Review of the be-ez LE Reporter Photo bag

When you are passionate about photography, the safe transport of your equipment is an essential imperative. Depending on the type of photo outing you are considering, i.e. photo reportage, animal photo, interior photo, etc., the equipment you need is not the same. Indeed, the dilemma most of the time is to find the compromise between the material that we plan to need, the weight that this generates, and of course the bag to transport the whole thing in good conditions.

Introduction

On the occasion of the release of the new range of photographic equipment transport accessories by Be-eZ, we decided to test the Be-eZ Le Reporter Photo transport bag , in black and saffron, similar to the carrying bag that we tested last September, LE Reporter from Be-eZ, presented by the manufacturer as the companion dedicated to transporting the MacBook Pro (but also laptops, like us were able to observe it).

Be-eZ is a French brand well known for its designs with a neat and refined design while remaining functional, and whose products are more particularly dedicated to Apple brand products. Its motto is: the Object in the service of man (and not the reverse)…

Le Reporter Photo is the largest of the three photo bags in the Le Reporter series, the other two being called Le Reporter Retro (the smallest), and Le Reporter Scout (medium size)

It is therefore the largest bag that we are going to describe to you in this file.

Let's unpack!

When we open our package containing the bag, we discover it, carefully protected by a plastic film, thus providing the same packaging care that we had noted in our dossier for the month of September. This is a constancy of care provided by BeeZ to its products.

Be-eZ The Photo Reporter for SLR-type digital cameras

Even though we haven't yet removed this protective film, the resemblance to our laptop bag is striking. We have the impression of finding exactly the same bag with reduced proportions. Once the plastic is removed and the two bags placed side by side, the resemblance is even more striking because even the thickness is very similar.

Be-eZ Le Reporter for MacBook Pro and Be-eZ Le Reporter Photo

You can barely make out a slight difference in print on the black part at the top, under the zipper.

In other words, the whole can only be harmonious.

Characteristics of the camera bag

Once the plastic film has been removed, you can read the technical characteristics on the label attached to the strap. This tells us that the exterior of the bag is 340g woven cotton with a waterproof surface coating for all-weather protection of the contents. The color is matte black.

LE Reporter: back and thickness: the empty bag remains sufficiently rigid

The interior is in soft saffron fleece. It is the same color for the zippers and outer seams. The main compartment is made of 5mm high density foam padding for the bottom and sides. The bottom benefits from an additional 3mm thick overlay to further improve protection against shocks. The front panel and the back panel benefit from this 4mm thick foam. Suffice to say that this entire compartment makes a cozy little nest for your device and its accessories, providing it with very good shock protection. Even empty, this flexible bag remains rigid enough not to sag under its own weight.

The wide shoulder strap (about 50mm) is made of woven nylon, like a car seat belt. Suffice to say that it is not likely to tear. It is also the same one that constitutes the shoulder strap of the Le Reporter bag for the MacBook Pro. On one side the shoulder strap is directly sewn on the side of the main compartment. On the other, the buckle attaching the shoulder strap is made of very rigid plastic, and not metal, to help lighten the weight of the bag. The loops are attached to the sides of the bag by a type of stitching reminiscent of those present on some hiking bags, as shown in the photo below.

Stitching attaching shoulder strap buckle

Another buckle allows the length of the shoulder strap to be adjusted, and a wide non-slip and padded shoulder reinforcement (72mm) allows the bag to be carried with great comfort, without it slipping off the shoulder.

A large Velcro strip covering almost the entire width secures the bag. The large width of this band could ensure that the flap will not open accidentally.

The Velcro closure system

But as seen in the photo above, the Velcro counterpart of this strip is only provided by two vertical strips, which considerably restricts the adhesion surface.

Again, as was the case with the MacBook Pro carrying case, discreet opening is impossible with this Velcro system. Thus, for example, taking animal photos in the middle of nature, with this closing system, will be tricky if the camera has not been taken out of the bag beforehand. Same problem if it is necessary to consider a change of lens, or to install the flash, discretion may be compromised.

The maximum external dimensions are 270x220x130 mm for an empty weight of 750g.

External storage

The flap closing the bag, in addition to being waterproof, has a zipper that gives access to a first storage pocket, covering almost the entire width of the bag and over half of its height.

Since access is easy when the bag is closed, you can place some accessories or non-bulky objects that you may need immediately such as pencils or a small notebook, badge, leaflet, etc.

LE Reporter Photo from the front: the closed flap, the zip of the front pocket and the small, very discreet logo (yellow dot at the bottom left)

At the back, the bag has storage also equipped with a black zipper, which gives access to a large pocket on the entire back surface of the bag.

The back pocket and the front pocket

You can then store a user manual or reasonably thick documents in A5 format, or even a battery charger for the device (if its size is reasonable) as well as connection cables. It is the largest storage of accessories other than those related to shooting. However, as it is not a bellows like on the Le Reporter computer bag, what this slot can contain must be quite thin...

The interior of these two storage compartments is in the same saffron-coloured nylon (210D nylon) as Le Reporter for MacBook Pro. It is also the same color for the zippers and outer seams.

Storage under the flap

Opening the flap reveals a saffron yellow interior.

Storage under the flap of the Be-eZ Le Reporter Photo

The top storage is a black mesh, closed with a matching zipper. The net covers the entire width of the bag, allowing substantial storage, revealing the contents. We could store small items that we are afraid of losing, such as a spare eyecup, a viewfinder cover, the remote control of the camera, etc.

Three small neoprene pockets, not closed, allow you to slip in various accessories. The height of these pockets is 10cm. We would have liked the upper part to be elastic to be able to maintain the contents. We can consider storing a backup battery, a lens cover, etc.

While Le Reporter for MacBook Pro had two saffron-coloured bands, woven in a "seatbelt" style reminiscent of the shoulder strap, we note that this fantasy, which was aesthetic, could not be preserved due to the presence black velcro strips at this location. It is on the sides of this bag that we find this aestheticism but it is black that was chosen as the color. This turns out to be wise because the saffron would probably have been very messy there.

Aesthetic fantasy on the sides and vertical Velcro strips

Note that to ensure better protection, a foldable foam part when closing the flap prevents direct access to the device.

Design providing protection between the vertical side and the flap closure

The outer part of this system is made of 210D nylon, thus ensuring protection against splashing water. This is a plus compared to our Le Reporter bag for MacBook Pro to which we have already referred.

Interior storage

Inside is where most of the storage is.

The two main bellows, of different sizes

The interior is built in such a way as to be particularly flexible because no less than three spacers are provided.

These spacers with Velcro allow you to compartmentalize all the space available, depending on your needs. To this end, the entire length of the vertical walls of the interior of the bag are in a fabric, the fleece, gripping for the Velcro, and very soft for the device and its accessories such as lenses, zooms, flash, etc.

It is therefore possible to define a maximum of 4 compartments.

The significant thickness of the spacers ensures that the device and its accessories do not collide.

The sufficient number of spacers, and the possibility of adjusting them easily and precisely, or even removing them in the case of a large accessory, ensures a large number of storage combinations while properly wedging the objects contained. Note that one of the spacers has a slightly longer length to have an upper flap that can be folded from above, to wedge in its height, a small lens for example.

Thus, we were able to make a first storage with our Nikon D80 equipped with its 16-85mm, with in the neighboring slot the imposing Zoom AF-Nikkor 70-300 VR-II.

Nikon D80 + SB900 flash + small Canon camcorder

A second configuration allowed us to install the camera and its 16-85mm with the Nikon SB900 flash in the upright position, and a small camcorder from Canon.

Housing is therefore essential, and thanks to the repositionable spacers, we have managed to fix the assembly so that there is no dangling during transport.

Our opinion on the Beez LE reporter Photo bag

This camera carrying bag and its accessories offers different and sufficient storage possibilities to take your digital box equipped with a lens, and either an additional focal length or a flash, as well as of course memory cards and other small accessories. Depending on the case, it will be possible, as we have seen, to add another small accessory such as a small camcorder.

Beyond this fairly large storage capacity in a reasonable size, we appreciated the solidity of this bag and its ability to effectively protect its contents. The Be-eZ also offers lens protection systems, called La Robe Lens, which we were unfortunately unable to test.

Thus, it is a whole range of transport and protection accessories that Be-ez offers with its Photo range. To date, only the Black/Saffron color is available.

THE Photo Reporter and the accessories it can carry

Devices placed in this case are safe for exposure to common daily jolts, as well as rain.

Finally, each of the zippers gave us a feeling of robustness when handling. Their quality seems superior to others that we have had to handle on competing products.

It combines protection, practicality, roominess and solidity. It's a good product that allows you to take enough equipment for one-day photo outings and which we know the subject. It will satisfy the amateur in the process of equipping himself and who still has few accessories. It will also satisfy the professional who will find in this bag an effective tool to support a much larger storage containing all of his equipment on a daily basis.

For a price ranging between 60 and 70 euros including tax on the Internet, this bag seems to us to be of a reasonable cost.