Looking for a case for my OM-1 Mark II

[slicendice73]

Just wondering what cases you OM-1 Mark II folks use? I'm looking for something that's small and lightweight, mainly to offer protection whilst travelling for the camera and M.Zuiko 12-40 F2.8 PRO II. If I'm going anywhere by plane then my cam always comes with me in the cabin, so I just want something to give it a bit of protection when it's getting shoved into/out of my cabin bag. But also for travelling in the car or out walking or hiking with a backpack...or any time I'm not actually using it or carrying it in my hand.

I've seen the official OM one (the CS-42SF) which looks great, but it seems kind of expensive for what it is Does anyone have this? Is it worth it? Are there any viable alternatives?

Thanks!

[slicendice73]

Well this has become something of a moot post as I've just ordered one! 🤣 Found the CS-42SF on eBay for £30 so thought I'd take a punt before someone else snapped it up!

Hope it does the job...!

[Phill D]

Just looked it up and it looks great to me.

[Ian]

Well this has become something of a moot post as I've just ordered one! 🤣 Found the CS-42SF on eBay for £30 so thought I'd take a punt before someone else snapped it up!

Hope it does the job...!

Let us know your imressions when you receive it!

Ian

[Nutmeg47]

Hope it meets your expectations. If it comes up short then I can happily recommend the Thinktank digital holster 10 v2.0. It takes my OM-1 with either the 12-40f2.8 or the similar sized 40-150 f4 including hood. A snug fit but not too tight,and doesn't take up too much space in cabin baggage either.

[Dave in Wales]

I use the Lowepro TLZ 20, quite old now.

But the TLZ 20 lll, is still available......

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lowepro-Adventura-Adjustable-Mirrorless-Compatible/dp/B0B82J9DTJ/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1GIBFKFPK00HX&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MsKk8w5p8VqIGK6fCY02Xx0a-MkDXSro68IW9XyqYOVwkk_QrlKHtzBKvt6dwu9itYJSxYFK1IfO6aUvhXrspwqqD1RPjsoTM2R_Elp5OmLzJMmVpKSgGBDQcaG57kEPZW35SN-wBT_IxbCBn_jKgjfNhSidnjuQ-ourprRj9Rdu3DgPKss0PQSzuZTGkM1JE6TvvwALr-SEiYssBoBjp_6mO_D0IVLPIKFk1YRaJDA.WBgVu2eiqh67ik9iKLjsYL2CaMI-yS36-D-mKJPALDQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=lowepro%2Btlz%2B20&qid=1755753654&sprefix=loewpro%2Btlz20%2Caps%2C120&sr=8-3&th=1

[blu-by-u]

This have been following me to almost everywhere.

[slicendice73]

Well if anyone's interested, these are my thoughts on the case...

It's smart and well made and appears to be constructed from what looks like neoprene on the inside and a tough nylon exterior, roughly around 2-3mm thick - so a bit of padding but not much at all. The lid fastens with a velcro strip that seems to do the job reasonably well.

The camera fits inside it with the 12-40 lens without any issues and it's a snug fit in terms of length and around the camera body; it's much less snug around the lens itself though and there's quite a bit of fresh air all around the lens body.

There is no strap attached to the case and no carry handles either; the only things it has are a couple of belt loops on the back, the upper one being slightly bigger than the lower. I struggled to find a belt that was small enough to fit even the larger of them though. It would certainly stay firmly in place if attached to a belt, but the issue I have with belt loops is that if you want to take it off, you basically have to remove the belt from your trousers in order to unloop the case - which is a bit of a faff! There's also a material loop above the belt loops, presumably for attaching to some kind of clip if needed.

It appears to have been made with the idea that if you want a strap, then you need to attach the camera strap to the camera body and there are holes in the case through which the strap can then pass. This means that if you're carrying your camera in the case using the camera strap, if you remove the camera from the case to take a photo, the case basically becomes a free agent...you'd have to put it down or put it in your bag or something like that. The holes in the case for the camera strap to pass through also mean that the case is never fully sealed (I don't mean as in weather sealed - just as in the camera being fully enclosed by the case), so any dust, dirt, moisture, etc that's flying around has an easy route straight into the case (see pic 5).

It also has a slightly unusual little strap that's sewn into the inside of the case at one end and then the other end has a press stud on the outside of the case (see pic 6). I really don't know what this is for as there's no way it can be intended as a means of carrying the case, as there's a very real chance the press stud would un-pop and then everything would be subject to gravity! Any ideas...?

There are no pockets or compartments anywhere on the case, so if you want to carry filters, spare battery, memory cards, etc then you'll need to look elsewhere for somewhere to store them.

In terms of my impressions, I think I can honestly say that if I'd paid full price for it (£70) then I'd be feeling somewhat miffed - it's definitely not worth that (even with the OM branding!). Even the £30 I paid feels a bit steep given its shortcomings (or at least what I perceive to be shortcomings for me).

Pros:

• Well made
• Appears to be quite tough so should last
• Slimline, so doesn't take up a ton of extra space in your bag

Cons:

• Gaps for allowing the camera strap to pass through the case leave it susceptible to dirt, moisture, etc getting in with relative ease
• Very little padding so not much protection from drops, knocks, etc
• No carry handle(s) of any kind
• No pockets for memory cards, etc (I don't want a ton of pockets as they would add extra bulk, but some kind of storage would have been useful)

I think for me, it doesn't quite hit the spot. I did rush into it a bit as I saw it pop up on eBay for a good price and thought I'd chance it before it disappeared, so I knew it was a bit of a risk. But hey ho...you live and learn ☺ So I think I'll probably keep an eye out for something else that fits my needs a bit better.

Thanks to those who have made recommendations above - I'll definitely check them out. And if anyone has any other recommendations, I'd love to hear!

[blu-by-u]

I had one in the Fourthird days for my E-330 and 14-54. It was fine till 50-200 and 11-22 came along.

[slicendice73]

Has anyone any experience of the Hama Terra 110 case?

https://uk.hama.com/00121304/hama-terra-camera-bag-110-colt-grey

[Phill D]

I think that little strap is to loop round the camera strap so that the case is not left loose when using the camera. Otherwise I can see why you are disappointed. I have an old Lowepro shoulder bag I've used for ages. I got it free with a subscription to Digital Camera magazine. The model tag has worn off but it's about the same size as that Hama one. I'd definitely buy one when mine wears out it's great quality. You could always see what the latest magazine offers are.

[slicendice73]

I think that little strap is to loop round the camera strap so that the case is not left loose when using the camera. Otherwise I can see why you are disappointed. I have an old Lowepro shoulder bag I've used for ages. I got it free with a subscription to Digital Camera magazine. The model tag has worn off but it's about the same size as that Hama one. I'd definitely buy one when mine wears out it's great quality. You could always see what the latest magazine offers are.

Ahhh right, thanks...that makes sense re the little strap - couldn't work out what it was for!

But even with it doing it's thing, the case would be attached to the camera strap and flapping around while you were trying to take a shot. Don't think that would work for me...

I'll take a closer look at the Hama one and the LowePro TLZ 20

[slicendice73]

Well the saga continues...! Unfortunately, I couldn't find anywhere local that had the TLZ 20 II in stock, so I had to take a bit of a punt (again!) and just order one.

It was delivered today and it's a really nice case, well made, good quality, etc...and the OM-1 Mark II does fit in it but only just and it really is quite a squeeze. It will only really fit in one way round too and that is with the eyepiece away from you (if you had the case attached to your belt) - this is not ideal as it would mean needing to flip the camera round every time you took it out of, or put it back into, the case. When the case is all zipped up, there's also bit of a bulge where the eyepiece presses against the inside. Again, not ideal.

If the camera has a strap attached then things get even tighter. It is just about possible to zip the case up with the strap folder on top, but it's very, very tight and does cause the top of the case to bulge. You can wrap the strap around the lens before putting the camera into the case which means it's less noticeable but this is a quite a faff and not something I really want to be doing every time I put the camera in the case.

So now I have the dilemma of whether to go for the TLZ 30 😳 This one would be bigger but again, I'm kinda flying blind until it's in my greasy little mitts.