Billed as a “shoot-through camera bag,” the Cloak Bag’s main function sounds unnecessarily silly – it lets you use your pricey camera without needing to pull the device out of the bag. For those frequently on the road, however, it may prove more essential than you ever expected.
Created by a traveler annoyed by the threat of his DSLR always being stolen while he roamed the streets abroad, the bag is designed to let you shoot freely without attracting unwanted attention. For all the would-be thieves know, after all, you could just be some idiot who likes inspecting his bag in public over and over.
How are you supposed to shoot with the camera still in the bag? The bottom of the Cloak Bag can actually unzip and roll up, allowing you to simply raise the bag and take a photo at a moment’s notice. You can access the camera’s controls either from the top opening or from the zippered access ports along the sides.
Wait a minute. Won’t the camera fall down when you open the bottom? No worries. The equipment is actually attached to the inside of the bag via straps and a screw track through the tripod mount. Clad like a regular nylon camera bag, it measures 5.9 x 4.7 x 9.3 inches, allowing it to fit most available SLRs and DSLRs on the market. According to its makers, the biggest one they’ve tested is the Canon 5D Mark II.
Apart from the security benefits, the Cloak Bag is a great way of ensuring your camera stays clean too, keeping most of it hidden from dust, dirt and your grubby hands. It’s currently available for $49.
[Cloak Bags]