Kelly Moore Bag Review: The Juju

This is my third camera bag review. You can find the first one on here The Abby in Black by Jo Totes and the second one on here The Rose in bronze by Jo totes {now called Johansen}.

Who doesn’t love Kelly Moore bags? They are very difficult to source in the UK until Park Cameras started selling them. They are not cheap either. But at least you don’t have to worry about exorbitant international shipping rates and customs duty.

The Juju is a beast. It is very big. like an overnight piece of luggage, and holds a massive amount of camera gear. The best thing though is that it is still carry-able. I’ve had this bag for nearly three years.

I normally use this bag packed to the seams: 3 bodies, 3 lenses, 3 speedlights . Or 2 bodies, 4-5 lenses and 2 speedlights. It is heavy of course, but somehow the ergonomics of this bag works.  The handles give plenty of weight support and the additional long straps ensure safety in case you drop it due to its weight. 

There are side flaps protecting the open ends of the zip too so that if it suddenly rains whilst you’re on a shoot, the flaps ensure the contents are dry.

The Juju is made of durable man-made material. Being man-made and not leather, it is pretty rigid and tough. I don’t worry about scratches and scrapes with this bag. I love the metal studs at the bottom base – they keep the bag dry and clean.

Due to the size and potential weight of the bag, this isn’t the shoot-on-the-go type of bag where you pull out your camera and shoot with the bag still on the shoulder. This is a mini-piece of luggage in my opinion.  

I use it at weddings and on some location shoots but not for a small shoot. All the protective foam inside are detachable so you can use it in any formation or to suit all the contents of the bag. It also has a spare long protective foam strip in case you want a 2-storey protection or you just want to double up on the protective layer on the base of the bag.

It was bigger than I expected, heavier too and not for daily use. The outside external pockets on both front and sides add to the bulk. Other than that, it is well-built, well-shaped and sturdy. It is my work-horse and I do love it. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5, due to the bulk factor. If somehow the pockets {which are very useful} are designed in such a way that they don’t protrude as much, I would give it a 5.

The Juju is difficult to get nowadays. A similar one but much smaller for everyday use is the Kelly Moore B-Hobo Bag also in Walnut colour. You can get the Kelly Moore KMB-HOBB-WLN B-Hobo Bag for DSLR Camera – Walnut here.