Crumpler Muffin Top 7500 Review

[matthew_rk]

I received this bag on the Friday before the August bank holiday, and I've managed to get some decent use out of it already..

Firstly I took it to a local landmark (Portland Bill) which involved a bit of climbing around rocks, then I took it to a music festival where I endured a 3 hour soaking, and finally I took it to Lulworth Castle where I carried it around all day and even did a Monty Python style dance across a field trying to get away from a wasp! The bag did suffer a direct impact with my ice cream in that event but it survived.

So here's my review:

The 7500 is the biggest bag in the range, and for me I would say its perfectly sized. I can easily fit my 400D with kit lens, 55-250 IS and hood + accessories in there, and I would say I probably have space for another mid size lens, nifty fifty and a flash, and maybe even a battery grip (can you guess what's in my amazon cart? ). When shooting I can put my 400D with 55-250 and lens hood attached in the bag vertically and still close the bag.

There's a handy front pocket for stashing the wallet, mobile phone etc with a couple of mesh pockets for smaller items. It has a "weasel proof" front with velcro and a clip - that can be a bit fiddly to open at times but maybe I've just not worked out the trick!

Protection wise the bag is a lot more sturdy than I had expected, in photos they always seem to come off "crumply" but they offer great protection for your kit whilst being nice and comfortable to hold. The general feel of the bag is of high quality, and pleases my shininess meter.

The strap is pretty slippery, which can make it a bit difficult to hold on one shoulder but its designed to be worn across the body anyway. I think I read about someone fixing the strap elsewhere.

I was a little concerned about its water proofing but after 3 hours of drizzle the inside was bone dry, I even got "attacked" by some guy selling a bubble maker and I'm happy to report it withstands a serious bubble onslaught too.

On a random note there's a little strap at the bottom and I think I may be able to attach my Velbon mini tripod to it with the help of some clips, its about the same width so that could work quite well.

Overall totally happy with the bag, I'm sure it'll keep me going for quite a while and I'm glad I didn't get the backpack as the ease of access to the camera and lenses etc is a winner.

Different colours are available, I have the espresso/coffee. Shop around, the prices vary a lot.

Here's the photos.

Front

Side

Inside, the top center part is an ideal space for filters etc, and the seperator folds over making a perfect space for the camera lens to drop into with support for the body. The lens on the top right is my 55-250 with hood reversed.

iPhone photo with camera in place.

And one for size:

Hope that someone finds this of use.. (preferably not a mugger).

 

[Markk]

Reviews like these are awesome and especially with pictures.

Thank you for that.

 

[themightyjuice]

I can definatly vouch for the Crumpler shoulder bags, i got the "New Delhi 510" about a week ago and i love it.

Very easy on the eye, (I got the Rust/silver colour) and they have great storage space, it has a removable photo pouch which houses my D60 usually with 55-200mm attached, also takes my 18-55mm kit lens, 35mm and my nifty and it still has room for my rocket blower and lens pen.

When you take the pouch out you then have just a regular bag with heaps of room. Bag also has a laptop pouch which holds either a 12" or 13" laptop, can't remeber which, I usually keep my copy of 'Understanding Exposure' in there when i'm out and about for some reference, it's fast becoming my bible.

The bag also has lots of little pouches for spare batteries, cards, mobile, MP3 player and pretty much whatever you choose to take out with you.

Not had it properly wet yet but its had some spillage on it and that just wipes straight off, no probs. Strap is very comfortable albeit the buckle is a bit fiddly to start with (or maybe that was just for me) and it's pretty long, some adjustments will definatley be requiered.

The shoulder strap has another little strap attached to it called the "third leg". When you have the bag over your shoulder the third leg goes across your chest and clips into the bottom corner of the bag for stability and comfort, this is great because the bag doesn't bang against your hip or bump into folk when you're in busy areas or walking at pace, it just sits at the small of your back until you unclip the third leg.

I can saftly say that my Crumpler is going to be with me for many years to come and the great news is, that the bags come with a lifetime guarentee, so if it actually does rip or tear or anything else happens to it, Crumpler will give you a nice new shiney bag result.

Just one last note on the bags, I'd strongly recommend shopping around because the price differences can be pretty severe where the Crumplers are concerned. I got mine for £99 from Bristol Cameras and some other sites had it going for between £120 - £180 So it pays to shop around.

Will try and post some picks of it in the near future and maybe this thread can become a good place for TP members looking to get new bags, or just to review what they have purchased, I know i could've used a thread like this when I was trying to decide on my bag.

 

[jackbauer]

i have a crumpler bag, slightly smaller
they are pretty good.

 

[chris321]

I like it so much I've got 2!

Really good review, and nice clear pictures too, should be helpful when people are looking into them, as Crumpler are notoriously optimistic when it comes to what fits in their bags!