The bag that wasn't actually meant for me
Some bags immediately have a permanent place in your everyday life. Others only surprise you later.
At least that was the case for me with the Oberwerth Kiki . When the bag arrived at our home, it quickly became clear in which direction it was intended. Oberwerth positions the Kiki more as a lifestyle or ladies' photo bag and originally the focus was more on my wife.
That was actually the end of the matter for me.
Or so I thought.
Because as someone who probably spends a little too much time with photo bags, I noticed at some point that the Kiki was suddenly hanging over my shoulder surprisingly often.
Not for larger photo tours. Not for lots of equipment. But precisely on those days when the camera should simply be with me without any complications.
And that's exactly where it suddenly became interesting.
Transparency
I've been working with Oberwerth on a trusting basis for some time now and have already used, reviewed and discussed several of the brand's bags both here on the blog and on our YouTube channel. The team has always been open to feedback, criticism and suggestions for improvement.
This openness and tangible passion for their own products is something I really appreciate.
I hope that the following experience report will help you if you are considering buying a bag from Oberwerth.
Note:
Oberwerth has kindly provided us with a 10% discount code:
👉 QIMAGO10
You are supporting our work at the same time - thank you very much.
Surprisingly inconspicuous - in a positive sense
The Kiki doesn't look like a classic photo bag. And that could be its greatest strength.
Many camera bags look technical, functional or immediately signal that they contain camera equipment. The Kiki does exactly the opposite. It looks more like a high-quality everyday bag.
It fits close to the body, is not bulky and is surprisingly unobtrusive. This is much more important in everyday life than you might initially think.
Because photography is not the focus of attention every day.
When the camera is not the main protagonist
Many photo bags are viewed from a single perspective:
"How much camera will fit inside?"
In everyday life, however, the reality is often different.
In the last few weeks, my everyday life looked a little different than usual in terms of photography anyway.
Larger photo walks, longer tours or hours spent on the road have tended to take a back seat. Nevertheless, I didn't want to leave the camera at home completely.
It's precisely in phases like these that you suddenly realize which bags you automatically grab - without giving it much thought.
And that's where the Kiki almost became my constant companion.
Because it not only offered space for a small camera, but also for the things that are always with me in everyday life anyway:
- Smartphone
- keys
- wallet
- small items
- and also a camera
It was precisely this mix that suddenly made it interesting for me.
Not as a bag for planned photo tours - but as a bag for everyday life, in which the camera simply runs along.
This is exactly where the Kiki shows its greatest strength.
It looks compact at first, but offers much more space in everyday life than the outer dimensions initially suggest.
Surprisingly much space in a small area
In my case it fits without any problems:
I was particularly impressed by the layout.
The Kiki doesn't just have one main compartment, but additional small compartments and dividers. This means that not everything ends up loose in a single compartment.
Especially with compact bags, this makes a bigger difference in everyday life than you might initially think.
And even when fully packed, it never feels uncomfortable or overloaded.
Perhaps the most underrated men's bag?
At some point, I stopped thinking about whether the Kiki was originally intended as a women's model.
Because, to be honest, that doesn't really matter in everyday life.
It actually reminds me much more of a modern EDC bag - only with the advantage that a camera has already been included.
And that's exactly why it works surprisingly well.
Especially for small setups like:
Especially photographers who want to be deliberately minimal on the move could discover significantly more potential here than one might initially expect.
Processing: typical Oberwerth
Anyone already familiar with Oberwerth bags will immediately feel at home.
Soft leather, high-quality zippers and lots of small details give the impression of a full-fledged premium bag rather than a small side solution.
The detailed photos in particular show that the Kiki does not look like a slimmed-down version.
It feels more like a fully-fledged Oberwerth bag in a smaller format.
Little things that I would like to see differently
However, the Kiki is not quite perfect for me either.
I'm generally not a big fan of zippers in close proximity to the camera. Especially with sensitive housings, I can quickly become a little cautious.
In practice, however, this was less of a problem with the Kiki than I initially thought. Especially smaller setups such as a Leica M or Leica Q sit comparatively low in the bag and therefore hardly ever come into direct contact with the zippers.
For me, this is more of a point to keep in mind - but definitely not a dealbreaker.
What I would really like to see, however, is a slightly more flexible interior layout.
The existing organization works well for everyday items and smaller setups, but a little more modularity or variability would have increased the utility value for different combinations.
Photographers in particular change their everyday set-up more often than you might initially think.
My conclusion on the Oberwerth Kiki
The biggest surprise about the Oberwerth Kiki for me was probably not the workmanship or the size.
It was how naturally it suddenly became part of my everyday life.
Not on days when photography was the main focus. It was precisely when the camera was simply meant to run alongside.
And that's exactly where the Kiki worked amazingly well for me.
It offers enough space for the things you have with you every day anyway, while at the same time being pleasantly compact and achieving something that many photo bags cannot:
It doesn't feel like a photo bag.
Perhaps you would be doing the Kiki a bit of an injustice if you thought of it exclusively as a bag for women.
Because as a compact EDC bag, it works surprisingly well for me personally, even as a man.
And to be honest, I could even imagine that some women would prefer a little more space - but what do I know about the requirements for handbags?
In any case, for my everyday life, the Kiki has become exactly what I didn't originally expect:
An extremely uncomplicated bag for exactly those days when the camera simply has to be there.
And perhaps that's what makes it so appealing.
If you are considering buying this or another Obwerwerth product:
Oberwerth has set up a 10% code for our readers. This is: QIMAGO10
If you enter it during the checkout process, you will receive a 10% discount and we will get a small kickback.
