The two-part, leather (or leatherette) “ever-ready” camera case used to be pretty much your only choice back in the days of the all-manual film SLR. They were expensive, made-to-measure for your specific camera model and they would last pretty much forever. The one thing they weren’t was convenient. Their slow-to-open design earned them the nickname “never-ready”. I just bought one for my Panasonic GF-1.
The case is a custom-designed model made in Hong Kong and bought new on Ebay (from seller Kanye Wayne) for a probably ridiculous $120 (plus $10 shipping). It costs more than the official Panasonic version, but both looks better and hugs the camera closer, keeping things compact. So why the hell did I buy it?
Two reasons. The retro-design means I can carry it around and most people will think I have an old film-camera slung over my shoulder. Even if it were slow to get to the camera and take a shot, it would still be quicker than digging in a bigger bag.
Second, it is actually pretty fast to get in.
The case is hand-stitched and made to snugly fit the GF-1 and the 20mm pancake lens. Any other lens won’t fit, although you can just use the bottom half-case. This part joins to the camera by screwing into the tripod socket. You do have to remove it every time you change the SD card, but this is better than the olden days, where you had to swap films every 36 exposures. Some other designs also hook over the strap-joints, but that just adds more things to undo.
The top section is joined by two press-studs at the sides, and a magnetic clasp joined underneath. The case pivots on the studs and swings back, over and down underneath the camera when shooting.
How does it perform? Pretty well. The lower case is snug, and the soft, plush lining cossets the body. The extra thickness and the small finger-grip on the front make it a lot more comfortable in my big hands.
The top case needs to age a little, though. Right now, the new leather is rather springy. While the magnet clasp makes opening and closing quick and easy, the stiffness makes the case stand out straight towards you when open. This is less of a problem when using the LCD screen to compose than it would be with the viewfinder. A few months of use should make things a little more floppy, though, and you can always just pop the whole top section off for longer shoots.
The other glitch is that, when you open and close the case, it rubs against the bottom edge of the lens-barrel and sometimes knocks off the lens-cap. Again, this should ease up as the leather softens.
Should you buy it? That depends. The price is high, but you get what you pay for. The stitching and leather are top-notch, and the details are well thought through (the tripod screw has another female thread in the base so you can still mount it while in the case). It is also perfect for carrying the camera everywhere, and if you care about looks, you’ll love it (you can also choose white, black and dark brown versions).
But it does only work with one lens, the 20mm, and there is no space for storing extra SD cards or batteries. In the end, you’ll have to decide: it’s a specialty item with a price to match. The good news is that, if you need such a thing, then you certainly won’t be disappointed. The worst part? Now I need to find a matching leather strap.
Panasonic GF1 GF-1 Genuine Leather 20mm Case [Ebay/Kanye Wayne]
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