Best Bag For Leica: Grams28 172 Sling In-Depth Review
Best Bag For Leica: Grams28 172 Sling In-Depth Review
When it comes to the world of camera carry, function has always been prioritized over form. A few bags like the legendary Domke F-2 will be as beautiful as it is useful. Still, the F-2 belongs more on the battlefield than a runway show.
I came across the Gram28 brand in a Leica forum, with owners comparing it to Oberwerth, Billingham, and ONA – companies that make elegant bags meant to carry their expensive gear.
Their 172 Sling did look gorgeous and the promo video about how the bags are crafted looked intriguing. If it was as well made as it looked, this could be that bag I’ve spent years looking for.
UPDATE: Save This code WHEREANDWANDER20 to get 20% off at GRAMS28.COM.
At $459, the bag was not cheap, but it between two of my favorite bags this category. My ONA Bowery in field tan waxed canvas was $230 and the Oberwerth M-Bag is $750.
With 20% off, it was worth trying out.
So what do I think?
There’s no camera bag this stylish on the market. You can’t appreciate the elegance and quality of the GRAMS28 172 Camera Sling until you can feel it with your own hands. it is a luxury designer bag and fashion piece disguised as a camera carry.
Not Too Bag, Not Too Small
The GRAMS 172 Camera Sling is an elegant and sophiscated take on the camera shoulder bag. Measuring 12.5” W x 8.6” H x 4.7” D and weighing 890g, the full-grain Italian leather bag is the ideal size for your daily camera carry needs.
After a few weeks with this bag, I can say that this is one I’m keeping (hopefully for a long time). It’s also fair to say that it is worth the price for many reasons.
Update: Over 1.5 years later, this is my favorite daily carry bag and the leather has held up well.
My First Impressions Of Unboxing The Grams28 172
I had high hopes for this bag and that made me a bit nervous opening the package. Unboxed, the 172 is protected by a black cloth bag (that doubles as storage bag for the bag), just like something you’d get from Dior or Louis Vuitton.
The black pebbled leather immediately reminded me of the leather on a Hermes Evelyne bag that my aunt owns. I had to go check it out side by side.
Surely enough, the leather felt similar. The stiffer structure of the 172 added a firmness that contrasted with the Evelyne’s structureless suppleness. Otherwise, it was eerily close to the $4000 handbag.
The leather is full grain, which is the best quality of leather you can get from a cow hide. It’s more durable and can develop a unique patina and shine over time. The trim and edges are soft and rounded and the stitching is flawless.
I expect it to age well and with you.
After a few weeks, the 172 is my new walk-around and travel camera bag. I’m still blown away by how refined and stylish the bag looks.
The only downside I see so far, and the reason I originally chose to buy a ONA Bowery bag in waxed canvas rather than leather, is that I’m almost afraid to damage such a pretty bag. Though full-grain leather is durable, I’m not sure I’d be as carefree as I would with the Bowery. Only time will tell.
Quick Jump Links
- Exterior
- Interior
- Protection
- How Much Can You Fit
- How It Feels
- Is It A Good Camera Bag?
- Waterproof
- Weatherproof
- Lifetime Warranty
- Improvement
- Is It Worth it?
- Last Thoughts
- Promo Code
The 172 Exterior
The only noticeable branding is a subtle line of white text with the word GRAMS(28) and a series of numbers.
The code identifies the Category, Product, Tannery, Material, and Tanning Location. It’s a nice touch and aesthetically reminds me of the small lettering on Comme De Garçons wallets.
Next was the undeniable smell of good leather – mild and sweet. It was devoid of any strong oils or chemical smell that you sometimes get with ‘fresh‘ leather.
Whatever the Mastrotto tannery did to treat the leather, it worked.
The metal clasp is a thing of beauty. Easily, the smoothest clasp I’ve used on a bag. Pinch down on the two small brass levers together and the buckle opens cleanly with no resistance.
I was able to open it with one hand without looking at the clasp, and it is designed in a way that wouldn’t accidentally open on its own. The engraved text logo is subtle here too.
There is a pull strap to loosen and tighten the buckle that still looks neat when pulled out. You can run that strap through a leather loop if you want to tuck it away.
Inside The 172
Lifting back the top lid reveals a two-toned interior. The part where your camera and lenses go is lined with soft black padding while the rest of the bag is lined with a soft tan fabric.
On the frontside is a zippered pocket. It half opens on the left side to reveal a space with slots and pockets for batteries, film, memory cards, and other small or flat accessories.
The battery pockets look small, but I was able to comfortably fit both battery types for my Fujifilm cameras and a roll of 35mm film.
The zipper looks strong and opens/closes pretty smoothly, but it’s not the quietest zipper.
How Good Is The 172 At Protecting Your Gear?
For camera protection and separation, the 172 comes with two dividers and this is where I’m pleasantly surprised that a company, designing their first camera bag, thought to include two different sized dividers.
You get one regular 4” x 5” divider with a vertical fold down the middle so that there’s some give and flexibility once it’s secured to the walls.
The other is a 3.5” x 4.75” divider with a horizontal fold and 3 hook and loop flaps. This design allows you to adjust how you attach the divider in case you have a smaller lens and want to utilize the vertical space above it for the grip of a camera to hang over. In other words, you get flexibility.
The padded walls on both sides are separated into rows with stitching. I like how it looks visually and I’m guessing it was done to keep the padded fabric from pulling when you attach and detach the dividers.
Most of my other bags have suffered over time with repeated use of the hook and loop fasteners.
This is the best padding and fastener that I’ve ever had across bags from Ona, Tenba, Wandrd, LowePro, Peak Design, and Domke.
Perhaps, one of the weaker areas on the 172 is the bottom of the bag. While it has the same amount of padding as the sides of the bag, I wouldn’t carelessly drop or toss my bag on the floor.
How Much Can You Fit In The 172 Camera Sling?
Behind the padded wall are 3 open slots for storing things like small notebooks, passport, filters, SSD drives, and even an 11” iPad. The area can expand quite a bit, but it shares the internal space with the camera area, so there’s only so much you can stuff in there.
Still, I was surprised that I was able to comfortably fit a Fujifilm X-Pro2 + 35mm f/1.4, a Leica M2 + 40mm f/1.4 and a Fujifilm 55-200 lens in addition to a 6-roll 35mm film holder, a Midori travel notebook, my passport, batteries, extra roll of film, and phone. Satisfyingly, once zipped and closed up, there’s no bulkiness or awkward protrusions.
When I take out the film holder and Leica M2 and replace it with another Fujifilm lens and 2 SSD drives, there’s excess space in the bag for an iPad, Kindle or paperback book. It’s quite spacious.
I also tested out a 35mm only configuration and I was able to easily fit in 3 cameras + 3 lenses.
How The 172 Feels On Your Body
Like the rest of the bag, attention was paid to the strap maintaining the bag’s quality standard. The ends are made of the same full grain leather material with metal carabiners that attach to D-rings on the sides of the bag.
The strap is 38mm wide and made of the type of premium webbing nylon you’d find on car seat belts.
This seems to be a common material used nowadays for high end camera bags.
I first experienced joy of these straps with my Ona Bowery bag and I’m glad the straps here are similar, albeit of a slightly thinner material,
It can be adjusted between 105cm and 165cm. I found it very comfortable to wear and adjust both across the body and slung off one shoulder.
When worn with the bag behind me, it sits flush against my back and the weight is spread in a relatively even distribution between my body and shoulder.
Despite no extra padding whether strap sits across the shoulder, it does not tug or pinch. This and the ONA Bowery have the best straps I’ve used on any camera slings.
Like the metal clasp on the front, there’s just no unnecessary excess of material as you adjust.
Is The Grams28 172 Camera Sling A Good Camera Bag?
So the aesthetics and design of the bag has exceeded my expectations. But is it a good camera bag?
When I travel, I usually transport my gear with my Wandrd Prvke 21L backpack or a LowePro ProTactic 450 AW. On location, I prefer the ease of shooting with a shoulder bag. I’ll also carry only what I think I’ll need that day.
For those times, I bring either my ONA Bowery bag or a Wandrd Rogue 9L Sling.
The 9L sling is spacious and rugged. I can even fit carry my 13” Macbook or a 12.9” iPad and a tripod, but it is big. The Bowery is better suited for walking around with a body and 2-3 lens. Unfortunately, it can get a bit tight and leaves no room for anything else.
The 172 is just a bit more spacious than the Bowery to the point where I can comfortably carry 1 body + 3 lenses in many configurations. I can also carry camera accessories, a notebook, and my sunglasses or a small tube of sunscreen.
Even fully packed, the weight is evenly distributed somehow and it feels very comfortable even after a couple of hours of continuous wear and walking.
Is The Grams28 172 Camera Sling Waterproof?
No. While full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable type of leather, the 172 Sling is not waterproof. Still, in real world use, I found it pretty water-resistant based on how the leather was treated.
I did three non-scientific water tests to see what the 172 can realistcally handle.
In experiment #1, I took a glass of water and poured it over the bag. As I expected, most of it beaded and rolled off, but the pebbled texture of the leather meant there was still droplets that clung to the bag. I immediately wiped it off and the leather looked untouched.
In experiment #2, I poured the water over and against the sides of the bag, but this time, I didn’t wipe off the excess. I left this for 30 minutes. Again, it wiped off cleanly and the area that was wet looked just like the area that was dry.
In experiment #3, instead of pouring water over the bag, I sprayed it with several thin layers of mist to see the leather would handle smaller particles that don’t bead off right away. I once again left it for 30 minutes. There wasn’t a lot of water still there when I returned. It was hard to tell whether the thin layer just evaporated or if it soaked it, but the leather still look good.
Overall, I found that the 172 handled water pretty well as is, but I might consider applying a layer of full grain leather wax or some kind of waterproofing conditioning cream down the line.
Is The 172 Weatherproof?
Besides water, the only other real world issues I worry about is dust from the wind or sand from the beach. I found that you get a better seal around the edges if you fully tighten down the straps.
In a pinch, I would feel comfortable having the bag and my gear exposed to a a bit of a wind or rain storm, but I wouldn’t be too active or try to shoot with it in bad weather conditions.
If I don’t full tighten down the straps, there’s a tiny gap on the sides that’s slightly exposed. Additionally, the front sipper pocket isn’t full sealed. There are two small openings on the side where particles can enter.
Things That Can Be Improved On The 172
It’s obvious that I think this is a well-designed and well-made bag, but there are two minor quirks that can be improved.
Releasing the buckle with one hand is easy, but I tend to need both hands to line up and reattach the buckle.
It’s minor, but making the ends of the clasp magnetic could help guide them together automatically.
I mentioned the bottom not having as much padding as other bags. Adding some low-profile metal feet to the four corners could discretely solve this problem. This would protect the underside of the bag when you’re placing it down.
Grams28 Lifetime Warranty
I received good advice early on in my travels to take my time in researching and buying good outdoor adventure equipment once rather than buying cheaper stuff and replacing it every few years. Brands like The North Face and Patagonia have Lifetime Warranties (to a certain degree) on their products. It’s a policy I’ve used and something I’ve since place great value on.
Grams28 offers what looks like a pretty generous lifetime warranty and repair policy on their many of their products. In short, they will repair or replace any functional damages that prevent you from using the product, like zippers, buttons, clasps, etc.
Is The Grams28 172 Worth Its Price-Tag?
I put Grams28 in the same group as quality bag makers like ONA, Billingham and Oberwerth. In this group, comparable bags range between $250 and $750.
Now, the common thing grouping these bag makers together is that they all make bags specifically designed for and targeting Leica owners. That’s easily $5-10k worth of gear, so spending $300-$800 for a camera bag to carry that gear is a lot easier to justify. If you are in this crowd, this is a bag easily worth your consideration.
Over the years, I’ve owned many camera backpacks and bags, keeping only a few to meet my different carry and shooting needs. It’s an important part of my photographic process and while I absolutely need a bag to function and meet my needs, I also highly value the aesthetics of a bag.
Sure, I may not be part of the crowd that will pay $4000 for a Hermes handbag, but I appreciate quality material and craftsmanship. The $459 price tag on the 172 might have had me second-guessing the camera bag at first, but after a few weeks, I have no doubt that this is a worthwhile investment for the long-haul.
You can get this fully functional waterproof camera sling for around $20 or a lauded Nomatic 8L sling for $160. If you are just looking for a way to carry your camera, there are plenty of cheaper options than the 172, but none will look as stylish or elegant.
use code WHEREANDWANDER20 to get 20% off at GRAMS28.COM.
Last Thoughts On the 172
One last thought. If money was no object, what camera bag would I buy?
I like The M-Bag for Oberwerth for its clean lines and timeless leather look. It doesn’t stand out like a typical camera bag.
When I look at the 172, it shares those same characteristics, but it’s also visually unlike any other camera bag on the market. More designer bag than camera bag – it’s a fashion statement disguised as a camera carry. And that’s exactly what I love about it. If you are a Leica user, this is a stunning bag to pair with your M cameras.
Grams28 20% off Promo Code
After writing my review, I reached out to GRAMS28 with my review and asked if they would offer a discount code. Good news. Use code WHEREANDWANDER20 at GRAMS28 and you’ll get 20% off this bag. I think it even works on all their other products.
Updated on July 4, 2025
