When you want to select a camera bag for your video camera, you want to make sure that you select one that offers adequate protection, from motion, impacts, and the elements. One of the bigger names in camera cases is the Israel-based Kata, whose cases are distributed through Bogan here in the States.
Because of their well-known name and cost-effective pricing, we wanted to make sure that we reviewed a few of their bags, choosing to get ones that fit the most common cameras our readers use: the DVX100/A/B. (Not to worry if you have another brand, as Kata has a nice variety of cases for all camcorders and an easy to follow sheet for picking out the type of case you would like.) We decided to look at the Shell-03, for transport of the video camera by itself, and at the larger CC-193, for transport of the video camera with a matte box attached to it.
The Shell case opens like an actual clamshell, with the physical strength inherent to diagonal construction. It is extremely small, to the point where it looks almost fragile. (Looks are deceiving, as I cover in the Performance section.) It snugly allows you to strap your camcorder inside, while giving you a little additional divider space for things like batteries or small attachments. For things like chargers and other bulkier items, there’s an internal padded mesh pouch which velcro’s to the top of the storage compartment. The primary carrying style for this bag is a click-lock handle, although it does include a comfortable shoulder strap.
The CC-193 features more of a traditional top down perspective, with a longer internal compartment that will fit your camera with attached matte box. It allows you to fit the resizable foam dividers inside to more easily accommodate your camera, with a little room around the resized dividers for batteries and small attachments. For additional attachments, there is an external pocket that runs along the side of the case that you can tuck things into. To my surprise, I actually found the external pocket on the larger case to not seem as spacious as the pouch in the small Shell-03. The primary carrying style for this case is via shoulder strap, although there is a large handle on the top of case.
With that said, let’s break down the specifics.
Ease of Use
The Shell-03 was surprisingly easy to pull out and get rolling. Due to the diagonal design, the DVX100 slid smoothly into the case with almost no time required for moving around the included velcro dividers. Once that was done, the accessories easily slid into the small side areas and the charger and cord fit snugly in the velcro padded pouch, which was then stuck to the internal roof of the case. After that, a quick zip of the shell and a snap of the quick-snap handle and we were done. Even nicer than how simple it was to set up was how small the resulting package was. Your entire camera is ready to move pretty safely in a bag just a little larger than a woman’s purse.
The CC-193 was more complicated to set up. Because each matte box is a bit different, there’s more setup required for getting your matte box-equipped camera into it. As such, you start having to readjust the velcro dividers to try to fit the camera you have into place. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the velcro dividers and the Yelloop lining of the case, repositioning the dividers is a bit like having to tack up fly paper with the wax paper peeled off. Eventually you get the hang of it, but it’s not terribly easy.
Once the partitions are set up, you can place batteries and small items in the side areas of the compartments or in the side pocket. Then you need to zip up the case with a tethered double zipper whose tether was made just a little too short to easily clear the central handle. With a little work, you can get the zipper past the handle and click the case lid shut, but it makes it much more difficult to gain access to your camera quickly. This seems a bit self-defeating since one of the main selling points of this case is its ability to save time by packing the camera with your matte box already attached for quick setup. Additionally, due to the increasing oblong size of the case, as well as to the somewhat excessively thick handle, it is a bit awkward to manhandle, although, when you employ the shoulder strap, it’s stable and comfortable enough for transporting to places.
