This past weekend was only another sign that I really need to get a new camera bag. After my small black camera bag’s strap broke more than half a year ago, I felt less inclined to carry around my camera. Lugging around a laptop and a backpack was more than enough for me, but I missed shooting. With photojournalism and now working as a photo intern, I have more of an excuse to make an investment, but I saw Kelly Moore bags and Epiphanie Bags and I have been torn ever since.
Both are expensive as hell, but I know I would use one of these bags forever, even for days when I don’t need my photo equipment. I love that they mask themselves as a day-to-day purse, but reviews say that carrying two lenses and a body in these fashionable bags is still relatively light on the shoulder and makes travelling easier.
Here’s where I need help — which one should I buy? I am loving Epiphanie’s Lola, but I like that the Clover bag can hold a 15″ MacBook laptop as well. On the other hand, Kelly Moore’s are gorgeous, but I have read reviews that say the bag is prone to popping open. Has anyone looked into buying camera bags like these?
Emily Chow Photography 
I’m struggling with this exact same problem. I’ve got it narrowed down to a Kelly Moore Classic and an Epiphanie Clover. I’ve got a friend who just purchased the Clover and loves it. I liked the fact I could fit my laptop or iPad in it….and just like you I am concerned about the KM popping open.
Hope someone else has some experience!!! 🙂
In my case, I am plumping for CLOVER, but have not decided on the color – the red is gorgeous or do I want to be understated and go for black?
I have purchased the Epiphanie Lola in red and absolutely love it. However, like you, I am interested in sometimes carrying my 15″ MacBook Pro with me and am looking into getting the Clover or Paris bag… still, the Lola carries a lot as I can easily fit my Olympus E-3 with 35mm lens attached, an additional 70-300mm lens, my FL-50R flash, filters in their case, and my Sony NEX VG10 camcorder. Plus batteries, chargers, and other misc. items. And that’s just the small bag by Epiphanie! Looking at the Kelly Moore bags, they are stunningly beautiful, but looks as though they only come with two dividers. The nice thing about the Epiphanie bags is that they come with a lot of dividers of varying length which really helps to customize the interior of your bag and accommodate the most possible equipment while protecting it at the same time.
My vote goes to Epiphanie, though am excited to learn about the Kelly Moore bags for future reference. Those seems a bit more casual for me, as if I go on long trips I want as much protection as possible as well as the ability to transport all of the equipment I could possibly need or want.
But as far as looks, you can;t go wrong with either!
Clare: Thanks for the review! I think I’m leaning towards the Epiphanie Bags for all the reasons you mentioned. Although, my current concern (as a college student) is really the price and whether or not it’s 100% worth the investment. You know?
I have the Lola, and love it. However, getting gear out of it fast, is not easy. So while you can fit a bunch of stuff in it, it makes maneuvering around it all difficult. I’m thinking of selling mine and getting a Kelly Moore Bag. I have a big rolling bag to transport EVERYTHING when I fly, but I need a bag I will carry around on a daily basis and not destroy my shoulders. For weddings and portrait sessions I stick with my ShootSac and Spider Holster. But I think the Kelly Moore bag would be great for day to day carrying around. I did a posting(http://lightsplash.com/blog/2010/04/camera-bag-for-women/) on a few different bags a while back, and am currently working up a review on the Lola bag.
Thanks for the review, Kati! I can see how the Lola might be difficult to work with because of the small opening. I started looking at theitbags.tumblr.com. As a college student, the prices for Kelly Moore scare me a bit and make me reconsider, no matter how cute and versatile they are. I’m wondering if Epiphanie’s Clover will have the same issue.
I briefly looked at TheItBags and while I like the style, I have a vertical grip on my camera, which those don’t look like they’ll accommodate. I ended up snagging a Posey bag by Kelly Moore and LOVE IT. It’s perfect for every day carrying, and small so I don’t shove too much into it. However, carrying around my 5D with grip and lens attached isn’t easy. But it is great for every day and for my film camera. I’m waiting on the Boy Bag from Kelly Moore for a big trip coming up. I saw it in action at a recent wedding and was really impressed with the space it has and while large, it doesn’t look or feel HUGE. I’ll be posting a review of it when i get it and get back to the States. 🙂
Are you still interested in selling your Lola? I am interested in purchasing one, but don’t have the budget to buy something new. Let me know if you are interested 🙂
I have a Kelly Moore bag and really like it. It has a stylish look but the dividers wouldn’t move where I wanted them so I ended up taking one of them out so my Canon would fit right with attached 18-200mm lens. It does fit my iPad but honestly doesn’t give it much protection. It has lots of storage for extra battery, cards, and iPhone but is a squeeze to fit in my wallet, lens brush and other essentials. The snap closure is strong and doesn’t pop open, but I would have preferred a zipper to keep dust and sand out. I am seriously thinking of buying the Clover to give my iPad better protection when traveling.
I actually just bought a Clover! I’m excited for it to come and hopefully I will have a better idea of whether or not all the raving reviews are true to form.
I have the Lola in black and love it. It has plenty of dividers which I have customized the positions from how they came. I am going to order Clover in Grey as well. I need to be able to carry a netbook without packing it in my luggage for international travel. I want all my equipment in the one carry on I’m allowed via Heathrow.
Emily! How are you liking your bag? I am still torn between the Clover and the KM B Hobo!! I want something that I can actually wear as I am shooting since I do a lot of on location shoots and don’t want to leave my bag just lying around!
Not Emily…but I bought a Clover in February and I LOVE it. I can carry my XSi w/lens attached, two extra lenses, flash, cords, extra batteries, iPad and still have room for my wallet and phone. I would highly recommend it!
Thanks for the update Wendy! I appreciate it! From what I am seeing it looks like the interior of the Epiphanie bags are more padded and might protect my gear better than the Kelly Moore Bags… The Clover is pretty large to wear while shooting though, right?
Thanks so much!
Shelly. Sorry for the delayed response! I’m knee-deep in school work and haven’t been checking this WordPress often. If you can hold out just a bit more, I’ll be posting a review at my new blog: http://eschow.com sometime this weekend. You’re spot on though. The Clover is a tad big, but I absolutely love it and wear it to and from class, on my trip to Finland that I just returned from. It’s really a wonderful bag!
It is big…however I find it comfortable to sling across my body. Honestly if I’m shooting for a long time, I don’t carry my bag the entire time, unless I absolutely have to.
Hey all! I just wanted to let you know that I posted a few photos and a short review on my new blog. Visit it here at eschow.com!
Hi there. I’m not a photographer or anything creative in any way…. I’m just an everyday hard working mommy. I have a job that requires me to carry a lap top all day everyday!! I have had both the Paris and Clover and have had nothing but compliments when I carried them!! They are so stylish and easy to use. I hope you are enjoying your fabulous bag!! Oh and I think I forgot to mention that Maile is my best friend 🙂
I have been doing a tone of research on bags as I also want something feminine and functional. I narrowed the selection to the Kelly Moore classic and the epiphanie clover and am going with the clover for a few reasons:
1. The clover seems to have more protection and more flexibility for configuring the inside
2. The epiphanie has a cross-body and shoulder straps – from what I saw the KM classic only has the cross-body
3. The price tag – both are $$$ but the clover seems to be about $60 less plus it comes with a cover for when you’re not using it.
I spent a very long time debating the same thing before eventually ordering the Epiphanie Ginger in black. I’ve had it a few days and love the versatile padded inserts and colours, seems well made and quite sturdy. However, I have two problems
– the two shoulder straps seem awkward when carrying messenger style
– the base is 8″ wide and very solid. This makes it look a little ridiculous on me, I’m not tiny (AUS size 8) but the 8″ base makes it stick out far too much and I just can’t wear it like that
Has anyone else had similar issues? Currently deciding whether to try and return and choose all over again or possibly to try and get it altered. Does anyone have feedback on the Jo Totes bags?
thanks so much for this review! all of the comments really helped me decide i need an Epiphanie bag!
Hi Guys its great to read all your feedback about the bags. You learn a lot from these comments……I too am very confused we are currently making some camera bags and trying to assess everyones feedback to get it right for the majority.. Some love the Kelly Moore and others love epiphanie… very difficult…If any of you want to be kept in the loop when the bags are done please let us know and we will add you to our list..feel free to email me margo@downtowndoggy.com . Regards
Margo
So what did you decide? My friend bought the Epiphane bag (Ginger) and she loves it. Right now the Paris bag is 50% off in black or tuquoise ($92!). I am contemplating the purchase soon since it is a great deal.
I’m so thankful for this post! Wow we really do our homework on camera bags! I had also come down to the choice between Epiphanie-clover & KM classic….I decided to order my clover. I like that it is bigger and can hold my lap top if needed and it seems to have more padding. I have to say though that I loved Kelly Moore’s videos. They are very helpful.
I had the Epiphanie Ginger bag and sold it as I found it was too bulky. I currently have the Kelly Moore B-Hobo bag in mustard and absolutely love it. I love all the color choices Kelly Moore has and am currently drooling over the Kelly Moore 2 sues in raspberry. Kelly Moore has great customer service. If you e-mail them with any questions they will respond very quickly.
Hands down I love my CLOVER from Epiphanie and I’ve had several Kelly Moore bags as well. I did a review comparing the two as well if that helps anyone out;) http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=226493370745026
I can only give a negative review for Epiphanie bags. I inititally bought Lola, and liked it, but wanted Ginger for travelling. Ginger arrived with every zip being faulty, so that when you tried to close a zip, the pull tag on the zip fell off. They did replace that bag, but it was a serious fault. Lola, who I have used maybe two dozen times, has developed several holes in the exterior vinyl, and is now unusable. I expect a bag to be more resilient than that when I pay that much for it.
For what it’s worth, I am not that impressed with the strength/quality of the Kelly Moore Posey bag I have.
It’s the previous model, thats not rounded off but straight at the top. The faux leather’s color is all but gone on the corners showing the brown interior and on the back pocket of the bag the lining has come completely off. Also have some loose threads around the opening of the bag already. I use this bag everyday, but will definately go for an epiphanie next time, as the padding seems more thick and have not heard any negatives about the quality yet.
Hi! I am so glad to find this thread! So I bought an Epiphanie Belle (brown) bag a couple of months ago and while it is really beautiful with SO much room, I find it not a good bag for me to use cross body as its bottom is large and flat and sticks out quite a bit. I love it for carrying all my equipment, but not really good for me as a petite girl when just walking around. So I think I’m selling (I just don’t have enough cash to have 2 of these bags 🙂 and I’m going to get a Kelly Moore b-hobo. I have a Crumpler 7 Million Dollar bag which is as big as the Belle. If anyone is interested in buying the Belle–let me know. I’m about the advertise on Craigslist! One last thing, the problem with the KM b-hobo popping open–has anyone had that problem? Also, have you noticed alot of dust in your bag? I do store my camera in my Belle bag because it’s ultra protected and zipped, so I am a little concerned before I buy a b-hobo. Thanks everyone!!!
Hi Monitica,
I have the Kelly Moore b-hobo bag in mustard and absolutely love it. Not sure what you mean about it popping open or collecting dust. There is a zipper to close everything off and than a flap over top of it. If you go to Kelly Moore’s web site she does a short video for each bag.
I too had an Epiphanie bag, the Ginger, but found it was way to bulky as an everyday bag. I also sold that one. The b-hobo bag is just the perfect width for me. I have had lots of compliments on my b-hobo, no one believes it is a camera bag 😛
Hope that helps.
Do you still have the Belle bag?
I have the Lola bag from Epiphanie. Although the quality of the product is great the design is awkward. The top opening is too narrow compared to the rest of the bag. The opening makes it very difficult to get things in and out of. The zipper placement is also difficult and does allow for easy zipping. I wish I had made an alternative choice as now I’m looking to replace it with something more user friendly.
Another option is the Silhouette Bag. I have the chestnut colored one and I love it!
Just ordered mine in Chestnut. Thanks for the recommendation! They are GORGEOUS!!
I was torn between the Epiphanie Ginger and the Kelly Moore B-Hobo, and went ahead and ordered the KM bag in heather grey. The comments here helped a lot because I’m only 5’3 and most of these bags are at least 14″ long, so was worried the ginger would be too big. Few of you mentioned it sticking out too far…so thanks ladies! We’ll see how the Hobo bag goes, it is large too but seems like it will mold to the body better. I do love the Lola too..
i love the km classic bag in fuchsia! but i was thinking it’s propably not a good idea to take it to the beach because sand could get in it? maybe the km b-hobo would be better?