Timbuk2 'Covert' Classic Messenger Bag

Concept: 3 out of 5
Execution: 3 out of 5
Yeah, but: I'm nothing if not timely - they're on to version 2.0 by now.

The Long Version: While I love my large T2 messenger bag, it's, well, large. My plan was to use my Seal Line bag for the summer, but I had come to like the T2's flexibility too much. So when I was poking around on the Timbuk2 website and saw that they had a clearance on their all-black Covert messenger bag, I decided to take the plunge.

This is the medium-sized bag, and it is significantly smaller than the large size. I do like it when there's a clear difference between products, because it makes the choosing part much easier. This bag is big enough to hold my 800ml water bottle, although the top does poke up a little, along with the other odds and ends that I like to have with me. There's a thermal bag that will hold three cans of coke and a large ice pack, a novel or slim textbook, a camera up to the size of a D700, and a small towel that I carry with me. Allegedly it's to protect the camera and absorb any condensation or water that sneaks in, but really I just always need to know where my towel is.

The big deal about the Covert bags is that the centre panel hides an effective reflector that's wrapped all the way around the bag. It only lights up when a direct light hits it, and has just a subtle sheen to it the rest of the time. The current Covert design has added the 'matrix' fabric that includes some reflective threads in the weave for all-around effectiveness. I'm a big fan of being visible to drivers at night, but generally wear dark colours, so this is a perfect fit for me. Sometimes I'll even wear it mostly-empty when I'm biking at night just for the added visibility and extra place to put a rear LED flasher. Not too shabby.

Of all of my various bags, this is the one that I use the most. It's large enough to carry what I need, and small enough to hold on my lap when I'm in crowded public transit. It's my favourite non-camera-bag camera carrier, being both (figuratively) bulletproof and unremarkable on the downtown streets. If I could only have one of my T2 bags - this or the large-sized custom one - it would be a really hard choice. While messenger bags certainly aren't for everyone, I've been using this one for eight months now and haven't even been tempted by any other designs. For me, that's saying a lot.

Delta 1 18% Gray Card

Concept: 2 out of 5
Execution: 2 out of 5
Yeah, but: It's pretty much neutral.

The Long Version: This cardboard grey card is marketed by Delta 1, a company out of Dallas, Texas. Their website is a little short on details; apparently the page for the grey card didn't make the transition over from Geocities. But the packaging comes to the rescue, saying that it has a reflectance of 18% (+/-1%) 'on which all external and internal light meters are calibrated.' There's more here by Thom, which is interesting reading if you're planning on using these for their stated purpose: getting accurate exposures.

The other way to use them is as a grey reference for white balance. The manufacturer doesn't endorse this, but my simple comparison tests show mine as being colour neutral - or at least close enough that it doesn't make a difference. It may not be as reliable as my new Passport, or even my Ezybalance, but my motto for colour management is "close enough is good enough" - it's just that "close enough" depends on the situation. This cheap cardboard will get you pretty close.

B+H sells a single one of these for about $5, and Adorama sells a pair for $12, unless you get them via Amazon for $15. While that's a bit spendy for grey cardboard, don't think about it as buying two cards, think about it as 160 square inches of eyedropperable surface. Buy one set, cut them down into little pieces, and get a lot more milage out of them. The smallest useful size will depend on what you shoot, but conversely it's about the only way to get one small enough for macro photography. My favourite size is 2"x3.5", so that they fit into my business card case. Since I have one in my camera bag(s) anyway, I'm never more than arm's reach away from a reasonably right white balance.

Earth: The Biography: The Story of Our World

Concept: 3 out of 5
Execution: 1 out of 5
Yeah, but: The last two hours of each disk are great.

The Long Version: This is a series that's in the same class as the BBC's Planet Earth & The Blue Planet, but with a couple of differences. Instead of looking at ecosystems or geographic regions, Earth - The Biography divides its approach into forces of nature, such as ice and volcanoes. The other difference is that it's narrated by a Scotsman, Dr. Iain Stewart, instead of the much more aloof Sir David Attenborough. Indeed, Dr. Stewart is a character in the drama that he records, giving him more of a Michael Palin style to his storytelling.

The cinematography is beautiful, the stories are compelling, and even as an owner of the Blue Planet Earth DVDs, there's information here that I hadn't heard or seen before. Sure, it took me a while to stop snickering at the host's recurring mentions of bubbling lava pools - the pronunciation seeming to drop the final 'L' - but the series is very well done. Add in the bold editorial indecision that gifted it with a subtitle and a secondary subsidiary subtitle, and there's not much not to like.

But.

Both DVD disks start with commercials for other DVDs, and they can't be skipped. For a rented movie, that would be annoying. For a DVD that I spent a not inconsiderable amount of money to purchase, specifically so that I can re-watch it at my leisure, it's completely unacceptable. I'm glad I've seen these episodes, but I wish I hadn't bought them. In fact, I wish I had taken the DVD back to the store and demanded a refund because I would argue that the disks are defective. It's rare that I say not to buy something, but in this case, don't.