn’t realize is that indeed, I am the intended audience. The problem here though is that I used to wrong camera gear with it. Call this article the extremely rare re-review.
You’re probably noticing that the product images in this review aren’t shot with point and shoots. At first, I was lead to believe that this was the intended audience. But after a chat with the company’s owner, I was brought back to a time when him and I sat down in a bar talking about our adoration of Leica gear. What I didn’t realize is that my feedback was part of making this sling.
Even though it doesn’t seem that way from the outside, the Gura Gear Kiboko City 6L is indeed designed to hold your Leica gear. And perhaps more so than any other camera bag, I think that Leica M camera owners will want this. This, by far, is the most unassuming camera bag that I’ve used for Leica camera gear. Whenever I see a Billingham strapped around someone, I’m positive that they’ll have Leica gear in there. But often, they don’t. Still, I know that it’s a camera bag.
The Gura Gear Kiboko City 6L doesn’t look like a camera bag that I’d shove Leica gear into. So that means that I can walk on by people and have more peace of mind that they probably won’t think that I’m some dude with lots of camera gear in my bag worth a lot of money.
Generally speaking, I’ve got a rule: if I’ve got more than $10k of camera gear on me, then I’m not taking the subway. I’m instead going to hop into a cab or walk. The subway is truly a dangerous place here in NYC and our entire city is burning just like the various news outlets say because Gen Z and Millennials aren’t spending money and we’re destroying the economy. No one should move here and landlords should sell the property for super cheap because the city is dangerous. But at least I know that no one will want to loot me of the contents of my Gura Gear Kiboko City 6L. That’s because no one will suspect what’s in it.
In truth, I can carry a lot of camera gear in here — speaking from the Leicaverse, at least. I shoved the Leica M EV1, Funleader 28mm f2.8, Funleader Contax 35mm f2, Funleader Contax 45mm f2, 7Artisans 50mm f1.1, Voigtlander 40mm f1.4, and the Leitz Minolta CL in here. Then I put stuff like eye drops, a lens cloth, my contact lens case, and my phone in here. It worked just fine.
Something worth talking about, the designer spent a ton of time making the strap. I know I mentioned in this my original review, but it can always stay level. And if you adjust it just right, the shoulder pad will probably never move.
Now that I’ve sent the Leica M EV1 back, it will hold my M6 TTL when it comes back in from the CLA that will take longer than I truly wish it did. It will also house my CL. And together, it’ll be a package that I can take anywhere with me very comfortably.
Do I have complaints? Yeah. I still wish that it were made in canvas and leather, but I understand that the price would go up. A Leica user would pay the money, trust me. I also wish that it came in a larger variant almost like a messenger bag so that I can stuff things like a copy of the New Yorker or the Atlantic in there. This year, I’ve taken to wanting to be as disconnected from my phone as possible. And unfortunately, this bag doesn’t really make that possible, as even my small Kindle was tough to cram in here at times. So if you too have been trying to disconnect from doomscrolling, this bag will force you to pretty much just always be shooting. And there’s nothing wrong with that.
