Case Logic Reflexion Camera Bag Review

The Case Logic Reflexion was announced in June as a more stylish camera bag than what we normally expect from Case Logic. There are 3 sizes: the small, medium and backpack versions. This review is for the medium-sized model.

The Reflexion is a shoulder bag geared toward casual city shooters in both styling and features. The bag can accommodate a DSLR, along with spare lenses and accessories. It also has a dedicated pouch for the iPad.

The Reflexion is loaded with various pouches and pockets for organizing small accessories, pens, notepads, batteries and more. There are two pockets on the outside for storing small objects for quick access. I found these great for keys, phone and memory card wallets. The outside flap also hides another large accessory pouch that has smaller pockets for things such as business cards, pens and such.

On the inside, you have a main compartment in which the removable camera padded pouch fits, which easily holds a DSLR and spare lens. I’ve stuck a 5D Mark II w/ 24-105mm lens inside, along with some accessories, comfortably.

You get some extra carry room to the side of the camera pouch for stuffing accessories that don’t necessarily require the extra padded. Actually, I wish the padded compartment was big enough to fill this area too. Since the padded section pouch is removable, it seems like wasted space. When I’ve needed to carry more gear, I just used the non-padded area anyway.

The front portion of the internal compartment is big enough to hold an iPad or a 13″ MacBook Air. Another small, zippered pack on the back portion of the internal compartment can handle small items like lens cloths, memory cards, lens pens and such.

Overall, the bag is easy to carry and holds more than it appears at first blush. The strap is oriented more toward the rear instead of directly on the sides like you see in most shoulder bags. This design allows for the bag to sit upright, even when open, when it is slung across your shoulder. However, the rear-oriented straps make it challenging to carry on an outside shoulder (i.e., not slung across your body). When carried on a single outside shoulder, the bag tries to slip off because of the angle the straps are pulling at.

The strap design really frustrated me when I first started carrying it; however, as I used it more, I simply adjusted how I carried it and stopped using it on an outside shoulder. Now, I appreciate the design and I love how it sits upright and opens wide with the big opening for accessing my gear.

The only real gripe I have with the bag is the top zipper. While the teeth are big and robust in appearance, it is nearly impossible to open or close with one hand. From a user standpoint, this is frustrating. However, for those of you carrying your camera gear around crowds of people on a regular basis, this can certainly be a security feature. Just beware that this zipper is a two-hand operation.

I don’t typically expect a high-style camera bag from the likes of Case Logic. In the past, I associated the brand with cheap bags you find at Best Buy, Wal-mart or searching for a budget-bag on Amazon. It seems lately, however, that Case Logic is trying to change this notion. And, the company is taking a decent next step with the Reflexion and other recent bags, while still maintaining reasonable prices.

The Case Logic Reflexion is a solid and stylish shoulder bag that’s available at a reasonable price (around $75 at the time of this review). It’s functional too, with loads of storage options and multi-purpose usage.

The Case Logic Reflexion is available here at B&H Photo.