We’ve just had Black Friday deals popping up everywhere and I’ve been on a loose lookout for a new camera bag. I say loose because my old K&F concept backpack has been great for the past couple of years but is very limited in the amount of gear it can hold. (it can hold a decent amount, I’m just a little greedy). I wanted something a little bigger, and I’ve been liking the idea of a roller bag for a while.The think tank rollers kept popping up and I love the idea of them, but I wasn’t prepared to spend £250 to £300 for one. If I plan to go away properly then that’s a different story. But for now I wasn’t paying.

Essential Photo is a place that sells a tonne of Godox equipment here in the UK and I’ve bought a lot from them in the past few years so I’m always checking the website. I’ve seen the Godox CB7 large photography bag  pop up a few times at a few different prices, however, for black friday it was down to around £70. It made the purchase a total no brainer. I also remembered I had a discount code of points saved up too which totalled £40. So I managed to grab this bag for a staggering £36 including postage!

The box was a little larger than I had expected. As it turns out, so was the bag! Godox lists the dimensions as 55x37x30cm. It makes my K&F bag look small! First impressions (which this whole post is first impressions) are that the bag feels sturdy and it’s pretty rigid. The wheels roll really nicely, the materials feel hard wearing and will take some abuse. The main zip on the front is thick and meaty, with the ability to padlock the zips together for some safety. My version has a section of the zipper being a little sticky, which I imagine will loosen once I’ve used it abit more. I dislike the zip being on the front of the bag though as I’m used to opening at the rear and feel this is safer walking around. There’s a huge however to this point though. While the Godox CB17 CAN be used as a backpack, the size and bulk of it will be noticeable. I have already loaded equipment into it and it’s a weighty boy. I’ve consolidated two camera bags into 1.

Which brings me to my next point. On paper, the size difference between the Godox CB17 and other backpacks seems small, the size difference in practice is huge. In my Godox CB17 I have a Fuji XH1, Fuji XH2, Fuji 18-55 2.8-4, Viltrox 13mm 1.4, 27mm 1.2 pro, 75mm 1.2 pro, Lowa 65mm macro, 2 Godox AD200s, 1 Godox AD300, a Godox speedlight, 2 Godox x pro triggers, and an assortment of other gar such as spare batteries, filters, etc. Basically, I can fit a tonne into this bag. I think I’m forever loading bags to the max. Point being that I can now take one camera bag along when I used to take a bag for camera and lenses, and a seperate one for lights. Like I mentioned previously, this bag now weighs enough for me to now want to backpack it for too long at all. I’m aware this is a self inflicted problem though. Godox says this CB17 bag should be suitable for most carry on airline luggage and should fit into overhead storage compartments

Material wise, Godox states this bag is made from thick nylon and is waterproof. In one of the front pockets there is also a rain cover provided too which I thought was a cool little addition. My K&F bag is also waterproof but the amount of times I've covered it in a clear bin liner, just to make sure, is getting silly. I never fully trust a weather proof claim. Even if it’s correct that claim would rely on me closing every zip fully and I don’t trust myself doing that!

Internally, I dislike the catch strap. It stops the top opening fully so I unconnected it. I want my top to flap open. It’s non removable though, so I may just just take these off. It’s a little gripe for me but I’m aware many others will probably enjoy it. The padding feels like padding. It’s soft felt lined and yeah, there’s a decent amount of it, with padded dividers provided too. I never feel like you get enough dividers with bags so would always like more, or even a few various sizes. But again, that’s just me. I could spend more time configuring the inside of the bag better but I’m lazy.

The roller handle pops out of the top and automatically locks into place. Again, not much to say here other than the handle is a nice grip but feels relatively cheap and weight saving. But it’s functional so it’s all good.

Sides of the Godox CB17 have elasticated clasp side mounted straps which creates space to carry upto 5kg in weight allegedly. I may have to test some of this out, but Godox claims these can carry multiple tripods, light stands, or folding softboxes/umbrellas. I can assure you that I wouldn’t be wanting to back pack this with that combo and my gear inside. However, I’ll probably pull some gear out at some point and do some proper testing.

On the face of it, the Godox CB17 seems like a really decent bag for the price. Even at full price it’s around £100, which really isn’t bad for a large, semi rigid roller bag. For me picking it up for £36 is just ludicrous. I already know that I will not be taking this bag on hikes, long walks, anywhere that involves walking too much basically. For me, this is my studio to studio bag, or event photography bag, where I keep my equipment I need, and also my small flash kit just in case they are also required.

Regardless, initial impressions are that this was a great purchase and in around 6 months time I’ll have a better idea on whether I was correct or not. So now we wait..

Very messy organisation skills but it gives an idea of ho much can be squeezed into the Godox CB17