Portabrace

Nick Weeks · February 3rd, 2007, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray Thomas

I know this started out as camera bag thread but I thought I would give an update on the Petrol lcd hood. Tried the PMH-A1U lcd hood and the odd shape of the Canon A1 lcd doesn't allow a correct fit. The elastic bands that hold it to the lcd are very tight and they wont fit over the A1 lcd where it interfaces to the camera body. Doubtful that the other Petrol hood would work either. There is another thread on this board regarding lcd hoods and Hoodman makes one that seems to work.

Ray, I just got the Petrol bag with the free cover (PMH-A1U) and if you really stretch the band on the larger part of the LCD it works great. I'm about to use it today for a few test shots outside where its bright and sunny today so I'll report back here later on with my results.

As far as the bag goes, I'm very happy I switched to the Petrol bag this time around instead of the Portabrace. The bag is bigger, sturdier, and I like the way you can reconfigure the inside divisions unlike the Portabrace. The plastic handle at first felt cheap and I didn't like it, but now that I've used it a lot I don't even notice. I kinda like how it goes together too. The shoulder strap is also very comfortable. This bag has room for all my A1 accessories, camera, charger, battery, tapes, cables, remote... with some little room to spare. THe large flap with the double zipper on top is nice too because you quickly have access to everything inside the bag.

I recommend the Petrol bag to A1 owners. Great value too. I think it's a little chapter than the Portabrace.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

Nick Weeks · February 4th, 2007, 01:05 PM

The hood was priceless. Yes, you have to stretch it to make the elastic band fit over the larger part of the LCD, and it makes it a pain to take on and off, plus it won't fit in the bag with the hood on unless you reconfigure the partitions. But if you plan to strap it on and leave it for a while it works great for what it is. Excellent when using the A1 with a glidecam 2000 outside in bright sunlight.

Henry Cho · February 4th, 2007, 04:21 PM

i used the portabrace bk-1 backpack on a recent trip to maui. the a1 fits, but you have to turn the lens hood 90 degress like you're about to take it off for it to fit. it's a tough little bag, airline carry-on friendly, and took the camera, batteries, tapes, filters, and a laptop virtually everywhere i went.

and the hoodman for the lcd is definitely a great purchase, practically essential shooting outdoors. if chris hurd puts up a "five essential items for your a1/g1" list as he did for the xl/gl cams, i'd say the hoodman and z1 eyecup should definitely be on there.

Ray Thomas · February 4th, 2007, 10:16 PM

Hi Nick,
Thanks for the feedback on the Petrol bag. I haven't got mine yet (hopefully Monday or Tuesday). I always pop for the cheapest shipping so it's still in transit to me. I may upgrade the shipping next time as I hate waiting. I actually like the plastic handles and they have been very durable on the bag I use with my Sony.

Regarding the Petrol lcd hood, glad you were able to get it to fit. I was going to sell mine on ebay but I may reconsider keeping it. When I tried to fit it on my A1 I backed off because it was so tight I thought I would damage the lcd bracket. Did you stretch the elastic or anything? It's only an issue with that first strap and maybe it could be stretched with some heat or something. Possibly cutting it and adding a little more material would do the trick as well. Again given it's so tight I would be nervous about pulling it off and on repeatedly and the wear and tear that would put on the lcd bracket. All this is probably a moot point, I'm sure with the number of A1's Canon is selling; A1 specific accessories will be all over the place in a couple of months. It's always the case with a new camera design.

Nick Weeks · February 7th, 2007, 11:57 AM

Ray, the LCD on the A1 seems to be made really well. I can't forsee any problems stretching that band over the larger area to make it fit, but I've only used it a couple of times. I really don't think its squeezing too hard to break or warp anything. As long as you're pretty careful sliding it on and off, I don't think it would put much stress on the bracket.

The elastic is a little stretched, but not by much, so it may not fit properly on another LCD, but if I wanted to use it on a different cam I'd just get another... its only $10-$12.

I've also grown to love the plastic handles on the Petrol bag, very sturdy and they are surprisingly comfortable. Once again, I'm very happy that I bought the Petrol over the Portabrace, it feels sturdier, more comfortable to carry, and has more inside room than a similar Portabrace. I also love the material the inside dividers are made out of, very soft and easy to move around.

You're probably right about all the accessories coming out soon for the A1... just not soon enough for me, I've already ordered the Sony eyecup for the viewfinder :)

Matt Trubac · February 7th, 2007, 12:36 PM

I got my A1 last week. I purchased a Portabrace DVO-2U from B&H and I like it a lot. I might try to post some photos later if anyone is interested. The case also came with a Portabrace hard case that I thought was really nice. I didn't realize it was included in the package so it was a surprise.

My only complaint about the DVO-2U is that it has a pocket on the inside, which I have put all of my video cables, remote, and other A1 included accessories into (and this part is great), but the pocket blocks the compartments I made with the included dividers below. You have to hold the pocket out of the way to get to the things below it. Not a big deal, but if I need to find something quickly it could be an annoyance.

Mervyn Keys · February 8th, 2007, 02:23 PM

Nick. I bought the PMH-1 and have found it no problem to use or fit. Can slide a bit though if you accidentally knock it. I have the Hoodman on my XM2 but that involves attaching it to velcro strips arroung the LCD. Wouldn't be ideal on the A1 as you couldn't close it into the camera top.

Also bought the Petrol PCCB-2 case which is obviously a bit bigger than the PCCB1. Bought it at the VideoForum at Earls Court, London and got an opportunity to compare various bags ancluding Kata, Portabrace, Probag, LowePro etc. IMHO the Petrol came out on top for value, sturdiness, space and customability. Maybe not everyone would agree but I am well pleased.

And just to crown it all, bought the Petrol PRC-DV Rain Cover which is probably not ideal (wouldn't like to be in a hurry to put it on) but will probably do the job.

Thats my 2 cents or twopence worth!

Ray Thomas · February 8th, 2007, 11:11 PM

Nick, I think we were talking about two different lcd hoods. The hood I was trying to fit was for the Sony A1U (PMH-A1U) and it's apparently a smaller hood than the Petrol PMH-1 that comes with the Petrol PCCB-2N bag. I got my new bag the other day and finally got around to trying out the lcd hood that came with it and lo and behold it does fit really well. I had my doubts as the other hood is way too tight. Thanks for the feedback on this issue and I highly recommend the Petrol PMH-1 to anyone looking for an lcd hood for their Canon A1. The Petrol bag isn't half shabby either and is considerably larger than my previous Petrol bag. Holds everthing I need with room to spare. I live in Tucson, AZ and an lcd hood is a necessity out here. I can scratch that off my list. Thanks.

February 7th, 2007, 12:36 PM	#21
Matt Trubac Major Player Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 286	I got my A1 last week. I purchased a Portabrace DVO-2U from B&H and I like it a lot. I might try to post some photos later if anyone is interested. The case also came with a Portabrace hard case that I thought was really nice. I didn't realize it was included in the package so it was a surprise. My only complaint about the DVO-2U is that it has a pocket on the inside, which I have put all of my video cables, remote, and other A1 included accessories into (and this part is great), but the pocket blocks the compartments I made with the included dividers below. You have to hold the pocket out of the way to get to the things below it. Not a big deal, but if I need to find something quickly it could be an annoyance. __________________ Matt Trubac

February 4th, 2007, 01:05 PM	#17
Nick Weeks Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL USA Posts: 722	The hood was priceless. Yes, you have to stretch it to make the elastic band fit over the larger part of the LCD, and it makes it a pain to take on and off, plus it won't fit in the bag with the hood on unless you reconfigure the partitions. But if you plan to strap it on and leave it for a while it works great for what it is. Excellent when using the A1 with a glidecam 2000 outside in bright sunlight.

February 4th, 2007, 04:21 PM	#18
Henry Cho Major Player Join Date: May 2005 Location: NYC Posts: 516	i used the portabrace bk-1 backpack on a recent trip to maui. the a1 fits, but you have to turn the lens hood 90 degress like you're about to take it off for it to fit. it's a tough little bag, airline carry-on friendly, and took the camera, batteries, tapes, filters, and a laptop virtually everywhere i went. and the hoodman for the lcd is definitely a great purchase, practically essential shooting outdoors. if chris hurd puts up a "five essential items for your a1/g1" list as he did for the xl/gl cams, i'd say the hoodman and z1 eyecup should definitely be on there.

February 4th, 2007, 10:16 PM	#19
Ray Thomas New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA Posts: 20	Hi Nick, Thanks for the feedback on the Petrol bag. I haven't got mine yet (hopefully Monday or Tuesday). I always pop for the cheapest shipping so it's still in transit to me. I may upgrade the shipping next time as I hate waiting. I actually like the plastic handles and they have been very durable on the bag I use with my Sony. Regarding the Petrol lcd hood, glad you were able to get it to fit. I was going to sell mine on ebay but I may reconsider keeping it. When I tried to fit it on my A1 I backed off because it was so tight I thought I would damage the lcd bracket. Did you stretch the elastic or anything? It's only an issue with that first strap and maybe it could be stretched with some heat or something. Possibly cutting it and adding a little more material would do the trick as well. Again given it's so tight I would be nervous about pulling it off and on repeatedly and the wear and tear that would put on the lcd bracket. All this is probably a moot point, I'm sure with the number of A1's Canon is selling; A1 specific accessories will be all over the place in a couple of months. It's always the case with a new camera design.

February 7th, 2007, 11:57 AM	#20
Nick Weeks Major Player Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Birmingham, AL USA Posts: 722	Ray, the LCD on the A1 seems to be made really well. I can't forsee any problems stretching that band over the larger area to make it fit, but I've only used it a couple of times. I really don't think its squeezing too hard to break or warp anything. As long as you're pretty careful sliding it on and off, I don't think it would put much stress on the bracket. The elastic is a little stretched, but not by much, so it may not fit properly on another LCD, but if I wanted to use it on a different cam I'd just get another... its only $10-$12. I've also grown to love the plastic handles on the Petrol bag, very sturdy and they are surprisingly comfortable. Once again, I'm very happy that I bought the Petrol over the Portabrace, it feels sturdier, more comfortable to carry, and has more inside room than a similar Portabrace. I also love the material the inside dividers are made out of, very soft and easy to move around. You're probably right about all the accessories coming out soon for the A1... just not soon enough for me, I've already ordered the Sony eyecup for the viewfinder :)

February 8th, 2007, 02:23 PM	#22
Mervyn Keys New Boot Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Broughshane, Northern Ireland Posts: 14	Nick. I bought the PMH-1 and have found it no problem to use or fit. Can slide a bit though if you accidentally knock it. I have the Hoodman on my XM2 but that involves attaching it to velcro strips arroung the LCD. Wouldn't be ideal on the A1 as you couldn't close it into the camera top. Also bought the Petrol PCCB-2 case which is obviously a bit bigger than the PCCB1. Bought it at the VideoForum at Earls Court, London and got an opportunity to compare various bags ancluding Kata, Portabrace, Probag, LowePro etc. IMHO the Petrol came out on top for value, sturdiness, space and customability. Maybe not everyone would agree but I am well pleased. And just to crown it all, bought the Petrol PRC-DV Rain Cover which is probably not ideal (wouldn't like to be in a hurry to put it on) but will probably do the job. Thats my 2 cents or twopence worth!

February 8th, 2007, 11:11 PM	#23
Ray Thomas New Boot Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: USA Posts: 20	Nick, I think we were talking about two different lcd hoods. The hood I was trying to fit was for the Sony A1U (PMH-A1U) and it's apparently a smaller hood than the Petrol PMH-1 that comes with the Petrol PCCB-2N bag. I got my new bag the other day and finally got around to trying out the lcd hood that came with it and lo and behold it does fit really well. I had my doubts as the other hood is way too tight. Thanks for the feedback on this issue and I highly recommend the Petrol PMH-1 to anyone looking for an lcd hood for their Canon A1. The Petrol bag isn't half shabby either and is considerably larger than my previous Petrol bag. Holds everthing I need with room to spare. I live in Tucson, AZ and an lcd hood is a necessity out here. I can scratch that off my list. Thanks.